By Amanda Moreno

Something I’m truly passionate about is the ways in which astrology can be used to inform spirituality. In so many ways, astrology seems uniquely poised to be a transformational tool for the collective, particularly due to its unique ability to help individuals create a spirituality that resonates for their own experience within a more cosmic and collective framework.

Regardless of whether an increase in individualization within our culture is harmful, the fact of the matter is that it’s happening. Astrology provides a way to tap into meaning making within a context that is ‘true’ for every being (and non-being) at the same time. The stars are reflecting their light for us all.

One of my favorite ways to learn about my own chart and the way the archetypes constellate through me at all levels is to do a little practice I call “walking around my chart.” I use it when I need help with transits, or when I feel like I have a blind spot. Sometimes I just use it for fun — never a boring moment in my household!

For example, one summer day a few years back I decided to sit in front of my altar and visualize my chart to see what called to me. I ended up sitting right on my 5th house Sagittarian Neptune, which also happens to square both my Saturn in the 2nd house in Virgo and Venus in the 8th in Pisces. That Neptune has always been a blind spot for me (go figure), and so I was curious to see what would happen.

On a bit of a tangential note — I once participated in an Astrodrama session in which this particular T-square of mine was acted out by three individuals. I’ve participated in Astrodrama in several different ways, but the gist of it is that you have individuals act out a specific configuration, let the archetypal fields open up, and see what happens.

In this case, Neptune just kind of stood by dazed and laughing while Saturn lamented to Venus about the ways he was trying to keep it all grounded, practical and safe. Venus tried to pay attention and appease, but would then go off on some exuberant monologue, usually about an intense need for transcendent sex. I learned a lot about that opposition in that session, including an undying love for Venus in the 8th in Pisces, but Neptune has been more slowly revealed.

Back to the walk around my chart. As I sat there, I began to notice different areas of my body tensing up, and I decided to lean into some pain in my shoulder. Suddenly an image of my dad, who died when I was six, came to mind. He came across more clearly than I’d ever seen him before, and I suddenly saw my six-year-old self come running from the edge of my awareness, towards him, laughing and excited to see him as she jumped into his arms.

As the two of them hugged, I began to cry and became aware of two things. First, just how deeply I felt the loss of unconditional love when my father died. Second, that he has been here with me this whole time, and will continue to be, and that that unconditional fatherly love I’d been missing exists within me, whether I choose to see that as a psychological phenomenon or a spiritual one. And really, is there any difference?

Of course, interpretations can be taken in many directions, and as I reflected on the experience I realized new layers of that T-square, such as a greater understanding of the ways in which I idealize men (5th house Neptune, Venus in Pisces) and the depths of disillusionment the loss provoked.

I just wanted to share that fun (well, at least it can be) little exercise this week, and take a little break from the deeper introspection. Besides, I’ve also come to realize that T-squares have an outlet — the house and sign opposing the squared planet. In this instance, that’d be the 11th house and Gemini. So something about sharing the experience in words with my tribe makes a whole lot of sense.