Thursday, August 28, 2025

What's it like to study astrology and magick?

So a few years ago, I was contacted by Leah Thomas, a writer for Cosmopolitan, with questions about what it was like to study astrology. I was mentioned in a piece on skeptical men and astrology, read it here. The questions below were sent by Leah.

I am publishing the Q&A here with her permission. So what's it like to study astrology and magick IRL? šŸ”®


Where did you receive your astrology education?

 

I studied with several teachers but the one that shaped my approach to astrology was Demian Allan’s class at The College of Psychic Studies, back in 2015. His intro to Psychic Astrology and Magick turned my understanding of the stars upside-down. Most notable was a session where Demian had us walk on energetically charged Zodiac signs to see how we responded to Aries’ fire, Capricorn’s steadiness or Scorpio’s depth. I began to view the planets and Zodiac signs as dynamic energies that we could interact with on a daily basis. 

 

What was school like — what were your classes? How did you schedule them? Did you get to choose them? Did you (/can you) specialize?

 

That particular school has been around since the 1880’s and it offers a huge range of classes – not just astrology. Students can specialize in a subject matter; I chose Angel Intuition and came across Astrology towards the end. Psychic Astrology classes run on Thursday nights, with optional workshops on weekends. If a student were enrolled in several subjects, say astrology and tarot or angels, the tutors would highlight overlapping themes. For example, that Archangel Raziel can help us make sense of natal charts, or the astrological themes of the different tarot cards. 

 

What kind of assignments did you have? Homework, group work, quizzes, tests?

 

Initially we spent lots of time studying our natal charts to understand how it works. Homework involved using shortcuts such as birthdays or Aura scans to get a sense of dominant planets in the charts of friends and family. In one of the learning exercises, the tutor had us shake his hand and identify his Sun sign. I think I named his strongest planet instead.

 

Beyond that, the goal was to get a sense of how planetary transits affect our daily lives. We were tasked with keeping track of how we felt when the Moon traveled through the Zodiac. The program was free flowing – a building blocks approach that brought the natal chart to life around us. Later on, I signed up for an online predictive astrology class with The Dark Pixie Astrology. The class was fantastic in terms of the level of detail and homework assigned. We covered the technical side of predictions and kept a journal showing how the astrological timing matched up with real-life events. This aspect of astrology can be mathematical and logical – making assumptions and checking the results. 

 

My experience as an astrology student has been eclectic and self-driven. I moved to a new country and had to look for online classes to complement what I learned in London.  

 

How many students were there/how big were your classes? Were they like lectures or open discussions?

 

The classes were small – no more than eight in Psychic Astrology and up to 20 in the larger workshops. The basic theory was presented in lecture format with time for questions and answers. Once we had covered the planets, signs, and houses, each week was focused on a specific element of the natal chart and we had time to explore all of my classmate’s charts. 

 

Did you have a favorite professor? Least favorite professor? Favorite class? Least favorite class? Tell me about it/them -- anything you think is most interesting.

 

The technical classes are essential for professional use, but they were my least favorite. A few years ago I took a planets and numerology class where we learned to activate our inner Jupiter, Mars or Mercury with specific mantras, yoga poses and sound meditations. Our teacher, Dalia Siman, blended kundalini yoga, planetary energies and practical Kabbalah with dance music (Naam Yoga). I am not much of a yogui myself - attending sporadic yoga classes, but this singing yoga class was always a favorite.  


But the class that blew my mind was Astrology & Magick, again with Demian Allan. We learned to connect with the planets intuitively, downloading their energy so we could take it with us. I have almost no Water in my chart and cried for two days after bringing down the Moon in class. Since then I have been using similar meditations to incorporate other planets. 

    


How long does it take to get a degree — how many specializations are there?

 

I went down the self-study route with astrology readings (so no degree), though I have taken several classes. Both of the schools where I studied offer certificates on energy healing and intuition. You'll find a recap of my studies on the Hermione Tab.   

 

Finding a school that certifies professional astrologers is fantastic, as that will give you a clear understanding of when you are ready to see clients. It wasn't always easy to find one, but that changed with online classes. In my case, I began including astrology in angel, tarot and energy healing sessions long before I felt comfortable offering full astrology readings. After a few years, these morphed into astrological healing sessions. 

