As an astrologer I have always been interested in human growth and potential. So by the time I returned to university in 2013 I had already developed a keen interest in positive psychology. In fact, that interest was the primary motivation for my applying for a Graduate Diploma in Psychology in the first place.

The birth of PERMAnent Wellbeing

I still remember the lecture where I first learned about the PERMA model of wellbeing. The lecturer introduced the model and I copied the elements that made up the acronym:

P = positive emotions

E = engagement

R = (positive) relationships

M = meaning

A = accomplishment

She then described each element in detail, but I was no longer paying attention. A light bulb had gone on inside my head and I was already connecting the dots between this PERMA model and astrology.

I was both stunned and excited. I’d never seen anything like this before, and immediately scribbled down the Moon, Venus/Libra, and Jupiter as obvious correlates. As I was debating the most definitive planetary indicator for engagement, aka flow, I stopped and my heart sank. Surely someone else had already done this? After all, the correlations were so obvious.

A thorough Google search confirmed that no one else had linked the astrological significators with the elements of wellbeing (or if they had they hadn’t written about it on the internet) and my excitement returned. This was something, I was sure of it.

Over the next few months I played around with my idea and began writing interpretations of each element through the signs. I also started working the model into readings, but curiously, I never did it with my own chart.

My day of reckoning

If you’ve read my post from last week (available here) you’ll know the full story of how and when I finally applied the PERMAnent Wellbeing model to my own chart. In short, I was at my lowest point. I’d walked out of a toxic workplace suffering depression and post-traumatic symptoms. The following day I sat down and wrote out all my own wellbeing placements, then chose one action every day that aligned with these placements.

And within three months my life completely transformed. My depression and post-traumatic symptoms had lifted and I woke up every morning with a sense of purpose and excitement for the new day.

A deeper dive into the PERMA model of positive psychology

PERMA is an acronym for the 5 elements of wellbeing that free people will choose for their own sake. The presence of any one, or combination, of these elements, has been shown to increase happiness and a sense of wellbeing in people’s lives. This in turn results in greater productivity, better health (both mental and physical) and a sense of thriving or flourishing in life. And when the model’s creator, Dr Martin Seligman, noted the model as being “descriptive, not prescriptive”, my Aquarian stellium had one thought: Challenge Accepted!

To begin I’ll take you deeper into the PERMA model of positive psychology. Then I’ll guide you through the astrological significators for each of the PERMA elements.. Finally, I’ll give you some tips on how to align your wellbeing with your natal blueprint, and how to use your own personal wellbeing indicators to help you flourish.

P = Positive Emotions

Positive emotions are essential for well being and it goes without saying they are essential for happiness. After all, when we feel good we feel good!

But positive emotion is more than feeling “happy”. Emotions such as joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration and awe all sit under the positive banner.

I am not for one second suggesting that you should feel positive emotions all the time. Research tells us that the ideal ratio of positive to negative emotions is 3:1. In other words, it’s healthy to feel positive emotions roughly 75% of the time. If, after doing regular check-ins with yourself throughout a day, over a week, or a month, you find it’s more 50/50 or worse still, 1:3, then it’s time to change something up.

E = Engagement

Popularly understood as a state of ‘flow’, this element is best described as the total immersion in an activity such that you experience a loss of time. If you can recall a time when you were so totally absorbed in a task that you didn’t notice the sun go down, or that you were hungry or thirsty, there is a good chance that you were experiencing a flow state. Flow occurs at the intersection of challenge and skill. The task must challenge you enough to keep you striving for more whilst always feeling as though you are skilful enough to see it through. 

R = (positive) Relationship

Human beings are, by nature, social creatures. Within the PERMA framework, relationships encompass all the various interactions we have, including those with partners, spouses, friends, family members, colleagues, bosses/mentors/supervisors, and our community at large. Positive relationships are those where both (or all) parties feel supported, loved and valued.

M = Meaning

Meaning is belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than yourself.  Having a purpose in life helps you focus on what is really important, particularly if you are confronted with significant challenges or adversity. Meaning may be pursued through a profession, a social or political cause, a creative endeavour, or a religious/spiritual belief. It may be found in a career or through extracurricular, volunteer, or community activities.

A = Accomplishment

Accomplishment in the PERMA model refers to achievement of goals, mastery, or competence. We gain a sense of accomplishment from working toward and reaching goals, mastering an endeavour, and having self-motivation to finish what we set out to do. Accomplishment includes the concepts of perseverance and having a passion to attain goals. Interestingly, wellbeing comes when accomplishment is tied to striving toward something just for the sake of the pursuit and improvement. Achieving intrinsic goals (such as growth and connection) leads to larger gains in wellbeing than external goals such as money or fame 

So what does this have to do with astrology, you may ask?

The elements of wellbeing all have direct astrological significators. Let’s take a closer look at those now.

The Moon rules your emotions

This was one of the first things I learned about astrology. And while I know that the Moon stands for so many other things besides (as does everything in our chart) every astrologer agrees that the Moon signifies feelings.

Your Moon sign tells us what makes you happiest. Difficult aspects to your Moon can show emotional problems and blockages to how you express emotion.

Your Moon sign is part of your “Big 3”, aka Sun, Moon, Ascendant, for a reason. Your Sun might be your essence and what lights you up, and your Ascendant might be the face you put on for the day, but your Moon is always there, defining your inner emotional reality and directing your moods.

