An Individual Horoscope - For and Against

I should say straight away that I am not a fan of fortune-tellers, card readers, or soothsayers, but I do believe that the position of the stars, place and time, as well as one's zodiac sign (akin to temperament), can thoroughly influence a person's life and bring out or conceal certain character traits.

I visited astrologer Māra Ošuroka (Horoscope World / Horoskopu pasaule) to have my individual horoscope drawn up in the summer of 2007. I was not so interested in predictions for this year or the next, but rather wanted to learn about the general position of the planets at the moment of my birth, the influence of the elements on character, career, relationships, and so on. As a result, within about an hour (if I remember correctly) we went through every aspect of my individual astrological chart (see example below), for which the astrologer needed to know my name, place of birth, date, day, and the exact time. Later, at my request, this chart was also sent to me by email.

Illustrative image from www.horoskopupasaule.lv

During the conversation the astrologer allowed me to take notes, so after the consultation I left the office holding six written A4 pages. That is good, because looking back now from a distance of time, I can leaf through and assess everything through the prism of four years.

What I liked was that I gained much more than from the various horoscope books, which describe only one basic zodiac sign. For example, if you were born at the beginning of April, you are a typical Aries and everything else is subordinated to that. An individual horoscope examines the general influence of the planets, because one zodiac sign may correspond to a person's outward appearance, another to the emotional, inner world, yet another to character, and still another to sexuality. Specifically (I will reveal a little about myself): my appearance, outer image, and how I present myself to those around me is Gemini - which is why you will rarely see me flying into a rage, shouting, or slamming doors loudly. When discussing zodiac signs, I have even been told "you're not a real Aries." Understandable, because the true nature of Gemini is never shown in public - always open to communication and friendly, while the bruises from the inner Aries's moments of anger are usually only felt by very close people. The emotional side - Sagittarius: optimism and zest for life, alternating with sharp mood swings. The combined purposefulness and stubbornness of Sagittarius and Aries helps me greatly in life, but also hinders - "I need it exactly this way and no other." And if I dislike someone, they will feel it in the vibration of the air - hmm, and also if I really like someone. Character and sexuality - Aries; fire signs dominate, what can you do. I totally agree that a person cannot be confined to the boundaries of a single sign. That is why I do not take the daily horoscopes published in newspapers seriously, but regard them as one form of entertainment.

An individual horoscope allows you to analyse yourself and your behaviour, and that never does any harm. You can look at how relationships develop in the family, at work, and among friends and acquaintances. It is useful to know the zodiac signs of all the people who matter to you.

For overly impressionable people it is worth thinking carefully about whether you really want to know what you think you want to know. If an astrologer tells you that you were born during some particular special eclipse (even if that is true) and that it prevents you from developing in life, moving forward, or succeeding in business - that does not mean you must now change everything drastically, or worse still, give up on everything you have started. Perhaps somewhere in the galaxy there is a small lucky star that lit up just as you were born and will allow you to fulfil your mission in life? An astrologer is also just a person, with more or less developed psychological abilities, who will already tell you a great deal about yourself simply from your outward appearance.

Before visiting an astrologer, I recommend formulating for yourself exactly what you want to find out. The conversation will then be more substantive. Set aside your scepticism and stereotypes - but also analyse everything you are told through the prism of your own experience and critical thinking!