August Transition of Power
August Transition of Power
The past year has been a time of transition, not only for the collective, but here at AYA as well. Effective immediately, Samira Bechara has resigned from her position as President to prioritize her health. AYA is incredibly grateful for the work that Samira has put into the organization throughout her time as president and wishes her the best as she continues on her journey.
The remaining board has elected AYA’s Secretary Zacchary Powell to assume the presidency.
Zacchary is a Black Queer Astrologer currently based in Philadelphia who graduated in 2013 with a degree in political science and sociology, focused on the intersection of race, politics, inequality, and constitutional law. Along with client work, he is a student of Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan; a professional Venus STAN; a writer of Weekly Planetary Reflections on patreon; and a practicing astro-mage.
Prior to making the glorious leap to become a professional astrologer, he worked in the fashion industry for a number of years; served as a policy analyst for a civil rights non-profit working to make structural changes to increase access to clean, safe, and affordable housing; and managed the Manhattan office of a top marketing consulting firm.
We’d like to express our sincerest gratitude to the community for its continued support as we’ve navigated the ever-changing landscape of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction and the challenging astroweather that has succeeded it. After a brief period of rest over the past few months, we are eager to get back to work! We’re excited to announce the new initiatives our team has planned to support our members and the community at large. Be on the lookout for those announcements throughout the month on our social media and website!
Dinner & Drinks with Jay Imarah Evans: Remember Who You Really Are
We are so excited to welcome Jay Imarah Evans for Dinner & Drinks this Saturday, February 27th, at 6:00 PM GMT / 1:00 PM EST! She’s joining us to discuss how techniques in evolutionary astrology used by Jeff Green, Mark Jones, and Steven Forrest utilize Pluto and the lunar nodes to understand the underlying themes and trajectory of one’s life. She’ll then expand to the other planets and placements to build upon the foundation set by Pluto and the nodes to create the story that you tell about yourself.
Having an understanding of how each of these planets and calculated points in the chart interact in these techniques can help you gain a better understanding of your story and how to reclaim your agency within it.
Annanikka (Anna-Key-Ah) writes in the astrology and spiritual communities under the name Jay Imarah Evans. She is a black astrologer, polytheist, teacher, diviner, pop culture enthusiast, magical girl, and psychology student who is focused on helping others reclaim their agency. She currently has her B.S. in Psychology and is pursuing her Master’s in Forensic Psychology. Her work centers around astrology, divination, psychology, pop culture, shadow work, inner child work, and past life work. She currently lives in South Korea with her parents and younger siblings.
Join us here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85163173704?pwd=TmtrbnowYlBUekZYWjhFbmdlTUtXQT09
2021 Call for Board Members
After a long break in the scouting process, AYA is excited to announce that the call for board members is open once again!
We have recently brought on a new President, Vice President, Secretary, and International Director of Community Care. We are now seeking a Treasurer along with board members to fill out some recently created roles.
In the past months, AYA has been working to reshape the board to have a more lateral power structure. We have created the following committees and are looking for committee co-chairs and committee members.
- Accessibility
- Communication
- Community Outreach
- Education
- Ethics
- Social Media
The reshaping of the AYA board is an ongoing process, and if you’d like to work with AYA in a capacity that doesn’t align with the roles listed above, let us know! We are still open to creating new positions and bringing on general board members. We want to collaborate with you!
If you’re interested in the role of treasurer or joining one or more of the above committees, please send an email to youngastrologers@gmail.com detailing your interest. The deadline to send in your application is Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Note: Because AYA’s board is still a small team, board members are encouraged to participate in multiple committees and lend a hand on projects they are interested in regardless of the role(s) they hold.
Note: All incoming board members will be required to participate in transformative justice training once accepting a position.
Below is more detailed information about the roles AYA is looking to fill.
Treasurer (Volunteer Position)
**URGENT** AYA is seeking to transition in a new Treasurer. The new treasurer will work closely with Alex Zolotov (current treasurer) as he transitions out of his role. The treasurer is responsible for presenting AYA’s annual budget and making sure the board works within it. Other roles include managing fund transfers and outgoing payments in a timely manner and ensuring that all government tax filings are completed on time.
Accessibility Committee
Co-chair (volunteer position)
The co-chair is responsible for helping to manage AYA’s transcription and translation initiatives. In 2021, AYA will start working on transcribing our lectures and Dinner & Drinks archives. This will be a BIG project, and the co-chair will be responsible for coordinating with the transcription team and ensuring that we stay on track with our timeline.
As we look to internationalize our membership, AYA plans to start providing content in multiple languages. The co-chair will be responsible for coordinating with translators and ensuring cohesion between multilingual content.
*Proficiency in multiple languages is NOT a requirement for this role.
Transcriber (Paid Position)
Members of the transcription team work to transcribe AYA’s archive of lectures and D&D’s. The team will also be responsible for editing auto-generated transcripts of future events.
Translator (Paid Position)
Translators are responsible for translating AYA’s content into other languages. We are currently only looking for Spanish translators, but will add additional languages in the future. When applying for this position, please describe your proficiency in Spanish (i.e. native speaker, 2nd language, AP courses, etc.)
Communication Committee (Volunteer Positions)
The Communication Committee is responsible for a lot of background work (i.e. writing and proofing copy for the website, emails, and other platforms), as well as helping to manage AYA’s inbox and Google Drive. Members of this committee are expected to be organized and have strong professional writing skills.
Community Outreach Committee (Volunteer Positions)
The Community Outreach Committee acts as a liaison between AYA and its membership base & the greater astrological community. This committee is responsible for membership management and recruitment, managing AYA’s Discord, and integrating advocacy and social justice initiatives into AYA’s work.
