You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance and Living Your Purpose by Chani Nicholas

You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance and Living Your Purpose Reviews

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  Sabrina of the vast oceans

  It should be said that I love Chani's writing, regular horoscopes, affirmations, positivity, and her style of astrology. I wasn't entirely sure what I would get out of this book, but was happy to support her regardless. I'm no astro-wiz, but it would be fair to say I can follow more than the average person may, so I understand that I may not have been the target audience for this guide.
  
  Overall, I found You Were Born for This to be lacking meat. There are 287 pages in the book. Once you rule out the intro, the "what's next" closing, acknowledgments, pages dedicated to repeating example aspects that are mentioned prior, pages showing example charts for Maya Angelou and Frida Kahlo that are also shown earlier in context, an unnecessary index... You are left only to cover your sun, moon, and ascendant. This still seems like a lot to work through, however, the "choose your own adventure" format of the book means you will be skipping past most of it to snippets that are pertinent to your chart only. In the end, I only read ~64 pages of the remaining middle of the book because that was all that applied to me/my chart.
  
  What I found most disappointing about what little I could take away from the main part of the book, is that I felt there was a lot left unmentioned, or I still found somewhat confusing. For example, within my natal chart, I have aspects in Chiron, Midheaven, and the North Node (which all appear on the chart I pulled through Chani's site), but these are not discussed in the book at all, leaving me to do research outside of this guide before reading on.
  
  Also, between Angelou, Kahlo, and selected examples, Chani points out how much is open to interpretation on a personal level and how many subtleties and contradictions can occur within different charts. I felt like she kept referencing the richness that could be uncovered in one's chart without giving any real direction as to how one might begin to put those pieces together for a more personal deduction of one's self. While I recognize that I obviously cannot get a personalized reading from a book, I felt a bit teased by her interpretations of the example charts. For example, on page 197 we begin looking into What Planet Rules Your Ascendant. An intro is dedicated to giving a few examples of theoretical planet and sign mashups before discussing Angelou and Kahlo's remarkable charts (again) before being prompted to skip ahead to your sign. 15 pages later, my particular ascendant ruler gets a 5 word mention in the middle of a paragraph that seems like a total afterthought, leaving me with no conclusion of what my ascendant ruler means for me, despite that being the point of the section.
  
  In the end, I would skip the book, do your own research, continue to enjoy Chani in an online format, and (if you feel so moved) follow the advice she gives at the end of the book which is to seek a reading from an astrologist one on one.
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  etherealfire

  This is a great little basic primer for astrologer newbies, especially geared for (but not exclusive to, by any means) younger people, IMO.
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  Rhea

  This is like ... half a book? More like a workbook. If you are BRAND NEW to astrology this is a clear, well designed primer. But for anyone who has general knowledge of astrology, this is a light review. It was enjoyable to read but nowhere near the deep dive I expected from this famous, thoughtful astrologer.
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  Becca Bishopric Patterson

  I love how easy to read and understand this guide is! It is thorough but digestible for a newcomer to astrology. Chani guides you through understanding your chart with the care, nuance and expertise of the best kind of teacher. She shares her wisdom and expertise while prioritizing your agency in the process. Her vulnerability and authenticity shines through her writing and she had me crying by page 2. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to understand more about astrology and/or how to read their birth chart.
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  Mara

  This was the right kind of astrology for beginners with a self-reflection/devotional component book I've been looking for. I'm not a serious believer, but I do appreciate how things like astrology, personality tests, etc. can invite personal introspection and meditation in a way that is not specifically religious. This is a book I see ruminating on & using for personal reflection on an ongoing basis
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  Shalisa

  Easy to understand, I appreciated the use of regular words. I appreciate that she talks about Dr. Maya Angelou, white supremacy, slavery, and racism. I had a fear that it would be super white and heteronormative but it is surprisingly not. If your curious but don’t want to dive in too strong, perfect book.
• 
  Jasmyne

  Really digestible and easy to read. Chani was finally able to clarify a point in my chart that I've had lots of difficulty understanding. Still, this book left me wanting more. I hope she'll write more books in the future.
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  Morgan M. Page

