Tag: switzerland

  • Cities Have Birth Charts

    I realized, after surviving enough emotional plot twists and studying enough nervous systems like they were limited-edition zodiac placements, that I have a new working theory.

    Cities… have birth charts. Stay with me.

    This entire astrological investigation was conducted purely for entertainment and mild emotional dramatization. I am not favoring any cities, cantons, or zodiac signs… even if some of them are clearly more emotionally hydrated than others.

    Because Milan, oh, Milano, is very clearly an emotionally constipated Aquarius woman with a Pisces Moon and Capricorn rising. She is the CEO of emotional suppression whilst looking chic and unbothered. This woman does not process feelings in real time. Absolutely not. She files them. Archives them. Compresses them into a suspicious little emotional ZIP folder and proceeds to give us three weeks of heavy, gloomy, “I’m fine” energy with fully done hair, long nails, and lipstick on.

    Until. Boom. Two days of aggressive rain. And then? Sunshine. Clear skies. Emotional amnesia. She’s back outside in sunglasses acting like nothing happened. I’m sorry. Milano has PMS cycles. I will not be taking questions.

    Meanwhile, Bern… Bern is giving moody Libra man with a Cancer Moon and Scorpio Rising. Respectfully: emotionally confusing, aesthetically charming, unpredictable, unstable, inconsistent, mysterious in a way that you keep discovering new things that make you love him more and more, and delightfully addictive in the best way possible.

    He cannot decide if he is sunny, rainy, windy, or having an existential moment by the Aare. Is he more emotionally regulated than Milano? Yes. Is he still dramatically in his feelings sometimes? Also yes.

    Because when Bern spirals, that river turns brown like the man is processing generational trauma. But then, suddenly, the clouds part, the Jungfrau shows her face, and he hits you with that soft Swiss charm…and you forgive him immediately. Dangerous behavior, honestly. Hard not to love him. 

    Underneath all the moods, he has that unshakeably calming presence, and he knows how to make up for his shortcomings with that delightfully polite charm, patient nature, grounding energy. Seriously, could I have been more in love? I don’t know. 

    Now Thun, sitting a casual 20 minutes away, is the emotionally regulated friend who did therapy and actually applied the homework. Thun is a Virgo woman with a Taurus moon. Stable. Clear. Nervous system moisturized. Weather significantly more cooperative for absolutely no reason other than emotional maturity. We love to see it.

    Fribourg is a Cancer Sun, Taurus Moon, Virgo Rising, still sensitive, still feeling things deeply, but at least he snacks and grounds himself before spiraling. Looks mature, feels serious. Doesn’t let go easily, whilst Bern is his chill, laid-back twin city.

    Murten? Romantic Pisces with a Taurus Moon and Libra Rising. Fribourg’s balanced, soft, dreamy, marriage material sister. Soft lighting energy. The kind of place that makes you believe in love again against your better judgment.

    As for Zurich and Zug… Cold, efficient Capricorn energy with Aquarius moons and suspicious Leo risings. Respectfully. No further comments at this time.

    Basel reads like a Virgo Sun, Libra Moon, Pisces Rising with Mars in Leo, organized but slightly dramatic when provoked.

    Vaud is very clearly Taurus Sun, Capricorn Moon, Sagittarius Rising. Stable but quietly ambitious. Probably owns good furniture. Luxurious taste in castles, wine and cheese, with an indulgence to tobacco plants. 

    Graubünden is so down to earth and away from all this drama that it has to be a very neutral, balanced Earth sign that retired early. Wants peace and quiet and keeps it to himself, except when driving. That’s clearly giving impatient Aries energy. 

    And Valais, the sunniest canton, is a bold Aries man with Leo Rising and Scorpio Moon. Consistent. Strong. Adrenaline addicted. A little too proud, a little too stubborn… Generally in a good mood…but when double fire has a bad day? The weather does not ask permission before becoming cinematic.

    For the record, this is all in good fun. No cities, cantons, or zodiac placements were personally attacked in the making of this theory. If you feel seen… that is between you and your birth chart. 

  • Snow

    On Saturday, we went on the first snow hike of the year. Me, the snow-obsessed newborn who predicted snowfall at 15 months old before anyone even taught her what snow was, purely by smelling the air, had already been homesick for mountains for weeks. Soul pull, heart pull, ancestral craving for snow, cheese, chocolate, and glacier lakes. I am basically Plüsch’s “Heimweh” song in human form.

    But ever since more awareness entered my life; since being casually thrown into the flames of my life force and having my soul wake up to itself my emotional landscape has… shifted. Unless I’m actively purging stored emotions from my body, I mostly feel… neutral. Which is wild for someone who used to chase feelings like a sport. I still feel. Just differently now. I feel peace. Love. Heart-pulls toward places. The “green-light” for aligned actions. And occasionally, that deep shell-cracking pain that splits you open so something new can grow. Apparently, that’s just part of the deal now. And when something doesn’t feel right, I still get “bad vibes.” That’s not new. The difference is: now I actually listen.

    Back to the hike. I’m a person who doesn’t love physical touch. But cold air? Cold air gets a VIP pass. I love how it nibbles at my skin. I feel my body when it’s crisp. You know those guided meditations where they tell you to “feel your body,” and you’re like… sir, I feel nothing? Same, unless there’s cold air, cold water, tight clothes, or I’m rolled into a burrito in blankets. Cold turns my system on. Makes me feel present. Also: I hate sweating. So it’s layers-off hiking with sleeveless tops. The more you move, the warmer you get. Perfect system. No notes.

    The hike itself: which old me wouldn’t have even called a “hike” because it lacked the usual physical suffering, felt more like a poetic snow walk. Afterwards, we went into the city in search of glühwein and accidentally ran into the Christmas lights countdown. I couldn’t have cared less about the ceremony itself, but being at the right place at the right time felt quietly adequate. Like a shiny little cherry on top. 

    Later, glühwein was found. And after five cups, I felt the pull to Bern hit me like a freight train. Not the usual soft background hum. This was the full-volume version, alcohol making everything feel more dramatic. The place my heart orbits. The gravitational field I pretend I can ignore. The comparison point for everywhere else on Earth. No matter where I go, Bern remains the blueprint. It’s like I do have a love of my life. It’s just… it’s a city. 

    The next day, slightly betrayed by mild hangover physics and a late night, I chose warmth. Because yes, I may have walked sleeveless at 2000 meters in a snowy mountain landscape and rolled around in snow like an unsupervised puppy, my skin demanded reparations. Herbal teas. Hydration. Homemade masks. Balance. Warm porridge. Hot showers. At my next place, I am signing up for a bathtub. And a sunny terrace. And plenty of space for my indoor plants that are growing faster than my hair.