Child of the Universe

I was born May 6th, 1998 at 3:24pm in Montreal, Canada, making me a Taurus Sun sign, a Virgo Moon and Virgo Ascendant. Some may think that the vastness of the universe would not care for such specific details regarding one singular human being...but it does.

Now I could, of course, tell you all about how Taurus signs are supposedly bull headed, materialistic, prone to jealousy and loyal to their cores, and then make my case for whether or not I believe those tropes suits me. I could tell you all about how my mother cried when she was told her due date for my birth would be early May, because she simply dreaded the thought that I would be anything like her argumentative, stubborn Taurus Mother. I could tell you all about how I once had a two-hour long argument with my Sagittarius boyfriend about whether or not it’s acceptable to wash your hair and your genitals with the same soap (it’s not, and unless you literally do not have the means to buy more than one kind of soap, I cannot be convinced otherwise). Or I could even tell you about how nothing soothes me more after a hard work week than to spend half my paycheque on ‘retail therapy’. All things that would lead you to believe: Yep. This girl is definitely a Taurus.

...but where's the intrigue in that?

As a species, we have always looked up to the stars and the planets. Since we had the ability to see, we have passionately speculated on exactly what those twinkling lights in the sky are for. Whether you know each constellation by name, couldn’t care less for science, are spiritual or atheistic, are a romantic or a cynic, are rich or poor, are old or young…or somewhere in between it all; No matter the motivation, every generation of human has stared at the stars in some way or another and attempted to make sense of it.

Navigation? Fortune-telling? Deep space exploration? Anthropological furthering of humanity? Time keeping systems? Gods, demigods and immortals? Extra-terrestrial life? Scientific illusions of light? Musical inspiration? Impressing a crush with stargazing? Agricultural benefits? Natural born poetry? Ancient cultural mythos and legends? Astrological psychoanalysis?

As we live and breathe, so does the cosmos around us. We, every one of us, are made from the same atoms, elements, molecules and particles as the celestial bodies that hang above us. As the moon pushes and pulls the tides and the sun warms the earth...so too, do they push and pull us.

I am a Taurus, and that could mean many, many things. But to allow myself to be in a singular box labelled "Taurus" would be a disservice not only to myself, but to the many other celestial bodies that unknowingly attended my birth. The truth is, I am absolutely a Taurus sun; I am stubborn, I argue for fun, I'm loyal to a fault, I take pride in my possessions, I find peace in material comforts and holistic stability. But I also have the organizational skills of my Moon in Virgo, and the emotional sensitivity of my Virgo Ascendant, the quick wit of my Mercury in Aries, the romantic impulsivity of my Venus in Aries, the practicality of my Mars in Taurus, the empathy of my Jupiter in Pisces, the impatience of my Saturn in Aries, the generational non-conformity of my Uranus in Aquarius, the intellectual pursuit of my Neptune in Aquarius and the free-spirited nature of my Pluto in Sagittarius.

And as the planets continuously orbit and transit through the signs with methodical, tangible beauty...so do we. We grow, we change, we love, we lose, we laugh, we cry, we evolve for better or for worse; all while the planets and stars remain set in their celestial dances of scientific and spiritual whimsy. They do not judge us, or expect anything of us other than to be true to the designs they made us by.

In his 1927 poem 'Desiderata', Max Ehrmann muses:

"You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here."

And that is exactly what I am. I was made by design of the universe, and while these stars and planets may inspire certain behaviours in us all with their transits and gravitas; at the end of the day it is up to me, and only me, to carve my path and find my place in the universe that is ever present, ever playful and ever evolving.

So, dear reader, whether you be a stubborn Taurus, an organized Virgo, a confident Leo, an emotional Cancer, an adventurous Sagittarius or any combination of any of the signs and archetypes and nuances of being…always remember that you, above all else, are a child of the universe. Whether you fit into the labels of your sign or actively rebel against them, whether you believe in science or spirit or magic or tangibility…you were made by design, you are meant to be here...just as you are.

In a universe of infinite possibility, it chose

You.