Adventures in Astro Carto Graphy

Horse sculpture in Abiquiu, NM

I first encountered astrocartography in 1991, as I neared the end of my undergraduate college years and prepared for graduation. With my bachelor’s degree in hand, I was ready to take on the world. Only, I wasn’t sure where in the world I wanted to land…That’s when my wonderful friend and astrology mentor Asata Gabriel turned me on to astrocartography.

She told me about an astrologer (Jim Lewis), who offered a computer generated report that featured a world map of planetary lines and the choice of a few locations that would describe the effects of planetary lines running near those areas.

I chose Asheville, NC and Prague, Czechoslovakia. Why you might be wondering? What possible interest could I have had in two such different locales? Asheville was because I had applied for a summer job after graduation at the North Carolina Outward Bound School and my best opportunity was at a small base camp in the hills outside of Asheville.

My plan was to make money from this job and use it to travel to Europe. My imagination was captivated by stories emerging from Czechoslovakia in the era of the “Velvet Revolution”. I had visions of myself as a writer, very 1920’s Paris “Lost Generation” style, only in the 1990’s and in Czechoslovakia. 

When I received my report I was a little disturbed to discover that I had a Saturn line running uncomfortably close to Asheville. Luckily, Prague revealed what seemed to be the perfect planetary match up of Venus and Neptune. I not only had a vision of myself living the bohemian writing life, but I also planned to meet the love of my life in Prague-what could be better than Venus and Neptune for an epic love affair?

I figured that I could withstand Asheville and Saturn for the summer, if I had the treat of Prague and Venus/Neptune in the Fall.

Sure enough, Asheville taught me about Saturn style limitations, hard work, routine and the mountains (Saturn=rocks/mountains). I learned how to stay sane while doing the endlessly repetitive work of packing food boxes for trips. I also learned how to knit and to revel in the breathtaking beauty of waking up at dawn, emerging from my tent to witness the sun rising from the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

I got target practice lessons from our neighbor, a Vietnam vet who had a wild animal sanctuary and served the first venison I’d ever eaten for dinner. I was surprised to realize that not only was I a good shot, but I enjoyed the precise focus and stillness that came over me as I zeroed in on the target.

I was even a little sad when it came time for me to leave Saturn’s realm, but couldn’t wait to get to my imagined paradise of Prague and the ease, art, beauty, love and romance I imagined awaited me.

So imagine my disappointment when I arrived alone (in the middle of winter, because I was too impatient to wait for Spring), to encounter a gray cold city, where I didn’t speak the language and there were no signs of the creative oasis I had imagined. I toured Kafka’s home, bought some gifts for my family, took pictures of the “astrological clock” and wandered aimlessly through the ancient city streets. After a week I was ready to give up and come home, but my Mars in Sagittarius wasn’t ready to let go of my dream of adventures in Europe. So I took another look at my astrocartography map and saw that while Neptune (dreams, illusions and fantasies) ran straight through Prague, with Venus a little further away, Venice, Italy ( a train ride away), featured Venus more closely with Neptune a little further. Now I was dreaming dreams of pasta, warmth and friendly people. After a week in Prague I navigated the train station and buying a train ticket in another language and headed south.

Arriving in Italy was like going from black and white to color. Big warm smiles, the best hot chocolate I’d ever had (in the train station dispensing machine!), loud voices, good food and more interactions with other people in one day than I’d had in a week in Prague.

Unfortunately, shadow Neptune’s presence was still alive and well as I showed up in Venice in the middle of one of the worst rainstorms and floods in 100 years. With water up to my knees, my first purchase was rain boots as I struggled to find the youth hostel, navigating through unknown terrain while being pelted with an ocean of rain.

A week in Venice yielded lots of museum visits, a traveling buddy from New Zealand and decadent amounts of good pasta. But alas, my grand love affair and the glamourous writing job failed to materialize. So, with my traveling tale between my legs I slunk back to the United States.

I’ve spent the  years since pondering my early astrocartography adventures, trying to figure out how the planets influence places. 

Currently, I live close, but not too close, to my Venus/Midheaven line. In this location, I’ve been invited to more parties, social gatherings and events than at any other time in my life. I am surrounded by art and artists. I am obsessed with cultivating beauty in and around my home with flowers, hummingbirds, vintage furnishings (my Venus is in Cancer after all, so I love the past!). I’ve started learning “Colcha”, the traditional embroidery technique of the region, my own Venus in Cancer/Sun in Virgo attempt at the arts. It is hard to imagine a more Venusian experience than what I have here in New Mexico…and no Neptune line to bring disillusionment, floods and loss (of course Neptune can also bring spiritual communion, compassion and magic under the right conditions).

Earlier this year, after years of self study,  I finally took an official astrocartography class (and passed with distinction), from Kepler University and was able to gain new insights and perspectives on why the planetary lines effect each person in unique ways. There are many nuances that shape how we experience a line, including how long we spend there, our natal chart, current transits. Weather, culture and our age are also important to consider when looking at a line to visit, move to or do remote activation (more on that in another post!)

Astromapping/astrocartography is fascinating because it has an element of magic and alchemy blended with geographical therapy. It is most effective when we have goals, intentions and have honed in on what we want to catalyze or create. There really is no one perfect place that will solve all of our problems, or bring our heart’s desire for all time. Instead, like life, astrocartography offers opportunities to learn and grow, experiencing that nature of a planet through a location. 

If you’d like to explore and experience astrocartography for yourself-check out my new offerings below. Or contact me for a New Client Reading or an Update Session!