If you've ever rolled your eyes at a horoscope that told you to "embrace change" or "trust the process," you're in the right place. The Zodiac is Luxe After's astrology section — and we're not here to fill column inches with vague platitudes. We're here for the people who know their rising sign, who check the moon phase before making big decisions, and who've actually read their birth chart.
What We Cover
The Zodiac covers the full spectrum of astrological content, from the practical to the profound. Our weekly and monthly horoscopes are written with specificity — we name transits, we reference your house placements, and we give you something you can actually use. If you're a Scorpio sun with a Gemini moon, we're not going to treat you like every other Scorpio. That's the difference between astrology and astrology-lite.
The History of Astrology
Astrology didn't start with Co-Star. The Babylonians developed the first known zodiac system around 2000 BCE, dividing the ecliptic — the path the sun appears to take across the sky — into twelve equal segments. They used it for agricultural timing and royal divination. The Greeks inherited this system and refined it, giving us the tropical zodiac we use today, anchored to the vernal equinox. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, written in the 2nd century CE, became the foundational text of Western astrology for over a millennium. Medieval and Renaissance astrologers advised kings and popes. The Enlightenment pushed it to the margins; the 20th century brought it back into popular culture. Understanding this lineage matters — it reminds you that you're working with a tradition that has survived because it offers something the rational world can't quite replace. Astrology was once considered a branch of astronomy; Newton and Kepler practised it. The split between the two is relatively recent. That doesn't prove astrology works. It does suggest that dismissing it outright might be premature.
Sun, Moon, and Rising: What Actually Matters
Your sun sign is the tip of the iceberg. It's your core identity, your ego, the part of you that says "I am." But it's not the whole story. Your rising sign — the constellation on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth — shapes how you present to the world, your physical appearance, and your default approach to new situations. It's the mask you wear before people know you. Your moon sign governs your emotional landscape: how you process feelings, what makes you feel safe, how you nurture and need to be nurtured. Venus influences how you love and what you find beautiful. Mars drives your ambition and aggression. We publish in-depth guides to understanding each of these, how to find your rising sign if you don't know it, and how to read a birth chart without feeling like you need a PhD in ancient Greek.
Here's the practical takeaway: when someone says "I'm a Taurus," they're usually referring to their sun. But a Taurus sun with a Gemini rising will come across very differently from a Taurus sun with a Scorpio rising. The first might seem chatty and curious; the second, intense and reserved. Both are Taurus — but the rising sign filters how that Taurean energy gets expressed. We treat the whole chart.
Birth Charts and Rising Signs
Your birth chart is a snapshot of the sky at the exact moment and place you were born. To cast one accurately, you need your date, time, and location. The time matters because it determines your rising sign and house placements — get it wrong by an hour and your entire chart can shift. We publish guides to finding your birth time if you don't have it, and how to read a birth chart without feeling overwhelmed.
Understanding Planetary Retrogrades
Retrograde motion is an optical illusion: from Earth's perspective, a planet appears to move backward through the zodiac. It doesn't actually reverse — we're just lapping it or being lapped on the cosmic track. But astrologically, retrogrades signal a time to review, revise, and reconnect rather than push forward. Mercury retrograde gets the most press: communication glitches, travel delays, technology meltdowns. The advice is simple — don't sign contracts, don't buy new electronics, don't assume your email was received. Use the period for editing, reconnecting with old friends, and finishing projects you abandoned. Venus retrograde asks you to reconsider relationships and values. Mars retrograde slows aggression and asks you to redirect energy inward. Saturn, Jupiter, and the outer planets retrograde for months; their effects are slower and more structural. We track every retrograde and tell you what to expect and how to work with it.
The Significance of Eclipses
Eclipses are astrological wild cards. A solar eclipse occurs at a new moon when the moon blocks the sun; a lunar eclipse at a full moon when Earth's shadow falls on the moon. Traditionally, eclipses were omens of upheaval — and they still pack a punch. They often coincide with major life shifts: job changes, moves, relationship endings or beginnings. The house and sign of an eclipse in your chart tells you where the action will land. Eclipses come in pairs (solar and lunar) roughly every six months, along the same axis — so if one hits your seventh house of partnerships, the next might hit your first house of self. We publish eclipse guides for each season, including which signs are most affected and how to use the energy rather than be blindsided by it.
Using Astrology for Decision-Making
Astrology is not a substitute for judgment. But it can sharpen it. Before a big decision — whether it's accepting a job, moving cities, or proposing marriage — a job offer, a move, a proposal — check the transits. Is Mercury retrograde? Consider waiting to sign. Is Saturn squaring your sun? Expect obstacles and plan for them. Is Jupiter crossing your midheaven? Expansion is favoured. The moon's phase matters too: new moons favour beginnings; full moons favour culmination and release. We publish timing guides for major life events and explain how to use the cosmic weather without becoming paralysed by it. The goal is informed action, not superstition. Some people use electional astrology — choosing dates for important events based on favourable charts. Others simply avoid Mercury retrograde for contracts and major launches. The level of engagement is up to you. What matters is that you're making choices with awareness, not in ignorance of forces that have shaped human behaviour for millennia.
