Horoscopes: Your GPS for Life

In a world that constantly tells us who we should be, finding our true identity can feel like an uphill battle. Many of us struggle to balance our authentic selves with the roles and expectations society places on us. In the face of this life's complexities, horoscopes can offer meaningful ways for self-discovery and empowerment. Horoscopes aren’t just about predictions—they are a tool to help us feel more centered, confident, and accepting of ourselves. They provide a sense of validation and reassurance that goes beyond external labels, supporting us on our path toward inner peace and authentic self-expression.In this episode, we’re joined by Ophira Edut to answer this week’s one-million-dollar question: Why should you check your horoscope?  Ophira is a renowned astrologer and intuitive advisor, the resident astrologer for ELLE, and the author of over 20 books. She advises CEOs, celebrities, and entrepreneurs and has spoken worldwide at major companies and venues. Featured on Bravo, MTV, Good Morning America, and the Today Show, she also created the astrology-based reality TV show Cosmic Love. Her upcoming book, The Astrology Advantage, introduces the IAM System, simplifying birth charts into three archetypes. Her work on "spiritual technology" for business success has been highlighted in Fast Company and global leadership conferences.
What You Will Learn:

• [00:01] Intro and a bit about our guest, Ophira Edut
• [04:35] What astrology is and how it impacts our life on earth
• [06:44] Horoscopes and how they are different from astrological profiles
• [14:32] How to use horoscopes as a tool to take action when you feel stuck  
• [21:10] What makes horoscopes a powerful tool for personal growth
• [25:46] Astrology time-based modality and how it’s different 
• [33:22] How to use horoscope to guide you through life uncertainties 
• [40:44] How horoscopes can help inspire hope and action on rainy days
• [42:21] The most misunderstood aspect of astrology and horoscopes 
• [49:12] Simple steps to incorporate horoscopes into your daily routine
• [51:56] Wrap-up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:
“When you feel validated or seen, then your brain releases a hit of dopamine, which is motivational and gets you to take action, and horoscopes are fulfilling that role.” [15:53]

• “Everyone, no matter what you do, keep a growth mindset and be open to the idea that even if you’re sure you know, you don’t know.” [39:06]
• “Real change is that 1% change, and it can have a huge ripple effect over everything; you don’t have to change who you are, you can change the choices you make, bring more awareness to who you are and have fun being you.”[51:09] 

Resources Mentioned
The Astrology Advantage by Ophira Edut and Tali Edut: https://www.amazon.com/Astrology-Advantage-Horoscope-Personal-Professional/dp/1668017202#:
Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808/ref=

Let’s Connect
Ophira Edut
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/astrotwins
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ophira.edut/
Chandler Stroud
Website: https://healingheroespodcast.com
Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey guys, it's Chandler and welcome to The Healing Heroes. I promise you. I'm Chandler Stroud, an executive wife and busy mom of two who after years of living with anxiety health struggles and an unshakeable feeling like I should be happier, made a profound discovery that changed everything. Join me on a journey where unexpected paths lead to healing and more happiness. On this show, we will explore unconventional ways to unlock more joy in your own life. With the help of my very own healers and trusted advisors, the healing heroes. Hey everyone. Thanks for tuning in. I am so thrilled to have RA adu, our astrologer to the stars back with us to answer the $1 million question this week, why should you check your horoscope? For me personally, I've been following RA's work since I was probably a teenager in high school. Yes, understanding my sign was important and having a better grasp on why I am the way I am, but admittedly, it was really her horoscopes that became my obsession.
(01:22)
All my fellow control freaks out there can probably relate, but there is something so comforting about feeling like you have some line of sight into and partial control over outcomes. Now, in retrospect, I'm sure some of that was my trauma and survival mode talking, but I am relieved to say that even having healed many of those anxious feelings, I still love checking my horoscope because it's entertaining and as it's often said, information is power. A great tangible example of this is tomorrow's horoscope for my sign for Aries. RA writes, your professional star is rising again as motivational Pluto snaps out of its annual five month retrograde and powers ahead in Capricorn and your 10th house of career ambition and success. If you felt like you couldn't progress or lost your inspiration, you'll get your groove back in the coming weeks as Pluto reaches cruising altitude.
(02:23)
Don't be afraid to dream big Aries, but don't delay. On November 19th, Pluto will leave Capricorn after a 16 year run not to return again in our lifetimes. Make your power moves now. Okay, so you can interpret this as a bit of fun fortune or do what I do, which is now think about how to maximize this upcoming five week power push from the planets and make more time for professional pursuits. Why not lean into certain decisions or activities when you know better outcomes are supported by the planets? We'll get into this and so much more with RA today, but first, let me first tell you a little bit more about her work for any new listeners joining us as the resident astrologer for L and the author of over 20 books, RA is a private advisor to a roster of CEOs, celebrities, global leaders, and successful entrepreneurs on tv.
(03:23)
She's appeared as a guest expert for a multitude of outlets and created the first streaming reality TV dating show based on astrology, cosmic love on Amazon Prime video. Her productivity training has been shared at companies like Nike and Saks Fifth Avenue and her new book, the Astrology Advantage from Simon and Schuster was just released in August, and I can personally say from firsthand experience, it is awesome and completely redefining how we think about astrology and applying it to our lives. So little plug for her book there too. But Ra, thank you so much for being here. I can't wait for today's conversation. Speaker 2 (04:05):

