mooodycherry

For the longest time, I thought getting “healthy” meant I had to suffer a little.

Okay… maybe a lot.

Hard workouts. Intense cardio. Running even when I absolutely did not want to run. I convinced myself that if a workout wasn’t destroying me, it probably wasn’t working.

Very healthy mindset. Love that.

Then I got engaged.

And suddenly there was this little voice in my head like, Okay girl… wedding.

Obviously, I want to feel amazing on my wedding day. I want to feel lean, strong, confident, and comfortable in my dress. But I also don’t want the time leading up to one of the happiest days of my life to become a year-long punishment because I’m trying to achieve the perfect “bridal body.”

So I started thinking about health differently.

And naturally…

I read my birth chart.

Because apparently I cannot simply go for a walk. There needs to be an astrological investigation first.

My Cancer Venus Wants Softness

I have Venus in Cancer in my 6th house, which is associated with routines, habits, and everyday wellness.

And suddenly, something clicked.

Maybe I didn’t need a harder routine. Maybe I needed one I actually enjoyed living in.

I’ve started cooking at home more, making simple meals that feel nourishing, drinking my little teas, getting outside, and going on long walks.

My Cancer Venus apparently does not want wellness to feel like punishment. She wants to be fed, hydrated, cozy, and taken care of.

Honestly, same.

And I’m realizing I take much better care of myself when it actually feels like care.

Meanwhile, My Virgo Mars Has a Clipboard

Then there’s my Mars in Virgo in the 8th house.

Cancer Venus wants softness.

Virgo Mars would like to know how many steps we’ve gotten today.

Ma’am.

I’ve been aiming for around 10,000 steps a day, doing Pilates, and slowly adding strength training back into my routine.

Walking has probably been my biggest surprise. It’s simple, I genuinely enjoy it, and I don’t have to mentally prepare myself for battle beforehand.

I put on my headphones, grab my dog sometimes, and go. Sometimes I listen to music. Sometimes a podcast. Sometimes I spend the entire walk creating fake scenarios in my head.

Whatever gets the steps in.

And Pilates? Painfully Virgo-coded.

Slow. Controlled. Precise. Tiny movements that look completely innocent until your leg starts shaking and you begin reconsidering every decision you’ve ever made.

But I actually like doing it.

And that’s the difference.

Before, I chose workouts based on what I thought would change my body the fastest.

Now I’m asking:

What can I realistically see myself doing over and over again?

Walking? Yes.

Pilates? Yes.

Strength training? Yes.

Running until I see God?

Maybe not.

I Want to Feel Beautiful on My Wedding Day, But Also After It

Of course part of this is aesthetic.

I’m a bride. Please.

I want to put my wedding dress on and feel incredible. I want to feel confident in photos. I want to look strong, feminine, and like the healthiest version of me.

But my wedding also made me realize something.

I don’t want to build a routine with an expiration date.

I don’t want my wedding to be the finish line where I finally get to stop taking care of myself.

I want these habits to come with me into my marriage, my 30s, and whatever version of me comes next.

So instead of asking, How quickly can I change my body?

I’m trying to ask, How can I take better care of it?

A lot less dramatic.

Probably a lot healthier.

Apparently I Need Cancer AND Virgo

Obviously, my birth chart isn’t my doctor or personal trainer. I’m not asking Venus how much protein I need.

But astrology has given me another way to understand what might actually motivate me.

My Cancer Venus reminds me that my routines need softness, comfort, good food, little rituals, and movement I enjoy.

My Virgo Mars still wants goals, progress, and structure.

One wants to nurture me.

The other has a spreadsheet.

Apparently I need both.

So that’s my little pre-wedding wellness experiment.

Cook at home more. Get my steps. Take long walks. Do Pilates. Pick up some weights. Drink my water. Go outside. Sleep. Try again tomorrow.

Nothing extreme.

And if I miss a workout?

The planets will continue orbiting.

I’ll survive.

I started this because I want to feel beautiful walking down the aisle.

But I’m continuing because I’m realizing I want to feel good in my body long after the flowers are gone, the dress is packed away, and the wedding photos are hanging on our walls.

Maybe getting healthy was never about finding the hardest routine.

Maybe I just needed to understand myself well enough to find one I’d actually come back to.

And apparently it took a wedding and my birth chart to tell me that.

Typical.

xx,

mooodycherry