Your Moon sign is the quickest and most effective route to experiencing positive emotions. Look yours up and see if it resonates. If it doesn’t, try the suggestions anyway. You will be surprised, and delighted, by the results.

Your Sun sign is the fuel you are burning in this life

I heard the astrologer Mark Jones say this in one of his webinars. It resonated so strongly with my first house Sun that I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I will do a separate post on it, but it is relevant when applying yourself to activities that produce flow.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the activity itself should be dictated by your Sun sign. That’s not it at all. Again, looking at it from the reverse engineering perspective, you are more likely to be fully engaged in a task, if at least one major element of that task satisfies one of the key drivers of your Sun sign.

As an example, I love to write, and my chart supports that. It is one thing that genuinely makes me happy (Gemini Moon). But for me to truly enter flow when I am writing I need to be working on a long-form project (novel, non-fiction book, a blog series). My Sun sign? Capricorn.

My sister is a Libran. She loves to paint those lovely intricate paint-by-numbers pictures. When she’s painting she’s in flow, partly because she’s creating art (Libra) but also because it provides her with some peace (Libra) in an otherwise busy, and active life.

Take some time to work with your Sun sign from the point of view of what induces flow for you. And remember that your Sun sign is the fuel you are burning in this life. If you come at it from that perspective, you will find that you spend more time doing things you truly enjoy, that truly challenge you and literally “light you up” from the inside.

Venus as the goddess of love

Venus rules everything to do with one-to-one relationships: how we connect with and relate to others, and how we like others to relate to us. And these “others” include lovers, marriage partners, family members, friends, work colleagues, neighbours, and members of the community in general.

Many of us go through life not giving this element much thought. We meet people, perhaps we like them, perhaps we don’t. Some we gather and take along for the ride, others we simply let go. But few would argue that relationships are the one area of life which brings us the most joy, the most drama, the most love and the most trauma, in equal measure.

Read the description for your Venus sign and undertake an objective inventory of all your relationships. It is both illuminating and (literally) enlightening. Positive relationships are a pillar of wellbeing for a reason. Find what is important to you in relationships, and put it into practice. Your life will be infinitely better as a result.

Jupiter is your gift from the Gods

Most people see Jupiter as the planet of luck, and there’s a reason for that. Wherever this mighty God sits in your chart is where you are most likely to have “ease”. But, interestingly, wellbeing isn’t about “ease” (see the description of Accomplishment below for more on this). When it comes to wellbeing, Jupiter bestows upon us possibly one of the most important aspects of our life on earth: meaning.

Having a sense of meaning helps us cope with stress, trauma, anxiety and uncertainty. It also boosts our resilience and enhances motivation. Do you have a sense of meaning, or purpose, in your life? What is it that gets you out of bed everyday, other than the need to earn a living to pay the rent?

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, meaning sits right at the top of the pyramid, seemingly unattainable without first achieving all the more basic physical and social needs below. With wellbeing theory, I propose we turn this on its head. For me, a life without meaning isn’t worth living (and no, I don’t have Jupiter in Sagittarius or the 9th house!) Find your Jupiter sign and consider how you can inject more meaning into your life on a daily basis. The benefits are immeasurable.

Saturn can help you accomplish anything

Whether it’s untangling a ball of string or building a corporate empire, we’ve all enjoyed the satisfaction of achieving a goal. Accomplishment is so intrinsic to wellbeing that I’m astonished we don’t teach goal-setting to kids at school.

Accomplishment means something different to you than it does to me, and that’s ok. This is where accomplishment and meaning go hand in hand. We need to imbue a task with a sense of meaning if we are to weather the inevitable setbacks and frustrations we encounter along the path to accomplishment.

And there is only one planet that will imbue us with the perseverance we need to accomplish the goals we set ourselves, and that planet is Saturn. It is not an understatement to say that nothing of any value was ever achieved without his input.

Saturn in your chart will show you where and how you do ‘worthy work’. He also shows where you are most committed and able to overcome obstacles. He gives you the grit, determination, and perseverance to accomplish what you want to in this life.

Don’t give him short shrift. If anything, befriend him and ask for his help. You’ll be surprised at how successful you will become with just a taste of his sometimes bitter tonic.

The true value of the PERMAnent Wellbeing model

The true value of this astrological model of wellbeing is the ability to reverse engineer wellbeing so you know precisely what you need to do to improve the quality of your life.

Your 5 placements can literally change your life in months, weeks, or even days.

How to use the PERMAnent Wellbeing model

If you don’t already have a copy of my free PERMAnent Wellbeing guide, you can download one here. Once you have your copy, look up the sign placements of your Moon, Sun, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. Write them down on a sheet of paper, or create a note in your phone. Then every morning, review your list and commit to taking action on at least one of the 5 pillars.

Remember, each pillar operates independently, meaning you don’t need to do all of them to enjoy the benefits. I recommend you start with your Moon sign, take one action that aligns with your Moon sign, and go from there.

Once you become accustomed to using your 5 pillars and the signs they reside in, you will start developing shorthand for your wellbeing. For example, if you have a pillar in Aries, you might ask yourself, “where can I be courageous today?” Or a pillar in Pisces might ask, “does this support my spiritual growth?” While a pillar in Virgo might ask, “where can I improve today?” And a pillar in Capricorn might ask, “does this support my Great Work?”

The beauty of this system is it takes the guess work out of wellbeing. Your chart is your soul blueprint. You came into this life with the planetary configurations in your chart for a very specific reason. If you learn the language of the planets, and the signs, you’ll hear the whispers of your soul.