That was great. I love it and I'm so ready for tomorrow's horoscope for all of us too. Speaker 1 (04:11):

I know Pluto is a big, big move, right? Those are power moves for all signs I would think, just in different houses of focus. Well, RA, I am so excited to be here with you today and I know we have so much to cover, but before we dive, in case there are new listeners who haven't heard our previous conversations together, can you quickly explain astrology to someone who might be less familiar with it? Speaker 2 (04:35):

Absolutely. Astrology is, as we know it, modern astrology is a study of the relationship to where you are on this planet to what's happening with the other planets. It's kind of like spiritual weather, spiritual meteorology. It's the weather patterns of the stars and the planets which have specific meanings that they've had since ancient times and how those impact your life on earth. Our bodies are made of 70% water. The moon pulls the tides of the ocean. So astrologers either believe or don't believe astrology is not a belief system. I say it's a tool, not a rule, but astrology hypothesizes that the planets and the aspects of our lives that each one represents can exert opportunities and gravitational forces that impact our lives and whether we're aware of them or not, I started to believe in astrology myself or to take it seriously, not by looking to the future, but by looking to the past, by looking at what had happened in my life and what had happened in the stars at that moment or at that. And as I learned to understand what had happened in the stars that day and how eerily it already described what had happened in my life, I said, maybe I should take a look at this and consider, wouldn't it be useful if I had known that in advance versus in hindsight. So astrology is kind of like checking the weather. It doesn't mean that it's definitely going to rain, but it's like it could rain. So to take your umbrella, Speaker 1 (06:31):

I love that analogy. Thank you for sharing that. And you started to touch on what my next question was going to be, which is what are horoscopes and how are they different from astrology or astrological profiles? Speaker 2 (06:44):

Horoscopes are a subset of astrology I would say, because astrology can make a map of your personality and your psychological profile. Your astrological birth chart is a snapshot of what the sky would look like overhead if you could see every planet based on your exact moment of birth and location on earth. So it's the relationship. So astrology over encompasses everything from the large trends of the planets, the profiles of people based on their birth charts, et cetera. Horoscopes are the advice or predictive pieces that you read in the newspaper, the magazine on a blog, their prediction based, and they're based on what are called the transiting or moving planets and how they relate to you usually based just on your sun sign or zodiac sign, not all the planets in your chart, so they're more general. Therefore, for you as an Aries, a horoscope would be a general prediction. It's like the difference between astrology would be someone coming into your home and measuring the carbon monoxide content, the temperature of your house, the mold, all those specifics. And a horoscope would be like if you live in Rockland County, New York, this is what the general weather is going to be. If you're an Aries, someone born between March 20th and April 20th, you're likely to experience this kind of overall and it's going to be a sunny day. It's going to be a rainy day. You might get a shower around three o'clock. That kind. Speaker 1 (08:32):

I love that analogy. I think that's so clear and really breaks it down for those who may be less familiar and not sure if they want to check their horoscopes or if maybe a better first step is to really dive deep into their astrological profile. I think it's very cool. Speaker 2 (08:47):

Well, apparently there was an extensive study done by the Harris Polling Institute and just February of 2024 on people's usage of astrology in the United States, and apparently 95% of Americans check their horoscopes, 70% believe in astrology and 80% of millennials and Gen Z. That's a different study, believe in astrology, and I think there was even 70% of the people in this poll didn't care if it was science or not. They didn't need it to be scientific to feel that it had a positive or comforting effect or was useful in their lives because a lot of the times people are like, well, that's not science. The constellations have shifted, and then I have to explain that it's not based on the constellations, but I get it. I get why reading a horoscope sometimes can make it be like, you're going to tell me that me and a billion other people have the same thing happening to us on this planet. So there's a lot of Speaker 1 (09:50):

Really how do you combat those types of questions? How do you answer that question if someone says, me and a billion other people are going to experience these types of events over the course of the next several days? Speaker 2 (10:03):

