“(Un)likable characters” is the ritual of cultivating curiosity within the self to experience the Earth’s awe, beauty, love, and joy in its endless manifestations. It’s the only beauty ritual you need.

Nature is the pure, true embodiment of beauty. With all the noise around us, it’s easy to forget that we, too, are nature. Beauty as nature is a renewable resource. Beauty abundantly surrounds us in multitudinous forms. We do not acknowledge, let alone fully appreciate it, as is evident by our collective relationship with the Earth. A lot of that untapped, unseen beauty resides in groups that have been historically marginalized and/or overlooked. We are constantly missing out on the richness of Earth’s innate diverse community because we do not know how or care to listen.

Earth belongs to everyone; we all belong here. We all desire to be seen, heard, and loved. I aim to cultivate a world where we all feel and embody this truth, meaning we all do everything possible to represent and promote belonging. “Frustrating” does not describe how challenging and problematic it is to move through a world where we have always existed and belonged. Still, many of the systems put in place are not designed to support everyone.

Many members of overlooked communities realize at some point that many systems and influences are out of our control, because others are not within our control. No one can change anyone; no one has that kind of power. (If someone did develop some mind control serum, it would have made the news and been commodified by now.) What is within our power is how we care for ourselves in a world that is not currently taking care of us. A part of that could be sharing our accounts, knowledge, creativity, visions, etc. Sharing lets us know how we can practically and helpfully care for others and, more importantly, enables others from similar backgrounds to realize they are not alone. Reading a work by someone who can detail nuances of your experience that you didn’t even know were critical to your identity is invaluable. At a time when loneliness is rampant, connection is vital. It could also reveal to someone with less information what would support them, possibly inspiring them to share, continuing the cycle of self-care. And putting our stories out into the world creates an invitation for others to listen when they are ready.

Self-care has a lot of meanings, some of which are empty. I’m redefining it here as experiencing the depths of ourselves beyond what we thought was possible. We achieve this through curiosity, which propels growth and expansion. True self-care is a balanced, reciprocal relationship between supporting ourselves and others. It brings us closer to ourselves and others, ushering in presence. Being more attuned to, more present with the beauty of the Earth, helps everyone. We are at a critical point in history. Sustainable change requires consistent, conscious effort from everyone within our global community. Listening, learning, and empathizing with one another doesn’t solve everything, but it’s a start. Getting diverse, traditionally suppressed conversations started as much as possible is vital. This is the daily ritual we need to reincorporate and prioritize.

“(Un)likable characters” highlights fictional characters in marginalized bodies, written by underrepresented voices, or who have contributed to essential conversations in the cultural zeitgeist that reflect the breathtaking nuance of being human. Some of these characters are “unlikable” because they are unbearable (that’s what makes them so real and, thus, entertaining). Some of these characters are “unlikable” because they are unfamiliar. Imagine a parent telling a child, “You may not like them because you don’t know them yet.” I examine these characters through an astrological lens to illustrate our innate, invisible connection. Astrology reveals the energetic patterns that comprise our inner and outer dynamics, allowing us to recognize ourselves in others. It builds a bridge between the conscious and unconscious parts of ourselves. You also have a Virgo moon in the seventh house, conjunct your Venus? Learning is better when it’s fun. Well-written characters make us feel seen, regardless of lineage, circumstances, perspectives, etc. Astrology helps to peel back the layers of perceived disconnection for a more holistic outlook. Our daily rituals comprise our lives. True understanding has so much power, especially when compounded by multitudes of people.

When characters have lived experiences that differ from ours, they also help us to unpack our own invisible biases and reveal hidden dimensions of self for more growth through compassion and empathy. We all partake in harmful systems, knowingly or unknowingly. That’s a part of being human; it’s nothing to be ashamed of when we dedicate ourselves to growth. Committing to learning allows us to be honest about how that manifests and what we can do to make the necessary shifts. Within everyone’s power is how we experience ourselves, experiencing our capacity for love, depth, and nuance by listening. We all deserve to feel good and at home in our bodies. We get there by experiencing kindness and generosity, the generosity of our silence and creativity. We grow for ourselves to experience the love, the beauty within us, our true nature.