What do you think?
Rate this book
You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance
The beloved Los Angeles astrologer with more than one million fans shows a new generation how to use astrology as a tool for self-discovery, success, and self-care in this revolutionary guide.
Modern astrology isn’t about passively accepting our fate, it’s about action, and beloved astrologer Chani Nicholas shows you how to bring this life-changing practice into your life and embrace self-empowerment, intentionality, and spirituality. Gone are the days of "on Tuesday you will meet your prince charming" horoscopes. Instead, Nicholas is spearheading a radical new approach to astrology. In her hip, inspirational weekly horoscopes, she doesn’t tell readers what will happen to them. Instead, she encourages her devotees to take control—to confront themselves, their desires, and their needs—to fulfill their potential using the power of the stars.
Written in her lyrical, cool-girl, feminist writing style, You Were Born for This explains how knowing your star signs and what they mean for your individual character can be revelatory. Understanding the astrological chart can help you refine your intentions, identify your strengths, recognize areas for growth, become more connected to your core self, and steer you on your spiritual path.
In an era when growing numbers of people feel a sense of meaninglessness and a desire to learn more about themselves, You Were Born for This teaches you how to harness the zodiac to help you become more in tune with yourself and your place in the universe.
Modern astrology isn’t about passively accepting our fate, it’s about action, and beloved astrologer Chani Nicholas shows you how to bring this life-changing practice into your life and embrace self-empowerment, intentionality, and spirituality. Gone are the days of "on Tuesday you will meet your prince charming" horoscopes. Instead, Nicholas is spearheading a radical new approach to astrology. In her hip, inspirational weekly horoscopes, she doesn’t tell readers what will happen to them. Instead, she encourages her devotees to take control—to confront themselves, their desires, and their needs—to fulfill their potential using the power of the stars.
Written in her lyrical, cool-girl, feminist writing style, You Were Born for This explains how knowing your star signs and what they mean for your individual character can be revelatory. Understanding the astrological chart can help you refine your intentions, identify your strengths, recognize areas for growth, become more connected to your core self, and steer you on your spiritual path.
In an era when growing numbers of people feel a sense of meaninglessness and a desire to learn more about themselves, You Were Born for This teaches you how to harness the zodiac to help you become more in tune with yourself and your place in the universe.
Audible Audio
First published January 7, 2020
2032 people are currently reading
12671 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 848 reviews
January 15, 2020
It should be said that I love Chani's writing, regular horoscopes, affirmations, positivity, and her style of astrology. I wasn't entirely sure what I would get out of this book, but was happy to support her regardless. I'm no astro-wiz, but it would be fair to say I can follow more than the average person may, so I understand that I may not have been the target audience for this guide.
Overall, I found You Were Born for This to be lacking meat. There are 287 pages in the book. Once you rule out the intro, the "what's next" closing, acknowledgments, pages dedicated to repeating example aspects that are mentioned prior, pages showing example charts for Maya Angelou and Frida Kahlo that are also shown earlier in context, an unnecessary index... You are left only to cover your sun, moon, and ascendant. This still seems like a lot to work through, however, the "choose your own adventure" format of the book means you will be skipping past most of it to snippets that are pertinent to your chart only. In the end, I only read ~64 pages of the remaining middle of the book because that was all that applied to me/my chart.
What I found most disappointing about what little I could take away from the main part of the book, is that I felt there was a lot left unmentioned, or I still found somewhat confusing. For example, within my natal chart, I have aspects in Chiron, Midheaven, and the North Node (which all appear on the chart I pulled through Chani's site), but these are not discussed in the book at all, leaving me to do research outside of this guide before reading on.
Also, between Angelou, Kahlo, and selected examples, Chani points out how much is open to interpretation on a personal level and how many subtleties and contradictions can occur within different charts. I felt like she kept referencing the richness that could be uncovered in one's chart without giving any real direction as to how one might begin to put those pieces together for a more personal deduction of one's self. While I recognize that I obviously cannot get a personalized reading from a book, I felt a bit teased by her interpretations of the example charts. For example, on page 197 we begin looking into What Planet Rules Your Ascendant. An intro is dedicated to giving a few examples of theoretical planet and sign mashups before discussing Angelou and Kahlo's remarkable charts (again) before being prompted to skip ahead to your sign. 15 pages later, my particular ascendant ruler gets a 5 word mention in the middle of a paragraph that seems like a total afterthought, leaving me with no conclusion of what my ascendant ruler means for me, despite that being the point of the section.
