Anyone who knows anything about astrology only needs a minute to know I’m Aries. I’m passionate, uncomplicated, motivated, a confident leader with relentless determination and honest to slicing point. When I came across Ophiuchus, known as the snake charmer and depicted as a man wrestling with a snake, I knew it was not the 13th zodiac sign and that no way was I Pisces.  Ophiuchus is a constellation so has no place in astrology but what if it was passing me a secret message?

Astrologers believe those born under Ophiuchus are seekers of great truths. That this should be limited to folk born from November 29th – December 18th, was illogical.  I created my own theory regarding  constellation Ophiuchus’s existence and what it wanted me to learn so I could climb the snake’s back.

Since there was a possibility of me being relegated to Pisces, I read up on them. A Pisces was basically a mermaid in a bathtub drinking a glass of champagne and represented the culmination of every other sign’s karmic evolution.  Champagne and karmic evolution were as much Aries as Pisces any day of the week other than a goat would be in the bathtub. I decided not to see myself as an Aries but a seeker of knowledge with a combination personality of twelve zodiac signs. I shared their best traits. I was loyal, optimistic, energetic, caring, charismatic, passionate, talented and balanced.  The man depicted in pic wasn’t stoking the snake’s ego, however, it wrestled with it.

I checked the worst traits of each zodiac sign. Cold, condescending, overly self-indulgent, moody, over emotional, impulsive, two faced.  I skipped through, smugly patting myself on the back, then truth hit. I wasn’t better than them. Their worst traits brought out mine! When someone was stubborn, I struck back with Aries venom. I saw the selfish me, everything I disliked in others and accepted we are a beautiful mess of flawed humans who share traits from 12 signs. I decided to better my flaws by becoming less reactive to other’s worst traits, by keeping my mouth shut when silence was more productive, by replacing criticism with praise and being less rambunctious.

Ophiuchus was a wakeup call. A voice in the void saying ‘Love as 12.’  My worst trait is arrogance so I haven’t got there yet. When I do, I shall call myself a code breaking Ophiuchus-Aries, Seeker of Truth.

Stella Ralfini is an award winning life coach, natural health and beauty expert and bestselling author.