Hearing the word “astrology” automatically evokes ideas of the zodiac. Astrology means the study of stars, derived from the ancient Greeks.
To put it simply, astrology is evaluating the influence of the planets and stars in our daily lives. Not everyone thinks all of this makes sense. How could the stars and planets have an effect our lives? Well, believe it or not, whenever the new moon approaches, we tend to have difficulties making decisions because our emotions and minds are extremely affected by the different phases of the moon.
According to Tarot Life, “astrology is a pseudoscience that analyses your real conditions with respect to your birth time, planets, and stars. It follows the concept of quantum theory that the whole universe is interconnected.” Therefore, a natal chart consisting of planets, stars, and houses was made to help astrological readings based on people’s monetary situation, mental and physical traits, career, love life, health, and so on.
Canti Widyadhari is an Indonesian nomadic tarot reader, Reiki master, and an aspiring astrologer who began to pursue her spiritual path after having an epiphany in an unhappy life. With just a deck of tarot cards and a few of her personal belongings, Canti moved to Bali in 2015 after listening to that little voice whispering to her subconscious self.
As a self-proclaimed eclectic witch, Canti believes that our natal chart correlates with our soul’s direction and life purpose. “By knowing our natal chart components, using the date, time, and location of when we were born, we can find out about our individual path, journey, and life patterns.”
A natal chart looks very complex to someone who doesn’t study astrology. But by knowing one’s sun sign – your zodiac personality which describes the kind of person that you aspire to be in this lifetime – is already enough. “Anyone seeking a more in-depth reading on their life’s purpose should consult with an astrologer as there are multiple aspects within a person’s chart that could imply different meanings for different individuals,” Canti suggests. “I think it’s essential to understand first what you’re looking for before so it will narrow down the kind of techniques and methods used to answer your questions as there are so many roads that lead to Rome.”
Astrology itself is branched into various studies, but to explain our immediate situation you need to understand three of them: natal, predictive, and horary astrology. Natal astrology is a study that focuses on how the location of the planets at the time you were born affects your personality and your life path. Predictive is the one that all astrologers use when they write your daily or weekly horoscope reading. It defines a variety of techniques used to see someone’s future, using techniques such as transits or progressions. Moreover, horary is the field that you’ll utilise to answer questions using the chart generated at the exact time the question is asked.
To give a general point of view, Canti had delightfully shared her general reading on love in 2020, which revolves on the upcoming retrogrades of Venus and Mars. Venus is the planet of love, while Mars is the planet of desire. Thus, these retrograde movements will compel us to re-examine our relationships.
“Venus will station retrograde in Gemini squaring Neptune in Pisces from May 13 to June 25, possibly causing us to finally realise that our relationship with our loved ones isn’t as pretty as a picture. And since Gemini rules communication, the only way to clear things up is by communicating your expectations and coming into a decision as a team.”
“Meanwhile, Mars will start its retrograde in Aries from September 9 to November 13, 2021 – during the same period Mercury retrograde makes its third mark in the sign of Scorpio in 2020. Having these two stationing retrogrades in the same period and in the same Martian signs (Mars rules Aries and Scorpio) might increase the chance of emotion running high due to difficulty in communicating. Instead of focusing on the differences, these periods are actually an excellent opportunity to remember what keeps you passionate with one another and work on different ways to sustain the spark in the future,” Canti explained.
As someone incorporating the signs from the universe and making sense of her existence and role in this world, Canti feels more content and empowered than ever before. One way to follow her spiritual footsteps is to cultivate self-love. Spirituality, firstly, involves major inner work in acknowledging ourselves on a deeper level. Thus, it leads us to accepting and loving ourselves for who we are, and also in a coveted spiritual state.
Canti often helps her clients with tarot and astrology, so her clients can “see” their true potential and purpose in this lifetime. A tarot card reading leans towards the mystical side for some. But it gives a glimpse into each and every person’s own soul, as a means to fathom on their unique spiritual, emotional, and physical journeys in this world. It is vital to understand the multi-layered meanings of tarot cards, including individual expressions from each card and their ways to provide greater insights.
“I find it helpful to love ourselves when we know how special and unique we are, and that we’re not here for nothing. I have met so many clients in my work, and I could say that everyone is special in their own ways.” Alas, weaknesses and mistakes are mostly highlighted as we all talk to ourselves.
Keep in mind; your tarot reading and the meaning of individual cards depends on the training and intuition of the reader, as well as the topic discussed. Canti recommends someone who seeks a tarot reading shouldn’t be dictating on the steps and actions that need to be done. “Tarot reading is to help you make a decision based on some options that you already think through. I’m a firm believer in free-will, and that tarot is only here to help you illuminate your options. Eventually, you’ll have to be the one who makes the decision for yourself,” Canti said.
The universe is a broad spectrum that, unknowingly to most of us, bestows signs in our daily lives whenever we subconsciously scream out to the world out of frustration. You may think of astrology and tarot cards as mumbo jumbo, especially imposing different aspects of our lives into the stars and spirituality. But the soul itself has a greater voice that we often block out. A takeaway to learn from Canti is to believe in yourself. You can be saying and doing crazy, foolish things but sometimes, those words and actions can be your drive to become more confident. You can even reach a wholesome state, giving you that inner peace you’ve been seeking.
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