Listen here:
What if astrology could help you understand not only who you are but why certain turning points, heartbreaks, awakenings, and transformations unfolded the way they did?
In this deeply personal and illuminating conversation, Amanda Walsh and Natasha Alter explore the real-life astrological transits behind Amanda’s new memoir, Life by the Stars. Together, they unpack Saturn returns, Pluto transits, karmic patterns, soul contracts, and the profound ways astrology can help us navigate life’s biggest thresholds with greater awareness, courage, and trust.
Amanda shares how discovering astrology transformed her understanding of identity, purpose, relationships, motherhood, and healing – while Natasha offers the astrological lens behind the pivotal moments that shaped Amanda’s journey. Together, they reveal how astrology can become not just something we study, but something we live.
✨ If you’d like to explore the book, signed editions, companion journals, and the immersive Living by the Stars experience with Amanda herself, visit: https://lifebythestars.com
🎬 IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR:
00:00 — Amanda Walsh & Natasha Alter on Life by the Stars
01:35 — What Are Life Cycle Transits? Saturn Returns, Pluto & Major Turning Points
05:39 — How Astrology Can Liberate You from Repeating Old Patterns
13:11 — Amanda’s First Astrology Reading & Spiritual Awakening
20:05 — Soul Connections, Synastry & Relationships Across Lifetimes
26:51 — Why Life by the Stars Is Unlike Any Astrology Book Before It
36:04 — What to Do When You’re Standing at a Major Life Crossroads
42:16 — “Leap and the Net Will Appear?” Trusting Life During Big Transitions
47:08 — Why Most Fears Are Shadows: Healing Fear Through Transformation
49:29 — How Pluto & Uranus Reward Courage, Change & Reinvention
56:41 — Meeting Life’s Transits with Curiosity Instead of Fear
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“ Stagnation is not life asserting energy – everything moves in this creation.” – Natasha Alter
Transcript
Laura: Hello, everyone. Welcome back to The Astrology Hub Podcast. My name is Laura. I'm the head of operations here at Astrology Hub and your host of today's show. Today we have a very special episode for you where we will be diving into some life cycle transits and what do they mean for us and how do they transform our lives.
Today's episode is extra special because I'm joined with professional astrologer Natasha Alter and our very own Amanda Walsh, who is on the other side of the mic today, gets to be the interviewee because her book, Life by the Stars, is officially available now for you to buy. And, Amanda, in this story, it's her memoir where she goes through some of these life cycle transits that we'll be talking about and how it transformed her life. So I'm super excited to have this conversation with you both today, so welcome to The Astrology Hub Podcast.
Natasha: Thank you. Thank you.
Amanda: Thank you.
Laura: Amanda, how does it feel to be on the other side of the mic?
Amanda: It's so fun. I love it. Also, it, it's, it's my memoir, but Natasha provides astrologer's notes. So this is the astrological overlay to the story. So you, you get to hear from both of us in the book.
Laura: Yes. Yes, exactly. And so these two are very powerful guides through these types of transits, 'cause Amanda has lived them, and Natasha, you have guided her through. For anyone listening who might not know what we're talking about, these astrological thresholds, these transits that we all go through at certain periods and certain ages of our lives, can you explain briefly what are some of the most common ones or things that people might know?
What Is a Saturn Return?
Natasha: Well, uh, probably everybody not even familiar with astrology has heard, uh, at some point the Saturn return. I, I guess that would be one of the most spoken about or, or notorious cycle, um, that people, uh, are aware of. Like, what does it mean, though, a return? It means that Saturn, after 29 and a half years, returns to the original placement that it has in one's own personal chart, because planet Saturn's orbit around the Sun takes 20, roughly 28 to, let's say, 29 and a half years.
So all of us, independently where we are born, who we are, would have at this age, this very famous big threshold when Saturn, the grand teacher, the taskmaster, the karma holder, comes back to check in with us. Where are we at? What have we learned? What is it that we're ready to let go of, and where is it we are ready to move on from here?
So that's one example. Then, of course, there are shorter cycles, like a Jupiter return. Jupiter takes 12 years to, uh, to circle around the Sun, so every 12 years we will have a Jupiter return. Every six years, we will have a Jupiter-Jupiter opposition. So with each planet, from the faster-moving ones, even with Venus, you know, uh, and Mars, we do have these cycles, uh, um, personal cycles that happen, uh, with a predictable, uh, within a predictable amount of time.
Living Transits Without Knowing Astrology
Laura: Yeah. And so Amanda, throughout the story is when you actually find astrology. And so you're living through these big life transitions without knowing astrology. What is it like, what was it like for you to go through those without knowing astrology?
Amanda: When I didn't know transits were happening, life felt more like it was happening to me, and I'm sure many of you can relate with that. You know, there's this sense that things are just happening. I'm kind of getting battered around. I don't know why they're happening.
I got to realize that there's an intelligence at play unfolding in my life, and I am making choices for how I wanna engage with that, with those energies. And I can consciously choose, and that it's, it doesn't make it easy. It can be very challenging.
