The Astrology of Self Care

I often get asked when the best time to schedule a haircut or other types of beauty related appointments would be based on astrology. I know that may seem like something small, but after several bad haircuts under not so great astrology, I am never taking my chances again. In addition to looking at the timing of making beauty related or self care appointments, I also want to zoom out and look at the overall astrology of self care, like how you nurture yourself, activities you find to be calming, and transits for when you will naturally feel more in tune with your mind and body.

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Let’s first turn to your birth chart to understand what type of activities you like to engage in that help you feel more grounded, calm, and in touch with yourself.

The moon sign is the most important when understanding environments you seek out to feel safe and comfortable. The moon also describes your home environment, early childhood, and how you process your emotions, so depending on what sign and house your moon falls in will indicate how you go about expressing your feelings, as well as the little self care practices you may engage in out of habit. Below, I’ve grouped the moon signs by element, as they share similar qualities.

Moon in fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) - you may find a lot of comfort in having new experiences, learning, traveling to new cities or countries, or engaging in a creative practice, it’s also important that you find different outlets for self expression, like trying out a new hobby or personal style, there’s a need to not lose sight of the playfulness of your inner child. I recommend Element’s Mandarin Crush hand and body cream to soothe your body after long travel days or social events.

Moon in earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) - you probably like the stability of an everyday routine, you may feel your best when you’re making an effort to workout regularly, eat nutritious foods, and engage in activities that are more hands on and bring you back to your physical body; trying out new wellness activities, like a spa day or a nature walk may be what you turn to to feel more grounded. I recommend Element’s Wicked Ficus candle for unwinding and putting work to the side for the night.

Moon in air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) - you likely crave stimulating conversations and connection with people, you may find a lot of peace in reading books, listening to podcasts, and teaching yourself new information; finding an outlet for your overthinking, like reading or journaling, may be especially helpful, it’s also key that you find little ways to have more variety in your everyday life, so things don’t feel so routine and boring. I recommend Element’s Kiso Forest hand and body lotion to help you reconnect with your body when you’re feeling too mentally stimulated.

Moon in water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) - establishing deeper emotional connections with people is important to you, you may find more inner peace when you’re engaging in a spiritual practice and getting in touch with your own intuition and higher self, you’re also learning how to lean into your sensitivity rather than avoiding your feelings, being around water or connecting with animals may make you feel more calm too. I recommend Element’s Acadia hand and body soap for your next bath time or spa night at home.

With the moon, it can be interesting to reflect back to the age of 27 (or look ahead to that age if you haven’t gotten there yet). This is when you get your first progressed lunar return, and all of the traits associated with your moon placement become a lot more important to you. If you are someone who earlier on in life didn’t really prioritize self care or slowing down to nurture yourself, then at this age you may have an awakening where you suddenly do want to tap into the traits of your moon sign in a bigger way.

In addition to the moon, you will want to note the 6th and 12th houses in your chart. The 6th house speaks to your physical body and daily routines, while the 12th is more about your mental health and spiritual practices. What planets, if any, are placed there? How do the qualities of that planet show up in the physical or mental health activities you engage in?

For instance, if you have Venus in your 12th, then you may find a lot of peace through tending to solo creative projects or a spiritual practice. These may be activities you would prefer to do alone, and which you’re more private about. Or if you have Saturn in your 6th house, you may thrive when you are following a structured everyday routine, where you’re focused on eating well, getting exercise in, and taking care of your body. However, because Saturn placements tend to get easier as you get older, it may take you some time to realize that you need to prioritize wellness in this way.

Even if you don’t have planets in these houses, you will still want to note what signs rule your 6th and 12th. The qualities of that sign will inform how you approach these areas of your life that have to do with your mental and physical health. If you have Taurus ruling your 6th house, then maybe there’s a more tangible aspect to your self care rituals, and you could like to splurge on fancier skincare products or Taurus like traits of getting in touch with nature, cooking, or experimenting with fashion and your aesthetic may be different ways in which you calm down and get more in touch with yourself. To contrast, let’s say you have a more energetic sign like Sagittarius ruling your 6th house. It could be that through learning, engaging in a writing practice, or treating yourself to occasional travel is how you nurture yourself. You may also crave freedom and flexibility to do your own thing, rather than following such a strict, everyday routine.

Now let’s get into some tips for when self care may be more emphasized for a period of time. There might be a year-long period when you’re super into working out regularly, or there could be a specific month or week where you feel called to get a haircut, schedule a facial, or change up your nighttime routine.

