THE GPS OF YOUR SOUL
How well do you know yourself? I am sure you would answer that you know yourself pretty darn well. You have only been in this relationship your entire life. Sure, you know your favorite food, color, music, books, movies, places to go, etc. And while that is a great place to start, you should definitely not end your journey there. You have just scratched the surface my friend, I promise there is much more to you… to us all.
As you might imagine, going through a divorce is one the most stressful things you will ever have to endure in this life. Once the dust settles and the ink dries on the papers I felt a mixture of relief but at the same time I was deeply confused. Finalizing my divorce was so anti-climactic, that when I left the courthouse not 100% sure that it was actually over. I literally stood on the courthouse steps and wondered what’s next?
My divorce dragged on for nearly five years and in that time, I was in pure survival mode, autopilot if you will. Now, that the war was over, I had to rediscover who I was. Of course, I was still me, but I was different… battle hardened. I had grown or as I like to put it; I had evolved. I was no longer someone’s wife. In Switzerland up until recently, a woman was known by her husband’s name. You are Mrs. *insert husband’s fist and last name* and that is who you were. I know… the patriarchy is alive and well, but I digress. I was no longer a wife; now I am a divorced mother of two. And while this was absolutely true, I knew that I was so much more than that. Now that, I could safely transition from survival mode- one thing was for sure: I was going to become the very best version of me. I owed it not only to myself but to the two little humans I was raising.
Luckily, I have always been very curious and studious, and I choose to look at the failure of my marriage as opportunity to learn. After all, failure is feedback. Don’t get me wrong I was not trying to get this feedback in the hopes of finding husband number two. No, the work that needed to be done was on and for myself. It takes to two people to make or break, any relationship and I wanted to discover how I contributed to the demise of my marriage. I honestly, thought that I was not the marrying type, so when I decided to become a wife, I thought it would be for a lifetime. Obviously, I was mistaken, and I wanted to know why? Where did I go wrong? Did I ultimately go against my nature? I had so many questions and luckily, I found all the answers. This was no pity party; in fact, it was quite the opposite. I figured that I was still young, and it was highly likely that I would find myself in another relationship before I made my final exit. However, next time I would be better prepared. In the words of Dr. Maya Angelou “when you know better you do better” this became my mantra. I was on a quest to know myself in a way that I had never known myself before.
Enter astrology. I have always had a special place in my heart for the zodiac. I was the kid (and still am) that once I knew your birthday, I would never forget it. To this day I remember people’s birthdays that I went to elementary school with. I always thought of birthdays as your own personal holiday. So, over the years, unbeknownst to me I was collecting this rudimentary data and creating the foundation for my astrological studies. For the last two years I have been seriously and formally studying the language of the stars with some incredible teachers and what I have learned has quite simply blown my mind. Y’all astrology goes far beyond your sun sign. That is basic- I don’t do basic.
Learning to read and analyze your birth chart a.ka. the original selfie has been a game changer. Simply put your birth chart is a snapshot of the planetary configuration at the exact moment you took your first breath, and it is truly unique to you. Everyone has all the planets and all the signs of the zodiac in their chart, but they will never be in the exact same place. Ever heard the saying that it’s written in the stars? You know why they say that: because it is TRUE! Think of your chart as the road map of your life. Before you even say it, no nothing is written in stone, you have free will. You can also think of it like this: if you wanted to drive cross country, wouldn’t you consult a map or put your destination in your GPS? Of course, you would. If not, you would get lost, it would take forever, or worse yet you might never make it to your destination. Let that sink in.
Simply put; your birth chart is the GPS of your soul. And every now and then we need to peek into our soul. Especially when we feel lost, adrift, and uncertain about what the future holds. Getting aligned with what your soul is asking for will help you rediscover yourself. As I mentioned, there is so much more to astrology than your sun sign, although that is helpful because your sun sign and its placement give you an insight into your life’s purpose. While your moon sign sheds a light on your emotional and physical needs. This is crucial information to have when you are trying to navigate any type of relationship. Lastly, there is your rising sign (ascendent) which speaks to your motivation for life and how you drive the proverbial car of your life.
I am still a work in progress, but I can confidently and without a doubt say that I know myself 1000 times better than I did three years ago. I discovered what really makes me tick and thrive in relationships. I learned in what areas of my life I have been getting in my own way and am doing the work to overcome those obstacles. Astrology is the language of the stars. Once you become fluent in it and start applying it to your life you become more in tune with what your soul wants and needs. You will start to follow your natural rhythms and move through your life with more ease and grace.
Going through this process of deep self-discovery helped me turn the page of a difficult chapter in my life. It was not all roses and sunshine, but then again nothing worth having ever is. However, I am now more certain than ever that just because my marriage is over my life is not. On the contrary, I am just getting started! I know I owe it to myself to design a life that I truly love. The next chapter of my life will be filled with confidence, some humour, and lots of style.
“Astrology is the relentless reminder that we are the way we are on purpose. And that who we are has purpose. Has value. Has within it a blessing. The setbacks, difficulties, and challenges we face are all a part of what makes us unique.” — Chani Nichols
