I have just started my new business as an astrologer. And here is the advice I got from a few well-meaning acquaintances: “Don’t say you’re doing astrology, you’re going to scare people away. Say you’re doing coaching, it’s more comforting.”

I understand why I got that advice, I really do. There have been quite a few fortune-tellers in the past who have damaged the image of astrology, and that’s a shame. Now, most people who think of consulting an astrologer systematically have two thoughts popping in their mind:

•  I’m going to be taken advantage of, and give my hard-earned money to a charlatan;
•  What would my friends and colleagues think of me if they knew I was consulting an astrologer? 

Yes, I understand the fear, I’ve been confronted to it too when I asked an astrologer to read my birth chart for the first time. But my entire being immediately rejected the idea of hiding my astrology behind the term coaching. It was a reflex, and as I thought about it, I realized it was driven by a few factors:

• I’m done hiding my truth for the sake of gaining approval
  My entire career, I have given people what I knew they expected. I got very good at that, got praise and promotions, as the system rewards people who play by the book.
  But every compliment I got felt empty. Why? Because I knew compliments were not addressed to me, they were addressed to the person I was pretending to be.
  Pretending to be what I’m not depresses me, and so I won’t do it again. Since I show up authentically, I have gained my own approval, and I realized that’s the only one I ever needed.

• My intent is not to comfort you, but to help you
  Nothing ever happens in the comfort zone. We all know that. Growth requires discomfort, risk, and a willingness to fall and hurt ourselves. I’m not interested in coddling anyone anymore. I AM interested in pointing out the uncomfortable truths, and helping my clients deal with them in constructive ways.

• Nothing means anything anymore
  The word “coaching” I was encouraged to use, now can mean anything, and so it means nothing anymore. In the corporate world I come from, we are using a vocabulary that has been carefully curated. We’re encouraged to say “issue” instead of “problem”. “Let go” rather than “fired”. We end our emails with “please let me know if you have any questions”, all the while thinking “you had better not contact me with any questions!”. We censor and edit ourselves constantly, and then we wonder why we feel unable to connect to anyone at work, why we feel empty.

I am truly optimistic that humanity is leaving behind its attachment to appearances, and embracing genuine self-expression. Everywhere around me, I see men and women loosening the grip of the politically correct and the socially appropriate. Because it’s boring and stifling our growth.

What about you? Have you ever been asked to hide your true self behind a veneer of normalcy? Do you also feel the urge to re-connect to your authentic self? I really want to hear your story, please reach out!