Sign Compatibility and Relationships
Compatibility isn't just sun-sign-to-sun-sign. A Leo and an Aquarius can work beautifully if their moons align. Two Scorpios can either build an empire together or destroy each other — it depends on the rest of the chart. We publish compatibility guides that go beyond the magazine-stand basics, including our annual roundup of the most compatible sign pairings and the dynamics that make or break them.
Moon Phases and Cosmic Timing
The moon moves through the zodiac every two and a half days. New moons are for planting seeds; full moons are for harvesting. We track the lunar calendar and explain what each phase means for planning, decision-making, and ritual. Whether you're scheduling a difficult conversation or launching a project, the moon's phase matters — and we'll tell you why.
Mercury Retrograde and Major Transits
Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap, but it's not all doom and gloom. It's a time for review, revision, and reconnection — not for signing contracts or buying new technology. We demystify Mercury retrograde, Saturn returns, and the other major transits that shape our lives, so you can work with the cosmic weather instead of against it.
Tropical vs. Sidereal: Why It Matters
You may have heard that "the zodiac has shifted" and that most people are actually the sign before the one they think they are. That's the sidereal zodiac, used primarily in Vedic astrology, which accounts for the precession of the equinoxes. Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which stays fixed to the seasons. Both systems are valid — they're just measuring different things. We use the tropical system here because it's what most Western astrologers and apps use, and it aligns with the seasonal symbolism that underpins Western astrological tradition.
Understanding the Houses
Your birth chart is divided into twelve houses, each governing a different area of life. The first house is you — your body, your identity, your approach to the world. The seventh house is partnerships and marriage. The tenth house is career and public reputation. Where your planets fall in these houses shapes how their energies manifest. A Mars in the tenth house might make you ambitious and driven in your career; Mars in the fourth might make you fiercely protective of home and family. We publish guides to each house and how to interpret your placements.
Transits and Progressions
Your birth chart is a snapshot of the sky at the moment you were born. But the planets keep moving. When transiting Saturn squares your natal Venus, you might experience relationship challenges or a reassessment of what you value. When Jupiter crosses your ascendant, you might feel a year of expansion and opportunity. We track major transits and explain what they mean for each sign, so you can prepare, reflect, and make the most of the cosmic weather.
Cosmic Lifestyle
Astrology isn't just about prediction. It's a lens for understanding yourself, your relationships, and your place in the world. We publish content on how to incorporate astrological awareness into travel, fashion, wellness, and the way you structure your days. Which signs thrive in which cities? What does your chart say about your ideal vacation? We answer the questions that bridge the cosmic and the practical.
Astrology and Mental Health
We want to be clear: astrology is not a substitute for therapy, medication, or professional mental health care. It can, however, offer a framework for self-reflection. Understanding that your moon sign might make you more emotionally reactive, or that your Saturn placement could explain certain fears, can be validating. We approach this carefully — we never suggest that astrology can diagnose or treat mental health conditions. We do believe it can complement a thoughtful approach to self-understanding.
Who This Section Is For
The Zodiac is for anyone who's ever felt that mainstream horoscopes don't quite cut it. You might be a longtime astrology enthusiast who wants deeper content. You might be a curious newcomer who's ready to move beyond sun signs. You might be someone who checks Co-Star daily and wants to understand the "why" behind the app. Whatever your level, we meet you there — with clarity, specificity, and zero filler.
Our Editorial Standards
Every piece in The Zodiac is written by a named author with stated expertise. We cite sources, we distinguish between traditional and modern interpretations, and we're honest when something is contested or speculative. We don't make claims we can't back up. We don't use astrology to sell you anything. We're here to inform, illuminate, and occasionally make you laugh at the absurdity of being a human trying to make sense of the cosmos.
The Elements and Modalities
Every sign belongs to one of four elements — fire, earth, air, water — and one of three modalities — cardinal, fixed, mutable. Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) are energetic and impulsive; earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) are grounded and practical; air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are intellectual and social; water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are emotional and intuitive. Cardinal signs initiate; fixed signs sustain; mutable signs adapt. A chart with no fire might struggle with motivation; a chart with no earth might struggle with follow-through. Understanding the balance of elements in your chart — or its lack of balance — explains a lot about how you move through the world.
Saturn Returns and the Major Life Transits
Saturn takes roughly 29 years to orbit the sun. When it returns to the degree it occupied at your birth — around ages 29, 58, and 87 — you get a Saturn return. The first one, in your late twenties, is the famous one: a period of reckoning, when the structures you built in your twenties get tested. Careers shift. Relationships end or deepen. You're asked to grow up. The second Saturn return, in your late fifties, often coincides with empty nests and retirement; the third, in your late eighties, with legacy. Jupiter returns every 12 years, bringing expansion and opportunity. Uranus opposes its natal position around 42 — the midlife crisis transit. We track these and explain what to expect.
