Loving both astrology and massage, it became natural for me to connect the two. Having been trained in a number of massage techniques, I had the opportunity to better understand hands-on (pun intended) the relationship between body contact and the astrological chart of a person.

I never gave massages professionally, however I loved to exchange sessions with other massage students during and after the workshops and occasionally give massage to acquaintances.

Some of them knew that I was into astrology, so people used to say things like, “I am a Sagittarius, I like to get a dynamic massage, sporty”, or “being a sensitive Pisces, I need a soft relaxing touch”.

But the sign, as usual, it's not the whole story. I remember a number of years ago when I was practicing a deep massage technique that affects the wholeness of the body/mind. The woman I was massaging told me the typical stereotype about being a fire sign and needing an energetic massage. She stressed the fact that also her Ascendant was in a fire sign. Specifically, she was Sagittarius ascendant Leo.

However, something didn't sound right to me (it rang an intuitive bell for my Mercury in the 12th house trine Neptune). So at a certain point I morphed the technique into delicate touches, followed by touching the head as we do with small kids.

After a while she started sobbing like a baby. I encouraged her to go on and release the feeling, which went on for a while.

Then she shared that that she always avoided tenderness in order to not address her sadness. Once I analyzed her natal chart, I discovered a Moon in Cancer, in the 12th house, trine to Neptune in Scorpio. The Moon, the ruler of feelings, was in the most sensitive sign and house, in aspect with dreamy and compassionate Neptune.

She used the power of her Sun in Sagittarius and ascendant in Leo as a protective shield to protect her vulnerability. Since both supported her energy, she was running a busy and hectic life in order not to stop and become overwhelmed by her sensitivity.

Who was forgotten in all of this was poor Moon, hiding in the deep murky waters of the 12th house but nonetheless needing to be acknowledged and taken care of.

Massage involves the body and the feelings, and lives on the border between self and no self. The skin is what separates us from others and massage connects the two.

By asking people and comparing their astrological chart with their attitude about body touch and massage, I understood that things are more complicated than the sign, ascendant or the moon position.

The skin is traditionally connected to Pisces and Neptune. The self, as in the physical body and the ego, is more related to the Sun and the Ascendant. The feelings are more related to the Moon, Venus. Neptune, the water signs and the 4th and 12th houses.

The sensual part of massage is connected to Venus, Libra, Taurus, Scorpio and somehow Mars. Then we need to consider that Mercury and Uranus might drive our hands in an intuitive and effective way. At the other end, some aspects of a strong Saturn might create distaste for body contact.

As usual, we need to consider the wholeness of the natal chart and the numerous subtle meanings.

It would be interesting to connect the natal charts with the associated attitudes about massage, such as which parts of the body a person likes to have touched (head and neck, arms and shoulders, chest, back, lower back, abdomen, legs, feet), which are the feelings on receiving massage (relaxed, energized, cared, aroused, annoyed, no feelings), what kind of touch is more welcome (soft, energetic, deep).