3 Lessons I’ve Learned in 3 Years of Being an Astrologer

3 Lessons I’ve Learned in 3 Years of Being an Astrologer

At least once or twice a year I feel like I want to stop doing consultations. Because I don’t know enough.

Astrology is one of the most challenging practices I have studied in my life. More challenging than:

  • Studying neuroscience
  • Dancing for 12 hours a day
  • Writing a thesis on improvisation

Why? Two reasons:

  1. Studying astrology feels like a thorn in my side. There’s always more to learn. I’m constantly wondering if I know it well enough to share confidently.
  2. Similar to yoga and dance, I feel the weight of the responsibility of sharing astrology with people and doing it well (Capricorn rising, hello, how are ya?!).

Last year, I met with an incredible, very seasoned astrologer. I told him about my struggle. He reminded me that astrology is God’s writing in the stars and anyone who has the ability to read it has a responsibility to share what it says with others.

He also told me I will never know it all. That’s the beauty of it. It assures our humanity. We can’t ever be God.

The most important thing he told me, which sticks with me to this day, is this:

“Whatever you tell them is extraordinarily useful and helpful. That’s the nature of Astrology. And your responsibility is to just do it right. Just do what you’ve been trained to do. That’s thousands of years of knowledge.”

Here are three things I’ve learned to help me keep going and honor my responsibility:

1. Be where you are.

I can’t rush the wisdom that comes from experience and practice. I can’t expect myself to be an expert astrologer immediately and I still know more than enough to contribute.

I’ve made some mistakes along the way, especially in the beginning as I was
working on synthesizing the information. I’ve had to learn to forgive myself for it. I accept that people are getting this version of me and what I know now. Which means giving myself grace for being new… Because the only way to not be new is to keep going.

I can’t be at year 20 in year 3. And that’s okay (freaking out silently still…).

2. Share what you can.

Speaking of things that are okay… I don’t know everything… and that’s okay (or is it… LOL). But honestly, sometimes I have to say, “I’m sorry but I cannot answer that.”

Anyone can ask anything about their life and receive guidance from the chart. So I make no mistake about where the limitation lies… it’s with me, not with the tool.

At first I wasn’t okay with that. I felt like I had to all of a sudden be able to give people all these answers to their life questions because I studied astrology.

Now, I feel more at peace as I grow more confident in my foundational knowledge and allow myself to trust in exactly what I was trained to do.
It feels both humbling and empowering to receive messages like this:

“I am sitting here amazed by how spot-on you were with everything You’ve left me with lots to think about and a fresh outlook on some of the things I had been worrying over. I appreciate you so much! Looking forward to the next session!”

3. Learn what you will.

I’ve learned that insecurity arises because I feel a lack of knowledge in a specific area. So I turn to my resources as a comfort and a guide. Especially in times where I feel like I need to stop because I know “nothing” (can anyone relate?).

A lot of my learning is about Re-learning. Re-reading the books I read at Kepler. Reviewing the courses I took.

I repeatedly go back to The Astrology Podcast episodes about foundational
concepts like the signs, the houses, the planets and the aspects. I sit in relationship with my chart, to witness and reflect on how it shows up in my
life. I work to develop true relationships with these ideas so they become more embodied.

As a choreographer, I work with affirmations in my creative process to meet fear of the unknown in performance. One of my favorites is, “I am in a constant state of learning.”

Isn’t it so true though? We are all in a constant state of learning. One of the biggest takeaways for me has been recognizing that I can be both: learning and contributing.

Permission to be both, granted. If you have any doubts about your own brilliance, I wish that for you, too.

Bianca Paige Smith’s Links

2024 Open Call for Board Members

The Association for Young Astrologers is excited to announce that the call for board members is once again open! If you’ve been wanting to get more involved in the astrological community, now’s your chance to join AYA’s wonderful team of folks.

Our priority is to fill the roles of Vice Chair and Webmaster. Below you’ll find a brief summary of these roles, but be sure to click through to the full listings for a more detailed breakdown of expectations.

Vice Chair

The Vice Chair will work closely with the Chair and other board members to ensure the continuous operation of the organization and the completion of projects. Additionally, the Vice Chair will act as an AYA representative for outfacing endeavors (when necessary).