Eclipse Seasons and the Lunar Nodes
The lunar nodes — North and South — mark where the moon's path crosses the ecliptic. Eclipses occur when the sun and moon align with the nodes. The nodes move backward through the zodiac, spending about 18 months in each sign. When eclipses fall in your sun sign or on sensitive points in your chart, expect change. The nature of that change depends on the house and the type of eclipse. Solar eclipses often bring external events — new jobs, new relationships, new chapters. Lunar eclipses often bring internal shifts — realisations, releases, emotional culminations. We publish eclipse season guides so you're not caught off guard.
Synastry and Composite Charts
Compatibility isn't just about sun signs. Synastry compares two birth charts, looking at how one person's planets interact with the other's. A Mars-Venus conjunction can spell attraction; a Saturn square to the sun can spell friction. Composite charts create a single chart from the midpoint of two people's placements — the chart of the relationship itself. These tools reveal why some pairings work despite "incompatible" sun signs, and why others fizzle despite textbook compatibility. We publish synastry guides for those ready to go deeper.
The Astrological Year: A Roadmap
The astrological year begins at the vernal equinox, when the sun enters Aries. Each season — Aries through Pisces — carries its own energy. Aries season is for initiation; Taurus for building; Gemini for communication; Cancer for home and family; Leo for creativity and performance; Virgo for refinement; Libra for partnership; Scorpio for transformation; Sagittarius for expansion; Capricorn for structure; Aquarius for innovation; Pisces for dissolution and surrender. Knowing where we are in the cycle helps you align your efforts with the cosmic weather. We publish seasonal guides for each sign's month.
Reading Transits: A Practical Framework
Transits are the moving planets in the sky as they aspect your natal chart. A transit can be supportive (trines, sextiles) or challenging (squares, oppositions). The key is to know what's coming. When Jupiter transits your second house, it's a good time to ask for a raise or launch a side project. When Saturn transits your seventh house, relationships get tested — and often strengthened. We publish monthly transit guides that name the major aspects, which signs are affected, and how to work with the energy. You don't need to memorise ephemerides. You need a reliable guide.
Progressed Charts: Your Chart Evolves
Your birth chart is fixed. But astrologers use "progressions" — a symbolic system where each day after birth represents a year of life — to track how your chart evolves. Your progressed moon moves about one degree per month; your progressed sun, one degree per year. When your progressed moon changes signs, you might feel a shift in your emotional needs. When your progressed sun enters a new sign, your core identity can feel like it's updating. Secondary progressions are a more advanced tool, but they offer a map of your inner development over time.
Astrology and Skepticism
We're not here to convert anyone. Astrology has never been proven by scientific method, and we don't claim otherwise. What we do claim is that astrology works as a symbolic language — a way of organising experience, of finding patterns, of asking better questions about yourself and your life. If that sounds like nonsense to you, fair enough. If you've found that checking your chart before a big decision somehow clarifies things, you're not alone. We write for the latter. We're not interested in defending astrology against its critics. We're interested in serving the people who already find it useful.
Finding Your Birth Time
Your rising sign and house placements depend on your exact birth time. If you don't have it, start with your birth certificate — many include it. Hospital records sometimes do. If those fail, try rectification: working backward from known life events to pinpoint the likely ascendant. Some astrologers offer this as a service. You can also use a "solar chart" — cast for noon on your birth date — which gives you sun, moon, and planetary placements but not houses. It's better than nothing. We publish a step-by-step guide to finding or approximating your birth time, and what to do when you truly can't.
Annual Horoscopes vs Daily Transits
Your annual horoscope — "Your year ahead as a Scorpio" — is based on the major transits hitting your sun sign. It's useful for the big picture. But the real action happens in the daily and weekly transits: the moon moving through your houses, Mercury changing signs, Mars aspecting your Venus. We publish both. The annual gives you the map; the weekly gives you the turn-by-turn directions. Neither is a substitute for looking at your own chart. But for those who want guidance without becoming amateur astrologers, we meet you where you are.
Why We Keep Coming Back
Astrology persists because it answers a human need: the need to feel that our lives have meaning, that our struggles are part of something larger, that the cosmos might have something to say about who we are. You don't have to believe it literally. You just have to find it useful. The Zodiac is here for those who do.
Explore Our Astrology Content
Below you'll find our most recent and most popular articles. Start with our Scorpio season guide if you want to understand one of the most intense and transformative times of the astrological year. Dive into what your rising sign really means if you're ready to go deeper than your sun sign. Or explore the most compatible sign pairings for 2026 for relationship insights that actually reflect the complexity of real charts.
