“The year 2026 will be one of pleasure and play for you,” astrologer Grace McGrade, who works with dating app Stars Align, told me one Tuesday evening last November during a reading focused on my love life. After nearly six years of being (mostly) single—and frankly, a little bored—this was exactly the kind of news I’d been wanting to hear, some that helped me feel a little more hopeful about the upcoming year. But can astrology really determine how your love life will look in the coming 12 months?
Admittedly, I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic. Although I’m somewhat into star signs (I know a great deal about being a Leo, which is perhaps the most Leo trait of all), I’ve never really understood how astrology can tell you much about your future. But speaking to McGrade, she just seemed to get me, from how I love to what I’m looking for—and apparently, it’s all because of my birth chart.
A birth chart depicts where the planets and stars were in the sky based on the time, location, and day you were born; they all exist within one of 12 houses that signify a component of life. Also known as a natal chart, it “shows how you attach, what makes you feel safe, and where you tend to repeat the same scripts,” McGrade tells SELF. Looking to the specific planet placements, she expands: “Venus reveals how you give and receive love, what you find beautiful, and how you pursue pleasure. The moon speaks to emotional needs and attachment, while Mars shows desire, chemistry, and how you go after what you want. The 7th house and its ruler tell us about partnership dynamics, while the 8th house shows us how we share and bond.” Together, she adds, these readings can speak volumes about your romantic instincts and how the coming year may work out for you.
For my own love life, 2026 is set to be a pretty pivotal year if my birth chart is anything to go by. As well as the whole “pleasure and play” thing (which really resonates since I’ve promised myself I will explore more sexually), McGrade shared that she could tell that I’d be prioritizing love where I feel completely “seen.” As someone who’s never felt fully understood and accepted by exes, this is spot on.