In the end, I would skip the book, do your own research, continue to enjoy Chani in an online format, and (if you feel so moved) follow the advice she gives at the end of the book which is to seek a reading from an astrologist one on one.
Overall, I found You Were Born for This to be lacking meat. There are 287 pages in the book. Once you rule out the intro, the "what's next" closing, acknowledgments, pages dedicated to repeating example aspects that are mentioned prior, pages showing example charts for Maya Angelou and Frida Kahlo that are also shown earlier in context, an unnecessary index... You are left only to cover your sun, moon, and ascendant. This still seems like a lot to work through, however, the "choose your own adventure" format of the book means you will be skipping past most of it to snippets that are pertinent to your chart only. In the end, I only read ~64 pages of the remaining middle of the book because that was all that applied to me/my chart.
What I found most disappointing about what little I could take away from the main part of the book, is that I felt there was a lot left unmentioned, or I still found somewhat confusing. For example, within my natal chart, I have aspects in Chiron, Midheaven, and the North Node (which all appear on the chart I pulled through Chani's site), but these are not discussed in the book at all, leaving me to do research outside of this guide before reading on.
Also, between Angelou, Kahlo, and selected examples, Chani points out how much is open to interpretation on a personal level and how many subtleties and contradictions can occur within different charts. I felt like she kept referencing the richness that could be uncovered in one's chart without giving any real direction as to how one might begin to put those pieces together for a more personal deduction of one's self. While I recognize that I obviously cannot get a personalized reading from a book, I felt a bit teased by her interpretations of the example charts. For example, on page 197 we begin looking into What Planet Rules Your Ascendant. An intro is dedicated to giving a few examples of theoretical planet and sign mashups before discussing Angelou and Kahlo's remarkable charts (again) before being prompted to skip ahead to your sign. 15 pages later, my particular ascendant ruler gets a 5 word mention in the middle of a paragraph that seems like a total afterthought, leaving me with no conclusion of what my ascendant ruler means for me, despite that being the point of the section.
In the end, I would skip the book, do your own research, continue to enjoy Chani in an online format, and (if you feel so moved) follow the advice she gives at the end of the book which is to seek a reading from an astrologist one on one.
September 22, 2020
This is a great little basic primer for astrologer newbies, especially geared for (but not exclusive to, by any means) younger people, IMO.
January 18, 2020
This is like ... half a book? More like a workbook. If you are BRAND NEW to astrology this is a clear, well designed primer. But for anyone who has general knowledge of astrology, this is a light review. It was enjoyable to read but nowhere near the deep dive I expected from this famous, thoughtful astrologer.
May 7, 2025
No, just no.
January 6, 2020
I love how easy to read and understand this guide is! It is thorough but digestible for a newcomer to astrology. Chani guides you through understanding your chart with the care, nuance and expertise of the best kind of teacher. She shares her wisdom and expertise while prioritizing your agency in the process. Her vulnerability and authenticity shines through her writing and she had me crying by page 2. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to understand more about astrology and/or how to read their birth chart.
July 28, 2020
This was the right kind of astrology for beginners with a self-reflection/devotional component book I've been looking for. I'm not a serious believer, but I do appreciate how things like astrology, personality tests, etc. can invite personal introspection and meditation in a way that is not specifically religious. This is a book I see ruminating on & using for personal reflection on an ongoing basis
February 18, 2020
Really digestible and easy to read. Chani was finally able to clarify a point in my chart that I've had lots of difficulty understanding. Still, this book left me wanting more. I hope she'll write more books in the future.
January 8, 2020
Easy to understand, I appreciated the use of regular words. I appreciate that she talks about Dr. Maya Angelou, white supremacy, slavery, and racism. I had a fear that it would be super white and heteronormative but it is surprisingly not. If your curious but don’t want to dive in too strong, perfect book.
January 14, 2021
Ok, I gave in! It does live up to the hype - if you're looking for an accessible, not too fluffy but not too bogged down by details, primer on astrology. For those with more than passing familiarity with reading birth charts, there is obviously a lot left out, but I suspect that is what books two, three, four.. will cover.
October 29, 2023
this is really really accurate for me and helped me understand the basics of my birthchart better!
April 28, 2025
I'm obsessed with astrology! I wish this had gone deeper!
June 27, 2023
This is not really a study of Astrology, but of a guide to mainly uncover your three primaries: your Sun, your Moon, your Ascendant (w/ ruler in attendance). While some slight it as beginner-only, I believe it's more than that. Its simplicity is key to help you get some mapping clarified, opens the gates and beckons you to do the rest of the work.
