Zodiac intel that basically turned us into human Co-Star apps this year

At the beginning of the 2019, I knew I was a Taurus, and that meant I’m “stubborn” and beauty listicles would always recommend that I buy brown lipstick because I’m Earthy. But now—after learning about astrology a lot in the past 12 months—as the year comes to a close, I also know I have my Mars in Cancer, a genius aspect in my chart, and that I prefer to eat my eggs hard-boiled (lies, I already knew that last bit).

It seems we were all learning about astrology (and other types of personality indicators) in 2019, more than ever before, at least. Maybe it’s due the the app-ification of horoscopes, or maybe it’s due to the overall focus on holistic birth charts over star signs alone. Whatever it is, I don’t see this astro-obsession slowing down in the new decade.

With that in mind, you’d be wise to refresh your memory on some out-of-this-world astrological revelations we had in the past year, so you can use them for a more comically aligned 2020 and beyond. Check it out below.

Learning about astrology? Bookmark 7 out-of-this world pieces of intel below:

1. Your moon sign is as important as your sun sign when it comes to your astro-identity

This year, we really dove deep into our charts and got friendly with a whole bunch of planets. (your Mars sign can uncover sexandfitness preferences—who knew?) But your moon sign really speaks to your inner, emotional self—or your “emotional personality,” if you will. Knowing your moon sign helps you understand your inner-workings and why you react to certain things the way that you do. For example, I have a Virgo moon sign, so I tend to react with a tightly wound conviction that I’m usually right. And, let the record show, I’m, in fact, generally right. Anyway….

2. How to date safely during—yikes—a Mercury retrograde

Even astrology novices know that navigating a Mercury retrograde can be a hellish ordeal, when communication lines get muddled easily. Clearly these aren’t ideal conditions for dating, but what are you supposed to do? Reject date plans because a certain planet is being a big, old backpedaling wet blanket? Absolutely not. We learned how to navigate all the dating obstacles Mercury might throw you during this cosmic event, whether it’s a suitor showing up late (travel issues!) or communicating clearly that you’re not that into someone.

3. Mercury retroshade allows us to clean up mistakes we made during the ‘grade

Did an ex resurface during the Mercury retrograde? Did you send back a text meant for your best friend saying “Weird, Taylor just sent me a message, what should I say?” Did you try to meet with them in person but traffic was brutal, and you ended up being 2 hours late and not knowing how to explain yourself?

Anyway, the good news is you have some time to fix that cosmic mess. “The shadow period is about a two-week period after Mercury stations direct, when it travels along the path it was moving before it went retrograde,” says intuitive astrologer and healer Rachel Lang. “It’s a time to clean up anything that happened during Mercury retrograde or to integrate any lessons you learned along the way. Often during Mercury retrograde, so much awareness about the past comes to the surface.”

4. Your astrological houses set the stage of where passions appear in your life

Astrologer Chani Nicholas says to imagine our signs, planets, and houses as part of a stage production. “The planets are the characters, the signs are the costumes they’re wearing, and the houses are the stages, or areas of life, where they’re lived out,” she says. “Planets express their energy in the style of the sign they are in and show up prominently in whatever domain of life, or house, they are located [in].”

Heads up, your 10th house teaches you the secrets to your career success!

5. Your zodiac sign rules over certain body parts

Body rulership is an ancient and oft forgotten aspect of astrology. See, once upon a time, in order to qualify as an astrologer, you needed a thorough education encompassing an understanding of human anatomy. With that in mind, we’re still a big fan of using modern medicine, but if there’s always one part of your body giving you trouble or looks exceptionally toned and sleek, the reason could be linked to your star sign.

6. We learned a lot about elements, particularly how to use them to align chakras

To recap: The elements encompass Earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo), water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces,) fire signs (Leo, Aries, Sagittarius), and air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). They generally refer to an individual’s basic temperament. And according to Jess Holzworth, a yoga and meditation practitioner at Miraval Arizona, you can use your astrological element to revitalize its sister chakra. Earth signs, spoiler alert: You’re going to want to leave the house if your root chakra is suffering.

7. You can optimize your nighttime routine based on your zodiac sign

At the beginning of 2019, Well+Good readers revealed an exhausting truth: that we’re tired, like, all the time. Whether you blame the snooziness on burnout, chronic appsturbating, or your big dinner, we have some advice on how to get better zzz’s, according to your sun sign. Actually, we have some advice on optimizing pretty much everything based on your sun sign, whether it’s what your go-to snack should be or the houseplant that deserves some space in your home.

Curious about what’s ahead, astrologically, in 2020? Well, rockstar astrologer Susan Miller shared her top predictions for the New Year, and Capricorns are going to love it.