How Astrology and IFS Work Together
I’ve been fascinated by astrology for as long as I can remember—the way a birthchart can illuminate patterns and life themes that feel almost eerily accurate. Years later, when I trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), I found myself noticing the same thing: a person’s “inner parts” often echoed the archetypes in their chart. It was like seeing the same story told in two different languages. The more I worked with clients, the more I realized these two systems didn’t just complement each other—they could be woven together to create a powerful, compassionate map for understanding the lessons our souls are here to learn.
Astrology is not about fortune-telling or predicting the future. It’s about self-understanding. Think about astrology this way, its a map to unveil the questions you are fated to encounter in your lifetime. How you answer them is still up to you.
So, when we work with a birthchart through the lens of IFS, we start to see those questions more clearly. We recognize the life themes we’re meant to work through, and in doing so, we create more choice in how we respond to what’s here.
The Birthchart as a Lesson Plan
Think of your birthchart as your soul’s curriculum—your unique set of growth assignments. Most of us cycle through the same patterns over and over: similar relationships, familiar career challenges, recurring internal struggles. These aren’t signs you’re “stuck” or “failing.” They’re signs you’re in the right classroom.
Astrology helps you see that classroom from above. And once you can name the lesson, you can stop reacting on autopilot and start engaging with intention.
In my work, I use three core components of the chart to guide IFS exploration:
Planet – The part itself. Mercury may show up as the communicator, Venus as the connector, Saturn as the rule-keeper or taskmaster.
Sign – This illuminates the psychological motivation of the part. What does it want? What is its deeper intention or need?
House – Where in life this energy is likely to be expressed. What circumstances tend to bring it forward?
When you put these together—Planet in a Sign in a House—you get a trailhead question in IFS terms:
What does this part want?
What does it need?
Where in my life is it asking to show up?
For example, I have Mars in Taurus in the 9th House.
Planet (Mars) – This is the part of me that takes action, asserts itself, and protects boundaries.
Sign (Taurus) – This part wants stability, security, and tangible results. It prefers a steady, deliberate pace over impulsive moves.
House (9th) – These themes are most likely to show up in areas tied to exploration—philosophy, higher education, travel, spiritual seeking, and the search for meaning.
My IFS trailhead might sound like:
“There’s a part of me that wants to explore and expand my horizons—but it needs to feel grounded and safe to do so. It resists rushing into new beliefs or adventures without a clear sense of what I’m building toward. How can I give it enough stability so it feels free to explore?”
Bingo. It took me years to establish myself as a corporate professional before I let myself dive into spiritual seeking and search for meaning through coaching. AND there are still dynamics within me that seek stability over this more unusual pathway. However, this is part of how I’m meant to expand and awaken to my true nature, and if I can remember that, I won’t feel so alone or off in my journey.
One of the most liberating shifts this work offers is the understanding that there’s nothing “wrong” with you for encountering the same lessons again and again.
You’re not lazy for struggling with procrastination when it’s tied to your Saturn placement. You’re not “too sensitive” for feeling deeply if your Moon is in a water sign. You’re not “bad at relationships” if your Venus is in a placement that prioritizes independence.
These aren’t excuses—they’re invitations. When you know the “why,” you can stop fighting yourself and start collaborating with your parts.
Planets as Parts
In IFS, “parts” are sub-personalities with their own perspectives, fears, and goals. In astrology, each planet holds an archetypal energy that aligns beautifully with how we might name a part:
Sun – Your central organizing energy; a part that seeks purpose.
Moon – Your emotional processor; a part that feels deeply and seeks safety.
Mercury – Your communicator and meaning-maker.
Venus – Your connector and harmonizer.
Mars – Your activator and protector of boundaries.
Saturn – Your structure-setter and internal authority.
Jupiter – Your expander and possibility-seeker.
If you have a cluster of planets in one house, that area of life becomes a focal point for your soul’s growth. An “empty” house doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant—just that it’s not as heavily featured in your core assignment.
While astrology gives you the map, IFS gives you the tools to walk it:
To meet each planetary “part” with curiosity and compassion.
To unburden the fears and beliefs those parts carry.
To lead them from Self—the calm, clear, compassionate presence at your core.
In practice, this might look like identifying your Mars in Cancer as a protective part that acts defensively when your sense of belonging feels threatened. Or recognizing your Mercury in Capricorn as a part that overplans to avoid feeling unprepared.
These insights aren’t about resignation. They’re about conscious choice.
A Few Questions to Explore
If you’re curious about your own chart, start here:
Pick one planet that feels important to you right now.
Look up the sign and house it’s in.
Ask:
What does this part want?
What does it need?
Where in my life is it asking to show up?
Notice if this connects to a pattern you’ve been cycling through.
The Magic of Integration
Astrology tells you where the terrain is steep, where the rivers run deep, and where the open fields are. IFS gives you the skills and inner leadership to walk that terrain with presence.
Together, they offer a kind of compassionate clarity that says:
“This is the work I’m here to do. I’m not behind. I’m not broken. I’m exactly where I need to be in my soul’s lesson plan.”
And from that place, growth stops feeling like a punishment and starts feeling like what it truly is: your soul’s ongoing conversation with life.
Want to explore this together? Book a free consult here.
Like learning about Astrology and IFS? Check out this amazing podcast (Parts and Charts) that dives into even more!
