How Astrology Can Help You Plan Your Next Vacation

Sometimes, you plan your trips with purpose — to visit friends and relatives, to see a historical site, to sample the local cuisine. Other times, you just feel a need to get out of town — the purpose and exact location are secondary. For those times when the travel bug bites and your vacation brain is inescapable, wouldn't it be nice to know in advance how certain parts of the world might feel? Turns out, there's a whole subsection of astrology that could provide you with answers...

Developed in the 1970s by astrologer Jim Lewis, this school of thought is officially known as Astro*Carto*Graphy (seriously, Lewis included the asterisks when he coined the term). But, you may also hear astrologers refer to it as locational astrology, too.

We spoke with astrologer and Astro*Carto*Graphy expert Kimberly Peta Dewhirst about how newcomers might dip their toe into this astrological practice — and benefit from it in the process.

If you know your birth place, time, and date, you can look up your personal Astro*Carto*Graphy map online (Dewhirst likes Astrodienst's map generator in particular), but prepare to be overwhelmed. "You get a massive glut of 40 lines" streaking across a map of the world, Dewhirst says. Aptly known as the planetary lines, these lines indicate the areas of the world that were heavily influenced by the planets at the time of your birth. Don't worry if your head's already spinning — "it’s really confusing," Dewhirst admits, but if you have a general understanding of the planets and what they represent, you can at least start to explore your map on your own.

While looking at my personal map, Dewhirst points out one of my Venus lines, which slices by Toronto, down through Ohio, and onward to bisect Honduras perfectly. She playfully suggests I should book my next trip to Toronto, just to see what it's like to visit an area so imbued with flirtatious Venusian energy. Since Venus appears on my map in this area, I might feel more beautiful, more charming — and people might pay more attention to me, Dewhirst explains.

But, she adds, these effects are specific to me and my map. Locational astrology is a highly personal form of planetary interpretation and booking a one-on-one reading with an astrologer will give you a much clearer idea of how different parts of the world will affect you. And, as with all things astrological, locational astrology may be used to inspire your next trip, but it shouldn't be the only factor you consider before booking your tickets.

Ahead, find out what else you need to know about using Astro*Carto*Graphy to travel the world.