A Montreal Astrologist Shared What We Need To Know About Signs, Mercury Retrograde & 2020

I think it's safe to say that the grand majority of us find astrology pretty confusing. That's why when I stumbled upon local Montreal astrologist Samantha Bosshard's profile, I figure she'd be a good person to ask all my questions to. Samantha discovered her love for the subject at a young age. She told MTL Blog that astrology provides her with a lot of clarity and understanding about who she is as an individual. 

For the past few years, Bosshard has been following phases of the Moon. She completed Level 1 of the Canadian Association of Astrological Education (CAAE) this past June. 

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Now, she's begun helping people understanding themselves better with birth chart readings.

Since 2020 has been an interesting year (to say the least), we decided to speak with Samantha about all the astrology-related questions that have been burning in our minds since January.

From Mercury Retrograde to the different types of signs, Bosshard helped us gain a lot of insight into the world of the stars.

And now we get to share it with you.

Answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Ok, help us. What exactly is Mercury Retrograde and why do people claim that it's so powerful? What happens during it?

When Mercury, or any other planet, goes into retrograde, it changes its movement from our perspective on Earth. It looks like the planet is moving in the opposite direction when it isn't actually. But, the illusion of it moving backwards really affects us on Earth.

Because Mercury is the planet of communication, when it's retrograde, there can be many miscommunications, delays with public transit, or a lot of traffic. Technology can also be a bit wonky. 

It's been said that you shouldn't sign any contracts, buy any new technology, or plan any trips during this time because things could get lost in the crosswire. 

Retrograde isn't anything to fear, it's an indication for us to slow down, reflect, re-examine and revaluate.

Can you explain the difference between Sun, Moon and Rising signs?

The Rising sign is people's first impression of you, it's how people see you. It's your appearance and personality. 

Your Sun sign is your identity and who you're striving to become. The sun is the hero planet, so it word to express our authentic individual identity. 

And Moon signs represent who we're when we're at our most comfortable — our response, intuition, and feelings.

What are the most important things someone should know about astrology? 

Find out your Rising, Sun, and Moon signs. Those can help give you a better understanding of who you're.

Your birth chart is just your blueprint, it's who you are when you're on autopilot. But, once you understand the energies and planets, then you can really use it as a tool for self-awareness. 

What can you say about the events of 2020 and their relation to the stars?

This has been a very big year astrologically. We saw conjunction (means beside each other) with Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn on January 12, 2020. 

Saturn and Pluto haven't met in Capricorn in over 600 years. When people say we're living in unprecedented times, we are. 

Saturn is the planet of constraint and boundaries, meanwhile, Pluto is the planet of transformation and control.

And with this, we can assume that societal structures are going to breakdown, so the news can be born. 

Hope that gave you a bit of a clearer picture of the stars, the moon, the planets, and the way in which they affect our everyday lives.