How to Avoid Astrological Burnout: Know When to Look – Part One

Hey everyone, this is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight Astrology, and today we are going to start up a new series that I will be updating occasionally on how to avoid astrological burnout. That might seem like a weird thing to talk about on a daily astrology channel, but the truth is that I see clients, I see students, I see people from all walks of life who consume astrological content regularly and often get stressed out by it, and then they will sometimes just take a break, they'll be like, I just need to push astrology out of my life.

That always bums me out a little bit because I feel like, I guess, over time, I figured out how to have a healthy relationship with astrology, not that it isn't difficult sometimes, still. I feel like I want to help people avoid feeling like they get to a breaking point with the consumption of astrological content that is actually somehow negative or, you know, not healthy for them.

So I was like, you know, when do we ever sit down and talk about the ways in which Astrology can be detrimental to our mental, psychological, or spiritual health? How does it get that far? And how can we avoid that? So I'm just going to address a variety of topics. Occasionally, not in any real rhythm; I don't have a particular list of things. I'm just going to kind of keep this in mind as something to revisit from time to time as new inspiration comes up. Today, we're going to start the series off by talking about when to look, and I'll explain what that concept means in a minute.

But before we get into it, as always, don't forget to like and subscribe. If you have comments to share and add to this conversation, I would love to hear from you guys. So please hit the comments section up during or after the talk. If you want to find a transcript of today's talk, you can find it at the website nightlightastrology.com. Speaking of the website, if you go over the website right now, click on the Courses page, and go to the first-year course, you'll find my upcoming program, Ancient Astrology for the Modern Mystic.

In my program, we talk a lot about what astrology was designed for; what did the ancient philosophers and mystics who practiced astrology say about what is it supposed to do for the soul? What is it supposed to do for us that is positive, healthy, and beneficial? When we have a really deep understanding of that, and we see the way that the whole system was designed philosophically, with the spiritual aim of spiritual growth and development in mind, I think we can do astrology at a much higher and more sophisticated level.

That's a big part of the intention behind this program. We study ancient astrology, but we also wrap into that study modern psychological and archetypal points of view. So that we have, we're equipped to talk to clients from the standpoint of having really well developed predictive skills, traditional predictive skills alongside a kind of modern psychological sensibility that can help people process the internal experience of fate, of karma, of destiny.

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Okay. Well, all announcements aside, and with our intention clearly in mind, we're going to talk about how to avoid astrological burnout or fatigue or how to avoid astrology becoming something that's negative or even toxic in your life. Well, the one way that I would say, maybe the thing that I thought to start with, is to know when to look at that phrase that came to mind; what does that mean? Know when to look at the stars, know when to look at the heavens, know when to read the tea leaves, you know, know when to flip a tarot card, know when to cast the I-Ching, know when to look at the transits and know when to just take a day where you don't.

It's really important that you find your happy spot with how regularly or how frequently you look at transits. That is probably one of the easiest ways to ensure that astrology is playing a healthy role in your life. Not everyone is meant to look at or tap into astrological content every single day or even every single month.

I know, for example, that there are a lot of YouTube viewers who tune in to hear the monthly overview and the monthly horoscopes, and they don't tune in a lot outside of that unless there's maybe a very major transit happening, and that's fine. Then you have another variety of viewer who takes in astrological content regularly, like, you know, daily yoga practice. There are people across the spectrum who need or use that content, different intervals, and for different reasons, you know, and so forth.

So there's not just one way to consume astrological content, there's not just one way that works, or that is healthy. It's really very individual, but the one thing that most people don't even think of, especially when they get to the point where they feel like God, astrology sort of stressing me out, it feels like it's sort of negative, or it makes me afraid, or it makes me anxious, or I feel like it amplifies the feeling that life is just a never-ending roller coaster of personal healing crises.

You know, it's like, it can do that. If it's doing that to you, one thing that you can start with is just saying, Have I thought about how regularly I should consume that content? What, what is a good amount of consumption for me? Now? I mean, it seems counterintuitive for me; it was like, I felt like at first I was like, how should I say this to people? I'm like; I need people to watch my channel every day because that's how I earned my living and so forth. You know, but it's like, no, it's true because here's the truth about me. I look at my own chart, you know, probably once a month, if that. You know, I'm always aware of the transits because I'm talking about them, and I love being aware of the transits.

