Exploring the Cosmos: Astronomy & Astrology

My journey with the stars began unexpectedly, sometime around 2010, in a Borders bookstore that no longer exists. I was browsing the astronomy section—lost in sky maps, trying to make sense of constellations and celestial coordinates—when a man approached me.

“Do you understand that?” he asked.

“No,” I replied. “But I’m deeply fascinated by it, and I’d really like to.”

He turned out to be a member of the Astronomical Society in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He told me they met weekly on Wednesdays and invited me to drop by. I did.

I became a regular at their meetings, where we discussed the night sky and attended presentations on astronomy. More than that, we gathered under dark skies for star parties—camping out with telescopes deep in the Puerto Rican countryside, far from city lights. It was there that I learned how to find constellations, track the planets, and spot faint deep-sky objects—especially the famous Messier objects.

One of my favorite events was the Messier Marathon, held once a year in March or April. On that night, it’s possible (with skill, clear skies, and a bit of luck) to spot all 110 Messier objects in one go. I didn’t have a telescope, but I had binoculars—and I was the only one in the binocular category. I saw just over 20 objects and technically won by default, but I still remember that night as one of the most magical I’ve ever spent under the stars.

Later, I moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I continued this passion by joining the local Astronomical Society. The night skies in the U.S. Southwest are extraordinary—dry, clear, and wide open. The stargazing there was, if anything, even better.

Eventually, I moved to Germany, and life shifted. I focused on my career. I never found another astronomy group, and somewhere along the way, I stopped looking up. The sky faded from my daily life.

But something else was beginning.

On a visit to San Diego, I met with a mentor who shared his interest in astrology—a different kind of sky language. By then, I had already begun exploring core shamanism through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, also thanks to his guidance. So when he introduced me to a few astrology books, something clicked.

Six months later, I made the decision: I didn’t just want to dabble in astrology—I wanted to study it seriously.

I enrolled at the Faculty of Astrological Studies, one of the most respected schools in the field. I’m currently working through the Foundation Program (Modules 1–3), and eventually, I’ll complete all nine modules to graduate. Every lesson deepens my understanding and connects the dots between myth, psychology, symbolism, and the cosmic order.

In some ways, astronomy and astrology have never felt separate to me. One studies the heavens with precision; the other explores the meaning behind the stars. Both, for me, are ways of returning to the sky.

And I’m still looking up.

Inspired by an incredible display of stars I experienced in Hawaii, this piece portrays the ponderous and expansive beauty of the night sky.