  

Can you describe how various astrology schools are different from each other?

 

The class sizes vary and some schools are more technical than others. Astrology can be fun so choose a school that you enjoy, especially if the idea is to enhance self-awareness. On a personal note, I've learned as much from books – Jan Spiller’s Astrology for the Soul and Sue Tompkin’s Aspects In Astrology are my favorites. But how the chart comes together didn’t register until I signed up for Psychic Astrology and the tutor broke it down for us. As much as self-study works, taking a class made a difference.

 

How did you decide on yours?

 

To be honest – I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for Psychic Astrology. As an angel medium and energy healer, I was interested in using the stars as a roadmap for energy healing sessions. The outer layers of the Aura are imbued with the energy of our natal charts, and there are specific Chakras that we can heal and activate to connect with the planets. We can choose flower essences, crystals and essential oils to soften our Zodiac sign’s triggers. Planetary Magick also gives us a chance to download character traits that may be lacking. The idea is to work through your natal chart, and not succumb to it. 

 

What’s one common misconception people have about astrology/astrology schools?

 

That the Sun Sign or Horoscopes define everything – there are many layers! 

 

Any interesting/surprising/crazy/fun fact that might stand out?

 

Choose your words kindly, as you will touch on sensitive info in class. And if you are met with nervous laughter during an astrology reading, you have hit the nail on the head!  

  


Thought I’d post this as I am ready to share more magick! Looking at how to do this online, or through zoom, at some point. 

Join me on Youtube for guided meditations and check out the Menu Bar for more an intro to astrology. Read my books to heal yourself; here are all my astrology posts.


Reiki hugs,


Regina



*** 


Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Tufts University; Regina’s passion is bringing self-love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuitsRead her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing. Available on Amazon.




Image: canva.com 

 

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Let’s take a (meditative) breath

So, I have been blogging for 15 years and it has been unreal - started in 2010 when I was still early in my journey as a psychic student and energy healer in training. 

Graduated in 2013 and since then, I have gone on to learn so much. Now, roughly 560 blog posts and 2 wonderful books later, I have run out of things to write about. 


New beginnings too... The past few months, I have been posting guided meditations to my Youtube channel. Please join me there and on social media to stay in touch. I find the social media experience to be fun and interactive. Would love to hear from you!

Youtube.com/c/reginachouza

These videos go with my energy healing books; have a look and please share with friends! Check out the Menu Bar on this blog for some of my favorite themes. 


Reiki hugs,


Regina 


ps... I'm going to spend a few months updating pics. Stay tuned!


*** 


Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 






Image: canva .com 



 





Thursday, April 3, 2025

Surf the Planetary Waves and Unlock Your Light

We all have a purpose and I think that on some level, I'm here to talk about the stars. I first became interested in astrology in 2008 or 2009, having been a skeptic most of my life because, how could a person’s month of birth lead to exactly 12 personality types? People were more varied than that. Then I found a book that divided the zodiac signs into three decans. The zodiac wheel is a circle of 12 signs, 30 degrees each. 

People born during the first 10 degrees of a sign had that sign’s energy: 100% Leo or Virgo or Cancer. Those born in the next subset of 10 degrees had that sign’s qualities, with a specific variation. Those at the tail-end, another spin on the sign. I finally recognized myself in the descriptions of a chatty and sociable Aquarius (3rd decan, sub-ruled by Venus). I spent the next year reading astrology books and looking at my astrology chart. Lots to see there... 

Then in the summer of 2015, I took two astrology classes that changed my view of the stars. An intro to psychic astrology with Demian Allan in London; we covered the technical and theoretical base, as well as intuitive applications. For example, walking on the zodiac to get a feel for its energy, or shaking a person’s hand to identify their dominant planet. Then came the real surprise of the summer - an astrological magick workshop where we downloaded and interacted with the energy of the planets in psychic meditations. Both classes by the same teacher. We each activated a talisman too. I went with the Moon to dial up my intuition and add Water to my life. 



