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My name is Ashley and I love podcasts. I don't have much of a commute to work, so sometimes committing to an audiobook just feels immense. I forget what I listened to (unless the book is SUPER interesting) because I listen in such small chunks, so podcasts have become one of my favorite things to get lost in. Between a variety of topics - life, love, marriage, science, wellness, meditation, true crime, etc. I feel like I've learned so much! What are some of my favorites you ask?
You will notice that quite a few of these are from Girls Girls Media. I've been following them from the very start and they've developed into a network of podcasts created and hosted by women. I highly recommend everything they do!
But this post isn't about podcasts, or at least, it wasn't meant to be. Consider that a special bonus! I started listening to the Almost 30 podcast in the fall of 2020. The hosts, Krista and Lindsey, posted their 403rd episode today so there's plenty to listen to. In January, they shared that they were hosting a free virtual retreat with a bunch of speakers on a variety of topics from intentional movement, astrology, guided meditation, ancestral healing, etc. and it. was. EPIC. I loved it so much that I joined their membership that opened in January for a limited time. It won't open again for 6 months so I figured now is the time to explore and see if it's something I want to continue.
We're only in the first month of the membership and things are FIRE. I'll do another blog post about some of the amazing things I get to experience through this, but for tonight I wanted to focus on astrology. One of the benefits of the membership is getting to attend workshops, hosted by various speakers, on different topics. February started off with a bang featuring a workshop about how to read your natal chart. Friends, I know NOTHING about astrology other than I'm a Taurus.
That GIF isn't terrifying at all. Anyway, it was recommended that we download the app Time Passages and input our birth information (date, location, exact time if we know it) so that it can spit out some gobbeldygook that looks like this.
Right now you're probably thinking holy shit, it looks like those paint spinners the children of the 80's played with. You're not wrong. I played with those. Why are there so many lines? What do all of these symbols mean? Why are some of these pieces of the pie empty and what does that mean about my life??? I don't necessarily have any of these answers as I'm still exploring what all of this means and because I am not an expert I won't pretend to tell you that I can interpret this thing. I also won't tell you that you should send me your natal chart and ask me to tell you about yourself. Dear Lord, please don't send me your spin art. I can hardly make sense of my own!
What I can tell you is the app Time Passages literally breaks it all down, in a digestible, easy to read way that begins to help in making sense of what this shenanigans is. For instance, those pieces of the pie that are empty? Those are called Houses. You can see in my 10th House that I have 4 signs, one of those being my sun sign, or what everyone traditionally knows as their zodiac sign. (That's represented by the thing that looks like a boob). You can see that my moon sign is in my 11th house (that sign looks like a moon. How helpful!), and that's in the sign of Cancer. There are a million other things on there that the app breaks down for me, but I have to tell you, if you have ANY interest in learning more about your birth chart, DOWNLOAD THIS APP!!
Themes that come up repeatedly throughout the interpretation of my chart:
- Hard Work
- Quiet on the surface but stubborn (no, me?)
- Loving, obedient, loyal
- Acts as a practical, productive and stabilizing influence for self and those around me
- Career is important
- Logical
- Sensitive and caring, can be moody
- A tendency toward introversion
- Musical (I was originally a vocal major and grew up singing in every group possible)
There are so many more things but these are the topics that seem to weave themselves through my chart the most. Every time I click on a new piece of information about my chart, it's like looking in a mirror. This app knows me and it's bizarre, but also kind of amazing. Yes, it's a bit magical to think that the alignment of the planets at the exact time that we were all born assisted in determining who are as people, but also, how fricking cool is that?
I cannot wait to see what March has in store for the members and I'm sure I'll be sharing some interesting and helpful tidbits here!
Have a favorite podcast you think I should check out? Let me know so that I can fill all of my hours washing dishes and cleaning this house.
**I am not paid by any of these websites or apps to promote them or encourage their use. I am just a user myself, sharing things I find helpful, intriguing, or exciting. If you hate them or your natal chart tells you sad things I am sorry.