Try This Before You Get an Astrology Reading

Think you need an astrology reading? Think again. I know, I know—it’s pretty wild for me (a professional astrologer) to suggest not getting a reading. But sometimes they just aren’t the best tool for the job. In this post, I explore where astrology readings fall flat and what you might want to do instead (or in tandem with).

Before I go any further, I just want to be clear: there’s nothing wrong with giving or receiving astrology readings. I’ve supported myself for over a decade by giving readings. The point of this post isn’t to negate readings, it’s simply to explore the gaps that astrology readings create, and what you can do to fill them.

What do astrology readings excel at? Giving you lots of information—sometimes too much information. Even for me as the reader, it can be a little overstimulating. If you’re purely shopping for information (ex: the Moon in the 2nd house might mean this, Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius might mean that), an astrology reading may be a great place to start. But, in my opinion, that’s where the power of an astrology reading ends.

Where do astrology readings fall short? Bridging the gap between information and action. Now that you have all this information, what do you do with it? Unless the astrologer also moonlights as a therapist, counselor, or high-level coach, the role of an astrologer is to interpret and to translate astrological symbols into everyday language. Guidance may or may not be something your astrologer is comfortable with or qualified for. Typically, that's where the astrologer’s professional skillset ends and another professional skillset begins.

Another area where astrology readings tend to fall flat is specificity. We astrologers work very hard to create interpretations that resonate with you and that match your lived experience, but we’re only human. And unless we’re also psychic or clairvoyant (this is a distinct skillset from astrology), we don’t know all the details of your situation. We’re simply going off of what little we know about you, our astrological knowledge, and our experience with other clients with similar charts or placements. When you go to an astrology reading, you may receive insight that’s well within in the ballpark, but not a home run. And that’s okay. We’re translators, not seers (unless we are).

To put it plainly: If you’re looking for someone to tell you what to do, you don’t want an astrology reading. You want something else.

Astrology can give you fantastic context for why life is the way it is, but again, unless the astrologer is also a therapist, counselor, or qualified coach, they aren’t necessarily going to help you change the way life is.

So, if astrology readings aren’t designed to tell you what to do, what do you do when you want specific, cosmically-informed instructions? What do you do when you want a step-by-step plan based on your natal chart? What do you do if you want to be told what to do? Planet Channeling.

Planet Channeling is a journaling and visualization technique where you interact with your natal planets directly—one-to-one. You receive direct insight from your chart without having to be a full-fledged astrologer and without having to see an astrologer. Again, astrology readings are awesome, and they have a place, but they also have limitations. Planet Channeling acts as a bridge between astrology readings and specific, concrete to-dos.

The first reason I prefer Planet Channeling over a classic astrology reading is agency. When you go to an astrologer, you're putting a lot of power in that person's hands, whether they like it or not. You’re typically going into the reading with the intention of asking someone else for guidance, for answers, and for insight that you think you can't access on your own.

Astrologers have the “curse” of knowledge. They’ve put in the time, they’ve done the studying, and yes, they know more about astrology than you do. That’s why you’re going to them! But this also creates an innate power dynamic that can be very damaging in the wrong hands.

Planet Channeling puts the power firmly back in your hands. I can teach you how to planet channel. I can lead you into a channeling session. I can suggest prompts and questions to help you connect with certain planets. I can even channel with you. But I can’t channel for you. And this is why I love it so much. In Planet Channeling, you are the one receiving the guidance. It encourages you to prioritize your intuition and inner knowing over mine—as it should be. Planet Channeling amplifies your voice, not the astrologer’s voice.

Another thing I love about Planet Channeling is that it takes astrological information and turns it into inspiration. An astrologer can tell you what a planet in a certain house or sign may mean, but Planet Channeling can tell you what to do about it.

So, your Venus is afflicted by Saturn. What can you do about it? So, you have a stellium in the twelfth house. What can you do about it? So, your chart ruler is in detriment. What can you do about it?

Planet Channeling can give you these answers. In a channeling session, you can literally ask the afflicted or “weak” planet what it needs to be supported…and yes, it’ll answer you. And it’ll answer you very specifically. When you’re channeling, you’re filtering the information you receive through your personal history, backstory, and details.

What does this mean? You get very accurate, personalized answers—answers that an astrologer simply can’t get. Again, astrologers do a great job of interpreting your natal planets based on their body of knowledge, but only you can filter cosmic information through your lived experience. And only you can decide what to do with it.

Another area where Planet Channeling is superior to a classic astrology reading is accessibility. Most people only see their astrologer once or twice a year. Planet Channeling makes cosmic wisdom accessible to you as often as you want. Once you learn how to do it, you can access cosmic insight anytime you want, as frequently as you want, and about anything you want. And no, you don’t need to know a lot (or anything) about astrology to do it.

If you’re searching for something that’ll turn your astrology chart into a decision-making tool, an astrology reading is not what you want. But a Planet Channeling experience might be exactly the thing. In Planet Channeling, the planets are no longer just dead glyphs on a page, they’re guides, friends, and allies that you can actually build relationships with. You can ask your chart anything, and it’ll answer you.

Ready to get your questions answered? Start Planet Channeling today in my free class, Turn Your Astrology Chart into a Clarity Machine. And when you’re ready to take your Planet Channeling practice to the next level, let’s work together.