Meet Our New Astrologer Mom (And Get a Free Chart!)

Hi everyone! I'm Ophira, one-half of the Lifetime astrology team The AstroTwins. My twin sister Tali and I have been writing the horoscopes here since 2009. Since then, I became a mom for the first time to my daughter Cybele (born October 3, 2010)-and it's added a whole new dimension to my life.

People often ask me how astrology figures into parenting. Aren't babies born as a blank canvas? What about DNA? Is it nature or nurture that determines their personalities?

In my opinion, it's a combination of all those factors. But the astrology chart-a wheel based on the time, date and place of birth-is like the roadmap to your kid's personality, the Owner's Manual we all actually DO come with. The chart reveals strengths, challenges and needs. While it can get quite specific, there's plenty of ways each planet can express itself as a trait or talent. The timing of planets moving in the sky also triggers some of these aspects. (That's why one year might be best for home-schooling; the next, you might be dragging your kid to X-Factor auditions.) If you have more than one at home, you're well aware that what works for Kid #1 probably doesn't for Kid #2!

Each sign has its own set of needs, and the chart takes that even further. Knowing your child's sign can provide useful clues as to the best activities, sleep patterns, foods, discipline style, school system and so on works for each kid. For example, my daughter Cybele (chart pictured here) is a peaceful, people-loving Libra. However, she also has a feisty Leo moon (she even growls like a lion!), which makes her a playful little clown who perhaps has a future on the stage. Her rising sign, which determines her appearance and the things she gravitates toward, is Cancer, the sign of women. Interestingly, she is born into a female-centric family (a sister and three aunts). Cybele has a Pisces midheaven, which shows her talents and possibly even her career path. Pisces rules the feet, music and dancing-and true to form, she was an early walker (9 months) and dancer. In fact, the only time she kicked during my pregnancy was when I was watching Glee!

Curious about your chart, your child's, or your partner's? Do a free chart on our website.

It's also fascinating to see how YOUR sign (or daddy's) compares to your kid's. That's based on the angles, or distance, between your two signs. Since I'm a Sagittarius, which is a very social two signs apart ("sextile") from Libra, Cybele and I are at our best bopping around the 'hood. I take her with me to restaurants, cafes, even meetings-and she loves it. On the other hand, my friend Carrie, a Cancer, is five signs away ("quincunx") from her Sagittarius daughter. In this karmic angle, their signs have nothing in common. They have a lot of friction, but they are also teachers for one another. Their relationship is a constant work in progress.

I believe our children choose their parents (and their charts) so that their souls can evolve in this lifetime. It's our responsibility to guide them to be the best versions of themselves-and not to force our dreams on them at the expense of their individuality. As much as you wanted a girlie-girl to fulfill your pageant fantasies, or be a "chip off the old block" to take over the family business, the chart has a lot to say about your children's life path.

Curious what's in the stars for you this year? Check out your 2012 Mamascopes!

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