Sure, maybe the ancient astrologers weren’t giving birth chart consultations and ever uttering the phrase “self-care” or telling their clients to “treat yo’ self.” But that’s what a birth chart is designed to do. How we seek to soothe ourselves, find peace of mind, and identify resources to feel safe, satiated, and secure can all be found in our birth chart–– and our typical emotional response if we don’t get those needs met.

Simply put, self-care is essential to our ability to cope with stressors, function optimally and experience more joy in our daily lives. And like the ancients and every astrologer that’s come after them, we can use our birth chart to see what our astrological makeup says about simple things we can do to care for our own selves and put effort towards living our best lives and being our best selves.

Read on for tips based on your zodiac sign – and if you know your moon sign, please read for that sign as well as your sun sign. Our moon signs often reveal our innermost feelings towards care and nurture – while our sun signs also require caretaking for us to feel we are taking actionable steps for fulfilling our purpose in the world. And remember that self-care should be inclusive – it does not have to cost you money or create guilt or shame in you. Modify any of these suggestions based on your sun or moon sign because self-care is as individual to a person as your birth chart is unique to you.

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How to Practice Self Care for Aries

As the classic warrior archetype of the zodiac, you are known for being bold and assertive. And that’s exactly the practice you can use to help you feel more secure when the daily stressors of life may have you feeling overwhelmed or side-tracked from your goals. Or if someone tries to tell you what to do or believe. Clear that all away by trying short and declarative daily affirmations to remind yourself who are you, what you value, and what you want to achieve, and speak your will into existence.

How to Practice Self Care for Taurus

You know a good thing when you see it, Taurus, and as a luxury-loving sign, a little retail therapy never hurt anybody. Well, if you keep it within your budget, which as a money-conscious earth sign, you will have a natural knack for. And self-care and self-soothing doesn’t have to cost you a lot. It can be about cozying up with a heated blanket. Buying yourself a pair of nice fuzzy slippers. Get a silk wrap for your pillowcases. Buying yourself flowers at the grocery store. Whatever you choose, finding something tactical that activates your senses can be very grounding for you.

How to Practice Self Care for Gemini

Ruled by Mercury, as someone with Gemini placements, you will have a strong inclination towards communication. Nothing frustrates a Gemini more than thinking you are not being seen or heard. A daily journaling practice will be a great way to take your natural verbosity and write out any pervasive or persistent thoughts and feelings, particularly around confusing events, while also recording your daily activities for that memoir you plan on writing one day.

How to Practice Self Care for Cancer

As the sign ruled by the Moon, Cancers are known for their emotional range and sensitivity. It can make daily interactions with other people feel heavy as Cancers are known for absorbing other people’s feelings. Energetic cleansing therefore is super important for you if you have Cancer placements. Try a salt bath or a sweet-smelling sugar scrub to wash away negative energies. Enjoy a home-cooked meal or bake yourself something sweet. Then fall asleep with a weighted blanket for some extra self-soothing.

How to Practice Self Care for Leo

You’re usually beaming with positivity and optimism, Leo. After all, you are ruled by the Sun, and you have a naturally sunny outlook. You may notice that the more time you spend indoors, hunched over a computer, answering emails, or returning texts, the less connected you feel. That’s why getting outdoors is so essential for you. You need to feel the rays of the sun on your skin, you need to dig your toes into the mud or feel them in the sand. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. Then don’t forget to practice good skincare and slather on that SPF or treat yourself to a face mask when you get back inside.

How to Practice Self Care for Virgo

If the pace of your thoughts is anything like your schedule, being inside a Virgo’s head is a very busy place to be. As a Virgo, you’re constantly thinking, processing, considering, and evaluating, and while you have an abundance of mental capacity to take that on, sometimes that can deplete your emotional battery. It’s why practicing mindful meditation will be so important for you, Virgo. Download a meditation app. Play relaxing music. Schedule time to do nothing but stare off into space. When you do something, actively talk out your steps to remind yourself why you’re doing it and feel more at peace and centered in your busy routine.

How to Practice Self Care for Libra

As the aesthetes of the zodiac, you have an inherent love, appreciation, and talent for art, Libra. So, when life gets busy or your social calendar feels too jam-packed (you also are one of the social butterflies of the zodiac), why not do something simple and fun, just for you? Try painting. Sign up for a pottery class. Buy yourself a box of crayons and a coloring book – even if it’s one for kids. If you want to post your masterpiece after on social media, that’s great. But you can also do this just for you. Just to feel that child-like wonder of seeing colors and shapes that formed in your imagination and then watching them come to life on your canvas.

How to Practice Self Care for Scorpio

As a Scorpio, you’re no stranger to vibing with what’s happening beneath the surface. You have natural intuitive gifts coupled with instinctive detective skills that would make any private investigator jealous. Something that can help you feel more secure in your thoughts and trusting your gifts would be to hone them. Buy yourself a tarot deck and do a daily card pull. Carry around different crystals on different days of the week to see what you notice. Ask the universe for a sign and see what synchronicities appear. Notice repeating patterns or numbers. The more attuned you are to the world around you – both physically and spiritually – the more in tune with yourself you’ll feel.

How to Practice Self Care for Sagittarius

With so much energy bubbling through your veins, as a Sagittarius, you’re likely a person who has many proverbial irons in the fire. You’re a mutable sign after all, but that changeable disposition could leave you feeling scattered or unfocused. A great way to hone and work with your energy is to channel your mental and creative sparks into physical exercise. And because you like variety, try something new every day. Don’t be afraid to switch up your routine. Go for an outdoor hike one day or a group cycling class another. Take a Friday night out with friends to double as a dance class exercise. Travel for a yoga retreat. Have fun with it – and we know you will.

How to Practice Self Care for Capricorn

You’re always on, you’re always working. It’s an essential part of your personality, Capricorn, and part of what makes your drive and grit so admirable. It’s also what can keep you feeling like a hamster on a never-ending wheel of being busy and needing to feel productive. For you, self-care can look like something where you revel in stillness. Capricorn rules the bones, and you can carry more than your share of the burden and store that tension in your body. Releasing it can feel very good. Try meditation. Practice breath work. Book yourself for a deep tissue massage.

How to Practice Self Care for Aquarius

As an Aquarius, you’re a very community-minded person. You’re likely a person who’s plugged in to the news, whether it’s the latest breaking story or what’s happening in your social circles. We tend to assign a lot of shame and blame around time spent on our devices. While cutting screen time can be good for your soul and psyche, Aquarius, you could also tap into your natural inclination to do good for others. Use your time on social media to make others feel good. Post a happy quote. Leave a kind, from-the-heart comment. Like your friends’ post. Gas them up! When you do good, you’ll feel good, too.

How to Practice Self Care for Pisces

You’re a naturally dreamy, imaginative, and mystical person, Pisces. It’s been said that you can keep your head in the clouds – and you probably wouldn’t disagree. With your creativity and intuition, your daydreams and fantasies are rich with detail. So why not capture that to make the ephemeral feel more real and grounded? A daily practice like dream journaling can help you solidify what is happening in your subconscious mind and bring it into your real world. It helps you stay rooted and connected to your imagination without getting lost in it. Buy yourself a nice journal or even just get a free notetaking app on your phone.