A number of people interested in astrology are also practicing meditation. Astrology and meditation share an inquiring attitude toward self-understanding, which is the ultimate goal of human beings in their path toward awareness.

There are many different kinds of meditation and even more paths toward self-understanding. Gone are the olden days when meditation meant just sitting silently while observing your breath, which is anyway still one of the most powerful techniques.

Every person has their own nature and consequently, their own approach to a path toward self-awareness and spiritual enlightenment.

Generous Sun and Leo dominants act mostly from the 4th chakra, the heart center. Heart meditation is a good choice to keep your heart open to the world. The heart chakra is at the center of the chakra system. When activated, it can expand and embrace all the other chakras.

There are actually many meditation techniques with "heart" in their name. An easy, but effective way to get in touch with the heart center is to just rest your hands on the middle of your chest and concentrate on breathing in and out in the chest area. You might feel a warm feeling expanding all over your body accompanied by peace and stillness.

Sensitive Moon or Cancer dominants need a meditation that heals and harmonizes the 2nd chakra, the abdomen area. That area is where we create and hold soft feelings, such as support, need, cuddling, and sensuality. Also, unresolved emotional issues can become blocked there.

Gently breathing in the belly, or reinforcing the belly center through massage, are good practices for Moon and Cancer dominants, as well as vocalizing low-pitched sounds by sending the vibrations to the abdomen.

Mercury, Geminis or Virgo dominants use their intellect and speech so much that they need a break. There's a nice technique, which is also fun (so that easily bored Mercurians can stay with it). It's called gibberish and it releases mental stress with the added bonus of clearing the mind from the daily useless chattering. It's focused on the 5th chakra on the throat area, which is connected to communication.

To practice gibberish, close your eyes and start to speak an invented language. In other words, just say nonsensical words or phrases. You might gesticulate and also have some emotional involvement with your speech. You can go on like a nut for 15 minutes or so, then just keep silent and observe your breathing for 15 minutes more.

Venus, Libra or Taurus dominants might enjoy "metta," which is loving-kindness meditation, where the practitioner sends good wishes toward other people, enemies included. Metta meditation connects us with the universal source of love.

Another practice suited for Venus, especially when Taurus is strong, is mantra chanting.

Mars and Aries dominants need a meditation technique to release their strong need to be active in a healthy way. Martial arts, especially the ones with a meditative approach, are favourite ones, or dynamic meditation.

Dynamic meditation is a technique created by Osho, with a strong involvement of the body. In the first stages of this meditation, emotional blocks are released through fast breathing and movements. In the later stages of the technique, the body becomes still giving space to inner observation and emptiness.

Jupiter and Sagittarius dominants are expansion oriented. Any kind of meditation is about expanding awareness and our energy, but one technique that is really expansive, even though not strictly a meditation, is rebirthing, or breathwork.

Rebirthing brings the practitioner to a deep, intense and expansive state through deep breathing. However, it should be done with a teacher because it might trigger a very strong emotional release. An alternative is any meditation involving the body, as in chakra breathing or kundalini meditation, which are being enjoyed by physical activities loving Jupiter/Sagittarius.

For serious Saturn and Capricorn dominants, austere and traditional vipassana meditation might be the preferred one. Nonetheless, I'd add some social meditations such as group mantra singing, in order not to fuel a detached and aloof attitude.

High-tech Uranus and Aquarius really need meditation to tame their restless minds. They would be enthusiastic about meditations apps, so let's give them some to transform their frenzy to a quiet feeling.

In general, Uranus and Aquarius would travel non-traditional and innovative paths to spirituality. Group meditations and a vibrant spiritual community are also the perfect settings to support them.

Neptune and Pisces are supposed to be the most spiritual, imaginative and compassionate planet and sign. Any meditation involving dancing, or compassion as metta meditation or visualizations would be suited to their sensitivity.

Neptune and Pisces might also be tempted to use psychedelics to expand their state of consciousness. This of course should be done in a safe setting in order not to get lost in imaginary worlds.

For Pluto and Scorpio, the first thing that comes into the mind would be sexual tantra practices, combining breathing, energy and sexuality to raise the energy from the lower sexual centers to the higher ones.

Pluto and Scorpio are masters in revealing the mind's deceiving matters. According to the spiritual traditions, the mind itself is a lying machine, needing the penetrative Scorpio eye to be exposed. Thus, the Plutonic investigative skills can also be routed to self-investigation by travelling jnana yoga, the path of wisdom.

Even though at any level of awareness we embody the astrological traits connected to our natal chart, we shouldn't forget that while growing our level of consciousness, astrology influences us less and less because we identify more with the universal consciousness and less with the individual ego and personality.

Also, any meditation technique is actually good for everybody because it connects us with a common source of awareness.

To discover your dominant planet, go to the Astro Reports section and click on the "Birth chart's answers" box. There are 3 boxes dedicated to your dominant planet with comprehensive interpretations.

See also:

Astrology forecasts and astrologers don't know what will actually happen to you

Human astrologers and 12andus' reports

What does your dominant planet say about you?

The difference between “signs” astrology and personalized astrology