I find Venus to be very important with aesthetic related activities specifically. So if you’re wanting to do something that is more focused on your appearance, you will want to check where Venus is transiting in your chart. When you get a Venus transit happen to the below parts of the chart we’re about to go over, these will naturally be times when you’re reflecting more on how you dress, present yourself, and are perceived by the world.

Having Venus transit one of the signs it rules or is exalted in (Libra, Taurus, or Pisces) is a great time to lean into activities like upgrading your wardrobe, changing up your style or hair, or making other significant beauty appointments. Still, no matter what sign Venus is transiting though, you will also want to check when it’s hitting upon important natal placements in your chart, especially ones that have to do with your public image or aesthetic. Here are a few of those I would note:

• Venus transiting your 1st house (your rising sign)

• Venus moving over your Midheaven (see diagram below)

• Venus transiting your Sun sign

• Venus transiting the sign of your chart ruler (the planet that rules your rising sign)

• Having Venus return to the sign in which you have Venus placed in your birth chart, also known as your “Venus return”

With Venus, I would try to avoid making any drastic changes to your appearance during Venus retrograde periods. For reference, the next Venus retrograde is coming up from October 3 - November 14, 2026. What you want to have done under a Venus retrograde often isn’t what you end up liking once the retrograde is over.

Returning to the moon again, I also find the sign in which the moon is transiting and the aspects the moon is making with other planets to be relevant. The moon rules the sign of Cancer and is exalted in Taurus, so those are always better signs for the moon to be in when it comes to slowing down and engaging in self care. But you could apply the same exercise we just did with Venus to the moon too, by running down that list and noting when the moon is in the sign of your rising, your sun, your Venus, etc.

I would try to avoid scheduling important beauty appointments when the moon is making these aspects:

• Conjunctions, squares or an opposition with either your natal Saturn or transit Saturn

• The several hours period when the moon is void of course every couple of days. The void of course moon is when the moon is at the end of a sign, and isn’t making aspects to any other traditional planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto don’t count)

Is the moon phase relevant?

I don’t obsess over the moon phase as much, so I wouldn’t avoid scheduling a haircut or other appointment because of a full moon for instance. However, if I’m wanting to refresh something about myself, typically the best time to do that would be at a new moon or in the two weeks after the new moon, building up to a full moon. The new moon and the days that immediately follow it are symbolic of a new chapter unfolding, and often there is a desire to change up something in your life. For instance, the upcoming new moon in Taurus on May 16 leading up to the full moon in Sagittarius on May 31 would be a great period for doing some type of refresh. See the diagram below for a visual of a new moon happening in someone’s 1st house - often a more significant transit for changing up your appearance or beauty routine.

The above timing we just went over is for more day to day appointments with self care, but I also wanted to briefly touch upon when you encounter bigger, year long or more transits for taking care of yourself, cutting back on negative habits, and better nurturing both your mind and body.

When you have a longer transit like Saturn, Jupiter, or the North and South Nodes transit your ascendant or Midheaven, you could want to change up your appearance in a bigger way. It could feel like you’ve outgrown a certain way of dressing for instance, and you’re wanting clothing that reflects a new lifestyle. The ascendant specifically has to do with your physical body, so when you have a planet like Saturn move over your ascendant, you might be more aware of how your body is aging and how you might make healthier choices in your everyday life to feel your best. You could literally be forced to slow down during this time, or there could be health concerns you need to address. New health habits you implement under these longer transits will often stick with you for the years to come. You could also check when a transit like the nodes or Saturn aspects your ascendant or Midheaven ruling planet.

Meanwhile, tracking transits to your 6th and 12th transits is less about aesthetics, and more about taking the time to understand how your mind, body, and spirit are all interconnected. Again, when you have a longer transit like the North and South Nodes, Jupiter, or Saturn move through your 6th or 12th house, you may have the desire to take stock of your everyday routine, and cut back on activities that are putting too much stress on your plate or eliminate habits that aren’t working for you anymore. Oftentimes, people will stop drinking under a major 6th or 12th house transit, or they may search for a better work-life balance, because they’re more aware of how overworking themselves is affecting their mental health.

During these periods, you may naturally be spending more time alone, so there’s an opportunity to reflect on what’s going on internally with you. You may come to find that by prioritizing caring for your physical body through exercise or healthy eating has a positive effect on your emotional state, and vice versa - by slowing down and resting you also have extra energy to show up and be more productive.

Let me know in the comments if there are specific transits or parts of your chart that you feel are very relevant when leaning into self care and nurturing yourself !