Photos by Magenta
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, understanding and leveraging team dynamics is crucial for achieving success. But what if there was a tool that could provide unique insights into team dynamics and help unlock their full potential? Businesses already use Myres-Briggs to show preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. But what about astrology? An ancient practise that has been gaining popularity in the corporate world as a means of understanding individual and collective traits that can impact team performance.
Understanding the basics of astrology for team dynamics
Astrology is an ancient practise that dates back thousands of years. It is based on the belief that the positions and movements of celestial bodies can have an influence on human behaviour and personality traits. While some may dismiss astrology as mere superstition, others see it as a valuable tool for gaining insights into the complexities of human nature.
Astrology is more than just horoscopes in magazines. Astrology is the language of understanding planetary movements relative to events here on earth. By understanding the basic principles of astrology, and the language, we can begin to explore how it can be applied to team dynamics.
Astrology beyond the Sun Sign
Most people’s experience of astrology is in the daily horoscope in the newspaper. Their vague references to heavenly bodies, and chance encounters with tall handsome strangers, certainly skew the intricacies of what astrology truly is.
Looking up star signs in popular publications is only the tip of astrology. A person’s star sign, or sun sign, only shows where the Sun was relative to their birth. The Sun is not the only celestial body of importance, and this is what we mean when we invite a more holistic look at the benefits of adding astrology as a tool when understanding team dynamics.
The role of astrology in team dynamics
We have posted previously about using astrology in the boardroom, and in the context of team dynamics, astrology can provide valuable insights into individual strengths, weaknesses, communication styles, and potential areas of conflict, based on natal chart data.
By considering the astrological birth charts of team members, we can identify commonalities and differences that may impact their ability to collaborate and function as a cohesive unit. This knowledge can be used to foster a more harmonious and productive work environment and allows team members and leaders to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others.
Astrological signs, houses and planetary aspects
A typical astrological natal chart will reveal what our solar system looked like at the moment of that person’s birth. It will show where the planets were on a wheel, and in what star sign and which house they appear.
The signs of the zodiac are probably what most people are familiar with, and will identify with one of these as being “their star sign”. But, as we have mentioned earlier. People are more than just their star sign. When planets are moving through the star signs, the characteristics of planets blend with characteristics of star signs. It is this blending of characteristics that is information useful when looking at team dynamics.
Houses are twelve different fixed ‘zones’ in the sky. Each house represents a different part of our human experiences, such as relationships or career. The houses stay fixed, and the planets and the signs move through them. Just as planets and star signs blend their characteristics, as they each move through houses, they influence that part of the human experience.
In our solar system, our celestial neighbours all travel across the sky at different speeds. When they do so, they form ‘aspects’ with each other. For example, they could appear at opposite ends of the sky to each other or they could travel side by side for a while. This is what is called forming ‘aspects’. Planets that form easy aspects with each other are generally thought of as getting along, blending nicely at the moment of birth. The ones that form hard aspects, were not getting along so well when that person was born.
Analysing team dynamics through astrology
By analysing the astrological charts of team members, we can gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play within the group. For example, team members with strong Mars placement in their charts may be highly energetic and passionate, but may also face challenges related to ego clashes and a lack of attention to detail. On the other hand, team members with a strong Venus placement may be collaborative and grounded, and may struggle with risk-taking and assertiveness.
By identifying key astrological elements within a team, leaders can tailor their management strategies to address the specific strengths and weaknesses of the group in given moments. For example, team members with well placed Mercury in their charts may benefit from leading brainstorming sessions and be receptive to open communication.
Team challenges and harmony that show up in astrology
In addition to understanding the individual traits and compatibility within a team. Some key moments that may affect people at work can be revealed by looking at natal charts. For example, some planets make their way very slowly through the solar system, so that when they arrive back around to their placement when that person was born, this can account for challenges experienced by individuals that, when in the house of career, can spill over at work.
Saturn returns, or when Saturn makes one full spin around the Sun and back to where it was at the moment of birth, can be difficult for some people. For example, some people make life changing decisions around the time of Saturn returns. Knowing which part of the human experience may be impacted, by utilising astrology at work, can help leaders support their teams better.
Astrological insights as complementary to psychological insights
Myres-Briggs is a corporate approach to understanding personality types. This works by using questionnaire response data to assign values to personality categories such as introversion or extraversion.
Insights is another corporate tool that takes a similar approach to understanding personalities. This system uses a colour model to represent key aspects of personality such as analytical and precise or strong-willed.
Centaur is a five body-mind-personality mapping process taken from readable patterns of muscular tension within the body. This system uses pictorial modelling to represent key personalities as Wizards or Warriors.
So we see that tools well established in corporate life come from extrapolating data obtained from short surveys or by observing people. We’re convinced that adding in astrological data is not too much of a leap to make to inform business leaders of team dynamics in similar ways.
Harnessing the power of astrology for team dynamics
Astrology may not be a traditional tool yet for understanding team dynamics, but its potential impact on team success should not be overlooked. By gaining insights into individual and collective traits through astrology, leaders can unlock the hidden potential of their teams.
From fostering team harmony and effective leadership, astrology offers a fresh perspective that can contribute to achieving team success in today’s fast-paced business world. So, whether you’re a believer in astrology or not, it’s worth considering the insights and possibilities it can bring to your team. By tapping into the cosmic energy and understanding the unique traits of each team member, you can unlock their full potential and drive your team towards achieving greatness. Embrace astrology as a tool to illuminate team dynamics, and watch as your team reaches new heights of success.
Thank you for subscribing. By subscribing you now have premiere access to exclusive content. Do you know someone who would like to enjoy all our free content? Please share this with them and invite them to subscribe too!
