Shadow healing! This was the first in a series of guest posts of mine, on an astrology blog. I've republished my astrology posts (Pixie Posts)
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"The way we approach anything in life is often shaped by our background, and as an energy healer, it is not surprising that natal astrology has provided not only a tool for understanding myself and how I interact with the world around me, but also a roadmap for self-healing. Studying our natal charts reveals many secrets, one of which brings the realization that:
My Shadow Is Someone Else's Light.
We all have feelings, desires, and qualities within ourselves that we hide from others, and often, hide them so deeply that we may not be aware of those qualities within ourselves. Eventually, we meet someone who displays those qualities openly - perhaps ambition or frivolity - and it rubs us the wrong way. What we dislike in others is often a reflection of the qualities within ourselves that we have yet to acknowledge. Along the same lines, what we admire in others can also be an expression of the capabilities that we have yet to develop . . .
In healing circles, this is known as our Shadow, and in astrology, those aspects can be explored, healed and integrated by working with the signs that sit opposite each other on the Zodiac. If we think of the Zodiac as six coins with two faces each, a person born under the sign of Libra will have as his opposite Aries. Within themselves, they have Libra's social skills, diplomacy, and fairness, but also the potential for Aries' confidence and the Ram's desire to be first. How comfortable they are with that Fire influences how they react to those qualities in others. Most of us identify with one side of the coin more than the other - feeling uncomfortable with those aspects when we see them in others, etc.
That dislike can send us running for the hills, but ironically, the more time we spend with that energy, the more comfortable we will feel with it. Eventually, we may even embrace it within ourselves, using those characteristics to our advantage. All of the Zodiac signs have strengths and weaknesses and to draw on our Shadow's strengths, we have to become comfortable enough to embrace all of it.
In this example, the healing comes about when the Libra person can connect with both sides of the coin, interacting with others in a friendly, cooperative manner, while also displaying the Aries qualities of leadership, action and a healthy level of selfishness – standing their ground when necessary. There are several healing methods that can bring about this appreciation for the Shadow.
The signs that sit opposite each other on the Zodiac Wheel are Aries & Libra, Taurus & Scorpio, Gemini & Sagittarius, Cancer & Capricorn, Leo & Aquarius, Virgo & Pisces. The first place to look would be our Sun Sign and its opposite, although the Moon and its Nodes are also essential.
How Do We Bring About This Healing???
A simple way for us to access both our Light and Shadow sides – without overloading ourselves – would be to work with crystals and with flower essences. We could begin by choosing the essences that correspond with the Zodiac sign that we want to connect with. So for example, if we feel uncomfortable with the energy of a particular sign, we can add a few drops of that sign’s Bach Flower Essence to our drinking water. The relationship between Bach Flower Essences and Zodiac signs was laid out in Peter Damian’s book, The 12 Healers of the Zodiac. Another option would be to choose crystals whose energy corresponds to the sign in question, and carry it with us for a month so that we begin to assimilate its energy. Soon enough, we begin to feel comfortable with that energy within ourselves, while embracing (or at least accepting) it in others.
Here is a list of crystal correspondences, by no means exhaustive:
Aries: Bloodstone, Red Jasper.
Taurus: Rose Quartz, Lapis Lazuli.
Gemini: Citrine, Agate Moss.
Cancer: Moon Stone, Smoky Quartz
Leo: Tigers Eye, Sunstone, Clear Quartz.
Virgo: Chrysocolla, Fluorite.
Libra: Aventurine, Malachite.
Scorpio: Garnet, Blue Beryl, Labradorite.
Sagittarius: Sodalite, Pietersite, Red Jasper.
Capricorn: Black Tourmaline, Jet, Obsidian.
Aquarius: Aquamarine, Amethyst.
Pisces: Sodalite, Rhodochrosite.
Crystals need to be cleared and charged before we use them to be sure we are not carrying the energy of the previous owner. This can be done by leaving them on a bed of rock salt for 1-2 hours, and then holding them in our dominant hand, stating the intent. Ask that the crystal work for your highest good! Thank the crystal and clear it when you no longer need that energy. If the crystals mentioned above are difficult to acquire, we can also work with clear quartz, programming the crystal when the Moon is in the Sign that we want to connect with (a bit of moon magick!).
By integrating the Shadow we can access talents that were just beyond our reach, before moving onto other aspects of the natal chart that can also be balanced and healed with crystal healing."