Well, I would look at gender or culture or any kind of a group that you're part of. Obviously not all women or female identified people have the same experience, but we do have some common experiences, a lot, not everybody, but a majority will maybe have a common experience. So it can happen that way for Zodiac signs too, because we are the plan, it's are related to your son being an Aries at this particular time of year, it's all mathematical and angles, but the position of, for example, if Mercury is traveling through a part of the sky, it will be impacting you this way as an Aries. So putting a puzzle together, and I didn't start out believing it. I started out testing it out and I was like, okay, it's Libra season. You're an Aries. Libra is your opposite sign. So it rules your partnership house and therefore you may be dealing with themes right now, or you may want to proactively deal with themes around partnership, whether it's a romantic partner, your inner circle, a close work colleague. It gives you a map, a horoscope gives you a map for where you might want to focus your energy. And since the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day, the average adult, and we can get so easily overwhelmed and stuck in analysis paralysis, I feel like a horoscope, whether it's true, whatever that is or not, it can give you a little burst of motivation and focus. Speaker 1 (11:45):

Absolutely. I think that's what I was trying to share in the intro, and by the way, those data points you shared are staggering that significant. A percentage of the US population not only believes in astrology, but checks it that frequently is really incredible. But I also love what you're saying, going back to the weather analogy of thinking about horoscopes as kind of headwinds or tailwinds. It's not necessarily as specific as you are going to buy a house this week, but it might be matters of the home are especially supported during this next period. So if you are thinking about making a commitment, the time is ripe to do something along those lines. So that might be a good way just again, in keeping with that amazing weather metaphor. I love that. Speaker 2 (12:37):

Totally. Or for example, we are just coming out of eclipses. Eclipses are big surprises and changes. I had as a Sagittarius and Eclipse in my motherhood house and out of the blue without any prompting from me, reconnected with a long lost stepdaughter from long story, but we hadn't spoken in 14 years and we got reconnected and then some other secret came out around another female family member and all this, and I wasn't looking for it. It wasn't even on my mind. It was just like it happened. I was like, oh, well. Yep. That track with a lot of the times what made me take horoscopes more seriously, and I'm shared on past YouTubes that we've done or episodes shared on past episodes that I am an educated, nerdy, high school, valedictorian, university of Michigan. I didn't go to the Harvard Brilliant West to become brilliant college. Speaker 1 (13:43):

You're Speaker 2 (13:44):

Brilliant. Thanks. Well, I was a good student and I was a nerd and I was definitely not majoring in astrology, but I guess I was smart enough to know, well, if I found a shortcut to life, why would I not use it? Speaker 1 (14:00):

Love that. And yes, that's exactly how I felt when I discovered your work. It was like, this is information that only I have. I know people aren't doing this every day, though, oddly enough now they are. Now I know from those stats they might be. So there you have it, but it is, I mean, it's just such a cool tool at our disposal to really take a look at broader circumstances and help maybe push you to take action in a place where you've been stalling and afraid to make a decision. So I love that In my Speaker 2 (14:33):

All summer long speaking of this yellow book behind me here, she's Speaker 1 (14:38):

Pointing to the astrology advantage for those who are not watching on YouTube, and yeah, please continue. It's so Speaker 2 (14:45):

Good. Yeah. Well, I decided I was going to try to make the astrology advantage into a bestseller, and we did manage to do that. It's a USA today national bestseller. Speaker 1 (14:57):

Woohoo. Speaker 2 (14:58):

Yeah, I was determined. I was like, this is a moment for astrology, but that meant doing a lot of podcasts and other interviews all summer long. So I had to really, that's why I have those stats. I was like, I'm going to be asked the hard questions and I want to be ready to give intelligent answers, not just be like, well, it works. It works for me and my friends, so you should try it too. Yeah, sure. Okay, compelling. So I really set out to try to understand what the value of it was, and I started to look at some neuroscience and apparently I said, what happens? What is the value of this? Well, getting unstuck when you're overwhelmed. And I did a little research on what happens when we're stuck and how we get unstuck, and apparently when you feel validated or seen, then your brain releases a hit of dopamine, which is motivational.
(16:01)
It gets you to take action. So I thought, okay, people say that our horoscopes give them hope. So if they feel validated, then they might be like, okay, maybe I'm going to try that. Maybe I'm going to get out of my own way. I'm going to take an action, and it's a snowball effect. All the books about performance will tell you, do a microdose, small move, big change. Just do one thing, atomic habit. It's 1% all you have to do to get the momentum going. So I was like, I think horoscopes are really fulfilling that role. So I have to say I was a couple weeks ago is at Barnes and Noble, and I felt so vindicated because my book was next to Atomic Habits on the featured nonfiction bookshelf, and I was like, this is all I ever wanted to see with one of my books. Speaker 1 (16:57):