Since then I’ve been exploring this topic and experimenting with my natal chart, as well as those of astrology & energy healing clients. 
As a healer, I focus on healing with astrology and magick, rather than the astrological magic that was popular 500 to 1200 year ago. But let’s take a step back and look at astrological magic… 

In the Middle Ages and before, it wasn’t common for people to know their birth date and place (other than royalty), so common folk turned to the stars for situational clarity, rather than self-awareness or life predictions. Questions to astrologers focused on the environment. 

Astrology back in the day …

Astrology was used to ask: “Is it a good time to begin X, Y or Z?” The answer to this type of question was found by looking at transits. The belief was that if the planets were well placed, good fortune was likely to follow. This approach could be used to: 

1) Minimize risk associated with new projects - keep in mind, the analysis goes far beyond a single transit. This could include anything: when to marry, negotiate a contract, ask for a raise, or sail across the Atlantic. Btw: I don't actually do this myself.
  
2) Download the undiluted energy of a planet as it travels through compatible zodiac signs so that we can benefit from the planet’s qualities. We can integrate those archetypes.
 
The second use is pure magic. It allows us to complement our talents and personalities with qualities that we might be short on, for example, confidence, business acumen, and organizational skills - or soft skills such as empathy, communication and diplomacy. 

Empowering Yourself With Astrology 

The planets are always active in our unconscious; we can connect with them at any time to balance our personal energy. We can also download and integrate any given planet’s attributes when the planet transits the Zodiac signs that enhance its energy – usually rulerships and exaltations. So for example, we might look to the Sun for courage, Mars for ambition, Venus for friendship, or the Moon for intuition – just as we would turn to Mother Earth for grounding. For example, we would connect with Jupiter when it travels through Sagittarius, Pisces or Cancer 🌊


The planets always send us energy, but their specific qualities cascade down to us with more clarity when they are in their strong signs, as will be the case with the planet of luck for the next year and a half. Jupiter gives us a turbo boost. We can also do a lot to catch that wave:

Believe In Yourself. The planet of personal growth and confidence. It’s worth mentioning that from an astrophysics point of view, Jupiter is made of hydrogen and helium - the same elements as the stars. But it did not ignite to become a star; Jupiter is indicative of where we need to believe in ourselves a bit more. Look inwards to find your light and power šŸ’„

Expand Your Horizons. Each of the planets rules a theme in our lives, and a zodiac sign in the cosmos. Jupiter rules Sagittarius - this energy leaves home to experience new cultures, religions, adventures etc. Do what you can and try something new - travel, learn a new language, watch Netflix shows from other parts of the world. We can learn a lot from others; for example, I’m interested in the way that certain countries live their spirituality because of commonalities with my own culture. In terms of how spiritual those countries are, but also, where we make mistakes. Spiritual beliefs underpin our approach to life. It helps to see yourself through another culture’s eyes. Jupiter = perspective.

Growth Spurts. Jupiter pushes us to find our real limits, not the ones our conditioning imposes on us. We may come across new opportunities that scare or excite us. Stay positive (optimistic realism) and take on challenges. Think stretch goals. 

Ask For More. Jupiter is the planet of good luck, expansion and prosperity - people often ask for love or money. Years ago I felt like my intuition told me to ask for jet fuel (metaphorically). 



Want To Go Deeper? 

If you would like to know more about traditional astrology, Christopher Warnock’s book, Secrets of Planetary Magic, gives the reader a good understanding of pre-1700 astrology and the seven traditional planets. Chris Brennan, from The Astrology Podcast, looks at the Hellenistic period as well as more recent developments. I think it’s fascinating, but I'm not a traditional astrologer. However, it does help to read up on different schools of astrology, getting an understanding of how it all works, and how or why different approaches came about. So far, these have all been accurate.

šŸ«¶šŸ» I tend to focus on modern psychological astrology, combining energy healing with the natal chart and planetary transits. I also practice magick, with the idea that magick is about who we become, as much as what we manifest. Jupiter is moving into Cancer this June - where its energy is exalted, or well placed. We have a year and half to make the most of that, particularly where intuition and emotional healing are concerned. It will also influence the part of your life that experiences this Jupiter transit directly. We can combine planetary transits with energy healing meditations, as discussed in my earlier blog post: Transform Your Life With the Light of the Stars. 

Today's post was partly inspired by natal astrology, and partly, by the planets and numerology class that I took in 2017. We can balance and integrate our planetary energies by undertaking specific activities ✨ Below is a Jupiter mantra from class. I quite like it because of the peaceful vibe. 