But looking at my own chart, or looking at my kids or wife's chart, or whatever, I really, very seldomly look at people's charts that I'm close with, I really very seldomly look at my own chart any longer. Most of that has to do with the fact that I have a very clear sense of when and how I like to do that. I'll talk about that later. The point is, it's like the news. Some people can't watch any news because it stresses them out. Other people are like; I have to watch it every day and be up on the headlines.

But you know, the important question is not so much, how much should you or shouldn't you watch? But how does it make you feel? What does it do to your consciousness? How does it affect you? You know, does it affect you positively? Are you tuning into astrological news sources that give you perspectives on the astrology that's uplifting, or that's healthy, that's healing, that gives you, you know, some positive ways of dealing with life, some laughter, you know, stuff like that. Those are things that I consciously try to provide because that's how I have to relate to astrology; otherwise, I go mad.

So anyway, here are five things that go along with this idea that you have to know how much to look or when to look and when not to. And if you can gauge that for yourself. Maybe not just like a quota. It may be different every day, you know; how do I feel today? I feel like I'm a little on edge. I think hearing a Moon-Pluto transit story might stress me out. You know what I mean? Like, I don't want to tune into Mars opposite Pluto podcast today because I'm just, I'm hanging by a thread, and I've got to protect my serenity for the rest of the day. It's so important to just check in and see how you're feeling before you consume astrological content. Know the source you're getting it from. I think I'm one of, for most people, at least a few astrological sources that you have that you tune into. So know what you're getting into, right?

The first thing I want to talk about is that the heavens never stopped moving. So this is important to know. You know, when we talk about transits, I get this comment like you would not believe how often I get this particular comment. It feels like this is never going to end. Is there ever going to be a time where there just isn't a series of like super intense, stressful, crisis-laden minefield walking, you know, you know, crazy shit going on? Do you know what the honest answer is? No. There's not ever going to be a time when this stops, and I want to qualify that because I don't mean for that to sound like a bummer, but the heavens don't stop moving.

The entire organization of planets and signs in our solar system in the exact same location twice before the sun burns out. So you have recurring patterns, but ultimate novelty, like absolute novelty in our solar system with recurring patterns that are familiar, but never identical, not never the same thing exactly twice. You have that going on until the sun burns out. The heavens are never stopping; the transits are never stopping is, you know, as long as you've got planets in, you know, fixed signs, every time those planets come through, other fixed signs are gonna be hitting your planets in fixed signs. You know, the same for the cardinal and the mutable.

There are eclipses every year; there are new and full moons every month. There are major ingresses, and there are major synodic cycles unfolding between outer planets. You know, there's a balsamic moon around the corner all the time. You know what I mean? This is the cosmos that we live in, and what astrology should be doing, ideally, is helping us to sort of become familiar with the psychic reality of the weather systems.

For example, as you guys know, I live in Minnesota. So it's like, I know what the autumn is like here, and I know what the winter is like, and I know what the spring is like. I know the different kinds of ups and downs that can come in those seasons, I know what the summer is, like, you get, so what astrology is trying to do is like, you know, this is what Earth is like, this is what the human condition is like. And this is what the gods are like as they orchestrate the ins and outs of our lives. These are the peaks and valleys of fate and fortune. This is what karma is like. It's there are blessings and joy, and there are great suffering and impermanence and pain.

These things don't stop. They don't stop, and if astrology brings you closer to that truth in a way that helps you feel more at home in the cosmos, even if it's a tentative place to be, even if it's a place that's riddled with mystery and doubt, and you don't know from one moment to the next, if you're ever fully safe, you know, like what, from at least on the material level. But if it helps you to kind of take your sandals off and like experience this as majestic, holy and sacred, painful and interesting, then astrology is doing its job, and it's a helpful part of our lives.

If when we encounter astrology, we think to ourselves, just one more transit, and I'll get to the bottom of it, you know, just one more transit, and then the good stuff will come. Or if we're just white-knuckled, you know, biting a stick through every transit tuning in like that. Astrology is it's not so much that astrology is bad for us; it's that our mindset is not in a space where it's going to receive the blessings of what Astrology can be or can do for us.