What a moment, isn't it? What a moment. Oh, Farrah, congratulations. That is seriously just so well earned and I'm so excited for you. That's incredible. Thank you. I'm excited for the Speaker 2 (17:10):

World because I mean, I've been talking to thousands of people over the years and they're always like, they're like, thank you for making this seem more for showings. This, I've been always trying to convince my boyfriend or my dad or my boss, they make fun of me for liking, for reading my horoscope. So a lot of people feel shamed or mocked, not to get overly serious about it, but something that is seen as spiritual or feminine or I really have come to hate the term woo woo, because it's so condescending. I know we all use it. I use it too, but it's like an apology. It's like you're apologizing for using a part of your brain that someone who has appointed themselves all knowing based on beliefs that were formed during the enlightenment in the 17 hundreds when we became rationalists and skeptics in response to the church's oppressive superstition. It's like, we don't have to apologize for Speaker 1 (18:22):

This. I love that. No, no, we don't. And I think it's a really interesting period in our history because I think a lot of what we've deemed historically as woo woo is starting to take center stage. I mean, you've got corporate Fortune 500 programs that are having huge bodies of colleagues meditate throughout the day or consider checking their horoscope for instance, since I know you've gone into a lot of companies to talk about the book. So those are just two examples of ways that I think more and more people and science are starting to embrace some of these things that have been historically thought as woo woo, if we want to use that term that we both dislike. Speaker 2 (19:08):

I mean, science is measurable. So one of the angles that I was coming at it in defense of horoscopes was truth of a horoscope may not be measurable by the instruments of data, which I don't mean to be glib about because obviously there are many things that we want scientifically, and I love data. I'm the nerd who's in my own analytics dashboards all the time. Data tells us things, numbers tell us things, and then we are measuring things with mathematical angles in astrology too. But what about the measurable and positive impact that a good horoscope can have on someone? Problem is that there are predatory people who a lot of times people do come to spiritual tools when they're unrooted, ungrounded going through a change lost, and they may meet someone. There's no licensing for this. So people are giving advice, they are giving counsel, and they themselves may not be qualified, but I also say how many members of the clergy or teachers or other people have done horrible violations to people in their position of power too. So it's not so to isolate astrologers and spiritual workers. Also, I'm more than willing to say there are some truly bad people in some of these roles who are preying on people's fears to buy them, to sell them a candle or something. I don't know. But I'm not willing to say it's only in this world or it's more in this world. Speaker 1 (20:58):

I agree. I'm glad you said that. Thank you for that. I'm curious, what do you think makes such a powerful tool for personal growth? Speaker 2 (21:10):

I think because we as humans are our own biggest blind spots, so we, I mean, I think I may have said this before, but we are designed really funny. Everyone else in the world can see us, but we have to look in a piece of glass to see ourselves. We are stumbling around literally blind to how we occurred to others. So I remember when I discovered the book, the Power of Now, it really hurt my brain at first to grasp the concept of becoming an observer of oneself. It's like, what does that mean? I'm just me. And then I was like, oh, okay. It's kind of be able to get that distance where you can see yourself as another person would see you. And I feel that a horoscope gives you that, whoa, okay, that is true about me. I had this sneaking suspicion that this was happening and now it's the validation again. Speaker 1 (22:11):

Yeah. Speaker 2 (22:12):

Yeah, Speaker 1 (22:13):

I think it's absolutely true. I think the validation is so helpful at times, and even as we've talked in previous conversations, I love the way that astrology and horoscopes to some extent highlight where your opportunity areas are, but in a way that you can embrace them, digest them, and celebrate them in some cases, which I think is really hard for us to do when we're hearing that firsthand. But stepping away and looking at it from an astrological or horoscope perspective, it's a little bit easier to identify those tendencies in yourself, I would Speaker 2 (22:51):

Say. Yeah, you're right, because a lot of personal growth work is compassionate, which is great. It's about finding self-compassion, but there's also an undertone on a lot of it. And now you can fix yourself and be more like this one way that you should be. Even atomic habits, even though it's the number one book for forever and ever, and I love it about do this and your life will work, and I'm like, that will work for some personality types, but not all. So astrology, you get permission to become the best version of yourself, but not as a, now you suck, and if you do this, you won't, which is like, we're addicted to that. Speaker 1 (23:36):

Yes. Speaker 2 (23:37):

But it's a playful, fun dynamic living. It's like being a lifelong, it's permission to be who you are and not have to have every part of yourself fit together. And to have fun with the idea of growth and a growth mindset like, oh, a personal development doesn't have to mean one day I'm going to stop eating after eight o'clock or whatever. I'm going to have the discipline to ride my Peloton every damn day. It's just like these are these unique traits about me that I've never even cultivated, much less celebrated. And I've even maybe tried to hide them because they're as a sad, it's like, we can be loud, we can be opinionated, we can be blunt. That's like, oh, that is true, but I could be like, Annette, I can have some fun with that. I just need to modulate it a little bit. I have to be careful. I don't bulldoze someone with the truth bombs, but I also can be funny if I want or embrace those qualities or as an Aries like, all right, you're fierce, you're trailblazing. You didn't wait for permission. You started this whole series and it's so Aries, but so Aries. Speaker 1 (24:57):