  Ok, I gave in! It does live up to the hype - if you're looking for an accessible, not too fluffy but not too bogged down by details, primer on astrology. For those with more than passing familiarity with reading birth charts, there is obviously a lot left out, but I suspect that is what books two, three, four.. will cover.
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  Moira

  I don’t remember the last time I’ve been so excited for a book to FINALLY be published. I’ve been dying to get my hands on this since I saw it popping up on social media. If you’ve ever been curious about what your natal chart can tell you about yourself this book will honestly blow you away. It’s written, and organized, in away that makes sense and allows for easy reference. I learned so much about myself today! The journal prompts are a really great touch.
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  Abbey

  It is rare that I buy both hardcover book AND audiobook, but CHANI CHANI CHANI CHANI! Astrology is a tool for self reflection and I'm grateful for this offering from her. Loved both. Highly recommend.
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  Katey Bellew

  Chani’s writing and presentation, along with the diagrams and examples, make this book such an easy one to read. The focus here is very much on understanding the basics of what your sun, moon and rising signs mean for you. Chani offers a ‘choose your own adventure’ style system where you jump to the page that discusses your personal messages, which makes it a very simple and easy to use book. It does also mean, however, that you actually only end up needing to read about half the book. It reminds me very much of how Moonology by Yasmin Boland is structured, if anyone is familiar with that book.
  
  I will say that I was expecting more when I first picked up this book. I thought it was going to introduce the basics of astrology as a study, but it is more the basics of what your ‘big three’ signs mean to you. I quite enjoyed this book and found it the information very accessible, I liked the author’s focus on using astrology to help us live a meaningful and fulfilling life, I just wish there was a bit more to dive in to. Ultimately, the simplicity of this book is both its biggest strength and it’s biggest weakness. A light and worthwhile read, but for those interested in learning more about astrology, this won’t be enough to satisfy your curiosity.
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  emmy

  This book, unfortunately, falls into the popular trope of mainstream astrology of requiring knowledge of birth location and time from the reader in order to engage, thus making the book inaccessible to many marginalized people who don't have access to this information. Disappointing.
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  Ellen

  I have never been more personally called out by the book I was reading and I loved every minutes of it.
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  Eliza

  If you want to break down your birth chart, this book is required. Bring Kleenex because the shadow work is intense.
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  Chelsea Francis

  Read this and finished it on the day my Saturn return completed and it totally changed my life.
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  DeanJean

  Those looking for blazingly new thoughts and theories, and unique material may find themselves disappointed with this, as well as those looking for a deeper understanding of the theories of astrology.
  
  Those new to astrology (and to traditional astrology) may benefit from reading about how Nicholas applies the principles of planets in domicile, detriment, exaltation and fall to wrench more info from the 'Big Three': Sun, Moon and Ascendant. She also examines the condition of the traditional planetary rulers in laymen terms, which was what I liked most about the book. Not too technical to confuse readers, but not too dumbed down (like those houses/sign descriptions).
  
  The information presented could be described as an astro baby's first steps towards the technical aspects of interpretation. However, I still found useful nuggets dispersed throughout the book. Coupled with Nicholas's passion for the art which can be felt throughout the book, I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this to newbies who are unfamiliar with the techniques of astrology.
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  Alanna Why

  I’ve been interested in astrology ever since I was little, but my love for and study of the occult has only ramped up since I got my first tarot deck four years ago. Even though I know quite a bit about astrology, this book was a useful tool for explaining the “Big Three” placements in a birth chart AKA sun sign, moon sign and rising sign/ascendant. This is also one of the few books I’ve read that explained the twelve house system very clearly. It is the ONLY astrology resource I’ve consulted that explained aspects (sextiles, trines, squares and oppositions) in a way that I actually understood. If you want to learn more about reading a birth chart, the house systems and aspects, I would recommend this, but if you already have a confident grasp on these things, you can probably skip it. I got this from the library and ended up making five pages of notes, so I would definitely recommend buying your own copy of it instead of borrowing. Fellow Leo Suns, Taurus Moons and Cancer Risings: Please out yourselves in the comments below.
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  Audra (ouija.reads)

  I've read it, but that this just the first step of this book. Reading it is just the key to opening the door; you have to decide to push it open and discover what's on the other side.
  