Our ideal Vice Chair is someone who has… 

  • Strong leadership skills
  • Values that align with AYA’s mission of education and resource-sharing
  • Passion for mentoring and/or providing opportunities to young and emerging astrologers
  • Passion for community-building

Full listing for Vice Chair: https://youngastrologers.org/open-call-for-vice-chair/?preview=true

Webmaster

The Webmaster is someone who is familiar with various site hosting platforms- especially WordPress- and can offer guidance as the organization potentially considers migrating to a new hosting site. The Webmaster will also assist AYA members in troubleshooting issues that arise with their accounts and/or website access.

Our ideal Webmaster is someone who has 

  • Knowledge and experience in web design and UX
  • Prioritizes the intersections of design, UX, and accessibility
  • Experience with branding for nonprofits is a plus
  • Creative approaches to problem-solving
  • Excitement to contribute to various projects outside of web management

Full listing for Webmaster: https://youngastrologers.org/open-call-for-webmaster/

Other Board Roles

While our priority is to fill the above roles, we know there are so many skilled and passionate young astrologers out there! Calls for other board positions will be announced in the near future, so we invite you to stay tuned and see if you may be a better fit for a different role.

Open Call for Webmaster

The Association for Young Astrologers (AYA) is seeking a savvy someone to step into the role of Webmaster. Our Webmaster will be a voting member on the board and will work closely with other board members to ensure maintenance of AYA’s website.

The Webmaster is someone who is familiar with various site hosting platforms- especially WordPress- and can offer guidance as the organization potentially considers migrating to a new hosting site. The Webmaster will also assist AYA members in troubleshooting issues that arise with their accounts and/or website access.

Our ideal Webmaster is someone who has 

  • Knowledge and experience in web design and UX
  • Prioritizes the intersections of design, UX, and accessibility
  • Experience with branding for nonprofits is a plus
  • Creative approaches to problem-solving
  • Excitement to contribute to various projects outside of web management

If you have these qualities and are looking for a way to be more involved in the astrological community, AYA’s Webmaster position might be for you! To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to youngastrologers@gmail.com with the subject line “2024 Webmaster Application.” The call for this position will remain open until the role is filled.

Duties

  • Maintenance of the AYA website
  • Managing content on website (lecture archive, blog, etc.)
  • Collaborating with Social Media Manager to ensure cohesion across platforms
  • Troubleshooting website issues with AYA members
  • Guiding voice in AYA’s consideration of changing hosting site
  • Voluntary involvement with other projects

Requirements for Webmaster

  • 2 year commitment to serve in Webmaster role
  • Capacity to spend a maximum of 5-7 hours per week towards AYA duties
  • Availability every other Monday evening at 7pm Eastern to attend board meetings

Desired Qualities

  • Technical knowledge of WordPress and other hosting sites
  • Familiarity with SEO best practices
  • Highly collaborative
  • Effective communicator
  • Familiarity with the astrological community
  • Familiarity with Google Suite and Asana
  • Can communicate about capacity and ask for help when needed

Benefits

  • Professional Development
  • Networking opportunities- building relationships with others

Open Call for Vice Chair

The Association for Young Astrologers (AYA) is seeking someone with a collaborative spirit and a strong foundation in management to step into the role of Vice Chair. As AYA continues to prioritize a lateral division of power and labor within the organization, we envision the Vice Chair position as highly collaborative in its leadership responsibilities

The Vice Chair will work closely with the Chair and other board members to ensure the continuous operation of the organization and the completion of projects. Additionally, the Vice Chair will act as an AYA representative for outfacing endeavors (when necessary).

Our ideal Vice Chair is someone who has 

  • Strong leadership skills
  • Values that align with AYA’s mission of education and resource-sharing
  • Passion for mentoring and/or providing opportunities to young and emerging astrologers
  • Passion for community-building

If you have these qualities and are looking for a way to be more involved in the astrological community, AYA’s Vice Chair position might be for you! To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to youngastrologers@gmail.com with the subject line “2024 Vice Chair Application.” The call for this position will remain open until the role is filled.

Duties

  • Operations Management
  • Co-facilitating board meetings
  • Tracking AYA’s inbox for important messages
  • Project Management
  • Team Management

*All the above duties are shared by at least one other board member and will be completed in collaboration.

