Long before Tinder became a thing, people engaged in various other dating methods in the hope of finding their perfect match. These dating endeavors were designed to facilitate the search for that special someone based on a targeted experience.
It’s hard to know whether it was Cilla Black who introduced the concept of the Blind Date in the early 80s, but one thing we know for sure, is that it became a trend. Whether it was a fruitful trend depends on the person you ask, there are as many blind date success stories as there are horror stories!
Come the early 90s, a new dating trend hit the singles market: speed dating. Allegedly invented by L.A.-based Rabbi, Yaacov Deyo, this quick and painless approach was designed as a means for young Jewish people to find their match based on timed conversations– a great way to filter out the bores from enticing prospects.
If the above-mentioned approaches to dating haven’t brought you any closer to finding the person of your dreams, you might consider turning skywards: your romantic future could very well be written in the stars.
Looking to the Stars for Guidance
People have been looking to the stars for guidance for as long as they have existed. The stars play an important part in many ancient and modern religions, with one of the most widely recognized being the Star of Bethlehem (Christmas Star) from the nativity story.
The positions of the stars and the moon also helped farmers prepare their crops as early as 5,000 years ago. Upon studying their patterns, they could determine the ideal time to plant or harvest their food, thus ensuring it would always be bountiful and never negatively affected by frost or the increased level of water during full moon nights.
The stars serve for so much more than agricultural guidelines, religious symbolism and the like: they can also help to guide us toward finding our soulmate. People from all types of cultural backgrounds have turned to and swear by the power of astrology and this is one of the reasons our personalised star maps sell so well!
Understanding Zodiac Signs
If you’re one to religiously check your weekly horoscope, you will already be familiar with the various characteristics, patterns, likes and dislikes related to your own Zodiac sign. However, it’s only once you start studying the eleven other signs, that you will recognize the uniqueness of each.
Each Zodiac sign has its own individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as varying negative and positive traits. Once you begin to understand each Zodiac sign, you will come closer to figuring out which of them could complement, and which could clash with your own personality traits.
Similarly to the Chinese yin and yang philosophy, matching Zodiac signs is an exercise in finding natural dualities such as feminine and masculine, fire and water, etc. Each Zodiac sign is linked to certain elements and planets so, if you’re trying to find your soulmate based on astrology, you need to find out which opposing elements will harmonize perfectly with your own.
The Zodiac Sign Matching Game
Let’s say you’re an Aries (March 21st to April 19th), a fiery and dynamic fire sign ruled by planet Mars. Based on astrology, Aries are said to be impulsive, easily bored, passionate and creative. They are independent and like to set their own rules – one could say, they are true rebels at heart.
For an ideal relationship, an Aries must find someone who can match their inexhaustible energy and their constant appetite for adventure, whilst also acting as a grounding pillar of stability when needed.
The Zodiac sign that could potentially prove to become an Aries’ soulmate is the Leo (July 23rd to August 22nd), a competitive and loyal fire signs ruled by the Sun.
Matching two fire signs together may seem risky – explosive even – but due to their orbiting opposing planets, the opposition needed to succeed in a healthy, romantic relationship is very much present.
Aries’ boundless energy will push the rational, at times hesitant, Leo to take risks and chances, while the Leo helps to rein in the Aries when they are moving through life at the speed of a whirlwind.
Consulting Your Birth Chart
If you want to delve even deeper into understanding the stars and the planets, how they inform your most significant personality traits and how they have or will affect key moments in your life, you should consider having your own birth chart drawn up.
A birth chart (or natal chart) calculates the placement of the sun, moon and planets at your exact time of birth. According to astrologer Janelle Belgrave, studying the way the moon and
“About you, your family, the life that you were born into, and what your soul is looking to heal and/or achieve in this lifetime. Within the natal chart you can see personality, drives, fears, parental relationships, siblings, children, psychological patterns, and more on one sheet of paper.”
Working with a birth chart is like consulting an emotional forecast – looking to the planets will prepare you for any inner turmoil or growing sense of calm that is coming your way, and can help you determine which areas of your life to focus on right now.
When it comes to finding your soulmate and building a long-term relationship together, you should be looking out for any activity within your seventh house, as this is the one that nurtures long-term relationships and partnerships.
When it comes to finding your soulmate and building a long-term relationship together, you should be looking out for any activity within your seventh house, as this is the one that nurtures long-term relationships and partnerships.
Should Jupiter rock up at the 7th house party too, you’re in double luck as it is known to bring good fortune. Jupiter is all about expansion, clearing up the space needed to invite a new entity into your life.