Are You an Empath? Astrology May Already Know - Part 1

Dear empaths, you feel everything—often too much.

You sense the energy in the room, and it changes you too. A stranger’s sadness becomes heavy in your chest. You notice things others don’t, soak up energy like a sponge, and need quiet alone time just to breathe.

If this is you, you might be an empath—and astrology gives clues to explain it.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we look at two key chart positions that show emotional sensitivity: having a water sign rising, and the Moon or Neptune in the First House. These do more than make you aware—they mark you as someone who lives life on a different frequency.

Let’s explore how these chart signatures shape your empathic nature—and why knowing them helps you protect your energy while honoring your gift.

Watery Ascendants: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

The rising sign reflects how you meet the world. When it’s a water sign, your aura feels like water. Water takes in whatever it touches and becomes part of it. Add peppermint, and water tastes minty. Add salt, and it tastes salty.

Dr. Masaru Emoto showed how words and sounds change water’s structure. Positive words make it beautiful; negative ones do not. If your ascendant is Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, your aura absorbs others’ feelings too.

Cheerful people lift you up; sad spaces drag you down. You do best with protective healing routines—sage, palo santo, or salt baths. Doing these every few days makes a big difference in how grounded you feel and how much solitude you need.

Moon or Neptune in the First House

Even if your rising sign isn’t watery, having the Moon or Neptune in the First House gives your aura similar sensitivity—especially if they are close to the ascendant. The First House rules your body and how you see the world.

In Esoteric Astrology, this house shows your aura. The Moon rules personal emotions; Neptune rules collective feelings. If one of these is in your First House, you absorb emotions easily—and your feelings often surface without noticing. This can feel overwhelming if you don’t manage it.

The upside is your heart is open and trustworthy—but you must shield yourself. Wearing moonstone, selenite, or snowflake obsidian helps. Combine those with energy cleansing to stop overwhelm. You’ll notice you respond less to others’ emotions and feel more peaceful inside.

If you have a water rising sign or Moon or Neptune in your First House, you don’t just enter a space—you merge with it.

These placements show that you live through emotional osmosis, responding deeply to everything around you. But that sensitivity is a power too. When you understand your empathic wiring through astrology, you can stop seeing it as a burden and begin honoring it as a sacred gift.

In Part 2, we’ll look at how water sign stelliums and a mutable-sign Moon further shape the empath experience—and how to stay grounded even when emotions swirl around you.

Your empathy isn’t accidental. It’s written in the stars.

May the stars guide your way,

Aleks