So Aries, Speaker 2 (24:58):

Yeah. But if you didn't know that, you might be like, oh, who do I think I am? But well, probably not because you're an Aries, but thank God hadn't question yourself. Speaker 1 (25:11):

Thanks, Sofia. Thank you. Speaker 2 (25:13):

Yeah. Speaker 1 (25:13):

Well, I love what you're saying because we often say on the show, healing is not about fixing yourself. It's really not. It's about finding yourself. And I think that's what astrology does so beautifully. It really allows you to look at yourself and who you are through a different lens just as tarot and human design and all the things that we talk about on the show. I just think there are tools for getting to know yourself better. So I think that sentiment of self-development and the end goal, not being a fix, but more going deeper and connecting in new ways is really powerful. Speaker 2 (25:48):

Totally. And as you said that, I had a thought because I love all of those modalities and different people will resonate with some or all human design, astrology, et cetera, but horoscopes are the only modality. Astrology is the only modality that has a time, I guess tarot also, but literally it's a system where it has a clock built into it. It's like tomorrow Pluto's going out of retrograde, and you can get re-powered in your career again or psyched about your goals after Pluto's been retrograde in your career house since September 1st. Maybe things slowed down a little bit and maybe felt a little discouraged. Well, guess what? That's over. There's always something new. In a way, horoscopes maybe do kind of play with the same addictive parts of our brain where they can get us fomo, they can be a little, dopamine can be addictive too.
(26:54)
Oh, tomorrow's going to be better. Okay, wait, when's it going to be better? There are people that are like, when is it going to get better? And I'm like, okay, you also have a rule to play in that too. I do not think it should be used as my baseline is, well, life sucks. I'm passively waiting for the stars to move into a better position. It's like it's rained for a week, so I didn't leave my house, get groceries, exercise, et cetera. Okay, well, you still could have opened an umbrella and gotten in your car. You have agency here too, even if the rain sucked. So it's not an excuse shouldn't be as an excuse to stop picking yourself up and living your life with integrity. Speaker 1 (27:40):

I think that's such a mic drop and such an important message that I hope all of our listeners just heard. And again, I love this weather analogy. It really makes it so tangible for everyone. So let's keep rolling with that. That was great. Don't miss your workouts because Speaker 2 (27:55):

It's raining people. Doesn't mean you have to leave a relationship or leave a person or quit your job or do anything extreme but change. Don't just keep doing the definition of insanity, so don't just keep doing the same thing over and over again. You need another sign. Here's your zodiac sign. Speaker 1 (28:16):

I love that. I think that's so powerful. It's a great reminder. How can listeners use daily, weekly, or monthly horoscopes to help guide them through life's uncertainties or complexities, and how does understanding the planetary movements help us better navigate these challenges? Speaker 2 (28:32):

Yeah, well, I think as above, so below, what I love about astrology right now is that astrologers have well developed personal brands on social media and on their websites. So it's really important that you connect with the person that you're getting the advice from by following them, making sure your values align with theirs, or if they don't that you're like, alright, they're probably going to say something that is a different maybe political of somewhat in some way opinion than mine or belief. So I'm going to kind of read through that. I'm going to go, okay, I'm going to know that that bias is there, but I'm going to take the best and leave the rest. So I think with the caveat that you want to make sure that this person is a true experienced source of wisdom and advice, just like watching Oprah or reading one of those little, have you ever had one of those books of mantras or little, we all have all have them.
(29:40)
They're in the bathroom or in that basket by your mom's recliner or your grandma's, but you pick it up, you open it to a page and you go, ah, that just gave me a new perspective. Our minds, because human beings, were wired for survival. Our minds often go to worry and stress and anxiety, and it's really helpful to have something that pulls us out of it that snaps us out, little hit of dopamine, and that disrupts the groove you're going into and wakes you up and go, you know what? Wow. I can, and true to my Sagittarius Zodiac sign, I lived find sources of inspiration and wisdom, but I haven't really met anyone who doesn't like that. It's just maybe some people have a harder time finding that, so they need it a little more. They may even be prone to depression, and I'm not saying astrology is an antidepressant, but it does. It's an anti-anxiety technique for sure. Speaker 1 (30:52):

