In a hyperactive and overstimulating age, we exist between two worlds: the virtual and the real. We try to balance a world of social media, career-making, side hustles and networking on one side, and a world of truth, friendships, family and mental peace on the other. While trying to keep up on life’s fast pace and the noise of information meeting us every day, we turn to something otherworldly in order to make sense of ourselves and the world around us. As we are absorbed by incessant activity 24/7, we long to get in touch with our inner selves. And what better world to immerse ourselves in than that of spirituality?
Astrology, tarot cards, numerology, crystals, healing… we’ve seen a heightened interest in these practices 2018, and questions have been raised regarding the reliability of these beliefs. People might argue that relying on these practices in order to predict a person’s personality, life or future is wrongfully rooted in assumptions and judgements. But in this article, I will examine how to use astrology and other spiritual practices in order to gain understanding and acceptance around deeper emotions and human relations, rather than simply blaming the planets for one’s actions.
As I’ve become increasingly intrigued by the concept of using zodiac signs and planets as a practice for understanding your personality and life, I decided to go to a professional astrologer to get my birth chart read. I sent her an email with my request, and we set a time and place for my reading. I showed up having no expectations on the consultation but decided to go in with an open and engaging mind. She had drawn up my entire birth chart, showing all my planets in the twelve different houses deciphering my personality in every way. The reading turned out to be uncannily accurate and I was amazed by how my personal traits so clearly ruled the responses I had to my surrounding environment.
We talked about my past while connecting previous events to my personal development, and what meaning this could have for my present and future self. My birth chart was used as a tool to understand myself and the decisions I’ve made in life. It was a deeply therapeutic session, where we discussed personal – and at times emotional – life issues. After two hours I walked out of her practice with a truly content and wholesome feeling running through my body. I felt more conscious than ever, as I’d just looked at myself going through life from a bird’s eye view, observing every emotion I’ve processed and every action I’ve taken.
So what were my conclusions after this reading? Am I fully convinced astrology is scientifically correct? No. According to the Oxford Dictionary, being spiritual simply means: “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.” In a somewhat shallow and data-driven era, astrology can be a helpful spiritual tool to check in with your own thoughts and consciousness. It’s not an alternative for scientific methods nor can it decipher your future. It is, however, a way of processing reality, helping you process and relate to the world around you better.
Could there be a direct relationship between the forces in the universe and the human activity on earth? I’m not sure why or how astrology seems to work, but I certainly do understand people’s current fascination. I believe spirituality and astrology can help us get to know more about ourselves and the more we know, the more we can learn to accept that self. And the more we accept ourselves, the more we will make the right decisions, slowly guiding us towards our future destiny.
by Cleo Boland
photos via @jakesastrology
cover photo via energymuse.com