On astrology for trying times

Well, fuck.

Today I woke up in my lover’s arms, their dog at our side. I came to, rustled around under the covers for my phone: they called the election earlier this morning. Trump won. The Senate flipped too. Disappointing but unsurprising. Also, by the time we passed out on election night, the odds weren’t looking good for Harris. Not that the odds ever looked good for Harris.

Call me cynical, but I’ve had a pit in my stomach ever since Biden dropped out of the presidential race. The Democratic Party is more fractured than ever (for valid reasons). On both sides of the political aisle, Americans are distrustful of our elected officials and disillusioned with electoral politics in general (again, for valid reasons). The system is deeply, irreparably fucked and has been for quite some time; the most disadvantaged among us are bearing the brunt of its fuckery.

And lest we forget: this country hates women, people of color, and especially women of color. I can look to astrology to confirm all of the above. It’s beside the point. Lived experience and historical precedent supersede astrology every time.

Back to this morning, though. Upon processing the news, C and I lingered in bed a little longer. Cried a bit, sandwiched the dog between our bodies. Leaned on him like a life raft. But we both have work today, so we got up. I splashed water on my face and slipped back into yesterday’s clothes. Steeled myself for the walk back to my apartment.

On the way, I listened to Cowboy Carter. A little Beyoncé to soothe the burn (although, given the circumstances, Ameriican Requiem felt a little too on the nose). I pulled up the chart of the moment too: the Moon is currently in Capricorn, the sign of its detriment. And I thought about how Capricorn Moon natives often struggle to nourish themselves, emotionally and literally. How Saturn’s influence can breed restriction, harshness, self-punishment—or discipline.

So I stopped for an iced coffee, smoked what was arguably most comforting cigarette of my entire life, went back home, and made myself breakfast. I wasn’t hungry. I forced myself to eat anyway.

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This is astrology for trying times. This is what it looks like to use astrology as a tool for self-reflection, for anticipating daily challenges so you can mitigate them. We can use astrology to make bigger predictions too, often with startling accuracy, but if you’re like me, and you run anxious, maybe that’s not your journey. Not today, at least.

Which brings me to my real reason for writing this post: a wellness check. Did you eat yet today? Are you drinking enough water? Have you moved your body at all, checked in on your friends and loved ones? Cope with the grief as you must (vices don’t count today, haven’t you heard?), but don’t abandon yourself in the process.

Where do we go from here? Voting will not save us. That much is abundantly clear. But today’s Capricorn Moon is answering to and aspecting Saturn in Pisces. That, to me, points to a more hopeful, Piscean truth: we can save us. Remaining empathetic and not apathetic, prioritizing community care, daring to dream bigger than our amoral, ineffectual political system—this is how we move forward. By mobilizing around an ethos of compassion and expansiveness. And by taking care of ourselves, body and soul, even (and maybe especially) when it feels difficult or pointless. Because it’s actually really fucking important. How can we expect to fight the good fight, to sustain momentum, without sustenance?

Take a nap. Pet your dog. Get your three meals in. If you need someone to give you permission to take it easy today and focus on your baseline needs, here you go. Permission granted.