Sun/soul. Moon/emotions. Ascendant/image (ruler/statesman). Simplicity beckons complexity.
Sun/soul. Moon/emotions. Ascendant/image (ruler/statesman). Simplicity beckons complexity.
January 8, 2020
I don’t remember the last time I’ve been so excited for a book to FINALLY be published. I’ve been dying to get my hands on this since I saw it popping up on social media. If you’ve ever been curious about what your natal chart can tell you about yourself this book will honestly blow you away. It’s written, and organized, in away that makes sense and allows for easy reference. I learned so much about myself today! The journal prompts are a really great touch.
January 28, 2020
It is rare that I buy both hardcover book AND audiobook, but CHANI CHANI CHANI CHANI! Astrology is a tool for self reflection and I'm grateful for this offering from her. Loved both. Highly recommend.
July 21, 2020
Chani’s writing and presentation, along with the diagrams and examples, make this book such an easy one to read. The focus here is very much on understanding the basics of what your sun, moon and rising signs mean for you. Chani offers a ‘choose your own adventure’ style system where you jump to the page that discusses your personal messages, which makes it a very simple and easy to use book. It does also mean, however, that you actually only end up needing to read about half the book. It reminds me very much of how Moonology by Yasmin Boland is structured, if anyone is familiar with that book.
I will say that I was expecting more when I first picked up this book. I thought it was going to introduce the basics of astrology as a study, but it is more the basics of what your ‘big three’ signs mean to you. I quite enjoyed this book and found it the information very accessible, I liked the author’s focus on using astrology to help us live a meaningful and fulfilling life, I just wish there was a bit more to dive in to. Ultimately, the simplicity of this book is both its biggest strength and it’s biggest weakness. A light and worthwhile read, but for those interested in learning more about astrology, this won’t be enough to satisfy your curiosity.
I will say that I was expecting more when I first picked up this book. I thought it was going to introduce the basics of astrology as a study, but it is more the basics of what your ‘big three’ signs mean to you. I quite enjoyed this book and found it the information very accessible, I liked the author’s focus on using astrology to help us live a meaningful and fulfilling life, I just wish there was a bit more to dive in to. Ultimately, the simplicity of this book is both its biggest strength and it’s biggest weakness. A light and worthwhile read, but for those interested in learning more about astrology, this won’t be enough to satisfy your curiosity.
December 14, 2023
Think of this more as a guide/workbook and less as a “book” and it delivers on what it says it will by the title. Recommend if you like Chani’s progressive and inclusive lens on astrology online or her podcast as that comes through and gives a more cohesive understanding of how to read your astrological chart beyond just your sun moon and rising.
(PS although the audiobook does come with a companion pdf of all of the reflections and sheets to input, it’s probably altogether better to just get a hard copy of this instead.)
(PS although the audiobook does come with a companion pdf of all of the reflections and sheets to input, it’s probably altogether better to just get a hard copy of this instead.)
January 30, 2025
My Goodreads family… you MUST have this important reference book in your collection. I got this because I don’t like feeling like a dumbass and I did when it came to astrology. Unfortunately… I am still a dumbass. But now I know that it’s because my mars is in Libra - aka IT’S NOT MY FAULT!!!
It was so fun to analyze all of my loved ones’ charts (incl many of you reading this right now) and be like damnnnn so that’s why we love each other so bad. It was unfortunate to learn that I will never care about work or success but was empowering to know that the North Star in my life is DEEP RELATIONSHIPS.
🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀
It was so fun to analyze all of my loved ones’ charts (incl many of you reading this right now) and be like damnnnn so that’s why we love each other so bad. It was unfortunate to learn that I will never care about work or success but was empowering to know that the North Star in my life is DEEP RELATIONSHIPS.
🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀
February 4, 2020
I read this book within and hour and the messages within this book resonated deeply with me and I want to work towards living my best life. However, for this book to be effectively read it is mandatory for us to visit her website(mentioned almost in every page on her boook, rightly so) and pull up our customised birth chart. It felt a bit dishonest and kind of like she was deliberately driving traffic to her site where the first thing one sees is the gigantic poster asking you to order her book. Secondly, the parts of the book relevant to my specific birth chart was so tiny it could be compressed within a maximum of 5-6 pages. This means that I could have accessed the same kind of general reading/report that many other online astrology portals offer for free. So what did I pay 20$ for? She does ask us to forgive and love ourselves but even the automated tarot reading on free tarot.com does the same. The only added bit I wouldn’t get elsewhere was the birth chart explanations of Maya Angelou but I didn’t care for that. So in conclusion- She is charging you for a copy of a generalised reading bound in a fancy-ish cover. For this amount you can book a in real life reading with an actual astrologer. A great marketing tactic but a gimmick nonetheless.
