For those who thought they were on a steady career ladder, the pandemic’s forced pause brought up questions. Getting laid off or working from home allowed latent doubts to surface—do I like this job?

To put things blatantly: If I might die tomorrow, would I be happy about how I’ve lived? Why am I here on this planet, at this time, and what do I want to leave behind.

I can count myself among those who not only questioned, but made a career change in the past two years. It’s not the first time I’ve found myself at a career crossroads. These questions usually come up at a point of success or of failure. With failure, it’s easy to see why one would question where they went wrong or if they’re on the right path. With success, it’s more nuanced, and there usually isn’t a clear way to talk about it or gain empathy. You got what you wanted, why are you sad?

People tend to question their career at one of these two thresholds: success or failure.

That’s the reason, though, that these moments can carry an undercurrent of shame. You did get what you wanted, the promotion, the accolade, the press, but it’s ultimately not fulfilling. That’s because it was someone else’s dream.

People tend to question their career at one of these two thresholds: success or failure.

In the past, I relied on the career Venn Diagram, explained in CNBC as a way of finding the intersection between your skills, interests, and what people will pay for in order to choose a sustainable role you actually enjoy.

Sadly, this did not work for me, because of two inherent flaws: I am a people pleaser, and I have imposter syndrome. Without knowing it, I spent years overvaluing the circles around what seemed lucrative (opportunity) and what people told me I was good at (skills). I studied business in college (lucrative) and journalism in grad school (practical) even though I’d known since childhood that I wanted to write fiction. I didn’t start taking fiction classes until my 30s.

This is where astrology comes in. I sought out astrology with the hope of confirming that it was okay for me to pursue the career I really wanted. In my experience in helping others interpret their birth charts, I’ve found that astrology can surprise you, but usually because it affirms what you already know about yourself.

By looking at your birth chart, you can wipe away the “shoulds” and get a clear picture of who you are and what gift you bring to the planet. It does this by prompting you to see your core desires, underneath all of the societal expectations that often make our own wants and needs murky.

By looking at your birth chart, you can wipe away the “shoulds” and get a clear picture of who you are and what gift you bring to the planet.

You may have already looked for career advice based on your Sun sign (here are some great insights from Cosmopolitan and Repeller), but if these don’t resonate or you want to go deeper into your chart, you’ve come to the right place.

I’m going to walk you through an exercise to unearth some gifts you may not know about yourself to help you rethink or reframe what you do professionally.

Take your time to reflect on each question, and keep your mind open to the possibilities. Sometimes things that seem easy to you are really valuable to others. Sometimes, things you are scared to do or think you’re not good at are actually your best assets—because you have that critical eye to know what excellence looks like.

By the end of this exercise, you’ll have in hand a piece of evidence that can pull the scale one way or another for whatever career crossroads you face today.

You will need your birth date, time, and location to create your birth chart. I recommend this website, astro-charts.com.

Once you put in your info and create your chart, go to very bottom of page to see Houses. For this exercise, we will look at the planets and sign in your 2nd, 6th, and 10th houses.

Career and the 2nd House: Monetizing Talents

First, fill this out:

My 2nd House is in the sign of ________ and contains the planets (if any): _______, ________, ________.

According to astute astrologer and Instagram genius Sagittarian Mind™♐️, the 2nd House indicates “monetizing talents.”

To start, look at the sign that your 2nd House “starts at.” This describes your motivation as it relates to money, finance, and value. From the Sign Archetype Key below, find the sign of your 2nd House and choose one of the keywords that resonates most.

Sign Archetype Key:

• Aries: Warrior, Leader, Pioneer

• Taurus: Artisan, Chef, Banker

• Gemini: Writer, Teacher, Comedian

• Cancer: Therapist, Homemaker, Historian

• Leo: Performer, Public Speaker, Entertainer

• Virgo: Mentor, Analyst, Expert

• Libra: Artist, Diplomat, Host

• Scorpio: Researcher, Investigator, Psychologist

• Sagittarius: Philosopher, Traveler, Broadcaster

• Capricorn: Manager, Entrepreneur, Organizer

• Aquarius: Inventor, Reformer, Humanitarian

• Pisces: Mystic, Navigator, Poet

Journal Questions:

• What roles have I held in the past that fit this archetype?

• What is a role in or adjacent to my current field that fits this archetype?

• If I’m feeling defensive towards the words listed, why? Does it bring up a memory or a fear?

• What is appealing about the words listed?

