Astrology Is More Than A Trend - Jennifer Racioppi

Astrology Is More Than A Trend

Astrology is so much more than a trend. Yet, when I first started my business back in 2011, I studied astrology with fierce devotion. Like a set of glasses, I couldn’t see without; it shaped my worldview. Yet, I had no intention of making it the core foundation of my business, because (to be honest) […]

Astrology is so much more than a trend. Yet, when I first started my business back in 2011, I studied astrology with fierce devotion. Like a set of glasses, I couldn’t see without; it shaped my worldview. Yet, I had no intention of making it the core foundation of my business, because (to be honest) it carried a stigma and lacked evidence-based, peer-reviewed studies. Even though it fascinated me, being a science-minded person, it felt too “out there” to offer as a service, so I kept it under wraps for a while.

However, leveraging astrology in my client’s lives changed everything. While I offered chart readings and insights as a part of my success coaching work, it quickly became my biggest asset. Because it actually worked. Truly, the logic of astrology gives us the opportunity to explore our cosmic makeup and use it as a framework to manage our lives.

Upon recognizing its effectiveness, my business shifted from “astrology light” to “astrology driven.” Thankfully, I was bold enough to ride the wave and watch astrology gain popularity and momentum. It’s one of the smartest decisions I’ve made.

Astrology Is More Than A Trend, It Reveals The Trends

Today, astrology claims a spot in the hottest trends of 2018 by Well+Good, an incredibly innovative wellness company where I also am honored to write the wellness horoscope column. They even coined this year the era of Lunar Everything. Not to mention, publications like The Atlantic are writing about it!

But what’s at the heart of this momentum? What inspired this new age of astrology and why is it on the rise? This was a question recently posed and answered in a compelling article in The Atlantic where they primarily discuss how the Millennial generation is “finding comfort in the zodiac, even if they don’t believe in it.”

Astrology: Solace For ‘Generation Stressed’

It’s been shown that “people tend to turn to astrology in times of stress. A small, 1982 study, the psychologist Graham Tyson found that people who consult astrologers did so in response to stressors in their lives—particularly linked to the individual’s social roles and to his or her relationships. According to the American Psychological Association survey data, since 2014, Millennials have been “the most stressed generation.”

(** Directly sourced from  https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/01/the-new-age-of-astrology/550034/)

With today’s incredibly tense cultural climate, this makes perfect sense. Political figures are corrupt, natural disasters are at their peak, school shootings are becoming a regular occurrence—it’s a scary world and the bad news is overwhelming. As humans, we naturally reach for answers and a way to cope when our world feels out of control.

We start talking to therapists.
We develop meditation practices.
We drink green juice and kombucha.
We launch purpose-driven businesses.
We set out to make a difference.

Success Isn’t A Race, It’s a Rhythm

Beyond reaching for our horoscopes to make us feel better, we crave an understanding of life and its rhythm. Why does it feel challenging one year and easier the next? Astrology is an ancient system designed to help us understand and feel supported by the many seasons of our lives.

My dear friend, Ruby Warrington and founder of The Numinous, shares in The Atlantic piece, “I think that almost as a counterbalance to the fact that we live in such a quantifiable and meticulously organized world, there is a desire to connect to and tap into that numinous part of ourselves,” Warrington says. “I see astrology as a language of symbols that describes those parts of the human experience that we don’t necessarily have equations and numbers and explanations for.”

We are in search of sense in a world that doesn’t make sense.

Truly, we’re in the midst of a mega-paradigm shift. The linear concept of going to school, getting good grades, going to college, getting a job, getting married, having kids, and working until you retire is losing its relevance. Our generation wants to lead lives filled with purpose and meaning, not slave to the daily grind. Yet, at the same time, we feel the growing pains, and it’s not the first time.

The Atlantic piece explains, “This sort of reactionary cultural 180 has happened before—after the Enlightenment’s emphasis on rationality and the scientific method in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Romantic movement found people turning toward intuition, nature, and the supernatural. It seems we may be at a similar turning point.”

