Whenever I open TikTok or other social media apps, I can almost guarantee that I will find some video or post related to astrology. It seems like everyone is interested in astrology lately — well, either interested or annoyed.

Some people use it to learn more about themselves, while others use it to judge people they have just met based on their sun sign. I decided to explore astrology more in depth — along with tarot and the Enneagram.

Here is what I found:

Astrology is more than just your sun sign

Up until a few years ago, I believed astrology was total rubbish. I am a Pisces, which a quick Google search will tell you means that I am sensitive, creative and “emotionally fluid.” Basically, people would tell me I am dreamy with my head in the clouds like Luna Lovegood.

This never felt accurate to me, and I believed that any sign could really apply to any person, and maybe they can. But, over the past year of diving deeper into astrology, I learned that it can play a role every person’s life, and maybe the stars really do have a strong influence on us. At the very least, astrology has helped me become more introspective and learn about myself.

What really helped me understand the hype about astrology was looking into my moon sign and my ascendent sign along with my sun sign. According to the free website Cafe Astrology, your sun sign represents individuality and your ego, the moon sign represents your emotions and your ascendent represents how you present yourself to the world.

Once I looked deeper into these three signs and their placements — the compassion and sentimentality of Pisces suns, the intense emotions of Scorpio moons and need for order of Virgo ascendents —  I became more intrigued and dove into the world of astrology.

If you know your birth date, birth time and birth place, you too can find out what all these signs mean and how it affects your life — if at all.

Personality is but a number?

In the past few years, some people in my life started talking about the Enneagram test and how it helped them learn about their personality traits.

According to the site Truity, which offers an Enneagram test, the purpose is to “identify your personality superpowers.” I sat down and spent 15 minutes taking the test — responding to statements like “I feel I never truly belong in social groups” or “I make important contributions to my community.” You rate each statement on a scale that ranges from inaccurate to accurate.

The site does require payment to unlock a full report on your personality. However, it will tell you about your main personality type for free.

My main personality type according to the Enneagram is two. This means I am caregiving and long for appreciation for these efforts, according to the site. It also stated that I “have a knack for making others feel like the most important person in the world.”

I have always been told that I am a nurturer and often put others’ needs before my own, and the Enneagram confirmed that. The questions encouraged me to reflect deeper on aspects of my life and I would encourage everyone to give it a try.

The power of cards

I used to find tarot decks to be silly and an unlikely form of fortune telling. But, then I shifted my thinking. Maybe the cards do not tell you your future or answer all your questions, but instead inspire you to think deeper about a situation and use the cards to help guide your thinking.

I got my first tarot deck the summer before I started college. The 36 cards can be used in many different ways and there is no correct way to read tarot.

Today I pulled a Mother of Cups. According to “The Wild Unknown Tarot” by Kim Krans, the Mother of Cups has natural psychic abilities. Her insights help to heal those around her. There is more to the card, but just that first piece made me think about this article and hope that, maybe, it will bring healing and excitement to readers.

Whether or not you believe that astrology truly influences your life, tarot can read a situation or Enneagram tests can really tell your personality, I encourage experimenting to see if any of them do bring clarity or a greater understanding of yourself.