Next, we’ll look at planets, if you have them in the 2nd House. Having lots of planets in the 2nd House indicates you’re oriented towards lucrative work and that you’re well-resourced to make money, and the specific planets present there will tell you what these resources or talents are. If you do not have planets in the 2nd House, have no fear — you may still become wealthy; however, your focus area may be creativity (5th House) or mental health (12th House), and money is a side effect of your expertise.

If you have planets in the 2nd house, note the keywords below, and write them down.

Planet Key:

• Mercury: Communication, teaching, learning

• Venus: Relationships, aesthetics

• Mars: Taking initiative

• Jupiter: Growth, optimism, philosophy

• Saturn: Discipline, focus, hard work

• Uranus: Ideas, invention, genius

• Neptune: Compassion, imagination

• Pluto: Transformation, power

• North Node: Self-improvement, getting out of comfort zone

• Chiron: Healing, empathy

Journal Questions:

• How has using the skill of _________ helped me make money in the past?

• What’s one thing I enjoy doing that uses my ______ skill?

Repeat this for each planet you have in the 2nd House.

Career and the 6th House: Skills and Day Job

First, fill this out:

My 6th House is in the sign of ________ and contains the planets (if any): _______, ________, ________.

To start, look at the sign that your 6th House “starts at.” This describes your motivation as it relates to day job, routines, and skills. From the Sign Archetype Key in the previous section, find the sign of your 6th House and choose one of the keywords that resonates most.

Journal Questions:

• Is there a past job where my work or contribution fits under this label? If so, what did I enjoy about it, and what didn’t I enjoy?

• If I imagine myself as the leading “____” in the world, what do I imagine myself doing?

• How does embodying this archetype better position me or give me the skills to do something I want to do?

Next, we’ll look at planets, if you have them in the 6th House. If you do not have planets here, simply skip to the next section!

Journal Questions:

• How has using the skill of _________ been applied at jobs I’ve held in the past?

• What’s one thing I enjoy doing that uses my ______ skill?

Repeat this for each planet you have in the 6th House.

Career and the 10th House: Reputation and Legacy

First, fill this out:

My 10th House is in the sign of ________ and contains the planets (if any): _______, ________, ________.

To start, look at the sign that your 10th House “starts at.” This describes your motivation as it relates to your reputation, career, vocation, and legacy. This isn’t always a job in the traditional sense; but could be a social role, a cause, or a hobby. From the Sign Archetype Key in the previous section, find the sign of your 10th House and choose one of the keywords that resonates most.

Journal Questions:

• In the past, who has complimented me for my role of _______ (possibly within a family, social group, club, classmates, job or team, etc.)

• If I were to be a __________, what change would it empower me to make in the world?

• If I dislike the words listed or feel they don’t apply to me, what memories or fears come up?

• Who do I admire who fits this archetype—maybe a famous historical figure, celebrity, teacher, family member, or colleague?

Next, we’ll look at planets, if you have them in the 10th House. If you do not have planets here, don’t worry, you can still leave a legacy. Case in point: Taylor Swift’s 10th House is empty but she continues to set records in music and beyond!

Journal Questions:

• How has using the skill of _________ been applied at roles (including jobs, volunteer work, hobbies, social groups) I’ve held in the past?

• What’s one thing I enjoy doing that uses my ______ skill?

Repeat this for each planet you have in the 10th House.

Conclusion

Wow! You did it! I hope you’ve learned something new about yourself.

It can be tempting to draw conclusions right away, but I recommend to give yourself time to reflect, especially on any strong feelings (especially if you had a strong negative reaction!). Sometimes these indicate limiting beliefs we have about ourselves and what we’re capable of.

Almost every psychological framework and spiritual practice indicate that the path to fulfillment is behind a fear.

Even if you don’t “believe” in astrology, these questions can help unearth your fears. Almost every psychological framework and spiritual practice indicate that the path to fulfillment is behind a fear.

Know that your birth chart can help you reflect on your gifts and skills at any time in your life, and that whatever these resources are, they can be applied in a number of different jobs. For example, someone with Virgo in their 6th House may work for many years as a lawyer and later become a meditation teacher. Two vastly different roles that stem from the similar motivation—helping people.

Also know that it’s okay to try something and then change your mind. The idea that you’ll somehow “burn bridges” if you shift your career path is simply a lie! You always learn something, and that learning is always valuable later on. Stay curious—the best path is the one you’re currently on.

If you found this exercise helpful and want to dive deeper into your birth chart, I invite you to work with me through a birth chart reading.