Be Confident of Who You Are - How Astrology Helped Me

Businessmen like to say "we're all selling something all the time" - including ourselves. Self presentation is another word for how we sell ourselves to our boss, our clients, potential customers, potential mates; our spouse and children etc. Television celebrities have their position not just because of what they know, but because of how well they can present themselves (and what they know) to the public.

A little self disclosure: it took me a long time before becoming more or less comfortable with myself, with all of my uniqueness. Astrology was a big helping factor in this process - it is a language that honors the complex individuality of who each of us are like nothing else in the world.

Without such tools, we may get discouraged upon seeing other people who are succeeding because they can express themselves in a certain way that we can't. Let me explain with my own example:

1)I have Scorpio Sun, with Mars-Uranus conjunction also in Scorpio. This is a pretty headstrong combination that suggests quick temper and a strong need to know and control.

2)I have a Sagittarius Moon, with Venus and Neptune also in Sagittarius. This meant I had a desire to share my opinions and have them matter (teaching is a big therapy for people like me.)

Not knowing any of this, I was still very opinionated - I had a lot to say and write even when I was very young. But I realized that somehow I kept alienating myself from others through my communication. I couldn't figure out what I was doing, and it wasn't until I started playing music in a group during high school years that things improved for me socially.

As I learned astrology, I discovered that I had a Pisces rising. Ascendant is a key factor in self presentation, and apparently this placement suggested that I'm better off expressing myself gently and artistically, rather than bluntly "saying it like it is" in the style of Sagittarius Moon - which was what I was doing up until that time.

Another emphasis in my horoscope that brought home this point further was that I also have a peregrine Mercury in Libra* in 7th house (public relationships and partnership). This suggested that the most effective way for me to communicate and present myself to the public was through using diplomatic words that was considerate of others' feelings.

So I found that I had to learn to speak and act differently if I was to successfully present myself to the world. Some people were able to express themselves more loudly and aggressively, but it wasn't for me - and thanks to astrology, I didn't have to feel that there was something wrong with me for not being as assertive or aggressive as other people were.

Knowing our own unique style will help us not to feel like a failure by trying to imitate someone that doesn't share our style of self presentation. I think it's important to know who you are, and build on your unique strength - whatever that happens to be. For me, it is a kind of intuitive, compassionate diplomacy that works. For you, it may be something more fiery and dramatic. It's all good - we're all unique.

*peregrine means making no major aspects to other planets. Peregrine planets exert a powerful influence within a birth chart - it "runs away" with the horoscope.