Does ‘The White Lotus’ have you checking your horoscope? How to have a healthy relationship with astrology.

Even if you haven’t watched Season 3 of HBO’s The White Lotus, you’ve almost certainly seen the memes. The only thing possibly more popular than star Parker Posey’s Southern accent is free spirit Chelsea (played by actress Aimee Lou Wood) and her preoccupation with astrology and horoscopes. She’s an Aries who wants “everything out in the open”; her partner, Rick (Walton Goggins), is a Scorpio who is therefore “so secretive.”

Chelsea’s fascination fuels a lot of her behavior; it’s also spawned a lot of zodiac discourse (if you want to know which White Lotus character you are based on your star sign, go right ahead, or just get your daily horoscope here).

Of course, astrology — the study of the sun, moon and planets and how they supposedly impact human behavior and events — has been around for thousands of years and has been a popular fixture in American pop culture for decades. But while astrology can be fun and even informative for some, experts say it’s important to strike a balance between stargazing and being grounded. Here’s what they suggest.

The mental health perks of enjoying astrology

Consulting the stars can be a fun hobby that may also benefit your well-being.

• Astrology can offer an opportunity for self-reflection. Regardless of whether your sign accurately predicts your future, media psychologist Pamela Rutledge tells Yahoo Life that astrology — which often involves asking questions like, “What’s my purpose in life?” or “What will I accomplish this year?” — can encourage people to do some introspection. “It’s an opportunity to think about what you’re doing in your life and ask yourself different kinds of questions than you might ordinarily,” Rutledge says.

• It can help you examine your good qualities. Every zodiac sign is ascribed its own set of talents and positive qualities (i.e., Sagittarians are adventurous, Leos are confident, etc.). Whether you end up identifying with your sign’s attributes or not, reading up on your sign’s characteristics can be a form of self-discovery. Susie Cox, a professional astrologer based in Arizona, tells Yahoo Life she settles in with a cup of tea and reads her own astrology chart every morning as a form of positive self-care. “It inspires you to see your talents and your gifts,” Cox says. “That’s really the use of astrology: What am I best at, and how can I use this in my life?”

• It can act as a “belief system” that reduces stress. Media psychologist Corey Emanuel tells Yahoo Life that many people look to some type of belief system — whether it’s religion, spirituality or even astrology — for clarity and meaning. Some people, Emanuel says, may “find a sense of peace” in astrology, especially in times of uncertainty. Rutledge adds, “Astrology gives a sense of security. Having something that’s telling you what’s going to happen is very reassuring, and it makes people feel safer — and in that sense, it can actually reduce stress.”

• It builds a sense of community. Cox and Rutledge point out that astrology and horoscopes have permeated pop culture so much that even zodiac novices have heard of “Mercury retrograde” and know what their zodiac sign is. “Astrology has become a shared language,” Rutledge explains. “So it allows you — even if you’re just making fun of it — to have a connection with someone. It creates this sense of community and belonging.”

The downsides of putting too much faith in astrology

But if any of the following resonates, experts say you may want to reassess your horoscope habits.

• Some people may allow astrology to have too much power over their actions. If you’re relying on your horoscope to tell you how to live your life, or if you’re using astrology as a scapegoat (“my life isn’t going well because Mercury’s in retrograde” or “that relationship won’t work because they’re a Scorpio”), Rutledge says you’re giving it too much power and it isn’t working for you.

• It can be used to blame or avoid responsibility. Some diehard astrology believers may develop what Rutledge describes as an “external locus of control” — meaning that outside forces are responsible for actions and events instead of the individual — which may be used to deflect responsibility. “Not only does that remove your accountability, but ultimately people with an external locus of control tend to have lower psychological well-being, higher anxiety [and] more depression, because they don’t feel like they have agency,” Rutledge explains.

• It can be used to label or stereotype. Have you ever referred to someone as “such a Pisces” or “a typical Virgo”? Rutledge says people sometimes use astrology to quickly label or stereotype — which is a form of reducing one’s “cognitive load,” or the amount of brain power you need to put into processing information. But this can be bad for your relationships. “Don’t allow astrology to put people in boxes,” Emanuel says. “When you limit yourself to what someone’s astrology chart or sign says about them, you’re actually limiting what could be a really impactful relationship.”

How to enjoy astrology in a healthy way

Don’t feel guilty about checking your horoscope in the mornings if it’s something you enjoy. Experts just say it’s a good idea to have some guardrails in place.

• Ask yourself why you’re using astrology. Before indulging in astrology, Rutledge suggests asking yourself some of the same questions you might ask about using social media before deciding whether it’s helping or hurting you. “Ask yourself: Is what I’m doing helping me to understand myself? Is it enabling me to flourish? Is it making me more self-aware? If it’s not, that might be a sign that you’re using [astrology] to avoid emotional growth rather than gain it,” Rutledge says.

• Take a positive approach. Follow what Cox calls “positive astrology.” This interpretation of the stars, she says, is all about empowering and uplifting — not warning you “about bad stuff that might happen.” It also means taking more of an optimistic and opportunistic approach to cosmic events. “People are like, ‘Oh, Mercury retrograde is a bad thing.’ I don’t think so,” Cox says. “Retrograde is all about regroup, redo, rethink — so retrograde is when I might clean out my closets, for example.”

• Explore your identity outside of astrology. Emanuel says to remember that “balance is key” and that it’s important to foster your interests and identity outside of astrology or how your star sign describes you. “You are not a monolith,” Emanuel says. “You’re not limited to what the stars suggest.”

• Set boundaries. Today, a lot of astrology is online; push notifications encourage you to check your chart, and astrologer influencers urge you to subscribe to their channels. But no matter what type of screen time you’re engaging in (yes, even social stuff like FaceTiming with a friend), too much tech is unhealthy for you — and that goes for astrology too. “Anything that’s connected to technology, even if it’s an astrology app or astrology videos, we have to create boundaries around that,” Emanuel says.

• Don’t “give away your power.” Even presidents have been known to turn to the stars for guidance. Former first lady Nancy Reagan famously consulted an astrologer before scheduling everything from her husband’s medical procedures to presidential speeches and debates. But experts say it’s important not to let astrology dictate your life. “I don’t think people who look at astrology for entertainment are at risk, but what you don’t want to do is get in the position where you feel like you can’t make a decision without checking your horoscope,” Rutledge says. “It’s just a question of making sure you’re still in control of your power and your thinking. Don’t give away your power.”