On Radical Collaboration in Astrology
Growing Up Astro-Minded
I’m a firm believer in using astrology as a tool to deeply understand ourselves and the people in our lives. In fact, it’s the primary reason why I became fascinated with astrology in the first place; my first meaningful interaction with it came in the form of a Leonardo DiCaprio fan book I purchased from Borders with my allowance money (shoutout to you if you know of/remember what Borders is). The back of the book had a “fan section” where you could pencil in answers to questions like “What’s your favorite color?” and “If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you keep with you?” As my 10-year-old self meandered through this section, I found myself stuck at a particular question: “What’s your Zodiac sign?”
I had no idea. So, I did what any self-respecting 10-year-old with an early-stage dial-up internet connection would do: I tried AskJeeves (again, shoutout to you if you remember the original AskJeeves search bar). But I didn’t know that Zodiac signs referred to your birthday, so I didn’t really know what I was looking for and ended up more confused than when I’d started. So.. I did the next best thing any self-respecting 10-year-old with an early-stage dial-up internet connection would do: I asked my Mom.
In actuality, my Mom is the primary reason why I became interested in astrology. She has been interested in astrology, mysticism and spirituality for as long as I can remember, having earned a degree from Yale Divinity School back in the 1970s. As my hunger for knowledge grew, I came to understand that her time in school was reflective of a larger social and cultural phenomenon in Western society, providing a real boon for a budding public interest in astrology, spirituality, Tarot, and other witchery and esoteric subjects.
At any rate, my Mom told me I was a Taurus, and that Taureans were known for being steadfast, stable, calm, and cautious. She didn’t go much further into detail at the time, but in that moment I knew there was something special about the way she talked about it, as if she were speaking a different language that almost immediately tugged at an intensely curious part of me inside. I needed to know more.
Radical Collaboration as a Means of True Connection
Which brings me to the crux of this post: astrology is for everyone, even if you are too young to initially understand, even if the online thread you read told you that Aries suns and Capricorn suns were never meant to fall in love, and even if you’re afraid that by enjoying astrology, even just a little bit, you’re relegating yourself to concepts deemed “too weird” or “unprovable”. Or worse, that by liking it, there’s something “too weird” about you.
In my attempt to neatly summarize this ethos, I came up with a name: radical collaboration. But what does this mean?
I understand this to mean that no matter what your sign is, or what your birth chart looks like, or how old you are, or what your gender expression is, or even how skeptical you are of astrological concepts in general, there is a place for you in this beautifully weird and expansive world if you so choose to be open to it.
Understanding Harmful Stereotypes
No matter what your sign is, or what your birth chart looks like, or how old you are, or what your gender expression is, or even how skeptical you are of astrological concepts in general, there is a place for you in this beautifully weird and expansive world if you so choose to be open to it.
Radical collaboration can be helpful in terms of denouncing potentially harmful stereotypical archetypes and pairings of the signs. This includes things like:
Water signs can only have truly meaningful, intimate relationships with other water signs because no one else can understand emotions like they can.
Earth signs are boring.
Geminis are always socially vibrant, with the ability to hold a conversation with anyone, anywhere.
Air signs are afraid of commitment and therefore are serial cheaters/consistently unfaithful in relationships.
Scorpios are so dark and mysterious and brooding; they’re too negative.
Virgos are automatically uptight and controlling, and no one likes an uptight and controlling person or partner.
Being the first Zodiac sign, Aries are self-centered.
Etc, etc.
These ideas only limit the true potential of astrological study, and can create unnecessary and false polarization between groups of people.
Planetary Aspects
Let’s also consider aspects between planets as a way to radically connect with others interpersonally and with the collective energy that guides us at any times.
The hard aspects (square, semi-square, opposition, and the “it depends” conjunction) can tell us where we might struggle internally or externally with others, but I believe the root of these aspects is to push us more concretely out of our comfort zones into new, rewarding territory. These aspects may create friction and tension initially, but it is only through working through these challenges that the real psychological jewels of our self-expression can be revealed.
Likewise, “easy” or harmonious aspects (such as the trine, sextile, semi-sextile, and the “it depends” conjunction), whether in the birth chart or in a synastry reading, might seem preferable at first glance, but just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s yielding the desired outcome in one’s life. Easy does not automatically equal beneficial.
In Summary
Finding meaning in our lives via astrological study opens us to the realities of existence beyond our limited human comprehension. Using astrology as a tool to connect, rather than divide, stands as a foundational premise to beginning with astrological study in the first place. And, understanding that astrology is merely a tool for self-discovery, not a predetermined roadmap, can help us awaken to the beautiful similarities and differences found within ourselves and in others.
When confronted with challenges both internally and externally, I encourage you to consider the potential nuggets of connectedness supported by a healthy astrological practice buried among any threads of doubt floating in your internal atmosphere.
We are all part of something much greater than ourselves, and astrology is one of the most powerful tools to build understanding among the cosmic tapestry we find ourselves in.