February 23, 2020
Those looking for blazingly new thoughts and theories, and unique material may find themselves disappointed with this, as well as those looking for a deeper understanding of the theories of astrology.
Those new to astrology (and to traditional astrology) may benefit from reading about how Nicholas applies the principles of planets in domicile, detriment, exaltation and fall to wrench more info from the 'Big Three': Sun, Moon and Ascendant. She also examines the condition of the traditional planetary rulers in laymen terms, which was what I liked most about the book. Not too technical to confuse readers, but not too dumbed down (like those houses/sign descriptions).
The information presented could be described as an astro baby's first steps towards the technical aspects of interpretation. However, I still found useful nuggets dispersed throughout the book. Coupled with Nicholas's passion for the art which can be felt throughout the book, I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this to newbies who are unfamiliar with the techniques of astrology.
Those new to astrology (and to traditional astrology) may benefit from reading about how Nicholas applies the principles of planets in domicile, detriment, exaltation and fall to wrench more info from the 'Big Three': Sun, Moon and Ascendant. She also examines the condition of the traditional planetary rulers in laymen terms, which was what I liked most about the book. Not too technical to confuse readers, but not too dumbed down (like those houses/sign descriptions).
The information presented could be described as an astro baby's first steps towards the technical aspects of interpretation. However, I still found useful nuggets dispersed throughout the book. Coupled with Nicholas's passion for the art which can be felt throughout the book, I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this to newbies who are unfamiliar with the techniques of astrology.
February 13, 2021
As an intro to astrology from a socially concerned/political perspective it is great! It’s very step by step and is a great start for someone who is interested in it but gets lost on all the online garbage. On the other side, knowing Chani from the online format, I did wish there was more about radical self-acceptance than mere quick references to it.
January 18, 2020
I have never been more personally called out by the book I was reading and I loved every minutes of it.
February 19, 2020
If you want to break down your birth chart, this book is required. Bring Kleenex because the shadow work is intense.
December 21, 2020
Read this and finished it on the day my Saturn return completed and it totally changed my life.
July 29, 2024
incredibly informative for the astrologically curious! helped me get to know myself more intimately and lovingly. Chani is absolutely brilliant!!
February 12, 2020
One of my favorite things about Chani Nicholas’ work from years of reading her columns and mailing list offerings is her fierce commitment to the work of justice and the way she constantly reminds humans of our responsibility to act upon our personal development and mystical understanding. In a culture full of white, consumer/capitalist/colonial interpretations of ancient art forms, her insistence that astrological literacy can be a tool for personal and collective liberation is inspiring.
As a primer on understating three pieces of the reader’s natal chart, this book is ok: straightforward, clear, conversational and with helpful graphics. The author is clearly in love with her subject, which is a refreshing change from other non-fiction works.
My frustration with this book is that there is no explanation or source material or historical references for the how and why of her astrological understanding. As someone rather literate in this subject, I might understand where (I think) she’s coming from, but I feel strongly (and I understand not everyone feels this way) that to teach these skills without their beautiful, complex, and mystical (and even scientific!) context, astrology reads like just another fluffy how to be happy book. No different, to be fair, than a lot of Christian blog-adjacent books, or Buddhist bathroom wisdom, or dumbed-down Enneagram for Success silliness.
Ok, I know this isn’t another book promising to make the reader successful or happy or peaceful in three lessons, but still, I closed it after the final page feeling like I was mildly inspired but couldn’t remember why.
November 9, 2021
Astrology has always intrigued me. While I've never strongly identified with the typical characteristics of my sun sign - Aries - I've always been curious to learn more, and thought I'd start with this popular book from Chani Nicholas, the so-called "social justice astrologist." I thought I was a person who could really get into astrology, but it turns out I’m not. Or maybe Chani is just not for me.
This book was a massive chore that took me several months to finish (despite the fact that only about 30 pages in this whole book applied to me). The book walks you through basic astrological concepts at a very high level (like the planets, the signs, the houses, and relationships between planets), and helps you to unpack your your birth chart, which is available for free from Chani’s website. I learned approximately nothing about astrology or myself from reading this. Chani's approach definitely targets a certain type of person/audience, and it just wasn't for me. I'd be more interested to approach astrology from a more traditional angle in the future, learning about its history and usefulness as a practice.
