ADVERTISEMENTI’m skipping traditional methods of trip planning in favour of guidance from my planetary alignments.
Some call it fate, others call it ‘hippie magic nonsense’, but I just call it astrocartography.
My latest hobby combines my love of travel and my curiosity for all things astrological.
I’ve been travelling the world for over a decade, and most of my trip planning came about the normal way: brought on by a simple desire to experience somewhere new.
Yet sometimes I’ll visit a city or region and inexplicable things happen. What compelled me to suddenly break up with my college boyfriend during a volunteer trip in Ghana? Why did I feel super energised in Osaka, but ‘blah’ in Tokyo?
It all goes back to the first time I travelled to London in 2005.
I felt a chill as I got off the plane
When I landed in the UK capital, I felt an immediate chill that ran through my body as soon as I got off the plane.
Sure, it was January and freezing cold outside, but this chill felt different. It felt like a shock had gone through me but once it was over, my body felt super calm and relaxed - the way you feel after someone’s given you a warm hug. I felt like I belonged in London, like I had been there for years, despite only just arriving.
Was this spooky feeling just the delirium that comes with jet lag, I wondered?
As the trip went on, I continued to feel a deep connection to the United Kingdom. I knew I was hooked when I returned to New York; all I wanted was British food. You know a place has got under your skin when you actively choose bangers and mash over NYC-style pizza.
I’ve since travelled all over the world and have felt these kinds of connections in certain places, and not at all in others. Recently a friend introduced me to astrocartography, and my entire world has literally changed.
“Your Moon line runs along London,” she explained, showing me a map of the world with two dozen colourful lines and symbols. Some of them intersected, while others were more isolated. All of them held some kind of meaning based on my birth chart information.
“It’s here that ‘experiences seem to evoke marked emotional responses,’” she went on.
It sounds vague, but all astrology is, to a certain degree. The fun of it comes down to interpreting the information and using it as a guideline towards a better life.
Being in London certainly evokes emotional responses in me and who knows? Maybe there’s something in the universe pulling me there that I just can’t explain, but astrocartography can.
What is astrocartography?
Astrocartography is a technique in astrology that shows how planetary energies vary in different locations around the world.
It determines the coordinates of the planets when you were born, which can pinpoint specific locations in the world that can holistically benefit you, according to website Trusted Astrology.
These places are connected and identified through the planets and houses associated with your astrological sign. The idea is to chart out which parts of the world usher in positive experiences so that you can raise your vibration in the right places.
ADVERTISEMENTBut it’s also just fun to explore your own map and see if those lines provide clarity based on past or present trips you’ve taken.
For example, I once fell in love with a guy from Latvia who I met during a photography workshop. I always thought he was ‘the one that got away’ but my astro map has no lines running through Latvia or the random Slovakian town where the workshop took place. I’m using the lack of Venus lines (indicative of my love life) to justify our romance that never was.
On the flip side, I had a heated whirlwind affair with a local while on a trip to Lisbon. My Sun lines run through Portugal, and apparently it’s a place where I’ll always be lucky in love. Lisbon is a fabulous city even if I don’t get any action but it’s a nice excuse to plan more trips, right?
How I use astrocartography to plan trips
As a digital nomad, I have a lot of freedom to travel and explore, and I’ve recently begun using astrocartography as a fun way to plan trips. It’s no longer “Where should I go?” but “Where should I go to live my best Gemini life?”
I use charts hosted by Astro.com, which is free and requires nothing more than my name, birthdate, time of birth and birthplace.
ADVERTISEMENTFrom there, I can generate an AstroClick Travel map, which the website says is “designed as an introduction to locational astrology… and meant for entertainment,” encouraging me to “test certain ‘influences’ on a holiday trip.”
When the urge to explore hits, I’ll break out my maps and consult the stars before booking anything. Maybe I’m craving really incredible pasta, but should I go to the north or south of Italy? I pull up my charts and see which areas of the country contain potential significance for my star sign.
My astro travel map shows that I have a strong, light blue line running through Sorrento, and the description states, “If you feel your life is monotonous and dull, then you should try a trip to a place with the Uranus/Ascension line. Your desire for change, diversity and independence could come true here.”
Sounds promising, and since I don’t have any lines going through Venice or Milan, I’ll try booking a trip to the Sorrentine coast. But this planetary alignment also warns it might not all be la dolce vita.
“Beware,” the description continues. “It may not be as you have planned. Greater flexibility is required along this line as sudden incidents may create unrest and stress.”
