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It's not the same for everybody.
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Nov 22, 2019
When we speak of catharsis, we usually mean an “emotional” catharsis. This is when you've had a traumatic or highly emotional experience that you bottle up instead of processing.
Those feelings can still make you feel terrible even if they’re not at the surface; in fact, the longer you go on without dealing with them, the worse you may feel. The trauma doesn’t usually stop with one experience and can continue to happen until you feel like you might explode.
We need to have a catharsis — a way of getting those emotions out! After catharsis, you feel better, and any anxiety, stress, anger, or fear you might have is less intense. As for the zodiac signs in astrology, they liken catharsis to a feeling of cleansing or purification.
One of the most successful ways of activating catharsis is through therapy, where you have a safe place to get your negative emotions out and a qualified professional to help you to process them. However, just getting your anger and frustration out on a punching bag can work wonders too.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
A hard workout can bring about an emotional release for Aries. Any kind of physically demanding activity will help them release tension, any pent up emotions, and can bring about changes in the body as well.
The harder they work, the less resistance there will be in allowing the negative emotions to come to the surface. Aries feels better mentally, physically, and emotionally after a good hour or two of exercise.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus is very sensual, so they often experience catharsis through ritual. They may come up with their own ritual or may follow a suggested one from a mentor or friend.
There's something about the process of connecting emotions with the ritual that helps to identify them, meditate on them and release them. If a Taurus is dealing with the loss of a loved one, having something that belonged to them can bring about catharsis.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
Geminis often respond favorably to therapy, and one of the practices that works best for them is psychodrama. Psychodrama is where a participant will act out the troubling event (or moments) from their past in a safe and supervised environment.
By reliving the traumatic events, Gemini is able to see them with new clarity. With this insight, they're able to recognize the impact the event had on their life and have a new perspective.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Anything that helps Cancer to focus in on their emotions can bring catharsis. It may be therapy, talking it out with a loved one, doing some kind of art, or writing it out in a journal.
It's helpful for Cancer to feel safe and protected when doing this kind of work because they can become extremely emotional. Since they're very creative, they may come up with their own ways to deal with traumatic emotions.
LEO (July 23 - August 22)
It may seem simplistic or too easy, but laughing can be very cathartic for Leos. With humor, people are able to release their emotions and tensions. Since there are many kinds of humor, Leo isn't limited to gentle or silly humor.
Performing humor and doing physical comedy can also help them release pent-up emotions and frustrations. If Leo is laughing so hard that they're crying, that's a lot of emotions they're getting out.
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Music can be very cathartic for Virgos. They may relate to the words of a song, or their body may react to the vibrations or tone of the music. Music is often used in therapy to help people deal with their emotions because music itself is a very emotional experience.
Music can speak to us, even when we don't understand the words. Dancing to music can also be cathartic and helpful in processing feelings.
LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
For Libras, reading and watching movies can be extremely cathartic. If they identify with one of the characters and can relate their own experiences to what the characters are going through, they achieve catharsis.
Sometimes, reading or seeing something played out on the screen or the stage will remind Libra of an event they had buried. The empathy they feel for a character can be felt for themselves as well.
SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
Scorpio is another sign in which therapy is a helpful way to achieve catharsis. One of the methods that works well is for them to express the feelings they've kept hidden by speaking to an imaginary person sitting in an empty chair.
This can spark Scorpio to re-experience those emotions, talk about their feelings, remove any kind of residual ill feelings, and then let them go.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Group therapy can help Sagittarius in experiencing catharsis. Hearing other people's stories, sharing their own, and discussing them in a safe environment can lead to breakthroughs.
Any kind of therapy is beneficial for Sagittarius, but they tend to feel more comfortable being around other people who have experienced the same kinds of ordeals as them.
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
For Capricorns, confession is a way for them to experience catharsis. It can be a religious type of confession or admitting to something they've done to someone they may have harmed, or just somebody that they trust.
Capricorns tend to feel most comfortable when they're in control of their emotions, so getting them to the point of confession is part of the process of being able to release any toxic emotions they may have.
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius find it very cathartic when they get out and help others. By doing volunteer work, they're not only giving back to the community, but they're helping themselves.
An example might be an abuse survivor who helps at a safe house or a hotline. Volunteering gives Aquarius a direct line to their own emotions and helps them start their own healing process.
PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Most Pisces are artistic, even if they're not artists by trade, so it's not surprising that art is cathartic for them. Whether it's art therapy or an art project that Pisces is working on for themselves, art has the power to release emotions — for both the artist and the person viewing the art.
The physical act of sculpting, painting, or working with clay can bring about catharsis as well.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer, performer, and astrology lover. She has written over 500 articles on the zodiac signs and how the stars influence us. She's had articles in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Woman's Day, and is a contributing writer to Ravishly and I AM & CO. Check out her website or and her Instagram.