What brought you to astrology?
When I was 11 I saw an “Aquarius” poster in the mall. It had 3 paragraphs, and reading it was the first time in my life I felt seen. After dabbling in astro and tarot in my teens and early twenties, I fell in love with depth psychology and the evolution of human consciousness and realized that all of these things go together really well. I gave myself permission to let my path take me somewhere other than the places people told me I should be going… and then stumbled upon a graduate program that let me combine astrology and depth psychology. That three year process opened me up to things like active imagination and dream work and modalities that incorporate the wisdom of the body, past life regression therapy, the vital importance of ritual, and so many other experiences that are fundamental to how I practice today.
Why do you practice astrology? What makes it juicy for you?
I love astrology because it is vast enough to hold the complexity of individual human experiences, while connecting them to the bigger picture. It allows me to combine my love of sociology and collective movements with mythology and magic, and because it is one of the most potent tools we have for navigating the incredible (and heartbreaking and exhilarating) rite of passage we’re in right now. What’s making it most juicy for me these days is combining it with somatic practices. And teaching. I thrive off of the constant inspiration my students provide and the ways they push me to keep learning. But I also love just geeking out and doing things like trying to figure out realistic charts for my favorite fiction characters or creating playlists that show my Venus in Pisces. Or whatever.
What is your specialty, or focus?
If I had to categorize it, I’d say I use a blend of queer, evolutionary and psychological astrologies, and I spend most of my time in one on one sessions and teaching. My specialty is holding space for folks and validating their experience, and I tend to work with a lot of queer folks and people navigating non-traditional relationship styles. I’m really into astrology that is explicitly spiritual in very grounded ways. I like to call it “practical woo”. I’m equally at home in the realms of journeying, regression and energy work as I am working with astrology as a tool for social justice and empowerment.
Is there a planet, sign, or aspect you’ve been exploring lately that represents an archetype or energy that feels important to you right now?
I’m spending a lot of time immersed in what it’s like to have Saturn and Uranus all up in your business (both luminaries and my angles are in mid-fixed, which is where Saturn and Uranus are hanging out as I write this). So… squares and figuring out how to breathe through paradox and pressure are my jam right now. This feels important because it’s teaching me new lessons about ways we can envision new ways forward and new futures by harnessing the power of paradox.
What is your picture of astrology in the future?
I don’t think I have the words to describe how excited I am about the resurgence of astrology right now. The things that are happening in the community around combining ancestral reconnection practices with astro, social justice and embodiment, as well as the importance of figuring out ethics (to name a few) give me hope for the world, and I hope all of that continues.
Are there any additional comments you would like to make about your lecture and workshop?
I love this topic because it’s a fantastic excuse to deconstruct assumptions and explore possibilities that exist outside assumptions based in binaries. We’ll even segue into a discussion of how important imagination is as a fundamental organ of healing. The last 15-20 minutes will be focused on an experiential exercise that I think can be a really cool tool for folks to have whether they use it on themselves or with clients. And I suppose it can be helpful to not that this is not a lecture that is explicitly about gender and sexuality, although we’ll touch on those topics a bit.
If you discovered a new planet, or asteroid, what would you name it and why?
I am terrible at naming things. I’d have to tap into my Mercury in Pisces at the moment of discovery and feel into it.
Amanda Moreno (she/her) has been a practicing astrologer and soul worker for more than a decade. Her master’s degree in depth psychology focused on how apocalyptic imagery affects the psyche and how astrological ritual can help folks navigate personal and collective paradigm shift. She is a certified Deep Memory Process practitioner and supervisor and has served on the Boards of IAEA and AFAN and as a faculty member at Portland School of Astrology. Her greatest joy is helping folks connect with their spark of genius and introducing them to ‘practical woo’. She is based out of Seattle and can be found at www.aquarianspirals.com.