By Kayla Elfers

This is for the people that look at themselves in the mirror and question their identity. We’ve all been there. We look at our reflection and ask ourselves, “Am I happy?” or “Who am I?” or “Why am I like this?” After our Mulan moment (without the singing, of course), we snap back to reality. We keep our minds preoccupied with activities and chores. We do so because we don’t like to sit with these unanswered questions. These unanswered questions may take us out of reality for a moment, but they keep us present with ourselves. That might seem like a bunch of nonsense, but trust me, it’s not. When we look at ourselves in the mirror and question our identity, it is our subconscious mind checking in on us, wanting us to be aligned with our divine purpose. So, how do we figure this purpose out? There is no concrete answer, but turning to astrology can help. 

A year ago, I was pretty lost. The pandemic hit and as a Theatre major, I felt somewhat disconnected from my chosen subject. I loved performing, but I would ask myself, “Is this really what I want to do with my life? Is this the only thing I want to do?” As I distanced myself from Theatre, I started learning about astrology and writing more. Astrology isn’t fake or for college girls – it’s for everyone and anyone that wants to know themselves better. It is through astrology that I was able to learn why I am the way I am. 

For starters, I have a very bubbly personality. I work hard, and I dream big. Why am I this way? Obviously, the way I was raised and the environment in which I was raised are factors in why I am the way I am. But why was I raised the way I was? And why in the environment I was in? There’s always a bigger why. The way the stars and the planets aligned when I was born answer the bigger question. Sounds crazy, I know, but bear with me. 

The star sign Taurus was the sign that was moving over me as I was being born, making this my rising sign. This dictates the first impression I make on others and my physical appearance. The rising sign, as opposed to any other sign (think Sun, Moon, Mercury, etc.), sets up something called houses. The twelve houses have different categories and have different star signs and planets in them. Whatever planets and stars are in your houses will tell you a lot about yourself. 

With my Taurus rising, my first house of personality and identity is in Taurus with the planets of Saturn and Jupiter. Taurus is the star sign that represents patience, diligence, stubbornness, and luxuries. Adding Saturn and Jupiter in my first house means that I overwork myself and that I am quite the optimist – even in difficult situations. Put this all together, and you get an explanation for why I have a bubbly personality, why I work hard, and why I am such a dreamer. When I asked myself why I find writing more enticing than performing, I found several indicators in my chart. The more questions I ask myself, the more answers I find in astrology, and the more aligned I feel with my higher purpose. 

You’re probably wondering how you can access your personal astrology chart to understand your own higher purpose. To look up your astrology chart, you need to know your birth time and birthplace. If you don’t know these, you won’t be able to find your rising sign. But with just your birthday you can find out your sun, moon, mercury, and other planetary placements. Even though the chart won’t be as specific, it’s still tailored to the basics of who you are, ultimately answering why you are the way you are in a more general format. 

Once you know your astrological placements, you will start to see these amazing qualities about yourself that reality made you hide or unaware of for so long. Understanding why you are the way you are grounds you and eases your mind of intrusive thoughts and those mind-boggling questions that you ask yourself in the mirror at 3 am. Astrology isn’t the mumbo jumbo horoscopes written by pre-teen magazines. Astrology is a tool we can use to figure out who we are when we feel lost. Even for those of us that may not feel lost, understanding how the stars align for us can allow us to know ourselves on a deeper level. Astrology gives us that knowledge.