Is it wrong to admit that when I was younger, my guilty pleasure was to read through the magazines and look for my Horoscope? I was dying to find out if it was accurate with the things I had been experiencing or if something exciting would happen to me soon. I mean this was years ago -cough, cough- and honestly, I didn't care how much of it was true or not, I was only reading it for fun. But lately, I've got curious about it again. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that one of my girl crushes is very into the stars, the planets, and the phases of the moon, that now I feel a certain attraction to the subject. Maybe not. Anyways, my obsession grew stronger with the arrival of the full solar eclipse. I felt goose pumps when I put on my super amazing special sunglasses, and just like the rest of the people, I looked up to see the sun and the moon aligning. It was scary yet exciting. A reminder of how small we are compared to the greatness and the mystery that the universe holds. And I have to admit, there is a certain je ne sais quoi about it that appeals me.
So I talked to Lea and I told her : Lea, I want to write about the moon and the stars. And she told me : Lucía, talk to Vanessa DL. She will tell you everything you need to know. So, here I am.
CRÉDIT PHOTO : CYNTHIA CARALet's start with the basics, your profile at Heather says Mystic Maven + Moon Expert + Astrology Nerd. I love it. Can you tell me a little bit more? Who are you?
Haha, it's true! Astrology is my life because I am always trying relate everything I do around it. The main thing I do is being a yoga teacher, but on the other side I offer astrology natal reading and tarot reading.
So, yoga teacher by day, and astrology witch by night. Tell me more!
Exactly. I studied a bachelor's degree in Conflict Cities in the Human Rights at the University of Ottawa, thinking I would become an ambassador in International Relations or something like that. After a research trip in Rwanda, I realized that in order to see a difference in this world, I had to begin by making a difference in my own community. At that same time in my life I found yoga… Or yoga found me. I started practicing, and four years later decided to do my first teacher training in Peru. After that things just started to unfold naturally, and here I am.
When was the first time you found yourself inspired by these subjects?
I mean, never in a hundred years I thought I would be doing yoga and astrology for a living. Both passions where separate for a long time. At the beginning, I was learning yoga on one side and researching about astrology on the other. Then people started demanding that I read their natal charts, and guide them through tarot readings which I now offer as a service in addition to Yoga teaching.
Finally I found a way to combine these two passions, and created something I truly love. Since I specialize in yoga for women, and because the moon has such a big influence on us and our women bodies, it became very natural for me to create my classes around the lunar cycle. I observe how it gives them (and me) a deeper understanding of their own bodies and energies when they work in synch with the lunar cycle.
Where did you learn all this?
Learning about astrology was very intuitive. As a kid I was doing white magic in my house! It was just always a part of my life, and when I became an adult I began doing some digging of my own to know more about the subject. I realized that astrology is very complex and extremely technical. So I learned by reading books, taking classes online, listening to a million podcasts – but mostly, by observing how the energy was manifesting in my life.
Some people look at astrology as a divine art, some others think it's a way of sorcery that they don’t understand. But really, you are the expert… Can you explain me what is it?
I like to see it as both, haha! Astrology is one of the most ancient sciences and arts in the world. They believe that whatever happens in the cosmos has an impact on us. From this belief comes a saying: As above so below, as within so without. Basically is the studying of correlations between the movements of the stars and the planets, and the way it affects us: human beings.
Why is it important to the human experience, how does it affect us?
It's looking back on the outside world to understand our own inner world. What we learn from astrology we use as a tool, a tool to understand better the meaning of our purpose on earth. If indeed there is an influence of the Universe and the moments in time, there is so much we can learn from it. For instance, when I work with people I usually see their chart and tell them the main lesson that they need to learn in their lives, and aspects of their lives that need work and focus for healing and most beneficial evolution.
With my recent curiosity on the aspects of the moon, I can't stop myself from wondering… Do the phases of the moon really affect women's emotions? Why is this?
This is more of a spiritual tradition, because there is more symbolism than scientific proof for it. In most cultures the women cycle is linked to the lunar cycle, because of the similarity in their characteristics. They both last 28 days, and they both go through the same phases. The dark phase of the moon correlates to when women are bleeding and need to tap into their inner darkness to gain wisdom and insight. The New Moon is the first days after bleeding, when we are starting to see a glimmer of hope and more trusting in the magic of the new beginning. This is the culmination point: when we feel our most sexual and social, that is when we are ovulating.
Personally, I grew up believing that we build our own destiny, no matter where or when you were born. Yes! We're going to talk about the horoscopes now. But maybe if you could explain me a little bit about what horoscopes are and what do they represent in our lives…
Sometimes people try to simplify things by saying that the month you were born in, represents who you are as a human, and this is not OK. Each and every one of us has a unique birth chart because no one was born at the same time and place (except twins, but that is another fantastic subject).
They type of astrology I do is Evolutionary Astrology, which believes that the birth chart is your personal map for your most beneficial evolution. It helps explain the road to take to develop into the most complete version of yourself. For a birth chart you need: date of birth, place, and time at which you were born. What I believe is that your natal chart is kind of like a compass, but at the end of the day you always have the choice of the direction you wish to take.
Most weekly and daily horoscopes are bullshit, especially if they are telling you have more chance to get stuck in traffic because you are a Libra. I am not really a fan of Predictive Astrology. Except when it's well done and it guides you though the themes that will show up for you, so you can use the knowledge constructively.
If you want to align for what is more beneficial for you then you look at your chart. Is like a compass to point you in the right direction. This is not something that is beyond control, there is always choice.
And about all these things we have talked, what do you love most about it?
Astrology, because everything else that I do revolves around it. My yoga classes, my tarot reading- it’s the way I understand the world.