Sounds incredibly familiar, right?

Astrology: A System To Make Sense Of The Chaos

While we may at first find solace in the chaos of our world via the wisdom of astrology, what keeps us coming back for more is the framework related to the rhythm of our lives. When we open ourselves up to understand the big-picture patterns that influence us—the cosmos, the moon, the cycles of nature, and our own bodies—we can leverage them for conscious action, growth, success, and overall well-being.

Most of all, we can finally make sense of the messiness and mishaps, build the resilience to manage ebbs and flows, and discover what makes us tick and come alive. In the same breath, we start to understand what seem coincidences as part of a bigger cosmic plan. And, we can do so without denying any aspect of our intelligence or our inner wisdom. (Please note: it’s not flakey to use your intuition. It’s genius.)

As I’ve shared with you many times, astrology has powerfully supported the growth, resilience, and trajectory of my life, as well as that of thousands of women I have worked with. Here are examples modeled from combined client scenarios that leveraging the moon and stars actually works.

Example 1:

An Aries in her late-twenties who feels stuck in her uninspiring job and in a body she’s not happy with. While her friends are all coupled and seem to be thriving, she longs for a relationship. And she’s barely surviving financially as she lives outside her means. Saddled with a college loan and credit card debt, she can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. She joined the green-juice-sipping-weekly-SoulCycle-and-yoga-class train, but she still feels disconnected. Try as she does, she’s unsatisfied with her appearance and her place in the world.

In touch with her cosmic self and the nuances of her chart, she now understands that it’s going to take some time to get her life to where she wants it. In the meantime, she can start to enjoy it more by utilizing her signature strengths and trusting the timing of her chart. After all, she’s working through her Saturn return—a time in her life when she’s cosmically tested. Now’s the time to get serious about her ambition.

She realizes health and happiness come from a deeper place within her. This helps her refrain from chasing the latest trends. Instead, she saves her money and leverages a highly specialized self-care plan full of DIY healthcare rituals prescribed precisely for her chart.

Example 2:

A forty-year-old Capricorn, who is ambitious, hardworking, and by all outward appearances successful. But she is facing serious burnout. She’s exhausted and overwhelmed. She’s out of shape, bloated, and suffering from digestive stress. She sees her inability to balance work, family, and her health as a personal failure.

Acknowledging her Capricorn influences, she now understands her natural tendency is to solve problems by working harder rather than taking time for herself. Knowing her inclinations, she can better recognize when she needs to step back and pause. She’s empowered by her knowledge of self and of new ways to nurture her spirit. This leads her to better sleep, a calm belly, and permission to exercise in a way that’s fulfilling.

Example 3:

A Taurus and a recent empty-nester, who’s adjusting to her body’s post-menopausal changes. While she’s experiencing emotional ups and downs, insomnia, weight gain, and low sex drive, she’s not willing to accept the status quo. She wants to transform and grow in health and spirit during the next phase of her life.

In tune with her astro-individuality, she feels more courageous and less afraid of embracing her authentic nature. She no longer hides her esoteric interests from her husband and enjoys more intimacy in her marriage. Further, she realizes that her Taurus love of sweets doesn’t support her health goals at midlife. She is now embracing a low glycemic, blood-sugar-balanced diet, while getting in more cardio exercise. She recently lost 15 pounds and feels great.

Magic Is Real

Astrology is about more than just predicting lofty romantic dreams. The stars provide an avenue through which you can learn about your unique elemental and cosmic makeup. That’s not magic, that’s reality!

If you’re reading this, my guess is that you feel called to explore this system in your own life; something we can do together. However, if you’re new to this world and want to start with in-depth annual and monthly horoscopes from the very best, I invite you to call on the expertise of Susan Miller and Chani Nicholas, two leading astrologers that I trust and admire.

Either way, this new age of astrology has arrived for a reason. Be sure to leverage the cosmos for your own well-being, growth, and purpose.

It’s time to rise.

P.S. If you want to learn more about astrology and why it’s so much more than a trend, check out my book, Cosmic Health.

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