I mean, I would agree. I mean, what is it? The antidote to worry is trust. I think that's what they say, and that's pretty much what astrology can offer, which is why I think I was truly addicted to it for so long Now, since in my year long healing journey, I have learned how to trust more deeply in the universe, in God and other things. So I still enjoy reading horoscopes, but I don't do it with the same lens that I used to. It's a much healthier way of absorbing the information. Speaker 2 (31:22):

No, you're okay if you don't read it, but it's probably nice you happen to read it to prepare for this episode, but probably tomorrow you're going to be like, Pluto's, out of retrograde, I'm going to go into work or work, get renewed energy about promoting this series because maybe you did have a few setbacks with Pluto retrograde in your career house and Mercury in September, or just things slow down sometimes Speaker 1 (31:53):

With Speaker 2 (31:53):

Season, so you could easily get discouraged. You could have gone maybe I thought this idea was better than it really is. It's not. We get illusions. Our brains start to spin stories and tales and we like, Ooh, our brains are wired to want to stay safe, so oh, maybe I can just quit while it's not that you would, but just maybe I can sneak out the back door before I really have to put my ego on the line, and then you get your horoscope and you're like, oh, no, no, no, it's about to fly here, so we're about to get a spike of energy, so keep going, Speaker 1 (32:33):

Keep going. It was the perfect time to get that horoscope because I have felt like the last or four weeks were somewhat of a grind without as much to show for it, but just organically this week, I've now jam packed my day tomorrow with back to back meetings that have sort of been on a back burner, but they all sort of collided all at once, and I am feeling this renewed. No, there's going to be periods of hustle and grind, and if you believe in what you're doing, it all works out. But the horoscope coming when it did was just a really good ignition. It really lit that fire to refocus and say, okay, let's just turn our attention to this a little bit more than we've been able to for the next four or five weeks and Speaker 2 (33:21):

See if it Speaker 1 (33:22):

Pays off. Speaker 2 (33:23):

I love, love the idea that maybe a million Aries read that horoscope today and how they thought about it in relation to their own life. That's another people thing that people have used to dismiss the validity of astrology. Well, yeah, every Aries is having the same date. No, but you have the same DNA as your siblings, but that doesn't great Speaker 1 (33:49):

Counter argument, Speaker 2 (33:51):

Right? That doesn't mean your whole clones. I'm an identical twin. I can open my sister's phone with my face. I literally, I'm scary, but you definitely can. But what it is is it's this great somewhat general, yet eerily personalized bit of information that you receive, and I just love the idea of picturing a bunch of Aries who maybe were stuck or just having just a little plateau in some part of their life, seeing that and being like, Ooh, how, if you think about the butterfly effect and how the flapping of one butterfly's wings can cause a tsunami on the other side of the planet, what's it like if a million Aries read an uplifting horoscope? What does that do to the energy and frequency of the planet? Speaker 1 (34:46):

Or fire signs, guys? So I mean, that is a pretty incredible visual. Let me tell you. Speaker 2 (34:53):

I'm not trying to sound like I've got some kind of delusion of grandeur, like my tapping typing fingers of the flapping of a butterfly wig. I'm not saying that, but I hear you, but I've seen it that that's why group meditation does, I mean, they've measured the electromagnetic field of the heart. They've measured the frequency of muscle testing. I am very late to the party of reading the book Power versus Force. The author is dead, but it's like, okay, you can literally measure the energy around a person and Absolutely, absolutely. It's a contagious scientific American article about it. So Speaker 1 (35:40):

We talk all about that actually with Nicole when we are talking about sound healing and how you'll never go to two similar sound healings because the bowls play differently depending on the energetic field of those attending in the room, and she's been in some rooms where her bowls just won't play because the energy is so negative. So yeah, it's really fascinating stuff, really fascinating stuff. Speaker 2 (36:07):

The arrogance of anyone to think that just because you think because we know a speck of all there is to know in this universe, and yet all of us have been trained to walk around, the amount of knowledge that we have is all the knowledge that could possibly be gained. And to hear that and be like, yeah, whatever that says more about you than it does about the bowls and about the energy, what you're communicating is that you have a fixed mindset and you are not a skeptic. You're a cynic, and your ego is threatened by the idea that your worldview and training might be no match for some phenomenon that's happening, might not explain it, and you're so uncomfortable with that that you have to shoot it down and it's just this intellectual defense will stop. Speaker 1 (37:12):

No, but you do bring up a really good point, and for kind skeptics of horoscopes, what would you say to demonstrate their value as more than just predictions? Speaker 2 (37:23):