ADVERTISEMENTThat checks out - the last time I was in the Naples area I experienced the enjoyable chaos this region is known for, including getting pickpocketed not once but twice. If I end up in Sorrento I’ll be sure to practise extra caution along the way.
Where I’ve gone using astrocartography
Hopping around the world based on my astrological patterns is super exciting. My charts have brought me to the most random of places: a small Bavarian village near Munich, a seaside town 45 minutes from London, and a diving resort along Egypt’s Red Sea.
I won’t give all the credit to my star maps for the life-altering moments that have occurred in these places. But I don’t think I’d be open to exploring them if the lines they displayed didn’t pique my curiosity.
Greece in particular has many lines running through it on my map, some that intersect as well. I recently visited Athens because my Neptune, Descendant and Moon lines all run through it. I wanted to see what kind of vibrations I’d feel, if any, especially if Greece was somewhere I was meant to be long-term.
Athens is a cool city, but it didn’t make the impression on me I had hoped for - which, according to the astro description, makes sense.
ADVERTISEMENT“Changes you experience under the influence of this line, happen unobtrusively and almost unnoticeably,” it states. I came back home feeling underwhelmed, but something told me my time in Greece wasn’t completely over.
I ended up travelling back to Greece three more times after that trip, to different regions, in the same year. Each time I had honestly planned to visit somewhere else in Europe, but the Greek islands especially kept pulling me back.
“You feel relaxed and easy, and pleasantly removed from the ordinariness of everyday life,” my chart elaborates. “You then tend to escape by dreaming, bask in romance and prefer to see the world through rose-coloured glasses,” which is also accurate, as that’s basically the only way to feel when you’re sunning yourself on a beach in Zakynthos.
How to use Astrocartography for long-term travel
The other astrocartography option is the AstroClick Local Space section, which is more focused on guiding not only how I want to live but also where I should relocate or travel to. I’ll pull this one up to explore different cities and countries I’ve lived in from the past, or examine potential areas I’d like to call home later on in my life.
It’s not like I only base my long-term living situations on this map, but I will say this: I moved to Serbia on a whim in 2020 and I have a dark blue Moon line running right through Belgrade. At the time, I viewed my decision as a temporary one to sort out some bigger issues going on in my life - I had just gotten divorced and sought a big change, desiring to live somewhere with more security and stability that I lacked in New York.
ADVERTISEMENTMy Moon line accurately describes this.
“Moving along this line will certainly involve your basic emotional drives in a variety of ways. Home, land, parental and domestic security needs generally seem to be pronounced.”
Since moving abroad I’ve definitely developed a love-hate relationship with Belgrade. It’s great in some ways but I don’t align with a lot of cultural aspects.
This is also described pretty accurately on my Local Space chart. “You will most likely feel a mixed influence. Awareness of your intuitive feelings and receiving guidance from the natural environment can occur on this line.”
“Past emotional conditioning is the key to understanding how this line will manifest,” It continues. “Your general need is to feel more emotionally secure so you can grow on different levels.”
ADVERTISEMENTI’d definitely say that I’m at a point where I’m recognising my growth since moving here, and that I’m ready for a new change.
According to my Jupiter and Uranus lines, which promote health, happiness, creativity and social activity, Athens, Brisbane, Las Vegas, New Orleans and almost all of Italy could be potential winners.
Does astrocartography actually work?
Like most things astrology-related, I try not to over-analyse my astrocartography readings to the point where I let them completely dictate my travels. I’ve had some great trips to places where no lines are present, and I’ve travelled to some places that have lines but no connection.
I’d still be an avid traveller even if I didn’t use these maps to plan my trips, but I have really begun to embrace the idea that we are meant to be in certain places, at certain times, for certain reasons. These lines and astrological notes provide me with some interesting validation for the events that occur in my life, and sometimes that’s all I need, even if it is just for fun.
So where will I go next? I have some intersecting love and happiness lines running through the island of Brač in Croatia, and some career lines in Kenya and Colombia. My Chiron line, which represents long-term goals and aspirations, has a zenith circle near Acapulco, Mexico. Not a bad travel itinerary, if I say so myself.
ADVERTISEMENTI’m not going to let some colourful lines keep me from going elsewhere in the world, but every so often I like to review my charts and think about the moments I experienced in those places. It means that anywhere I choose to go with this guidance will be interesting and full of lessons, and that’s one of the best reasons to travel after all.