You can turn to the weather, in anxiety, you know, just hoping there won't be a gray day or rain, and then you find that there is some, and it confirms your suspicion that the world is a shitty place. Do you know what I mean? So when we say know when to look, it's really important that we take into consideration that when you look at astrology, by that, I mean, look at the planets, look at the transits, hear people talking about them. Look at your chart, et cetera. You have to keep in mind that what it is always doing is sort of opening up a portal through which we can reaffirm; I live in a cosmos orchestrated by the gods; there's a moving field like mandalas of moving psychic archetypal patterns that are informing my inner experience and shaping the outer world simultaneously, and it's a mandala of pain and bliss simultaneous, it's like, that's a lot, you know?

If you can approach it in the right rhythm in the right frame of mind so that the reaffirmation of that giant truth is a positive thing. It's not always an easy thing, but ultimately, is it positive? Is it giving your life meaning? Is it helping you move through the world with a just greater depth and soulfulness? If it's doing that and you have the right, you know, this is what I'm getting into; when I look at it, you're prepared for that, then astrology is going to be doing its job.

If you're looking, and that truth is overwhelming, and believe me, some days it's gonna be, and you're just not. That's not the, you know, LSD can of worms; you feel like opening up and just don't look; it is okay. You have total permission. I think sometimes, you know, I remember drinking Ayahuasca for ten years; people would be like, you know, are you going to go to the next ceremony? There'd be some times where I'd be like, No, and they'd be like, you know, there'd be some people who were very, there's a lot of machismo like, what? You're not going to skydive into the teeth of hell again, like what? You know, like, are you just like, you can't handle the truth, right? I'm like, No, I know, it's there. I just don't feel like skydiving into Nirvana tonight; you know what I mean?

So like, you don't have to, there's no reason that you have to give anyone or yourself at any time to just be like, yeah, you know, that's a big, huge cosmic truth that I'm just not going to look at today. Tomorrow, I will; I don't want to avoid it or pretend like it's not there.

If you love astrology, you know that you're drawn back, and it's the kind of reality that exposes you to is probably one that ultimately is very affirming and positive for you. But it's okay to need breaks and to be like; it's just; it's a little too much right now. Believe me, I get it. I talk about it every single day. You know how many days there are where after I'm done, you know, making my content. If anyone even starts talking about astrology, I'll just be like, my astrological whatever power is off for the day, like I can't talk or think astrology anymore.

So, of course, I see clients, I teach classes, and I make content. So it's like I'm in it sort of like all the time. So my off switch sometimes has to be a little bit more severe. But the heavens never stopped moving. Got to keep that in mind. And know when you look that that's the truth that will expose you to.

Number two, the consciousness you bring to the looking is offered and mirrored back. If you go to watch astrology and you're in a panic, you're scared, you're worried, you're clutching, you're whatever you bring to it in a way it will mirror back to you. That's not always a great idea when you're trying to understand archetypes from the standpoint of their multivalence. You know, because when you approach astrology from the standpoint of a very narrowed and fixed position that you're stuck in, I'm in a really, really good mood, okay, well, then if there's anything in the astrology, that's difficult, you're gonna have an adverse reaction to that, or you're going to try to reinterpret it just like you might flip a card, and the card doesn't hear what you wanted, you wanted to hear, and you were in a good mood.

When you flip the card, you're like, Well, you're not going to ruin my mood. I'm going to interpret that card in terms of what I want to hear. So you have to be careful if you're in a good mood and you don't want to potentially alter that. Be careful when you look. I mean, what's in the news? You know, like, do you want to watch that astrologically at that time, you can come back to it tomorrow, and maybe your mood is you've come down a little bit, you know, it's like, be careful who you surround yourself with when you're feeling really good. Be careful what kind of information you take in; even astrology can be a buzzkill.

It's not because there's something about astrology; it's because anything can be like that. But similarly, if you come in with a consciousness that's fixed on, you know, everything being terrible and scary and like it's, you probably hear the transit along those same lines. So I just warn people like, it's not that you have to be some blank slate that's completely objective. When you listen to astrology, you bring your subjective, your soul, you bring it to the astrology that you take in. But you also have to; you have to be aware of the fact that the more intense of a narrow state of consciousness you are in, which is normal and even healthy to go through things like that. But you will hear the astrology in many ways according to that state; that's a reality.

