Astrology and Poetry come together and give poets a better understanding of their place in the universe.
The Astrology Poet Tastemakers
When the Astro Poets started their Twitter account in 2016, it quickly amassed hundreds of thousands of followers. The account has about 440,000 followers today, which is a reminder that poetry is both very much alive and very much relevant.
The Astro Poets (who are made up of two brilliant poets — Dorothea Lasky and Alex Dimitrov) deliver not only horoscopes but hilarious and poignant astrological fodder in the language of poetry. (Bonus: they’ve got a book coming out later this year!)
Written in the Stars
There’s a reason so many flock to the Astro Poets’ insights and horoscopes. Our society is ripe for astro-poetry. For one, more and more of us are turning inward and looking to the metaphysical and the natural world for answers, autonomy, and insight.
More so, it’s especially important for a generation that thinks outside the box. More and more of us are focused on self-healing and magical systems of thinking, especially as racism, sexism, and classism still runs rampant. We are seeking autonomy and self-reflection.
Not to mention, poetry and astrology provide a beautiful way to disconnect from the digital and reconnect with the inner and natural worlds.
“We’re really interested in….a kind of timeless astrological knowledge. It seems foolish to think that astrology can’t fit into how we communicate now, which is through pop culture, gifs.”
The Astro Poets on NPR
The Astro Poets told NPR, “We’re really interested in….a kind of timeless astrological knowledge. It seems foolish to think that astrology can’t fit into how we communicate now, which is through pop culture, gifs.”
At that beautiful intersection of poetry and astrology is something special: the potential and magic of personal interpretation, the power of peering inward, of diving off the cliff of sense and obviousness.
Re-Reading your Horoscope
When we read a horoscope, we often think, “how does this apply to my life?” And sometimes, when what we read seems mysterious or obscure, we find ourselves meditating on our lives. What could it all possibly mean?
Confusion? Illumination? That’s the right response. Not every horoscope is going to apply to everyone — of course, as there are too many variables at play — but once you decide to ask yourself, “how can I find myself here? Where are the parts of myself that align with this?” you can begin to unravel the liminal, and find yourself at the center of a burning star.
Where Poetry Intersects with Astrology
The same goes for poetry. In a poem, we see things through the lens of the self. That’s why poetry means so much to us; a poem can be a talisman, an artifact of the self, and a symbol of resilience or transcendence.
As Anaïs Nin says: We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. And when we read poems, I always urge people to try and understand what the poem does for you. How does it light you up? How does it resonate? How does it hurt?
Some of the best Astro Poet tweets are the ones that push us to really self-examine. Just look at this recent poem-horoscope for Scorpio:
This horoscope is also a poem, asking you to go deep, let go of the rules and blur the boundaries. What does it all mean? What have you calculated about your life? What is it about yourself that may be a form of art? What are your questions?
People have long pondered the intersection of poetry and astrology, though. One ancient Roman didactic (otherwise known as instructional) poem by Maruc Manilius, Astronomica, focused on the hellenistic astrology.
And, according to Astrology in Ancient Rome: Poetry, Prophecy and Power
by David Wray,
“Divination or prophecy through reading the signs and portents of the sky was not merely a folk belief in the ancient Mediterranean; it was also part of the state religion at Rome. There was a group of official priests known as augurs whose functions included reading omens in the sky.”
Astrology in Ancient Rome: Poetry, Prophecy and Power by David Wray
Even though our society has moved away from seeing astrology as a guiding principle, enthusiasts and believers have developed a new relationship to it — especially where it continues to intersect with art and self-care.
Look at Dorothea Lasky’s Astrological Sign Poem, via Lit Hub:
The stars, in all their infinite light and distance, help us get closer to unraveling our own mysteries and illuminating the shadows of the self. The constellations, the heavens, the position of the stars during your time of birth — these things are asking you to let go of what you can see and know and prove and touch, and instead let go, look up into the sky, — up into the headier parts of yourself — and conjure your secrets and fears and loves.
Is that not poetry in itself?
Want to learn more about astrology? Colin Bedell’s book, A Little Bit of Astrology, is a treasure:
