Have you ever felt like a certain place simply unlocked something in you—like it gave you a new sense of self, or mirrored exactly what your soul needed at that time?
That’s not a coincidence. In astrology, our birth charts don’t just speak to who we are. They also whisper to where we thrive—and how we come alive when we travel.
Some placements crave adventure and expansion. Others want peace, introspection, or the joy of building connections in new settings. Once you learn the language of your own chart, travel becomes more than a holiday. It becomes healing. It becomes activation. It becomes a map to soul-aligned growth.
In this post, I want to share two beautiful examples of how travel showed up in my own daughter’s life—in perfect harmony with her natal chart.
Travel as a Mirror: Why Astrology Belongs in Your Suitcase
Before we dive in, let’s talk briefly about why travel and astrology go hand in hand.
Every planet in your chart governs a part of you. Where it sits by sign and house tells you how and where you express it. While most of us think about astrology as an internal tool (personality, emotions, patterns), it’s equally powerful as an external guide—showing us what kinds of environments, challenges, and experiences unlock our best selves.
Think of it this way:
A Sagittarius Moon may feel emotionally nourished by far-off places and deep conversations with strangers.
A Venus in Virgo might find pleasure and confidence in structured solo travel or wellness-focused retreats.
A Sun in the 3rd house is likely to bloom through city breaks, study abroad, and culture-swapping.
Once you start mapping travel through your birth chart, even the smallest weekend away becomes part of your soul’s journey.
Now let’s look at a couple of examples:
Lisbon: when the Sun speaks through new Streets
☀️ Sun in Libra – House 3
Aspiration: Cultural connection through communication
Soul-aligned experience: Semester abroad in Lisbon, Portugal
When my daughter decided to spend a semester studying in Lisbon, I immediately thought of her chart. She has her Sun in Libra, placed in the 3rd house of communication, learning, and local engagement.
The 3rd house is all about mental stimulation, curiosity, new languages, and the “everyday” movements that shape how we relate to the world—your neighborhood, your peers, your morning commute. Libra adds the Libran grace: a need for social balance, connection, and shared understanding.
Studying abroad, especially in a vibrant and artistic city like Lisbon, was a perfect expression of this placement. She spent her days immersed in classes, cultural events, language-switching conversations, and endless café debates with fellow students. It wasn’t just academic learning—it was soul-level engagement with people, ideas, and the city itself.
She made wonderful new friends—some of whom became chosen family for the semester. She learned to live in a new rhythm, to connect with different personalities, and to listen across cultural lines. In short, she was living her Libra Sun in the 3rd house to the fullest: building harmony through communication and cultural exchange.
And I could see it in her energy. She was more confident, more expressive, more centered.
Travel takeaway: When you align with your 3rd house Sun, you don’t need to cross the globe for transformation. It’s about curiosity, connection, and choosing to grow through dialogue. But for her, Lisbon opened that door wide—and gave her the perfect playground to shine.
Madeira: where Mars dances with Freedom
♂ Mars in Sagittarius – House 5
Aspiration: Bold joy and playful adventure
Soul-aligned experience: Spontaneous weekend escape to Madeira
Partway through the semester, my daughter and a few of her new friends booked a last-minute weekend getaway to Madeira. It was unplanned, energetic, and full of laughter—and as soon as she told me, I thought: That’s her Mars in Sagittarius in the 5th house.
Mars governs our motivation, our energy, and how we take action. In Sagittarius, it’s fiery, adventurous, bold, and spontaneous. It says “yes” to the unknown, thrives on physical movement, and craves novelty. Add the 5th house, which rules joy, creativity, fun, and pleasure, and what you get is pure playful action.
Madeira, with its wild cliffs, lush hiking trails, and island spontaneity, was a perfect outlet for this Mars placement. The trip wasn’t about achievement—it was about experience. From coastal walks to music-filled dinners, she came back feeling alive.
Mars in the 5th isn’t just about action—it’s about expression. And when she travels in this way—without a plan, in good company, following her gut—it’s not just fun. It’s restorative. It’s energizing. It refuels her in a way that no amount of quiet rest could.
Travel takeaway: Your Mars placement can tell you a lot about what kind of travel recharges you. For some, it’s rugged challenge; for others, it’s cultural immersion or creative expression. Mars in Sagittarius in the 5th? That’s dancing barefoot on a balcony after a spontaneous hike. That’s joy in motion.
My Own Story: when Work becomes a Journey of the Soul
It’s not just my daughter who has experienced travel as a kind of personal astrology in motion. I’ve spent a good part of my adult life traveling too—not just for holidays, but through work.
Over the years, I’ve had the chance to live and work in New Zealand and the United States, with my family by my side. These weren’t just trips—they were extended stays that reshaped how I saw myself, my career, and even what “home” means.
And when I look at my chart, it all makes sense.
Moon in Cancer – 6th House
Aspiration: Emotional safety through nurturing work and daily care
Astro insight: My emotional wellbeing is deeply tied to service, structure, and creating comfort in the everyday. Living abroad while working meant building new routines in unfamiliar settings—setting up homes, finding new rhythms, and nurturing both my family and my purpose.
Traveling for work wasn’t glamorous, but it was grounding. It brought me back to myself again and again through what I gave, not just what I received.
♂ Mars in Gemini – 4th House
Aspiration: Action through flexibility and family-centered change
Astro insight: Mars in the 4th house reflects an urge to move and build—especially when it comes to family, home, and belonging. For me, that’s looked like packing up for new places, adapting to change, and keeping energy flowing within the domestic sphere—even while abroad. With Mars in Gemini, there’s also a gift for communicating through transition—navigating visas, school systems, cultural quirks. It’s restless, but resilient.
☊ North Node in Sagittarius – 12th House
Aspiration: Soul growth through spiritual expansion and trust
Astro insight: This is perhaps the most mysterious part of the story. Sagittarius North Node calls for growth through faraway places, big ideas, and inner freedom. In the 12th house, the growth is quiet. It’s not about achievements—it’s about surrender.
In hindsight, living abroad taught me this. The more I released control and trusted the process, the more I found my truth. Some lessons came loud and fast. Others came in silence—like standing on a beach at sunset on the other side of the world, realizing I’d brought my whole life with me, and it still fit.
When the Chart comes to Life
Whether it’s a daughter chasing joy in Madeira, or a mother building home through work in the Southern Hemisphere, the message is the same: your chart is always unfolding. You don’t have to go far to activate it—but when you do, something profound can shift.
Travel changes you. But the right travel—aligned travel—reveals you.
Ready to Build your own Astro Travel Bucket List?
If this post stirred something in you—an old dream, a future destination, or a sense that your next journey could mean more—then you’re ready. The Astro Travel Bucket List is more than a list of places. It’s a beautiful, interactive tool that maps your planetary placements to travel aspirations. It helps you choose destinations that align with your soul, your growth, and your purpose. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a gap year, a sabbatical, a healing retreat, or a spontaneous weekend away—this guide shows you where your chart already wants to take you.
Each list item is designed to:
- Reflect your birth chart placements by planet, sign, and house
- Inspire travel ideas with soul-level significance
- Support emotional, creative, intellectual, and spiritual fulfillment
For example, someone with Aquarius placements in the 3rd house may be called to study AI ethics in Amsterdam or record a podcast in Berlin. Someone with Mars in Virgo in the 10th might climb Mount Fuji on sabbatical. Your chart’s story becomes a curated itinerary.
Your birth chart is a map. Let it guide your next great adventure.
You can purchase your own – which is reusable for family and friends here: Travel Astro Bucket List
Curious to explore astrocartography as a complement to your bucket list? While the Sooth My Soul – Astrological Travel Bucket List already guides you to soul-aligned destinations through your planetary placements, astrocartography offers a more precise geographic lens. If you’re curious about how specific locations amplify different parts of your chart, this thoughtful guide is a beautiful way to go deeper: How Places Transform Us – The Travelling Light.
Or read my other posts on travelling: Travel Astrology
