Many moons ago, (or Fifteen years ago, )as a Maiden, wild and lost, I went on a first date with someone with a real gem, this date opened the door to heartaches too deep for me to reminisce at this juncture, however, I did take one thing from this first date that stuck with me for the rest of my life. . My painful memories are tempered by the fact that along with a broken heart, this manboy gave me a beautiful gift. He ignited the interest in what was to become one of my greatest loves, Astrology.

When we first met, he asked me what my sign was, and informed me that we were perfectly compatible. Bemused, I told him that I had no idea what any of this meant. He was astonished, since apparently "all Scorpios are into astrology." Really? I hadn't known. Later that week I picked up an astrology book, to see what it was that I was 'supposed' to be drawn to, and there it was, love at first read.

I began to devour astrology. In my first few years of solo study I read, ate and slept astrology. Walking down the street I would long for the ability to instantly know each person's sign. It was unfortunate to me that "what's your sign?" had become associated with pick up lines, for I genuinely wanted, (and still do), to know "what is your sign?!"

Eventually my pursuit of astrology grew a bit stale. I had learned as much as I could about the houses, rising signs, moon signs, Saturn returning and many other delicate intricacies in astrology and I feared that there was little else for me to learn. At this time I had begun my Priestess immersion. I was a part of a small group of women who were all studying under the High Priestess Anyaa McAndrew. Anyaa guided us through a year long initiation called the Priestess Process, and it was here that I was introduced to "Shamanic Astrology."

Shamanic Astrology represented a whole other depth of astrology. It was deep, mysterious, meaningful and it lit me up inside. The Shamanic Astrology that Anyaa teaches is created by a man named Daniel Giamario. He links up the astrological signs with archetypes and gives the planets deeper meaning when reading a chart.

Anyaa took each of us through our own individual shamanic astrological chart and spent a weekend teaching us the basics as a group. The group work was fun, and listening to what my sister Priestesses were learning about their charts was captivating. As I sat in a room full of people who were revealing the entirety of their astrological chart to me, I now knew the answer to the question "what's your sign?" for all of my sister Priestesses. In fact I also knew what their Venus, Mars, Rising, and Moon sign was, it was bliss for this astrology obsessive! The true life changer for me though, was my personal chart.

When it came time for my chart, I was filled with anticipation. Anyaa, my High Priestess, is a powerful presence. I was looking forward to moving from sitting in circle with her amongst my peers, to her and I occupying one tiny room together so she could offer me her wisdom.I knew it would be fulfilling to have new food to digest on this enchanting subject, but I could never have anticipated all the ways this session would impact my life.

What was revealed to me transitioned me out of one relationship and opened me up to travelling across country and borders to meet my husband. It also liberated me of the bondage of false beliefs that had relentlessly pursued me. I finally had the answers to resolve lifelong struggles. The biggest relief was letting go of the false belief I had long carried that I had to choose between dedicating my life to Goddess or to a man, that I couldn't both be a woman of Spirit and the flesh. In my chart it became clear that my life purpose and my being in love went hand in hand, to be exact Anyaa read in my chart that I would be of best service after I had fallen in love, that my love would be a foundation for my calling.

This revelation illuminated everything inside of me. I had spent years criticizing myself for yearning to be in love as I did. Years trying to force myself to be more independent then I already was, to lose all desire, to be satisfied with Goddess only. For the first time I saw how easily my mind could crucify my inner knowing. I had longed for that 'true' Beloved relationship for a reason. My path with Goddess intensified the longing, not because it was something I was meant to sacrifice in some patriarchal attempt to appease a God in the sky. Rather it was my Mother reminding me that in this lifetime love would play a very important role in my life.

I will not attempt to explain the entirety of Shamanic Astrology in this post, I will however, share some key points with you, points that might help to open some doors within your consciousness as well.

In Shamanic Astrology the Rising sign represents the tribe that we are called to in the lifetime. I am called to the Libran tribe, the tribe that is all about perfect and equal partnership. The Moon sign represents the tribe that we have come from. I have a Taurus Moon, this is the tribe of the aristocrat, the courtesan. I had spent lifetimes playing the courtesan and enjoying the pleasures of decadent human living, it made sense that I feared a 'love relationship' would take me away from my spiritual quest, for these were very Earthy experiences that I had lived in my previous experiences with love and it would have been easy to get lost in once again. However I was moving away from a courtesan experience of lovemaking and into an equally partnered one, one that would serve my life purpose.

