Chances are, you know your star sign. You might peruse the daily horoscopes section in your newspaper of choice or even decide whether or not you will date someone based on whether they are a Libra or a Scorpio because of the associated characteristics of each. But would you let the stars tell you where to move to for work, where to look for love or where to go on holiday?
Astrocartography is the practice of using your birth chart to tell you how different parts of the world will make you feel. Pioneered by the late American astrologer Jim Lewis in the 1970s, the discipline compares your birth chart with a map of the globe to show where the planets were at the time of your birth.
Each planet governs something different, so, for example, your Venus line will affect your love life, while your Mars line will be a place of conflict. So, if you’re looking for the one, you might consider a destination on your Venus—or, indeed, just dating someone who is from a destination along that line. Conversely, the cities on your Mars line might make you feel combative or uncomfortable in a way you’ve perhaps never quite put your finger on.
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“It helps guide people on destinations based on what they are looking for out of their holiday,” explains astrologer, astrocartographer and tarot reader Clarisse Monahan. “So, for example, they might want an adventure holiday, or something action-packed, so we’ll look at their Mars line, which is a little feistier.” Equally, were you to vacation on your Saturn line, you may find it more austere, serious and remote—ideal if you’re after some alone time to work on a project, or want to be at one with nature.
Despite being around for almost four decades, it’s only in the post-pandemic world that astrocartography has gained momentum in the mainstream, with astrologers finding that more and more of their clients are interested in doing a reading.
Monahan has seen a definite increase in those looking to understand their astrocartography map, with 80% of her clients now booking astrocartography readings. She travels around the world giving talks on the practice for Soho House members as their in-house astrologer.
“I think the reason it’s only becoming popular now is the accessibility of air travel today,” she explains. “With remote working post-Covid, the world has really opened up. It feels so accessible now, but with that, deciding where to go becomes overwhelming, so people are turning to astrocartography. It’s helpful to narrow it down a little.”
“I’ve definitely noticed an increase in demand over the last year,” agrees fellow astrocartographer Helena Woods. “More and more of us are working from home with our laptops, and so we want to know if there’s somewhere where it’s just easier to base ourselves from or travel to. There are a lot of people that feel stuck where they live right now.”
As with other practices, such as tarot, Monahan finds that a lot of the time, she simply confirms what people already know and offers a little guidance on it. “More often than not, my clients already intuitively feel things about certain places,” she says. “They’ll have always had a connection with Miami, or Bali, or wherever it is, and not know why until they understand their map. It’s a way of confirming that somewhere is a good place for them.”
Such was the case for 42-year-old Lori Kresse, Vice President at Virtuoso, a collection of luxury travel advisors and hotels. “I was looking for deeper meaning about why I am drawn to certain places or why certain cities or trips bring up different moods,” she says. “While it was helpful to understand how my astrocartography chart mapped to various destinations and energy for future travel planning, I actually found it most helpful reflecting on the past. For example, where I live, where I got engaged, where I get that special feeling of belonging each time I visit—it all started to make sense!”
Woods similarly came to the practice with an enthusiasm for travel and a desire to help others discover the world as she had done. “I heard about it on a podcast, and it just made so much sense to me,” she says. “I had noticed that every time I went to certain parts of the world, the same themes came up, or I’d feel a certain way.”
Yet it’s the more elemental things that her clients often come to her to find out about: love, money and family. “The majority are asking about those three things,” she explains. “Especially where to find ‘the one’, or where is good for a big business move, for example. I also get some women who want to know about their fertility and where is best to conceive. The thing I’m most proud of is being a matchmaker for people because I’ll tell people where to go and at what time, and that’s where they will meet someone. I’ve had a client meet their fiancé that way.” Others ask her for help deciding on a wedding venue or where to renew their vows.
“My clients are mostly focused on love,” agrees Monahan. “A lot of the time they might be in situations where they can’t move, so I work with them on remote activation, too. So, for example, your Venus line might be going through Frankfurt, so you can set your geolocation to there on a dating app, then maybe go out there and meet someone.”
Woods now uses her map to guide her own travel. “It really enriches the way that I travel, and even my sceptical Virgo husband is more open to it,” she jokes. “I’ll often time my trips with transits—transits are the real-time movements of the planets in relation to the world—so if I see a good one, I’ll travel according to that. For instance, I have my Mercury line here in Florida—Mercury is all about writing, communication and speaking. So I’m launching my next program from here. I love going to Mercury lines when I need that sort of energy.”
A version of this story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.