Education Committee (Volunteer Positions)
The Education Committee is responsible for spearheading various educational events and projects. Facilitation of Dinner & Drinks, working on the Ascendant, and new educational initiatives (which you will find out about once joining the board) are all under this committee’s domain. Members of this committee are expected to be passionate about accessible education and available to plan and participate in educational events at least once per month.
Ethics Committee (Volunteer Positions)
The Ethics Committee will play an integral role as AYA revamps our bylaws. This committee will help ensure that AYA holds itself to a high ethical standard and acts in a way that reflects our values.
Social Media Committee (Volunteer Positions)
The Social Media Committee is in charge of managing and monitoring AYA’s various social pages. Responsibilities include content creation, growing AYA’s online presence, and helping to integrate the org onto new platforms.
Again, be sure to email your application to youngastrologers@gmail.com by Sunday, February 28, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
AYA’s 2021 Transition of Power
As of December 2020, Jo Gleason stepped down from her role as the Interim President, as planned, and Samira Bechara has taken on the role of President in full.
We are so grateful for Jo’s four years of service with AYA, starting as the Social Media Manager, and stepping up to become the Vice President and acting as president over the past six months. We wish her the best in all of her future endeavors, and are looking forward to continuing to share this community with her!
Samira Bechara is a Lebanese-American astrologer, wine professional, and fundraising organizer based in New Orleans, LA. An early skeptic, she came into astrology in her early twenties, and after once having her chart read she immediately began her studies in earnest. She has studied with Kepler College, Erin Sullivan, the Faculty of Astrological Studies and more, and has attended and volunteered at conferences such as NORWAC, UAC, and NCGR. She was a presenter at QAC 2018 NYC, and teaches through TogetherWExpand as well as independently. She leans Archetypal, and has recently begun delving into the ancient practices of Mundane and Horary astrology. She is excited to help usher in a new paradigm of astrology and support the coming generation of astrological practitioners by serving with AYA!
Follow her on Twitter at @de_les_etoiles and find out more about her on her website here!
Dinner & Drinks 2020 Highlights
Throughout the ups and downs of 2020, one of the constants of the year was the amazing lineup of speakers who joined AYA for Dinner & Drinks. If you’re unfamiliar, Dinner & Drinks is a monthly event where AYA hosts awesome astrologers for a casual, Q&A-like discussions. It’s a great way to stay in touch with the community and learn some nuggets of knowledge along the way!
As we blast into 2021, let’s take a look back at the wonderful D&D’s we had lat year.
January
Diana Rose Harper kicked off this year’s D&D roster with a discussion on Energetic Hygiene. From visualizing boundaries to carrying vials of salt. Diana hooked us up with plenty of tips for improving our self-care game.
February
Nina Gryphon stopped by in February to teach us about Astrological Magic. This talk is sure to peak your interest regardless of your experience level. Come to learn about magic, and stay for Nina’s glorious book recommendations.
March
The #DIGNITYBABES joined AYA in March to discuss the benefits of using essential dignity within astrological work. The discussion was rich and full of insightful voices that you don’t want to miss out on.
April
April brought us the lovely duo of Chris Reppucci and Elodie St-Ornge Aubut. They discussed their research on experiential work with the lunar mansions. Be sure to catch up on their mesmerizing discoveries!
May
Becca Tarnas joined us in May to discuss Venus Retrograde from an archetypal perspective. Although the starting point of this conversation was the 2020 Venus Retrograde in Gemini transit, all the revelations in this talk are truly timeless, and this talk is definitely worth revisiting!
July
We were privileged to have Oak join us in July to present on Out of Bounds Planets & Racial Justice. Using the charts of various activists, Oak demonstrates the power of an out of bounds planet as a revolutionary. This discussion is a must-watch as the call for anti-racism begins to echo in the astrological community.
August
In August, the knowledgeable Michael Ofek joined us to talk about the magic of Mars. Playing with Fire: Astrological Magic brought us the gem of line: “Astrological magic is the astro-walk.” If you’re looking to move from talking the astro-talk to walking the astro-walk, you won’t want to miss out on this one!
September
The fabulous Kirah Tabourn stopped by to talk about the ins and outs of being a professional astrologer. Kirah’s tips are great for anyone just starting out on their professional journey as well as those who are a bit more seasoned.
November
Alice Sparkly Kat joined us in November to talk about client work and counseling skills. This discussion was jammed packed with various things to keep in mind when working with clients. If you’re hoping to improve your skills as a consulting astrologer, this is the D&D for you!
Updates from the Speakers!
We reached out to our 2020 Dinner & Drinks guests, and some of them wanted to share exciting things they’ve been working on and events coming up in the new year. Check it out!
Kelsey Rose Tortorice of #DIGNITYBABES will be teaching an 11-week course on the introduction to natal astrology called Astrology for Yourself. It starts in March 2021, and scholarships and payment plans are available! Click here to learn more, and be sure to register for the info session on Sunday, January 24th, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Central.
Chris Reppucci & Elodie St-Onge Abut have been continuing their work with the lunar mansions. On Instagram, they post Lunar Dailies- the poetic impressions and information related to the 28 Places of the Moon. You can visit their website to learn more about the lunar zodiac and purchase lecture they’ve given on the subject.
Alice Sparkly Kat has a book coming out! Postcolonial Astrology will be released in May 2021, and you should be very excited about it.
Looking Forward
Thank you to the guests of Dinner & Drinks and to the AYA membership for making 2020’s lineup incredible. Be sure to stayed tuned in 2021 to see our next round of amazing speakers!