It’s written in the stars… or is it?

By Kathie Lipinski

It’s written in the stars… or is it?

Anyone who knows me knows that astrology has been one of my greatest passions for most of my life. Since I first read Linda Goodman’s “Sun Signs” back in the ’70s, I was hooked. Then in high school, a friend gifted me a list of what signs my planets were in, opening another door to the world of astrology.  From then on, it’s been a lifelong journey of learning about myself at a deeper level as well as the gifts and challenges this life may include and how best I can navigate through.

My first official astrological chart reading was in 1979 with Ada Aubin, and I have had my chart updated every year since to understand what was going on with the planets at the time and how that could influence me and help me navigate what was ahead. When I first met Ada, I was in my late 20s and eager to find out when I would get married and start a family. When she said to me “…your life will come together in 1983” I was disappointed to say the least. Being the resourceful person that I am, I figured if I’m not getting married anytime soon, then this will be a good time to go back to school and get my master’s degree in nursing. So that is what I did.

The next few years were challenging as I was Head Nurse of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and traveling into the city for classes at Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, where I received my bachelor’s degree. Going to school and working full time was not easy on my social life, to say the least. Days off and vacation time were used for writing papers and clinical work at different hospitals. And then the last and worst semester of all came in fall 1982 when I took 3 classes, had clinical, tons of papers, worked and had no time for anything else. I remember thinking I am not dating or even looking for the next few months until this is over. However, life had different plans for me as usual. In October, my best friend told me “have I got a guy for you!” and wanted to set me up on a blind date. I remember thinking, OH NO…. this is the worst time to meet someone new. If I like him, I won’t be able to get through these next few months. So, I said OK but, he didn’t call. I was relieved in a way and continued on in school. Then in late November, she contacted me again and said he’s going to call…but again he didn’t. Phew! I finally finished the worst semester of my life at the end of December and took a well-deserved break!

On January 10, 1983, I was sitting in CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) when my beeper went off and it was an outside call. My friend was calling me saying that he wants to meet me, but I said forget it…so she kept nagging me and I gave in saying that if he doesn’t call tonight, that’s it! Needless to say, he finally called that night. We went out on our first date on Jan 14. He proposed at Easter, and we got married in August! Talk about a whirlwind courtship! So, my life did indeed come together in 1983 and we will celebrate our 40^th anniversary this year!

That is just one example of how knowing your chart, the planetary cycles and how the planets are affecting you can help you plan and take action. It is all about timing. When I knew my dream was still far away, I looked to another dream and took action on that.

When speaking about astrology, some people tell me they are afraid of finding out about the future, believing it is written in stone or fated. Or perhaps they have had a bad experience with a reader who only spoke of doom and gloom. In reality, “predictions” are only one aspect or use of astrology and meant to be a guide; like a weather report telling you what can “potentially” occur, how you can prepare, or what is the best timing. You always have free will and sometimes, by just becoming aware of what’s “potentially” ahead, you can change the outcome by changing your perspective or taking a different path or action.

You always have free will.

Timing and prediction are only one part of why I love astrology. The other more important piece is that it can really help you understand who you are and why you behave as you do. It can help you become aware of your challenges as well as your strengths, what your true calling in life can be, and what your karma is from previous lives.

I like to think of the birth chart as the story of you! It can help you understand your “style” of communicating, loving, behaving and most importantly, what makes you uniquely you!

Planets and signs

The best place to start is learning about your personal planets and what signs they are in. The planets are archetypes and speak to how you express your personality, your uniqueness.

For example: 

The Sun —represents your innermost identity, your core; how you shine in the world.  

The Moon—represents your feelings and emotions.

Mercury—represents how you think, learn, and communicate.

Venus—represents how you love, what you value

Mars— represents the energy and drive of a person, your determination; how you take action.

Then you look at the signs that they are in to see how they are expressed:

The Fire signs— Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

The Earth signs—Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

The Water signs—Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

The Air Signs—Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

 For example:

If your moon is in a fire sign, your feelings or emotions can burn hot and fast: you get fired up.

If your moon is in a water sign, you feel your emotions deeply and they can cycle and change just like the phases of the moon.

If your moon is in an earth sign, you are more rational, concrete and practical with your emotions.

If your moon is in an air sign, you can intellectualize your emotions or be more objective and detached.

This is a very simple explanation and, in reality, interpreting one’s chart has many layers of meaning, many different influencing factors, and can be explored at a much deeper level.

There are many “styles” of astrology and many different “reports” or types of readings. One of my favorites is what I call the “birthday report” or Solar return. Every year the Sun returns to the exact mathematical position it was when you were born. A chart for this current year is then calculated (sometimes it’s a day before or after your actual birthday) and it speaks to the themes or potentials for the year. Other favorites such as transit reports,  show the current positions of the planets and how they are influencing you. There are also compatibility reports, relocation reports (finding the best places for you to live) and on and on. Many of these are available on the websites listed below.

Other fun things to learn are:

• Ascendant or Rising Sign—how you present yourself to the world; how others see you. (can only be determined if you have the correct time of your birth)
• Midheaven—at the top of your chart describes your career and how you are seen in the world.
• North Node—the point of destiny; what your true path is; your North Star
• South Node—what skills or experiences you came into this life with; what is familiar to you; karma.

Your birth chart 

There are several places that you can have a free birth chart calculated for you. You need to have an accurate birth time for the chart to be really accurate but if you don’t know it, you can plug in 12:00 PM (noon) and you will at least find out about your planets and what signs they are in as well as some other interesting info. The placement (houses) of the planets won’t be accurate because the birth time begins the chart wheel, but you can at least start learning more about yourself and your journey.

Some places to have your birth chart calculated free:

•  Café astrology https://astro.cafeastrology.com/
  They also have free birth chart reports and tons of information about understanding astrology.
•  https://www.astrology.com/birth-chart/
• https://www.astro.com/
•  https://www.tarot.com/
•  https://www.astrograph.com/

Also, to read your free monthly horoscope, you can visit my website  https://kathielipinski.com 

Click on the Resources tab to find the link for free monthly horoscopes. 

Click that on and keep scrolling down the page until you see your sign. Then click that on.

So, you see that the world of astrology is huge and can indeed help you navigate the waves of life but most importantly, understand your own personal uniqueness and how you can be more fully you!

Enjoy the journey!

Kathie Lipinski RN, MSN, is a Wholistic Nurse, Master Teacher of Usui/Tibetan Western Reiki, a Shihan Teacher of traditional Jikiden Reiki, a Certified Hypnotist and is Board Certified in Massage Therapy and Bodywork. Kathie has over thirty years’ experience working with and teaching Reiki and other mind-body healing modalities. She is also a life long student of astrology.