Remember - we can take steps to channel that energy proactively. Thank you for reading Diary of a Psychic Healer!! 


Reiki hugs, 



Regina 

 
I published a similar article on an astrology blog in 2018. Reposting with additional content and a new intro, ahead of Jupiter’s Cancer transit.

*** 


Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuitsRead her books to awaken your intuition.






Images: Canva .com 

SHK

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Angels in the Universe

About ten years ago I started connecting with Archangel Orion - the angel of the stars. He helps us activate our cosmic potential from a healing point of view, with healing ourselves on a cosmic level, and also shaping our lives (manifesting).

I wasn't sure what that meant. How do we relate to the universe, literally and metaphysically? Then a few months ago, I was reading an english translation of the Sefer Yetzirah, an ancient text that maps out the Tree of Life and how it relates to angels, astrology, and the universe. 


The Sefer Yetzirah speaks in metaphors; one of the things it mentioned was that when we speak of healing on a cosmic scale, we are healing the darkness in the collective unconscious, in order to release more light. These pockets of darkness are said to reside throughout the Universe. We can heal where we plug into the collective, healing ourselves and the world at once. 

Anyhow, last week I was drawing a picture of the Tree of Life and I felt guided to black out three of the spheres: Yesod, Tiferet and Da'at. All three of these lie on the central column. Then Orion came to mind - referencing both archangel Orion and the three stars known as Orion's Belt, which I have always seen as important from a manifesting or creation point of view. 

My next clairvoyant image was of three of the transpersonal chakras, which sit directly over your head, in the Aura: the Soular Chakra, the Stellar Gateway and the Unity Chakra. I saw these lining up with Yesod (your emotional self), Tiferet (your Higher Self) and Da'at (the last gateway to the Divine). That one locks us into the first sphere on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.  

Without going into too much detail, there are four worlds in the Kabbalistic scheme and each of these has its own Tree of Life. I believe that with this correspondence, we are clocking in at a higher level, and not necessarily in the physical or emotional worlds. We live in the fourth world - it's your physical body, but your consciousness overlaps with the rest. The third world, right next to ours, is the realm of the angels, planetary intelligences and of the stars. 

There are several archangels that focus on the collective: Archangel Dokiel the cosmic healer, Archagel Orion for manifesting and stars, and Archangel Raziel  šŸ’œ

Archangel Metatron is present too; he is the one that helps us ground our energy and activate the transpersonal chakras, as discussed in previous blog posts. Lots of aha moments, but we need to start with the basics of healing ourselves individually. 

Thank you for reading my blog! 

Reiki hugs, 


Regina 


ps ... Read my books for an intro to energy healing and intuition. Please note, they lay the foundations but my books do NOT include the transpersonal chakras šŸ¤





*** 


Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Tufts University; Regina’s passion is bringing self-love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuitsRead her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing. Available on Amazon.




Image: canva. com

>Reposted this today with a new url (originally posted march 22nd, after the aha moment). Specifying for astro purposes


SHK





Saturday, January 18, 2025

Are Spirit Guides Real??

Over the years, I've had many takes on this question. Are spirit guides figments of our unconscious or our imagination? I think it's important to be open to being wrong, and not to become too attached to our beliefs. 

But first, what are spirit guides? 

The idea is that when we ask our intuition for answers, the answer can come from several places - I cover these options in my book, Chakra Healing & Magick, but basically, our intuition brings messages from the angels, spirit guides, your higher self and some would say, from God.


I didn't include the last one in my book, but basically, spirit guides are humans who lived on Earth and that have wisdom or special experience to share with us. Growing up Catholic, this didn't feel like a stretch because I was used to asking a particular saint for help. Like St Francis of Assisi. Asking an ancestor for guidance is common in Mexico too. But after I found my psychic school, my guides became a lot more colorful than that. In the past I've blogged about how I used to see a wizard in my early days as a psychic student. Funny enough, he helped me negotiate a new job for myself, with a much better salary.