Requirements for Vice Chair

  • 2 year commitment to serve in Vice Chair role
  • Capacity to spend 5-10 hours per week towards AYA duties
  • Availability every other Monday evening at 7pm Eastern to attend board meetings

Desired Qualities

  • Previous experience in leadership positions
  • Familiarity with the astrological community
  • Highly collaborative
  • Highly organized
  • Project management skills
  • Effective communicator
  • Familiarity with Google Suite and Asana
  • Can communicate about capacity and ask for help when needed
  • Passionate about astrology and has ideas for future AYA projects

Benefits

  • Professional Development
  • Networking Opportunities- building relationships with others

Not Another Mercury Retrograde: Going through the (Apparent Retrograde) Motions

Written by: Jasmin Lila

It seems like everyone and their aunt knows when Mercury is retrograde these days. I dare say it’s nearly as popular as knowing your Sun sign. Which is pretty cool; I’d never lament a more widespread acceptance of Astrology.

However, with this surge in mainstream popularity, and a (mostly justifiable) need to simplify complex concepts for broader accessibility, the conversation around Mercury retrogrades does seem to have gotten a little repetitive. Cliched. Reductive. 

The finer details of Mercury retrograde have been somewhat lost in translation – the absolute on the nose perfection of which is not lost on me. 

It’s a problem I realized I was contributing to, as I wrote yet another interpretation about how this is a time to reassess and rethink, to triple check the data, and avoid making big decisions. It’s not terrible advice, but it certainly lacks a greater nuance that any given Astrology transit deserves. Because even though they might have a similar foundation, no two retrogrades are created equal. 

Mercury retrograde in expansive Sagittarius has a much different flavor than that of one in grounded Capricorn. A retrograde that features squares with Neptune is bound to melt the mind and confuse communication, a little more than one that features sextiles with clear-cut Saturn. Combine those and you get two very distinct periods of retrograde time. Once you factor in how it’s influencing your natal chart, there’s no telling how many variations are possible from one single retrograde. 

All of that had gotten away from me somehow, though. Another Mercury retrograde was upon us and I was on autopilot, just going through the motions. Honestly, I think Mercury noticed. 

This past retrograde (Dec. 2023 to Jan. 2024) manifested in some of the most obvious, palm-to-forehead ways for me. While Mercury was retrograde in my third house of communication, I recorded an entire podcast episode before realizing my microphone hadn’t been working. When Mercury backtracked to my second house of money, I had a bank account get shut down without my knowledge or any warning.

The majority of those classic retrograde bloopers and snafus – glitchy tech, misunderstandings, retracing your steps – happened while Mercury was in Sagittarius, reminding me and emphasizing the importance of planetary condition. Mercury’s detriment in Sagittarius surely contributed to making that part of the retrograde all the more haywire.

My experience was radically different while Mercury was retrograde in Capricorn. Though it’s neutral territory for Mercury, the steady environment of a Saturn-ruled earth sign likely offered extra stability, to stay ever so slightly more on track.

The second take on that podcast episode was infinitely better than the first, and this recording delay wound up playing a role in the renaming and rebranding of that podcast. A change I had been trying to make for months, and which the retrograde revising opened the door for. 

This third house retrograde also brought the opportunity to recreate my website, to pivot the type of regular content I create, and on the day of the retrograde station, a reversal in mindset. It was this initial stage of the retrograde that awakened me from autopilot. 

It’s not uncommon for the day of a station, whether retrograde or direct, to be the trickiest part of the cycle. With the planet completely inert, delays and inactivity make sense. However, this particular station day was one of the most productive I’d had in weeks. A writing project I’d been working on, and hitting one roadblock after another, was suddenly finding its stride. And then it was done. 

As Mercury found a place of stillness in the cosmos, my mind found a calm clarity here on Earth. I doubt every retrograde station will provide such a blessing, but this possibility for mental peace and focus will get factored into my future interpretations. 

More than just reminding me that ubiquity doesn’t negate uniqueness, this retrograde prompted me to rethink my approach to Astrological translation. To give the planets a little more agency in the stories they’re weaving. We might know how the last retrograde played out, but that doesn’t mean we know all the twists and turns of the retrogrades yet to come. 

We can be prepared to reassess, triple check data, and delay big decisions, but we can also go deeper than that. Each retrograde holds the gift of a second chance. The pen to rewrite our stories. An opportunity to awaken from autopilot and do more than just go through the motions. 

More from Jasmin Lila

Website: https://jasmins-astrology.square.site/ 

Links: https://jasminsastrology.bio.link/