Astrology is a language that’s rooted in the symbolism of the energy, position, and movement of the celestial bodies (the planets). It’s a 2,000-year-old language and system that has been practiced and utilized cross-culturally. Cultures from around the world have used it to track seasonal shifts and events. And there’s a reason it has stood the test of time and continues to be practiced to this day.
Not only does astrology help guide you but it touches the heart and soul of who you are. It illuminates who you are beyond the layers and conditioning that can sometimes muddy the lens of who you are. And this is why my love for it grew. To quote my favorite astrologer, Steven Forrest, “The real purpose of astrology is to hold a mirror before the evolving self, to tell us what we already know deep within ourselves.”
I was introduced to a book called “The Inner Sky” by Evolutionary Astrologer Steven Forrest in 2019. His writing touched my heart and helped me weave my understanding of myself and my internal landscape on a much deeper level. Unlike popular astrology that can tend to label certain signs and placements as “good” or “bad,” Steven doesn’t. His take on astrology comes from a compassionate, encouraging and empowering lens: that every person has the capacity to grow, change, and evolve at any time. No matter what path you’ve traveled, you always have another chance to get it right. He believes that you were born with the chart you have for a reason and it is perfect for your evolution. In essence, he teaches that your chart is your soul’s lesson plan. You’re here to learn certain lessons and your chart reveals them and the road map to your evolution for living a meaningful and fulfilled life.
One of the intentions I set last year was to study astrology (beyond self-studying). I came across two astrologers who I considered being mentored by but I held off. That summer, my friend brought Steven Forrest’s online astrology school to my attention and I knew this program was it. To learn astrology from the person whose books, words and views of astrology I deeply resonated with was synchronistic. What I’ve learned about evolutionary astrology is this:
Astrology paints an intricate portrait of who you are all contained in one snapshot. Not only is it a 360-degree snapshot of the sky the moment you were born, reflecting the position of the planets the moment you took your first breath, but it reveals who you are at your core, who you came here to be, the lessons you’re here to learn and the tools contained within you to successfully navigate them.
It’s a doorway into how the cosmos express themselves through you, psychologically and personally. Your natal chart shows you your strengths, aspirations, and blind spots and the well-spring of potential that lives inside of you. Evolutionary Astrology illuminates the heart of who you are and that alone is transformational. It helps you in truly embracing and accepting all of the complexities that exist inside of you. It shows you that you can be gentle and empathetic, structured and focused, passionate and courageous, curious and eccentric and that all of these facets that make up who you are can harmoniously exist within you. You don’t have to put yourself in a box. You can choose to express different aspects of yourself in different areas of your life.
It shines a light into what areas within you and outside of you require nurturance, inspiration, support and focus, and the tools you have available to do so. It shows you what you need to feel centered, why you’re drawn to certain subjects, people and environments, your motivations, skills, gifts and so much more. And that’s what makes it a beautiful tool for healing, self-exploration, growth, and self-actualization. Astrology shows you the potential, both visible and hidden, that lies within you and the spectrum of possibilities you have to create a purposeful life in a way that’s unique to you.
