I didn’t use astrology to choose when to travel.

This is what happened.

The last time I traveled a long distance, I elected the time to walk out the door.

Election: I used astrology to decide when to travel

This time around, I just let it happen. Things tend to happen as they should, imo. Here is the story of the journey from Berlin to my hometown and back, told through the chart of the trip’s inception.

The theory goes that the chart of the time that one embarks on a journey can inform of the journey, its challenges, and its success. Of course this used to be more important when it took months to travel from Germany to New Orleans, rather than about a day, but it’s fun to see how astrology is still relevant today.

Instead of electing the chart, or using any sort of astrological interference, I decided to read the natural chart.

Here I am waiting at the airport, speculating what the chart will bring on my journey in my phone notes:

“3:20 AM, Berlin

God is good. Malefic out of sect (the most challenging planet) in the 8th. Unfortunately, however, the luminary of sect and L1 is applying to it. The benefic of sect is conjunct the ascendant by degree, one of the best possible situations for me, and I didn’t even plan for it. 

I left the house at 2:40 wearing a perfect outfit, if you can imagine (although I do have some guilt about packing a hoodie in my tote, since I made it a point to never look slouchy at airports, I just think if you wear a hoodie backwards and then put the hood over your face it’s easier to sleep on the plane). 

A lovely cab driver took me to the airport train, which started running at 3:00. I was planning on catching the 3:18 train, but was able to get on the 3:05. My Virgo moon [redacted] texted me which platform the train was going to be on, and I walked straight from the car door onto the train. Without their help I wouldn’t have made the train. 

I’m bummed that I misremembered my layover. I thought it would be only 1 hour layover in London without changing airports. It’s nearly 8 hours in London, and I have to change airports, and I’m carrying all of my bags, no checked baggage.

I’m also worried because I booked this flight through a third party booking service (something I love doing even though I always have a little trade off, but the cheaper flights are worth it 98% of the time). I don’t have all of the information like I usually do. I haven’t been able to manage any of my flight details myself online. My return flight from London to Berlin is still up for debate, and I’m not sure if it even exists. I haven’t been able to contact anyone from the booking company by phone, nor have I been able to reach anyone from the airline by phone, so we will see what happens. I am kind of fantasizing about being stuck in London for a day and needing to buy a new flight from London to Berlin.

Note: The moon is translating light from Jupiter to Mars— is this a sort of bonification?”

Then I finally got on the plane:

“6:50, Berlin

The 6:55 flight is on time. I once again walked straight onto the airplane. I have been having an easy time with getting into the vessel smoothly, just walking right to my seat, but there are a lot of lines when it comes to getting through each door.

I arrived to the airport 3.5 hours early, like everyone else, but it was before any of the employees clocked in at the airport. Once I checked Google Maps to see what time Starbucks opens, I realized the airport starts working at 5:00. The employees at the check-in counter started to arrive at 4:45. While I felt sad that I could have slept an extra hour instead of standing around, if I didn’t arrive earlier, I would have been at the back of the line.

Once check-in opened I only needed to wait 5 minutes to get to the desk. I was asked to check my bag. I am hesitant to check bags because it adds more of a waiting time. I want to spend my layover writing horoscopes, but I thought it’d be nice to check a bag for free. However, now I have to carry around my laptop in a strapless briefcase.

It seemed like a comfort (moon), but it actually sacrificed (Saturn) some mobility (Mars). The bags (moon) are kind of heavy (Saturn). But I’m strong (Mars) bc I lift weights (Saturn/Mars). I’m also delirious from travel (Neptune in 9H). And feeling lazy (Venus on ascendant).

In line at customs I watched a lot of people having difficulties, taking a longer time to get through. I was also told that my papers are out of order, however still passable. While my visa is good, the German ID card is expired, and it doesn’t match the number of my newly renewed passport. Hello, Jupiter stationing retrograde, angular and square the part of fortune, ascendant, and Venus! 

Jupiter in this chart rules the 9H of distant travels and faraway journeys. It stationed retrograde yesterday, and is still pretty stationary. While the 9th house is foreign affairs, governments, and legal systems, Jupiter also bears many of these same associations. Retrograde means things are delayed, or not happening as they should. Hopefully this is the full extent of my visa challenges. And I was relieved to see the family who were taking forever at the customs line also at the gate with me.

While I don’t drink coffee so much anymore (I prefer the salicylate-free 90-100mg caffeine powder in a shot of water with glycine and calcium powder chased with some more water, a traditionally prepared matcha with no milk, or just some plain hot water, thanks), I had two hours of sleep last night. I didn’t feel like making a scene with my caffeine powder. I also… fell off the wagon and just wanted to have a crappy overpriced airport cappuccino. 

The line to get a coffee was, not surprising, exceptionally long. At earlier times, the airport seems to have longer waits, since less staff is working. Also people are all being told to arrive earlier, so the crowd that would usually give themselves 1hr before a flight, are standing there en masse nearly 4 hours in advance, waiting an hour for the check in counter to open. No one realized that the airport opens at 5.

I like that Mercury, the L3, house of short travels and communication, is receiving a superior trine from Jupiter, the BOS (benefic of sect). It’s not as combust as I thought it was, even though it’s still pretty under the beams, it appears. I think this is showing the ease I am having with stepping swiftly right into the plane, train, and automobile, with no delay. I am confident in this upcoming airport transfer.

Mercury is, however, square the node/Mars/Uranus conjunction. I do notice that whenever nodes are involved, so are large crowds. So far the only annoying thing I’ve noticed is the crowds, but all that they’ve done is just ask me for patience.