Yeah, kind skeptics of horoscopes are welcomed at all times. I was one and I am one day someone could come along and discover something and show me, oh, this is actually what's happening. Just like we used to think that the sun went around the earth and then we discovered it was the other way around. Cool. Okay, show me that there's a better way and I'll take it on. So I don't have any attachment to it. I just think it's funny when people walk in, they know when you don't. You've been studying something for 30 years and have thousands of case studies with evidence that this did work for this person, so why would you just dismiss that? It's near death experiences. So for kind skeptics, I say, well, let's find out how much you actually know if you're interested in knowing more, if you're not interested in knowing more, cool, but I also say then be polite. Don't insult what this is until you've tried it. I'm not personally insulted. I'm just like, why don't you have birth chart done and look back in your history and see if it lines up? I think Speaker 1 (38:41):

That's a great first accessible step for anyone who really wants to put their skepticism to the test and see if there might be something here. I think looking back versus looking forward is a really interesting way to position it and start to examine it with a different lens than they might be accustomed to. Speaker 2 (39:03):

Exactly. Just always everyone, no matter what you do, keep a growth mindset. Be open to the idea that even if you're sure that you know, don't know, I think we're all having to challenge ourselves on that now. Just in every way. I keep getting asked about the election, who's going to end? Whatever happens, it's going to be you have agency go vote, and we all have the power to deal with whatever will happen and will be, and we can't always get our way. We can't always, sometimes we wanted a sunny day and it was going to rain. What can we do when it rains? That's what a horoscope helps you do, helps you deal with it's raining now, Speaker 1 (40:04):

And I love that you're starting to go there because I do think beyond talking about skeptics and taking a first step, as we were talking earlier, it really does, a horoscope can help to inspire action, where previously there was none. I really think that that exists within the confines of a horoscope and then taking it a step further to your point, it's like even though we might be going through a difficult time and it might be a rainy day, it kind of gives you that sense that everything's going to be all right, which is sometimes just what people need to hear and Speaker 2 (40:44):

Not all right, there's an end to that. Today's horoscope might be hard, but then you get to reach into the other tools that you have or the ones that you're introducing through all the amazing heroes on this podcast, here are some tools you can use when it's a rainy day to learn and grow. Sometimes we grow through adversity. How am I kind of dancing with this situation that's come up that isn't what I wanted isn't my ideal? Who am I being when I got the secret that was revealed from a family member? It was not great news. It was hurtful, but I also said, okay, I can use astrology, horoscopes and the other tools that I have to not take this personally. I can still be heard. I can process those feelings, but I can also go, I'm still a worthwhile human being. I'm sorry that this person is going through what they're going through. How am I going to let it affect me or not affect Speaker 1 (41:56):

Me? I love that, and I think it's a really effective and just powerful way of looking at horoscopes and astrology differently than some may have previously. I'm curious, as I'm listening to you talk, what do you believe is the most misunderstood aspect of astrology, especially when it comes to horoscopes in particular? Speaker 2 (42:21):

I think the superstition, the idea that you should just passively wait for your horoscope to tell you what to do today. I mean, it's a good planning tool, so I have a lot of people who are like, it's the first thing I read when I get out of bed, and I'm like, okay, cool, but I want you to get out of bed. Today is going to be awesome. Speaker 1 (42:43):

Yes, Speaker 2 (42:43):

Yes. And just make that your start or today is at least today, something really positive and valuable. If you're not into the toxic positivity or that's what that sounds like to you, like today is going to be a really valuable day to be alive today. I invite, I intend, I invite, please co-create with the planets. Yes. I think that's the biggest misconception, that the horoscope has more power over your day than you do. It's meant to be an aid. It's like chat, GPT is not going to erase all journalists. It's a good research assistant. It's going to make it easier. Well, if used properly, it's a good analogy too. Yeah, you can tell when an article has been written by chat GPT, it sucks and you feel like you're talking to a robot, but the hours it takes journalists to research things that they may be able to find or get their thoughts organized, maybe it helps them to write the most amazing article of their lives, and it's the same thing. Go in knowing yourself and then let the astrology, let the horoscope support that support the intention that came from your soul, not thwart it. Speaker 1 (44:00):

That's such important direction, and I think I appreciate you offering that to listeners. I think it's a really great way of thinking about it as a tool and guide. Honestly, in the day-to-day, I think it can be a really powerful thing if interpreted and used well. Speaker 2 (44:20):

Thank you. Yeah, I think so too. I mean, it's been great to have this, I've had this tool for 30 years. I've used it daily, weekly, monthly, and it's just so helpful to just sail through the stormy seas and the nice ones, the calm ones. Speaker 1 (44:42):

Love that. Oftentimes women in particular can feel pressured to conform to societal expectations either within the confines of their identity of working professionals or even as mothers, friends, et cetera. Can horoscopes help them embrace their unique qualities and step into their authentic selves more effectively? Speaker 2 (45:04):

