by Tarah Stevenson
Love & Luna Astrology
As a parent to my 20 year old daughter, I understand just how challenging parenting can be! Parenting is both complex and multidimensional, requiring the ability to respond to the diverse and complex needs of the child. There’s no manual to help us navigate each chapter in our child’s progress, so quite often we turn to parenting tools to help guide us.
So, what does parenting have to do with the world of astrology? Like most people, I knew my sun sign, but in the spring of 2018, I saw my birth chart for the first time. I realised that I was so much more than my sun sign! The birth chart is a snapshot of the sky, the moment you were born, and astrologers can use this timestamp to derive meaning and a deeper understanding of our psyche.
On a basic level, we have our Sun, Moon and Rising sign, each of which relates to three distinct parts of our nature, and is a great basis for understanding astrological concepts. The Sun represents our identity, sense of self, ego, our wants and core purpose in life. The Moon signifies our subconscious, emotions, what makes us feel safe and nurtured and our needs. Our Rising sign signifies our appearance, how we appear to others and in turn how we view the world and perceive others. Furthermore, the Sun symbolises our father or significant father figure, while the Moon embodies our mother or significant mother figure.
So, how has astrology helped me improve my parenting skills? In 2018, my daughter was 14 years old. This is a time of many physical, mental, emotional and social changes. Hormones change as puberty starts and teenagers begin to develop their unique identity and gain independence. Parents can often find this stage challenging, due to conflicting beliefs, miscommunication and misunderstandings. I started studying my daughter’s chart, which gave me a much deeper personalised insight than any self-help book could.
The chart is divided into twelve parts called houses, and each house relates to a different aspect of our life. One of the first things I noticed was her Aquarius Sun in the 8th house, which meant that while she was socially adept at making friends, she had a deep need for a safe space to recharge. Aquarius is a sociable sign, but Aquarians also crave ‘alone time’. Being placed in the 8th house, further emphasised the need for privacy. This meant when she would retreat to her room for hours on end, a typical teenager thing to do, I wouldn’t take it personally. I understood that this was her coping mechanism after a busy day of socialising.
My daughter is a Cancer rising, which means having a strong attachment to home and close family. Cancers are extremely nostalgic and sentimental, which meant I understood how important it was to talk to my daughter about her childhood memories. She would positively shine when we’d look at old photos together and it was a great way to cheer her up if she was feeling down. Over the years, I have used astrology to help understand my daughter on a deeper level, which has helped me become a better parent by using her chart to support her in a way that is nurturing and aligned with her needs.
A close friend of mine was worried about her seven year old son, who although very likeable, was socially awkward and shy. We looked at his chart and I saw he had a Virgo Moon in the 12th house, which explained his shyness. Virgo is naturally reserved and introverted, and with the moon placed in the 12th house, which is said to be hidden, this further emphasised the challenge of standing out. It also indicated he was delicate to the feelings of others, so I advised he would thrive better in one-to-one connections over groups. My friend has since reported her son is a lot happier now that he has one close friend instead of lots, which he finds overwhelming.
Since then, I have been helping more people understand their child through the lens of astrology and I now offer tailored astrology readings for parents. In the winter issue of ABC, I’ll be talking about how you can use your own chart to better understand your parenting style and how it aligns with your child’s personality.
Tarah Stevenson is a professional astrologer and former teacher who has formally studied at the Faculty of Astrological Studies, London. She writes a monthly newsletter and her article The Astrology of Familial Relationships’ was published in the 2023 Autumn Equinox edition of the Evolving Astrologer Magazine.