But even then, I thought the wizard was a figment of my imagination, and I'd push him aside. Then my classmates started seeing him too, and I decided to take him seriously. This was in 2010 to 2011, when I was a psychic school newbie. I was still scared of magick and intuition - on one hand, I didn't think magick was real and I worried people would think I had lost my mind. This went on for a few years - even after I'd graduated as an energy healer. By 2015, I was completely sold on healing yourself with magick. Soon after, I started writing my Chakra Healing & Magick book.  

Round about that time, the wizard guide disappeared and I began to wonder if he had been a figment of my imagination or my unconscious. The latter would have been just as valuable as a real spirit guide... 

My assumption was that the clairvoyant image was there to awaken the healer or magician in me, and that when I embodied that, he disappeared. I was sad when that happened, but magick is about who we become. Not that I'm a wizard LOL, but now I feel happy and comfortable talking about crystals, astrology, psychic abilities etc. 

So imagine my surprise, when I started teaching intuition in 2016. My first big workshop was on psychic abilities, angels and goddesses. I led the students on a few guided meditations before putting them in small groups. Each of the groups would connect with an angel or guide - a mystical musical chairs where the students changed places to feel the energy of an angel vs. an archangel vs. a goddess. I had attended a similar workshop with one of my tutors, in 2010, when I was starting out. Loved it šŸ”® 

> When I was splitting them up into 4-5 groups, that wizard guide came back and asked me to put him with a group. I told that specific group that they were connecting with one of my guides - a wizard. They expected someone solemn to appear, say Gandalf, but he is playful and fun. The cool thing is that when the students in that group talked about their experiences, they'd all seen and felt the same things. Like literally the same clairvoyant images, sensations etc. I wasn't guiding the meditation or telling them what to see, because five groups were meditating at the same time, each with a different archangel, guide or goddess. 

So yes, I'm back to spirit guides being real. I have been there since 2016 LOL. They can be a lot of fun to connect with. Have a look at Chapter 6 for details: Psychic Development for Beginners 🌟🌟🌟

Amazon.com/author/reginachouza


 

Reiki hugs, 


Regina 


Ps… That salary negotiation šŸ”®

 

***


Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuitsRead her books to awaken your intuition.

 





Image: canva .com

shk



Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Accept your shadow, channel your infinite self ♾️

Years ago, I was meditating and the message that came through was to connect with my infinite self. I was surprised and pleased by the thought. In hindsight, the message was that we have one. 

That feeling is awesome too; it takes you out of your everyday life and makes your problems seem manageable. What can't your infinite self handle? It gives us a wonderful change in perspective. 


On a practical level, I wasn't sure how to get there - how do I have to change or evolve as a human to get there? Again, my intuition has been pointing me towards the theme of personal power and how we have to accept our full human selves first, including the shadow. The shadow isn't always bad - it's what we reject, and that rejection is often based on cultural conditioning or childhood traumas and misinterpretations. We might think something is not acceptable because of an offhand comment heard in our youth.

Basically, the shadow is what we don’t love about ourselves, rejecting those traits in ourselves, and reacting negatively to those traits in the world. Healing lets us access that energy in a way that isn’t destructive or counterproductive.

This theme of shadow healing features heavily on this blog and in my energy healing books. Especially feeling our way through difficult emotions. It's a biggie too. Without the shadow, we operate at half capacity. No power means no traction with everyday life. Accepting your shadow and integrating it in a healthy way gives you access to your full human self; that is the trampoline to your infinite potential. 

In my case, shining brightly is part of my shadow (one of the things I didn't want to do). My blog was anonymous for 3-4 years because I didn’t want to put myself in the spotlight. And even though it feels like this is in the distant past, it took a lot for me to get to a place where I was not embarrassed to talk about what I do. Thanks to my inner skeptic (Virgo), I didn’t know how people around me would respond. And more than anything, I wanted to reach people without them ever knowing it was me. That is the energy of Leo, tucked away in my shadow, the Zodiac sign opposite my Aquarius Sun. It’s also my Solar Eclipse (see here). 

To my surprise, lots of people have had experiences like mine. You find your tribe when you let others see the real you ♌️

 Reiki hugs, 

 Regina 


ps ... Read my books and free yourself 


***


Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Tufts University; Regina’s passion is bringing self-love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuitsRead her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing. Available on Amazon.









Text in italics added July 29 2025 because a piece of the puzzle was still missing. 

Image: Canva .com