The Sun sign in Shamanic Astrology is the sign that fuels you, it is the energy that makes you go, however the Venus and Mars are equally as important in helping us to define who we are as astrological beings. I had always associated myself as a Scorpio (my Sun), now I was learning that who I was in my Venus and Mars was just as important. Our Venus sign represents our feminine energy and the Mars sign represents our masculine energy. The majority of women are most fulfilled living from their feminine self while their masculine energy supports them from within, whereas the majority of men are most fulfilled living out from their masculine with inner support from their feminine. Knowing what your Venus and Mars are will help you to tap into these energies.

I discovered that I have a Capricorn nature when I am in my feminine and that my inner masculine is in Virgo (not surprising as I have been most attracted to Virgo men throughout my life, in fact my husband is a beautiful Virgo).

In Shamanic Astrology, some of the basic elements of your chart are the Rising Sign, Moon Sign, Sun Sign, Venus and Mars.

I am a Capricorn Goddess supported by my inner Virgo God. I am fueled by the Scorpio essence and I have spent lifetimes as a part of the Taurus tribe and am called in this lifetime to the Libra tribe. This knowledge expands even greater with an understanding of the archetypes associated with each sign. The following is a shortened version of the list of archetypes and is quoted from Daniel Giamario:

ARIES: The Virgin Amazon

TAURUS: The Lover

GEMINI: The Divine Comedienne

CANCER: The Great Mother

LEO: The Queen

VIRGO: The Priestess

LIBRA: The Beloved

SCORPIO: The Sorceress

SAGITTARIUS: The Adventurer

CAPRICORN: The Matriarch

AQUARIUS: The Visionary

PISCES: The Selfless Servant

With this knowledge I can piece together what I know and I see that I am a Matriarch who is best supported by her inner Priest, that I am fueled by the essence of the Sorceress and that I am called to be in the tribe of the Beloved after having spent many lifetimes in the tribe of the Lover. In a sense it is as if I am transcending through the tribes, learning in this lifetime how to go from enjoying the earthy and sensual pleasures of being a lover into the conscious and connected practice of equal partnership. I have learned about creating balance in relationship through my Priestessing and through the love that I share with my Beloved husband.

The way that I have served this purpose has been through my Priestessing. My Matriarchal side is fulfilled in the leading of circle and offering of workshops. The writing that I do and my work with women and men one-on-one help me to thrive in my Feminine self. The Matriarch is like the Grandmother of a tribe, the Priestessing work that I do serves to continue to pass along ancient teachings and ways of the ancestors.

The primary role of the Priestess is to merge Heaven and Earth and teach others to do the same. This means that not only does my work in the Libra tribe have to do with a romantic partner but also with the Divine and the Earth and the merging of both. My Priestessing is the very act of merging seeming opposites together, a perfect 'job' for the Libran tribe. I honour my feminine self by sharing as a Matriarch of a community might. I am then supported by my inner masculine the Virgo Priest energy within. Being mindful of the colours I wear, keeping altars throughout the house, managing my praying and meditation practices, my personal devotion and my ability to stay consciously connected to the Goddess is all strengthened by my inner masculine self. The Scorpio essence that I identify with so strongly fuels it all, this energy compels me to uncover the most mysteriouis aspects of this calling. This Scorpio energy ensures that my practice is always deepening and that what I am called to share has depth and weight to it. All of these aspects combined offer me a clear picture of the map of my life and my life's purpose.

There is a truth that states that as the insides change the outsides must as well. For myself, this process of working with my Shamanic chart and the revelations that came with it shifted me out of one relationship, into being unto myself again, and then into the arms of my Beloved husband. It is true that the love that we share in our marriage is the foundation upon which I build my practice.

I extend so much as a Priestess, and while when I am perfectly aligned to the Goddess it is Her that is pulled through, I often fall short of perfect conscious alignment and can get emptied out energetically. It is the loving arms of my husband and the life that we have together that helps to fill me back up. It is the love that we share that lights me up and inspires me to continue to seek new ways to extend love, to offer compassion and to bridge the hurt and joy of human life with others.

If you are interested in learning more about your personal shamanic chart you can contact Anyaa McAndrews at www.goddessontheloose.com . Discover the details of your personal chart by googling 'free natal chart;' all you need to know is your birthdate, an your time and place of birth. Look at the archetypes above and place them with your Rising, Moon, Sun, Venus and Mars signs.

Visit my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PriestessofGrace to find more about the astrological signs and their corresponding archetypes.

As you begin to explore the wisdom of Shamanic astrology the mysteries of your life map will start to become clearer. This is a wise medicine and I pray that it touches your soul as deeply as it did mine. May the deep revelations of Shamanic astrology open your eyes and shift your world. May you find the answers you seek and discover the higher meaning of your path here on Earth.

Grace Be With You

Priestess of Grace

Candise Soaring Butterfly