Number three, the questions you bring, or the lack of focus, you bring this often mirrored back. Now, I say this more specifically for people who get readings; in my opinion, when you go to listen, ladies used to listen to my channel anyway. You don't need to have a reason for being there. That's like a super set intention or a specific question or something like that. You can just show up and be like; I'm just interested to hear what kind of what the archetypal weather is like this week, and engage with that from the standpoint of just being curious and having something to use as a reflective device as your week unfolds. To me, that is the best use of astrology.

But when you go to get a reading, in particular, if you go to a reading and you bring really high-quality focused questions you've taken time to think about; you will find that the reading will often offer you really good answers. It's not just because the reader is good or the astrology approach was good. It's that the questions were good, they were sincere, and the Oracle is orchestrating the divine experience of reading through the reader through the imperfections of the reader and you and the chart and the methods.

Something of real substance seems to come through when really good focused questions are present in a reading. So, astrology readings can stress you out, in part, thanks to how focused and clear you've become as you approach the Oracle. A focus question doesn't have to be a specific question. A focused question could be something like; I want to better understand my life purpose or dharma. Right? But you've taken time to think about that.

One of the things like, I don't like that. Just being honest is when people come in, and they're like, I don't know, I know you're good at astrology, I just want to hear what you have to say. Like, it doesn't, it's not, it's not a great idea to do that to an astrologer. In general, it's much better to come and say; I really liked your approach to astrology. And so I'd like to hear you address these questions that I have these reasons for being here. If you bring a lack of focus to an astrology reading, you will often find that the reading will feel like it's all over the place as a result.

Now, number four, curiosity and exploration are better than wanting to know what will happen. If you are going to take in astrological content regularly. My advice from the bottom of my heart is that you approach not so much wanting to know what's going to happen to me this week or next week, or next month with the eclipse or whatever.

But rather, from the standpoint of curiosity and exploration, I am using this information to help deepen the way that I relate to the unfolding of my experience, that it's going to help me reflect upon and recognize the gods or archetypes in the shape of my experience that comes through, you will almost always find that you are pleasantly surprised, intrigued, excited, blessed, gifted by the astrological transits when you approach with curiosity, exploration, and open-mindedness. Not what's going to happen to me. What does this mean for me like that, like this kind of clutching existential anxiety? Oftentimes, it's that that's stressing you out, not the astrology if that makes sense.

Then, number five relationship with the planets and seeing planets as omens or signs of the gods is better than thinking of the planets as causal agents. So this is my own personal thing. It's a soapbox of mine, but I think it's really important. So I'm gonna say it, I think that it is you will find that astrology stresses you out far less when you think of the planets, not so much as things in the sky that somehow are causing everything to happen.

Because then it's you're essentially looking at the heavens and the gods from a mechanistic standpoint, which then takes you and the relationship with the gods out of the equation. I think it's much better to think when you approach listening to astrological content, taking it in, in whatever form, it's much better if you approach from the standpoint of saying, these transits are things that are inviting me into a relationship, and the more that I open up into that relationship, the more that the experience will feel like it's a co-creative one, rather than just the hand of fate.

Now, you're not going to escape fate, destiny, or the fact that these are higher powers that are shaping our experiences on some level. So I'm not trying to say that it's just all make it up as you go create your own reality kind of thing. It's better to understand that planets were seen as omens or signs of the gods; they were not the gods themselves; they were the omens or signs of the gods and the point was to develop relationships with the gods through their signs.

It's like a language that's inviting you to speak with the gods psychically in your everyday life. If you can approach astrology from that standpoint, then it's rather than thinking of yourself, like, what's going to happen to me? I'm a victim of these forces that are causing things to happen. Instead, you're thinking about a language that's trying to speak to you and help you walk a life path. When you think about it that way, regularly, it's a lot harder to get stressed out by it.

To conclude, oh, go back to the very beginning. Know when to look; if you're feeling burnt out, take a break. There's nothing wrong with that if you've noticed that you're getting stressed out. Figure out what the right inner Have all in the right approaches for you, but also take these things into consideration in this list that I've given you today. Because if you really look at this list carefully, I think what you'll find is that often, it's not so much that the problem is astrology as much as the problem is with our mindset. But I say that as someone who is getting ready to shut off my astrological switch for the rest of the day, so on that note, I hope you have a great day, and I will look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Bye.