Absolutely, and that's why, I mean, in that study that I quoted, apparently men are seeking astrology consultations and paying more for them than women. I was shocked by that. I'm like, wow, I'm shocked by that. But as far as reading their horoscopes for free, it's probably, I mean, hey, who knows? But yes, women have so much pressure to be perfect, and by perfect that means one dimensional and unrealistically just cookie cutter conforming to everybody's wants and whims and wishes and pleasing everybody, and astrology gives us permission to not have to do that, to go, oh, you know what? I've got some edges here and that's okay. That's what I loved. When I had my chart done, I was like, okay, I'm a S, but I have four planets and Scorpio, so I don't fit together neatly, and it made me go, that's actually an asset. So I think one of the reasons people really like our horoscopes is because my sister and I are real. We're not model thin and perfect and unquote in those ways, and we embrace, I know that sagittarians can be curvy, so I'm like, I'm going to embrace the body part that I rule. I've got some curves here. I'm not going to try to starve myself like I did in high school to fit into a size six. So actually learning about my zodiacs, I even helped me overcome some women things like body image issue. Speaker 1 (46:41):

Wow, that's so cool. I would bet most of our listeners have not made that correlation yet. Speaker 2 (46:49):

Probably not. It's not just the interview, it's, it's how you project yourself in the world. I mean, I have a Capricorn rising, so my outer self was always a bit reserved and super shy as a kid, and as I learned about myself and followed my horoscope, I became more like, I'm going to show more of that realness, and that's what people respond to. It's like I've come to realize if you're just 10% more real than you normally are, people are so shocked and enlivened and refreshed by it that you can just win over an entire room. And I'm not saying I'm trying to do that, but people are so terrified to just be that anyone who gives themselves permission to be is letting the air back in the room. And I know there's complaints that Gen Z is a little to their best selves and that kind of thing, but they were raised on horoscopes, and I think it's great, and I'm actually kind of tired of people complaining about them being so isn't that the world we taught them to be in? Speaker 1 (48:06):

It is. I think it's a really good point, and I love thinking about astrology and horoscopes through this other lens of getting to know yourself on a deeper level and be okay with things not fitting neatly into specific columns. I love the example you gave of your own chart, and I think it's really important for women to remember that we were not built to be perfect, and Speaker 2 (48:37):

It's just a different world for women. The shame and the suppression that's so many of us are still going through no matter how educated and fierce and empowered we get, it's like we got to be done with this at some point, and if horoscopes are the exit ramp from that, then I'm putting my blinker on now. Speaker 1 (49:00):

Me too, right there with you. Love that. What are some simple ways for listeners to incorporate horoscopes into their daily routines to feel more centered, confident, and accepting of themselves? Speaker 2 (49:12):

I love the idea of reading it in the morning and then at the end of the day, and journaling even if it wasn't correct or a little bit of how did this show up in your life, and if it didn't just journal Anyway. If you're on a mission of trying to connect to yourself more deeply, journaling is one of the best practices, and if you're not a writing kind of person, do an audio note and use a tool like otter.ai to transcribe it so you keep records because record keeping of your growth reminds you those daily increments. Three months later, you look back and you realize you have made progress. Any self-awareness work, even 10 minutes a day like that, I like the transcribing. You can just go for a walk and talk in your headphones. People just think you're on a call or something. Anyway, so yeah, just journal with it. Yeah, Speaker 1 (50:13):

I love that. Tip one. Journaling is so accessible to everyone. Sidebar, I have also found it to be a very, very effective tool for self-reflection, but I also thought that the resource you offered where you can speak into the app and have it transcribed so that you're keeping records of your own personal growth, I think is the first time we've heard that on the show and such a great way to look back and see how you've changed over time. So I love both those tips because they're also, I mean, not just effective, but also very accessible to everybody. Speaker 2 (50:51):

Well, a horoscope is a microdose of hope. Journaling is also a microdose of your growth. We are always looking for the big stop, the presses moments. I've changed. I'm a new me, throw me a party. It's like no real change. Again, it's like that 1% change can have a huge ripple effect over everything. You don't have to change who you fundamentally are. You can't. You can change the choices you make, bring more awareness to who you are or how that impacts you and others who you want to be as your best highest expression of yourself. But while having fun with it, having fun being you, Speaker 1 (51:37):

Yes, have fun being you, and those are the most perfect parting words we can offer today. Have fun being you. Thank you for that. Ra, thank you for being you and bringing fun to our conversation as you always do. This was such a blast. Thank you. Totally. I love having you on, and to those tuning in, if you like today's discussion, please share it with friends and don't forget to follow the show. You can also visit healing heroes podcast.com to get resources, meet the heroes, and share your ideas for future episodes. Thanks for listening everyone, and until next time, remember, be curious, be courageous, and be kind to yourself. You've got this.