Astral Asks: My New Astrology Advice Column!

My surprising advice to a reader who hates her own birth chart

Hi, I'm Juliana, a full-time Vedic astrologer. Subscribe for free to receive my monthly astrology forecasts and calendars. Upgrade to a paid subscription to receive all of my articles, including personalized astrology guides, my Pluto return video presentation, and more! 

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Hi everyone! Today's post is a little bit different. 

Until today, most of my articles here on Substack have been fairly broad: monthly updates, calendars, and information about special events like eclipses. While I enjoy writing about these topics, I also want to share the warmer, more personalized side of my work with you as well.

As a full-time Vedic astrologer, I spend much of my time providing personalized advice to people. I use my astrological insight to help with professional issues, relationship questions, and other personal challenges that my clients are experiencing. My readings are like conversations; there's a lot of back and forth and practical advice. I've wanted to share this aspect of my work with my Substack community for a while.

To do this, I've written an advice column that gives you an idea of the type of advice I might offer in a reading. I’m starting by answering a question that I actually received from a reader (shared with permission and adapted to be anonymous):

Dear Juliana,

I started studying Vedic astrology a few months ago. One of my assignments was to analyze my own birth chart. At first, I enjoyed this. But after a while, all I could think about were the problems with my chart. I keep seeing so many issues that relate to things that I don't like about myself or flaws that are holding me back. 

There's a ton of things that I don't like about my chart, but to give one example, I have Mercury and Mars together in Pisces in my First House. I feel like this shows that I use words to hurt people because Mercury (representing communication) is with Mars (representing fighting and anger) in my First House of the self. On top of that, Mercury is debilitated! This shows that I'm weak and unable to control what I say. This is definitely true for me. In the past, I used to gossip a lot. I've also gotten into verbal arguments that caused me to lose a couple of friends who were really important to me. This is something I regret and don't like about myself. 

I'm studying astrology partially because my current work doesn't fulfill me, and I want to move toward a career that involves spirituality and helping people. But, then, I ask myself, "How can I even think about this when my own birth chart says that I'm a terrible person?"

I don't know what to do. Should I quit studying astrology and just accept that I’m doomed to be a bad person?

Sincerely, 

Hates My Own Birth Chart

Dear Hates My Own Birth Chart,

It sounds like you're in a very difficult place at the moment. Disliking your job, trying to learn Vedic astrology, regretting the past—you are dealing with a lot! It's no wonder if you're feeling overwhelmed right now. 

I've taught Vedic astrology for decades, and I have seen my students go through a lot of different struggles as they learn. You might be surprised to hear that your situation isn't that rare. Of course, your specific issues with your chart are unique, but many of my astrology students go through a phase where they hate their own birth charts. 

It's almost like a rite of passage for people who study astrology. At first, you might focus on the good parts of your chart (maybe you have an exalted planet! Or perhaps your Ninth House is strong!) but then you quickly move to the more challenging aspects. Soon, the things that you don't like about your chart are all that you can focus on. 

I like to tell students who are going through this phase, "Everything in your chart is good for something, and everything is bad for something." In other words, even the most auspicious planetary combination will have a downside, and even the bleakest, most afflicted house will have some positive aspects. 

Let's use your situation to explain what I mean by this. Of course, since I'm not looking at your entire chart, I can't give you a full analysis right now. But, in general, I can say that having Mercury-Mars conjunct in the First House is not a sign that you are a bad person. It also doesn't mean that you're incapable of using your voice for good. 

It's true that when a person has Mercury next to Mars, they may be inclined to use their words and written communication as weapons. Mercury represents communication and speech, and Mars is the warrior. Thus, there can be challenging aspects to this conjunction. 

But let's look at this on a deeper level. Mars is not only a warrior in a basic sense; he can be a spiritual warrior who helps us defend what is right. He is also the planet of action and power. Wherever Mars is located in your chart, and whatever Mars influences tends to be where you will place your strength and focus. 

With Mars in the First House, you probably are inclined toward self-analysis and self-improvement. I can see this in what you wrote to me. You regret how you’ve hurt people in the past, and you want to change and grow.

People with Mercury-Mars in the First House also care about being good writers and speakers. A person with this combination may communicate in a forceful and powerful manner. However, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. When Mars is next to Mercury, a person can have "fiery speech" that captures people’s attention, moves them, and gets them to spring into action. 

You mention that you've used words in the past to hurt your friends, but I bet that there have been times when you've used words to help people, too. Perhaps you used to stand up for other students at school, or maybe you're the person at work who is able to write great emails that get the boss's attention and get things done. 

Another clue that tells me that you can use your communication abilities to help people is that your Mars-Mercury conjunction is in Pisces. This sign is associated with healing and spirituality, and individuals with this sign in the First House are often excellent astrologers, spiritual leaders, and healers.

Since this is your Rising Sign, it's no surprise that you feel drawn to a more caring and nurturing career. And, with the planets of action and communication in Pisces, you probably do have the capacity to use writing or other types of communication in a kind and helpful way. Perhaps you could even become a writer who focuses on astrology or other spiritual topics.

And yes, it's true that Mercury is debilitated in Pisces, but, again this doesn't mean that you are doomed to be a bad person. It's true that debilitated planets can bring difficulty, but they can also encourage us to grow and learn. In fact, sometimes debilitated planets start off weak, but slowly get stronger. You mentioned ways in which you've struggled with using your words in the past, but perhaps this is something that is becoming easier for you now. 

As you see, Vedic astrology is an extremely complicated and deep field of study. As you begin to learn, it's easy to fall into simple black-and-white analysis that frames certain combinations of planets as "all bad" or "all good" without understanding the full situation.

The most important takeaway is that no one—even the most fortunate person in the world—has an entirely favorable chart. Your birth chart is a snapshot of the karma that you are bringing to this life, and it shows both your strengths and your challenges. 

I would encourage you to continue considering a more caring career and to keep studying Vedic astrology. As you learn more, you’ll probably continue to see aspects of your chart that upset or frustrate you. When you come across something that you don’t like, ask yourself, “Does this represent an issue from my past that helped me learn and grow? Or is this a current problem that I need to face as I move forward?” You should also ask yourself, “If I look deeper, can I see a positive side to this planetary combination?” 

As you receive a fuller understanding of astrology, you can learn to embrace, accept, and perhaps even appreciate the parts of your chart that you dislike right now. You’ll begin to understand that your birth chart is what makes you unique, and your struggles and shadow issues are part of your path through life. I can see that you have a deep capacity for empathy and kindness—you just need to apply it to yourself as well as others!

Yours,

Juliana

Thanks for giving me a chance to try something different. If you’d like me to continue writing this advice column, please let me know by liking this post or leaving a comment!

Please note that this and all my other forecasts are based on the sidereal zodiac used in both Vedic and Western sidereal astrology, not the tropical system used by most Western and a small number of Vedic astrologers. All the astrological charts that I work with and share are calculated according to the sidereal zodiac and Lahiri Ayanamsa.