I am hopeful for the transfer from London City Airport to Heathrow. A little sad that I have a nearly 8 hour layover. Traveling to New Orleans always takes a very long time, and I’m remembering why I usually break the journey up into two days, giving myself a day of sleep in-between.

I think the ruler of the 1st, the moon, opposing Saturn and square Mars, tells of physical exhaustion, burn out, sadness, loneliness, annoyance at money issues. Maybe it won’t be too expensive to upgrade to 1st class so I can sleep more comfortably.”

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I spent about 11 days at home visiting my family, and returned to the note at the airport on the way back from New Orleans to Berlin, with a returning layover in London.:

“During the layover In London, delusional from a lack of sleep, I journaled with a coffee (only in rhymes) then went shopping for necessities. I bought a portable magnetic charger from the Apple Store (a little pricey but they told me I could return it on my way back to Berlin). At the Apple Store I read a book on Mundane Astrology. I also bought some new cargo pants from Brandy Melville (the outfit I wore on the plane was a little too cute and I was a little too cold), which my grandma accidentally shrunk in the dryer so I had to cut the stitch from the hem so they wouldn’t crop at the ankles. After buying necessities, I made it to the London airport on time (three hours before my flight to New Orleans). I couldn’t find anything I wanted to eat (isn’t that typical? Not something I can elect) but made it work.

At the gate I asked if I could upgrade to first class (so I could sleep at least 8 hours over this 25 hour journey) and was told that they don’t do that at the gate anymore. I was so disappointed. On the plane to New Orleans I sat next to some very posh married couple. They were very in love and friendly to me, and obviously rich. They were like from a movie. They changed into their slouchy clothes in the bathroom, since they knew better than to dress slouchy at the airport. I imagined what it would be like if they hired me to show them around town and then I seduced them. When we landed they remarked about how sitting in the economy section isn’t that bad. I napped a little in-between watching three movies: 

Set! (2021)

Table setting competition documentary. 

Blue Bayou (2021)

A movie about a Cajun Asian tattoo artist in New Orleans who lives on the westbank and is dealing with constantly being torn away from his family by powers outside of himself (it was honestly too much for me and sent me into a bit of a spiral). It was very aligned with the Jupiter retrograde immigration theme & Cancer rising home identity theme.

Grandma (2015)

A shorter movie a starring Lily Tomlin as a sort of Eileen Miles inspired grandmother who has to raise $500 in a day to fund her granddaughter’s abortion. I met that blonde curly haired actress once in 2013 or 14 at a Halloween party in Midwood and accidentally left the best painting I ever made in her agent’s car. It was a psychedelic brained cartoonish copy of a Good Charlotte poster, poster size. I think we went to a diner and they brought me to Penn Station. If anyone is reading this I want my painting back, it was a magic spell.

I landed in New Orleans a little late, was picked up by my grandparents (a Cancer and Virgo sun). They had a cooler filled with food for me. They brought me to my future sister (Sagittarius sun) in law’s bachelorette party and I went out without missing a beat. I wasn’t jet lagged at all. The tiny naps I took on the plane worked.

The trip was entirely spent with family and nurturing myself. I had very little time for friends, and wanted to spend most of the time with my grandparents and newest family member. I also ended up eating a diet that was completely different from my regular limited diet and had to deal with that, so I think that was my Mars/Uranus/NN experience.

Looking at the Cancer part of fortune, Venus, and rising, as well as Venus in Cancer ruling the 4th house (symbolizing the end of the matter). I knew I was going to New Orleans for a bachelorette party and bridal shower, but I was reaching out to some friends about spending time before the trip. I unfortunately ended up not having time to visit with them, which wasn’t planned or expected, it’s just how this trip turned out. In New Orleans I was able to contact the third party booker and rebook the second leg of my flights, from London to Berlin, which was canceled.

“Here I am at the airport in New Orleans, on my way back, 11 days later! I knew my flight was leaving at 9:35 PM, but my phone said 2:35 PM (a time zone technological error). I went into dumb panic mode and rushed my sweet Leo mom to get me to the airport. Halfway there I realized I was mistaken about being mistaken. 

Because of how things turned out, I just had to wait at the airport for 6 hours. I wasn’t able to upgrade to business or whatever on this flight because it was simply too expensive and not worth it to me. Cancer vibes. 

The moon in this chart is about 11 degrees away from opposing Saturn. I’m now 11 days from the original departure, which is this event chart. Of course this happening over the 2nd/8th house is frugality, but since they’re in their own signs, it’s like the frugality isn’t weird or unexpected. The moon has co-rulership of Leo FYI.

The entire trip has had this lunar/Saturnian vibe to it because I have been uncomfortably freezing for the majority of the time. The air conditioning in New Orleans should be hacked by communists and heavily regulated like a wartime ration. I’m serious. I love my hometown but I am too sensible to want to wear sweatpants and a hoodie in 100 degree weather.”

The flight from New Orleans to London was possibly the easiest long-distance flight of my life. I learned from experience, packing a change of clothes and toiletries to use in the bathroom at the beginning and end of the flight. I read a little bit of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead a Polish murder mystery featuring a protagonist who’s an astrologer. I slept enough.

During the long layover in London I returned the expensive charger that I bought at The Apple Store, had lunch, and then went back to the airport. It was smooth, and the flight back was so remarkably unmemorable at this point that I must say it was fine. I ate some crackers and napped like an enlarged toddler.

My [redacted] picked me up from a different train station since the train that goes to the airport was not operating. I was once again picked up from my trans-atlantic flight by someone who had food for me, which is a funny coincidence.