I was 40 before I started to understand what astrology really is.

Before that, I thought it was just something fun that you read about in fluff sections of magazines.

​It wasn’t until the Universe pointed me to my first astrology teacher and I opened my chart for the first time that I realized what astrology actually is.

Reading your chart and following along with the motion of the planets - it’s useful.

We can reach into our birth chart and pull out loads of insights that we can use in the practical matters of life.

Some think this contradicts their spiritual practices.

​For me, it enhances it.

​I’ve always believed in a higher power and to me, it feels like this powerful tool of astrology is a gift.

​So I don’t see astrology as something “taboo” that’s pitted against my beliefs - I see it as an incredible form of communication.

And when I do a better job of listening, I see things from a better perspective.

I'm making decisions that are more in tune with my authentic self.

With that in mind, I am offering 3 practical ways astrology can be used in everyday life.

There are MANY more than this, of course, but I chose these 3 because they are things most of us often deal with.

And, these 3 techniques are accessible to beginner astrologers.

​So let’s dig in!

If you’re like me, you had your first taste of astrology through horoscopes in the newspaper.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that horoscopes are, in a way, a very general plan for your month.

Of course, they have to be broad because the horoscope writer doesn't have access to every single person's chart in the world.

But they aren't made up out of thin air.

They’re based on the positions of the Moon plus other important planetary movements and interactions of the moment.

​But with access to our birth chart, we can take this planning to another level!

We can help plan our month using just the placements of the New Moon & Full Moon.

These alone can give you a sense of themes or feelings that could pop up in the month.

You can think of this type of planning as "the conditions this month are right for..."

The fact that you need to schedule a teeth cleaning probably isn't something you will pull out here.

But you may find out that rethinking your health routines may be a good idea toward the middle of the month.

That's the kind of monthly planning I'm talking about.

​And that's exactly what we do in The Happy Mystic Weekly Woosletter at the beginning of each month so if you aren’t subscribed, sign up here.

I want to show you one other way that astrology can be used for practical life planning.

Here we are zooming out of monthly planning and taking a broader look at the year.

One great way to get a sense of what some of the astrological energy will be for you this year is to simply look at 2 planets: Jupiter and Saturn.

These two are slow enough that you have a chance to really feel them before they move on.

And they’re fast enough that you can still witness their movement and watch (and feel) the action unfold.

Using astrology software like Solar Fire makes seeing their movements really easy (Don’t pay full price for this software, though. I have a coupon code here).

 But you can still do this with free software!

​1. Go to astro.com, enter your birth information, and click to open “Extended Chart Selection.”

2. Push the “Show the Chart” Button and then click the “+ Transits” button above your chart and to the right.

3. The planet symbols outside of the circle in green are the transiting (moving) planets. Look for the ♃ symbol and you can see where transiting (currently moving) Jupiter is interacting with your birth chart.

4. Take note of what sign and house it sits in.

​5. Click the back arrow on your browser until you get back to the Extended Chart Selection menu. Change the “Start Date” to one year from now and push the “Show the Chart” Button.

6. This time, when you press the “+ Transits” button you will see where Jupiter will be in one year.

7. Notice which house and sign Jupiter is in.

You can look at the house(s) moving Jupiter will inhabit in your chart this year and get a sense of what parts of life you may get a “super boost."

Its signs will tell you the “costume” that Jupiter will be wearing and what kind of style it will take on.

Repeat steps 1-7 above with Saturn.

But with Saturn, you will be thinking about what kinds of challenges you may be asked to overcome or work through this year.

​For me, it’s easier to watch someone do it so I made a quick tutorial for it and you can watch that here.

This was a huge one for me.

For some people, a job is just a way to get money so they can do what they want with the rest of their time.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I envy this perspective because, for me, my career has always been tightly bound to my sense of purpose.

Finding a career that “felt right” has been something I have chased for a long time. 

And it was one of the things my birth chart helped me with from the first day I could read it.

​Career advice is something many people use their birth chart for.

If I were reading a chart and looking for career guidance, there are 2 places I would look to right away.

​1. The 10th House/Midheaven

The 10th House is commonly called the House of Career.

​It describes your biggest goals, roles you may have, or the person you want society to see you as.

The sign that the boundary line of your 10th House lands in (also called your Midheaven) can offer clues about what “costume” you want society to see you wearing.

Ask yourself, what kinds of big goals might this sign costume have?

If there are planets in your 10th House, this adds more energy to the mix.

What motivates this planet and what part of you does it represent?

​How might this planet, working in the style of its sign, help you achieve your big career goals?

2. The 6th House

The 6th House is commonly called the House of Work or House of Service and in this house we are thinking more along the lines of day-to-day routines.

How you spend your time, what you’re producing/doing/bringing into reality, and working through the details of life - this is the stuff of the 6th House.

​Your 6th House doesn't describe your big, beautiful dreams.

And the kinds of day in, day out experiences and feelings you will need to feel like you're doing "a good job."

​Again, the sign on your 6th House and any planets within it can offer some good clues.

If there was ever a part of life that brought people the most joy, frustration, excitement, and sorrow, it’s relationships!

And I’m not only talking about the romantic variety.

Friendships, family dynamics, and coworker interactions can have the same blessings and challenges.

Luckily, relationships are another practical thing astrology can help with.

Of course, a couple can have their birth charts analyzed together by an advanced astrologer.

It would be really enlightening.

​But, I feel we can go a long way toward improving many of our relationships by understanding ourselves better.

We are one-half of our relationships, after all!

One great place to start looking for clues is in our 1st House.

And people we know may describe us as the "costume" of our rising sign.

You can use your 1st House to give you more self-awareness about the “vibe” you give off to others.

​With this information in hand, start to brainstorm:

You don’t need to “own” all of these things you brainstormed because they might not apply to you!

So just because your rising sign has a particular struggle doesn’t necessarily mean that you will!

But, thinking about our rising sign "vibe" from an outsider’s perspective can help us recognize behaviors or attitudes we may not have seen otherwise.

More awareness about how we ACTUALLY interact with the people in our lives (not just how we WISH we did), gives us the chance to adjust if needed.

​There are many other ways to use our birth chart as a tool to help improve our relationships:

So pull out your chart and find ways to put it to use for you!

And download your copy of the Birth Chart Basics Handbook if you need help navigating your chart.

I hope you have a fantastic week!

​Much love,