What do you think of when you hear the word empath? For me, it feels overused. Suddenly, everyone is one & it feels like a cheap trend. But, what if we are all empaths? Are we all feeling & claiming each other’s emotions as our own – similar to how the mythological fates shared an eye?
Many years of studying my own birth chart has led me to consider the possibility that I may be able to read the emotions of others. I have Venus at 0* Cancer, the truest & most raw expression of the sign. Cancer’s motto is “I feel, therefore, I am.” Translated quite literally – Cancer has the ability to create their reality based on what they feel.
I remember how I felt about myself as a child. Bold & Sassy. Loud & Outspoken. I am still those things. But, I was born into a family that didn’t appreciate those qualities. I was too loud. I spoke too much. I needed to adjust, change & conform to my environment. Their insecurities became mine. I sought to fit in while also trying to avoid the pit falls I’d seen others fall in.
An internal battle ensued. On one side, there was the person I thought I was. Then, there was who I tried to be. And a third – who everyone saw me as. I couldn’t figure out why people around me didn’t see what I saw in me OR THEMSELVES!
After I had my son at 25, I spent a long time alone & reflected on my life. I could see how carrying around feelings from my mother led to me being a single mother myself. When I began spending too much time focusing on my daddy issues, I attracted a man who REALLY took me to the depths of my pain. I realized it wasn’t my pain I was carrying at all – it was my parents, my family. When I decided I wasn’t going to hold onto it anymore, all these relationships fell away.
I see now that hardly anyone could see me for who I was. As a child, I shined too bright & they were blinded. I made adjustments when it should have been the other way around.
And, I wonder how many people are having the same experience. How many are doing the same thing I did to myself? Warping our own realities based on the insecurities & lack of self awareness by those around us?
If any reader can relate, I encourage you to speak up. Let me know in The Calabash Community & use this as an opportunity to share your experience.
About Mercurial Martian
My name is Ciara. I am originally from California, but I currently live in TN. I have studied astrology & tarot off & on for approximately 14 years. I currently offer readings in an effort to assist people balance their lives.
