Astrology with Andy

Raise your hand if you would like a road map to your journey! During this time of flux, we thought it would be a useful and healing exercise to seek guidance from astrologer Andy Bellati of Astrology with Andy. Having our birth charts read was fascinating and thought-provoking as Andy explored our pasts and gave us a glimpse into the future. Beyond what we learned about ourselves we were interested in Andy’s astrological journey and why he believes we would all benefit holistically from having our birth charts completed and explained to us.

Food + Mood NYC: What drew you to astrology?

Andy Bellati: I had my first birth chart reading at the age of fourteen, and I was instantly fascinated by the way it captured my entire essence — not just the traits of my sun sign. It explained who I was in an unprecedented way

From that point on, I realized astrology wasn’t about reading your “daily horoscope” in the back of a newspaper; it was a holistic look at your personality traits, blind spots, challenge, potential, and approach to the world.

F+M NYC: What can a client expect to learn when you read their astrological chart?

AB: A birth chart is your astrological blueprint. No two charts are alike (yes — even with twins… even a difference of one or two minutes makes for an ever-so-slightly different chart).

With a birth chart reading, a client learns:

– Character strengths and innate talents;

– Emotional blind spots – and how to address them;

– Lessons they are meant to learn and integrate in this lifetime to feel fulfilled;

– How to thrive and unlock their potential.

Simply put, a birth chart is a map I decipher. It is a tool of insight, self-awareness, and deeper understanding.

I often give the analogy of a birth chart reading being like a GPS. It allows me to tell my clients the landscape they are dealing with and helps me tell them the quickest route to their destination and what to keep in mind on their journey.

I practice “free will astrology”. I’m happy to show my clients what their journey’s landscape looks like and suggest certain paths over others, but they choose the direction they want to take. It’s similar to how a meteorologist will let you know there is a 95% chance of severe thunderstorms this afternoon, but you decide what activities you are going to do. Nothing is stopping you from having a picnic, but it’s probably not going to be very enjoyable!

The point of astrology is not to avoid the complexities of life; rather, it is meant to help you navigate all facets of life by reminding you of your purpose and helping you understand the “whys” behind your experiences.

F+M NYC: Do you only need to have one reading in a lifetime? Or would someone benefit from having multiple readings with you?

AB: I could theoretically talk about a birth chart for ten hours. Alas, that would be overkill.

My most popular reading is 90 minutes long and consists of an analysis of your birth chart (60 minutes) and a look at the next 12 to 18 months (30 minutes).

Due to these time constraints, I have to be very selective about what aspects of your chart I discuss. I opt for the “big ticket” items. That will take care of the major factors: your wants, your needs, your family dynamic growing up, your emotional defaults, the comfort zone you need to grow out, how you communicate, etc.

Since my birth chart readings cover the next 12 to 18 months, my clients don’t need to come in for at least another year. I recommend checking in every 12 to 18 months so you can always be attuned with the major astrological cycles at play in your chart.

And, as my clients come back for annual check-ins, we usually go on to uncover another puzzle piece of their birth chart that we didn’t get to discuss in prior sessions.

One of my go-to sayings is: “astrology should enhance your life, not run your life.” This is why I recommend checking in no sooner than every 12 months. I don’t want to enable co-dependence or a reliance on astrology.

F+M NYC: What do you see as the benefits of having your chart completed and read?

AB: There are many. A birth chart reading is like looking into a mirror that reflects everything back at you: your hopes, your fears, your anxieties, your dreams, your beliefs, and your flawed thinking.

A birth chart reading allows you to pull back the curtain and see what’s really happening behind the scenes. There are qualities in us that we may perceive as fixed, or inherent to us, that astrology shows us we have internalized from a very young age.

It is quite a powerful moment when you realize, for example, that a certain blind spot or challenging behavior is nothing more than a subconscious attempt at dealing with an unresolved issue — or a leftover habit from childhood that no longer serves you. Suddenly, these traits and characteristics that we may have explained away as “how we are” basically become a lever that we can move to our liking to lower unnecessary noise that gets in our way.

Lastly, when you know what the next 12 to 18 months look like, you know where to best spend your energy. Sometimes, that upcoming landscape is one that encourages change and innovation; other times, the recommendation is to maintain the status quo and not begin new things. It’s the difference between going with the current and frantically swimming against it (which leads to exhaustion, frustration, and going nowhere).

F+M NYC: Besides staying attuned to the benefits of astrology, how do you take care of yourself on and off the plate?

There are several things I have integrated over the years:
I eat a whole-food, plant-based diet.

I work out five times a week (both for physical and mental benefits).

I don’t watch cable news (I used to be a cable news junkie, but then realized it ramped up my anxiety, depleted my energy, and didn’t contribute much value to my daily life. I like to read long-form journalism pieces about science, psychology, social issues, and sociopolitical developments — I get a lot more enjoyment from that than from television news shows that rely on fear, gloom, worry, and panic for ratings).

I am judicious with who — and what — gets my time and energy. Over the past few years, I’ve made significant strides in setting emotional and spiritual boundaries.

To learn more and to schedule a reading with Andy, visit astrologywithandy.com and follow him on Instagram!