  Though I feel like I have a good grip on the main aspects focused on in Nicholas's book (sun sign, moon sign, ascendant), what I most appreciated was how she always brings everything back to you as the reader. It isn't prescriptive, it's about your personal experience and how you can use those insights about yourself to become a better you. This is definitely more of an intro-to-astrology book, but I appreciated Nicholas's unique insights, and I feel like I understand my chart better than I have before.
  
  Astrology is kind of misunderstood. It's not just woo-woo future predictions about your love life that you can read in Cosmo. It is based on much more than that. But it's also not a cure-all that will just tell you the answers about how to live and who to be. It's more about the process of learning to look at yourself in a different way. What you decide to do with that information is up to you.
  
  I love that Nicholas leaves room for further exploration and discovery. I hope she writes another book on the next steps in understanding your chart!
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  Les

  Though she kept it brief, I enjoyed reading her origin story. I enjoyed this book, BUT if you already have accessed her readings, you'll have heard much of what she details. Also, while she does address this issue directly, not having one's known birth-minute (not just birthdate) makes this a much less impactful reading experience than if one does (or believes that you do). If I didn't know when my birth was recorded, I'm not sure how much I would enjoy this approach to astrology. Lots of people don't have access to their records - if there were ones - or are from places/peoples/cultures that don't mark birth in that way. Nicholas can do nothing about this of course, so she acknowledges it and then keeps it pushing. Definitely an easy-to-read reference book. Also, on a sidenote, it's cool to see someone start from one place in their career and attain noted status years later. It's not what typically happens - no matter how much it's sold as being the American way - but here it did. So it's cool to see.
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  Colleen Earle

  I’m not done with the book and will be coming back to it a lot, but I finished reading through what CHANI has to say.
  I love the way the book is laid out. It makes astrology easy and accessible for those, like me, who have not yet been initiated.
  A really great piece for self reflection even if you don’t believe in astrology.
  I really love the questions asked by the book.
  I have a lot to think about.
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  Dana Smessaert

  I will definitely be adding this to my library the way she breaks down the top three of your birth chart focusing more on possible trauma you might of had early on and how to figure that into your chart is really lovely. Speaking as a Leo moon I found how she talked about shame and self centered parents really validating. Everything was explained really beautiful, I know feel I have a great grasp on aspects which used to confuse me quite a bit. Overall definite buy/read.
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  Sarah Esmae Wolfe

  This is a great book for anyone new to astrology. It's a choose your own adventure type of format that helps you understand your natal chart. The author does a great job of breaking things down and making the terminology easy to understand so it doesn't become overwhelming. I'm still trying to figure out what all these astrology terms mean so it was ideal for someone like me but if you already have a good foundation in astrology you may find this to be too simplified.
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  Ondine

  I love Chani's work (I've read her horoscopes for years), so I was excited that this was gifted to me for xmas. It's a quick read because in several sections you are meant to skip around to read about the aspects that are most relevant to your chart. This is definitely a 101 level astrology book, and it is quite a great introduction. I appreciated the reflections questions, and this is definitely a book that I will go back to multiple times.
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  Jessica Lima

  As an intro to astrology from a socially concerned/political perspective it is great! It’s very step by step and is a great start for someone who is interested in it but gets lost on all the online garbage. On the other side, knowing Chani from the online format, I did wish there was more about radical self-acceptance than mere quick references to it.
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  Natalie DeYoung

  I devoured this book. As usual, it was like Nicholas was peering into my soul. My only complaint is that it felt rushed at the end, like it was unfinished—I turned the last page and said, “that’s it?”
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  Rachel

  Definitely a book I’ll want to come back to a bunch.
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  Karen

  I’m a complete novice at astrology. Houses and sextiles, trines and conjunctions — none of it has ever made any sense to me. This book was very helpful in clearing up all of it.
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  Caitlin

  pretty basic but it confirmed that i am beautiful, intelligent, charming, funny and everyone who has ever met me has no choice but to love me, so I have no choice but to support it
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  Sabrina

  Iconic. Legendary. I loved diving deeper into my chart. So well-written!!!