As Moonlight is, essentially, a personal development blog, I thought I’d share the top 3 ways I have deepened my understanding of self.

‘To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom’
– Socrates

I love getting to know myself. In fact, I’m a little obsessed with it. But I agree with Socrates – the better I get to know myself, the more empowered I feel. Getting to know yourself goes beyond your likes and dislikes; it’s about understanding your yearnings, your needs and the unique calling of your soul. Knowing myself helps me navigate life’s roadblocks, whether figuring out how to create more balance in my day-to-day, how to navigate relationships, or how I approach the future as it unfolds. Honestly, I couldn’t advocate for it more. Awareness of oneself is probably the greatest asset to personal success and fulfilment. And so, based on my personal favourites, here are 3 ways to better get to know yourself:

1. Do the Myer-Briggs personality test

What’s your personality type? There are plenty of personality tests out there, but the one I’ve liked best is the Myers-Briggs personality test, a comprehensive questionnaire developed between 1940-60 based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality types. The Myers-Briggs is a self-report inventory of around 90 questions designed for individuals to identify their personality type amongst 16 archetypes. The report is quite detailed, allowing you to learn more about your strengths, weaknesses, possible career preferences and compatibility with other people.

You can do the test for free here.

2. Look at your astrological birth chart

Many are mistrustful of astrology, one of the main reasons being that they find it too all-encompassing or vague. However, the horoscope you might find in your local newspaper provides a poor point-of-reference compared to the breadth of understanding you can gain from understanding your astrological birth chart (also called a natal chart).

When we look at our star sign, we’re really only looking at a very small aspect of a much larger picture. Our astrological birth chart gives a precise overview of the exact positioning of the planets the moment we were born – to the minute, if you know your birth time. In astrology, we are more than our star sign (sun sign). Our moon sign and rising sign (also called our ascendant) are just as important, as are the position of our north and south node, and so on. Every planet sits within the energy field of a different zodiac sign, and each planet governs a different aspect of our life. It therefore makes a difference whether Venus (the planet of love and relationships) is ruled by Leo or Aquarius in our birth chart. Or whether our sun sign sits in the 6th house or 8th house. It’s these specificities that make up the overall picture, and if you’re willing to do a little research, you might just find you learn a lot about yourself from your birth chart. (A warning: It’s addictive.)

You can get a free copy of your birth chart here.

Alternatively, I have consulted with an astrologer twice, and I still re-visit the session notes from time-to-time because I find them so insightful. Contrary to what some might think, a good astrologer never makes predictions. Rather, they walk you through the specifics of your birth chart, helping you understand your unique approach to life and how you can harness the potential of your chart to find greater balance, fulfillment and success while overcoming obstacles unique to you.

3. Learn your Human Design type

In essence, Human Design identifies our unique energy type and shows us how to interact with the world and live life in alignment with our true nature. It is a guide for how we can best harness our unique energy for balance, fulfillment and success. The premise is: ‘When we operate with our body’s natural energies instead of against them, we experience less resistance in our bodies and our lives.’ (Lynette Hagins, Goop, 2022.) I find Human Design a little difficult to explain. If you want to read further, read Goop’s full Q&A with Human Design analyst Lynette Hagins here. 

Much like the natal chart in astrology, our Human Design type gets deciphered from our birth time and place. Our unique chart, called a BodyGraph, is a map of our genetic code that reveals how our energy is here to correctly engage in the physical world.

You can discover your Human Design type here.

Discovering my Human Design type was a life-changer. We are all so unique, but – due heavily to the way our capitalist society is structured – we are taught to behave and believe as though we are the same. Human Design has helped me to better understand my unique needs and approach to life, and I’ve been all the wiser for it.

Final thoughts:

There is always so much more to a person than the labels prescribed to them. For instance, rarely is an individual either introverted or extroverted. And the reason the LGBTQIA+ alphabet keeps growing is because people struggle to identify with a particular, existing label. Be mindful, therefore, not to put yourself in a box. People are complex. Plus, we change over time, and that’s a good thing. For instance, I re-did the Myers-Briggs while writing this post and discovered that for the first time since I first completed the questionnaire in 2016, I’ve changed personality type! Stay curious. Remember that these are just tools to better understand who you are – and there will always be new ways that you’ll come to know yourself.