I’m an Aries sun, Gemini moon, and Capricorn rising - maybe that explains my thoughts on this book.
This book was a massive chore that took me several months to finish (despite the fact that only about 30 pages in this whole book applied to me). The book walks you through basic astrological concepts at a very high level (like the planets, the signs, the houses, and relationships between planets), and helps you to unpack your your birth chart, which is available for free from Chani’s website. I learned approximately nothing about astrology or myself from reading this. Chani's approach definitely targets a certain type of person/audience, and it just wasn't for me. I'd be more interested to approach astrology from a more traditional angle in the future, learning about its history and usefulness as a practice.
I’m an Aries sun, Gemini moon, and Capricorn rising - maybe that explains my thoughts on this book.
November 23, 2020
I don't take astrology seriously and maybe that's why I didn't love this like I hoped I would. I didn't identify with my sign or any of the descriptions based on my chart, and didn't get any of the self-help benefits I was hoping for. To be positive (since my Capricorn, Saggitarius-rising-in-Jupiter ass is supposed to be super optimistic), the book is nicely laid out and you get to jump around and only read the parts specific to you, and you get your chart emailed to you for free if you want. Just wasn't for me.
February 26, 2020
I’ve been interested in astrology ever since I was little, but my love for and study of the occult has only ramped up since I got my first tarot deck four years ago. Even though I know quite a bit about astrology, this book was a useful tool for explaining the “Big Three” placements in a birth chart AKA sun sign, moon sign and rising sign/ascendant. This is also one of the few books I’ve read that explained the twelve house system very clearly. It is the ONLY astrology resource I’ve consulted that explained aspects (sextiles, trines, squares and oppositions) in a way that I actually understood. If you want to learn more about reading a birth chart, the house systems and aspects, I would recommend this, but if you already have a confident grasp on these things, you can probably skip it. I got this from the library and ended up making five pages of notes, so I would definitely recommend buying your own copy of it instead of borrowing. Fellow Leo Suns, Taurus Moons and Cancer Risings: Please out yourselves in the comments below.
April 20, 2020
I've read it, but that this just the first step of this book. Reading it is just the key to opening the door; you have to decide to push it open and discover what's on the other side.
Though I feel like I have a good grip on the main aspects focused on in Nicholas's book (sun sign, moon sign, ascendant), what I most appreciated was how she always brings everything back to you as the reader. It isn't prescriptive, it's about your personal experience and how you can use those insights about yourself to become a better you. This is definitely more of an intro-to-astrology book, but I appreciated Nicholas's unique insights, and I feel like I understand my chart better than I have before.
Astrology is kind of misunderstood. It's not just woo-woo future predictions about your love life that you can read in Cosmo. It is based on much more than that. But it's also not a cure-all that will just tell you the answers about how to live and who to be. It's more about the process of learning to look at yourself in a different way. What you decide to do with that information is up to you.
I love that Nicholas leaves room for further exploration and discovery. I hope she writes another book on the next steps in understanding your chart!
Though I feel like I have a good grip on the main aspects focused on in Nicholas's book (sun sign, moon sign, ascendant), what I most appreciated was how she always brings everything back to you as the reader. It isn't prescriptive, it's about your personal experience and how you can use those insights about yourself to become a better you. This is definitely more of an intro-to-astrology book, but I appreciated Nicholas's unique insights, and I feel like I understand my chart better than I have before.
Astrology is kind of misunderstood. It's not just woo-woo future predictions about your love life that you can read in Cosmo. It is based on much more than that. But it's also not a cure-all that will just tell you the answers about how to live and who to be. It's more about the process of learning to look at yourself in a different way. What you decide to do with that information is up to you.
I love that Nicholas leaves room for further exploration and discovery. I hope she writes another book on the next steps in understanding your chart!
January 14, 2020
Though she kept it brief, I enjoyed reading her origin story. I enjoyed this book, BUT if you already have accessed her readings, you'll have heard much of what she details. Also, while she does address this issue directly, not having one's known birth-minute (not just birthdate) makes this a much less impactful reading experience than if one does (or believes that you do). If I didn't know when my birth was recorded, I'm not sure how much I would enjoy this approach to astrology. Lots of people don't have access to their records - if there were ones - or are from places/peoples/cultures that don't mark birth in that way. Nicholas can do nothing about this of course, so she acknowledges it and then keeps it pushing. Definitely an easy-to-read reference book. Also, on a sidenote, it's cool to see someone start from one place in their career and attain noted status years later. It's not what typically happens - no matter how much it's sold as being the American way - but here it did. So it's cool to see.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 848 reviews