Natal Astrology is covered HERE, including how to read astrology charts. My book looks at energy healing - the idea is to combine the two. Stay tuned for the rest of the astrology posts. As mentioned, I'd been guest-blogging on a friend and fellow astrologer's website; her site is shutting down. I'm reposting my own articles here.
Please Note: Crystal healing, crystal therapy and energy healing are complementary to medical care.
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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, here passion is bringing love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing.
Psychic abilities help us get ahead, but there are shortcuts that we can use if we haven’t fully developped our skills through meditation. One of my favorites are pendulums, though we have to know how to work them, and how to filter out biases.
Before we get into the details, let me tell you about an early experience with pendulums, when I had only been enrolled at psychic school for a few months …
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I was looking for a job - I was finishing up a one year contract at a big company outside London. A great place to work, and I really wanted to land a permanent job at that company.
As far as I knew, there weren’t any job openings on my floor. I was in a marketing department with 40 people; we led product launches across Europe. My pendulum told me there would soon be an opening in marketing, and I set out to find out where.
So one night, I sat down, grounded and shielded my Aura, and then made a list of brand teams, writing each brand name on a small piece of paper. My marketing floor managed 8 brands, I was on one of those.
I folded up the pieces of paper so that I wouldn’t know which was which, and asked the pendulum to sort them into piles of YES and NO. You’re really asking your higher self and your soul - not the pendulum, per se. It signalled out one brand team as having an upcoming job opening.
Next, I wrote the names of the actual colleagues who were on that team, on separate pieces of paper, and asked who might be leaving. (It was an international team, and it wasn’t uncommon for us to move onto specific country teams)…
It said yes for a lady named Gianna. She sat in a cubicle near mine, reporting to a different marketing director. I wouldn’t have heard about that change organically.
The next morning, I walked into my marketing director’s office and mentioned, quite casually, that I had overheard someone say that Gianna was moving to a new post - did she know if that was true?
If so, could I apply?
My boss was shocked (not more than I, lol). It was true but still very hush hush. No one was supposed to know about it. Who had told me? I didn’t know what to say, and mentioned that I heard people talk, but didn’t recognize their voices 😂
Anyhooo, long story short, my boss caught up with Gianna’s boss to see if I could apply. It turned out that her job was going to be repurposed to a much higher level, well above my experience level (hers would have been within reach for me)…
So the pendulum was accurate; I just forgot to ask if that role was right for me. I ended up being promoted to a job in a different part of the company. It was awesome.
I started Diary of a Psychic Healer two months after taking that new job, in 2010. In those days, I did lots of experiments with my pendulum. Don’t stake your life on the answers; it gives direction, but we have to verify things. Anyhooo, this was one of my most memorable psychic experiences.
That job was in consumer healthcare (and I did love it there). My blog was anonymous until 2013; I kept it to myself. Some of my colleagues did know what I was up to.
Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, here passion is bringing love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing.
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? 🔮
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
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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, here passion is bringing love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing.
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 Youtube. Join me there and on the social media links below to stay in touch. I find the social media experience to be fun and interactive. I’d love to hear from you!
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
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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 pursuits. Read her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing. Available on Amazon.
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 💥
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).
> The seven core planets were named after Roman gods - we can see this as a metaphor, or the impetus to reach and connect directly. There aren’t too many people out there connecting with Venus today, but we do see Hindu deities with similar qualities, and I believe (I’m no expert there) that Vedic astrology incorporates that. Lakshmi is associated with Venus, and in various traditions, Jupiter creates the abundance that Venus enjoys. Those are all aspects for us to awaken and embody. For me, the philosophical challenge is retaining both the external spiritual aspect, and your own agency, drive and free-will, overall.
> To paraphrase Dion Fortune (the book, Sane Occultism) there is no planetary transit that willpower can’t overcome. This is a safeguard against us giving up, but also, I’m sure some things are out of reach.
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 goodunderstanding 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.
🫶🏻 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. Do we need to surf (or spot) planetary transits to experience life, or have aha moments? Maybe not, but if it’s already coming your way, you might as well make the most of it. In my experience, heal yourself with a few rounds of the Sun, and a lot of the turbulence goes away. The process isn’t always easy; the Sun shines its light on what needs healing in your life.
Thank you for reading my blog!!
Reiki hugs,
Regina
Ps… Venus & Jupiter are the benefic planets. Good things but also, Saturn = discipline (needed to stay on track)
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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 pursuits. Read her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing. Available on Amazon.