But that there is a choice point, and especially when you're aware of the spectrum of, of ways that a transit or an astrological energy can express itself. There is a, a, I, I love when people talk about it being a less mature or a more mature choice point in that astrological energy. So Pluto, Saturn, uh, Jupiter, they all have this spectrum of, of frequency, right? And so understanding that and being coached through that and guided through that through some of the biggest, the biggest challenges of my life so far—made me realize that I'm participating in it. I am co-creating with it.
I am dancing with it. I mean, really, to me it's, it's one of the reasons why I love doing what we do at Astrology Hub because passing that along to, to people and saying, “Look, you know, you aren't, you don't have to be battered around by life. You do get to choose, and here is the information and the awareness that you need in order to make those choices.”
Laura: Hmm. And I think a lot of people who don't know a lot about astrology can think, oh, if you know, astrology puts you in a box. But what you're saying is it actually allowed you to make better choices and to co-create with life versus then just like being put in that box.
Amanda: Totally. I mean, you can, you get to see your own blind spots.
How Astrology Liberates You
Natasha: I think it's actually, uh, if I may add, it's actually quite the opposite. It's the reverse of what people, uh, think about putting, being put in a box. It liberates you from the box. Because when you are not aware and you are running by default program, then you keep repeating the same patterns without understanding why and what is the structure, uh, you know, behind it, what are the energies working through you that you are not capable of, um, coming to cognition of. And so once you start understanding the conditioning or the, the, the, um, geometry of your personality that we inhabit, uh, in this life, then the choices become much wider. So it actually liberates you from the predictable pattern and gives you, as Amanda said, like a wider spectrum of choices, of how do I choose to express this archetype. Because there is, like, as many shadows of the same archetype as there are, like, humans, you know? So it is, it is very liberating.
Amanda: The word I keep thinking about when you're speaking, Natasha, is compulsion. You know those things that we are just, like, compelled to do? My daughters and I, uh, well, one of my daughters, Sophia, we, we, we like The Vampire Diaries. It's like we've been on this Vampire Diaries… It's, and they have so many seasons, so we've been watching it for a while.
But the vampires can compel you to, to do something that they want you to do, and we all have that based on our wiring, based on our, based on our conditioning. You know, we have these things that we're… And they can feel like that. It's like, “I don't have a choice here,” like I just, I'm compelled to do this.
And I completely agree with you, Natasha. It, it, it enables the opportunity to break out of that pattern and start to choose something very different. Yeah. It also shows you where some of your karmic knots are, you know, these things that aren't even necessarily just from one lifetime, that you've been carrying as a soul for a long time, that you have this opportunity to unravel and, um, and move beyond that.
Natasha: Exactly. And it gives you also the awareness which karmic knots are mandatory to heal and work through because there are indications in the chart that this is the moment, this is the lifetime. You need to resolve that. So rather than dismissing or trying to kind of, uh, put it somewhere under the carpet or trying to heal in the wrong way that doesn't lead anywhere, you kind of become aware of the, um, mechanism behind that compulsion, you know? So it not only gives you liberation, it gives you tools—
Amanda: Yes.
Natasha: —to how to work with this, uh, conditioning.
Amanda: I remember going through moments in my story where Natasha would say something like that to me. Like, “You have been carrying this for a very long time. This is your opportunity to transcend this pattern. This is, this is by design. Your, your soul is in cahoots with this design. Like, you wanted this, even if you don't, if even if you don't, if you're not completely aware of that. You chose this configuration so that you could transcend it.” And, and there's… I don't know if this is, like, the Saturnian part of me, but knowing that if I didn't address it now, it would still be there. It's gonna show up in another way. I'm gonna have to address it eventually. May as well be now, was just so helpful.
Laura: Mm.
Amanda: Yeah. So again, I mean, to me, it, like Natasha said, astrology and the awareness of it, and, and when, especially when it's facilitated well. You know, I, I was so lucky to have Natasha as my first astrologer. Like, wow, thank you. Thank you for that. Because I got the experience of a skilled, um, aware astrologer who could frame things in a way that gave me that choice. You know, there was no deterministic, no fatalistic, no fear-based anything. It was always framed as, and continues to be framed as, an opportunity.
Laura: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and so Natasha, just like we have the spectrum of the astrological energies, like when we have a transit, right? I'm sure there's like a… Is there a spectrum within the chart itself too? ‘Cause everyone's chart will, like, kind of experience these transits differently.
Natasha: Well, um, I cannot see in the chart, uh, how aware or developed, uh, the chart holder is. That can only happen through the dialogue. So rather than having any kind of, some kind of deterministic predictive, um, uh, sessions, you know, I first need to understand where the person is at with their consciousness, and that will determine how they will be able to work with and process and meet the upcoming energies and work with their own chart.
But it cannot happen, the precision or the narrowing down that spectrum cannot happen until you actually meet the soul, the, the, the chart holder. Because you can have the same chart. There are people born in the same second all over the planet and, and they carry the same charts or within the same minute, like, you know, thousands of people. Does it mean they have the same destiny? Does it mean they have the same, um, abilities or persona? No. And I've been working with, uh, twins just to have confirmation that it's not the same response, uh, to the same chart or similar chart. Otherwise, we would be, um, repeating, for example, like, you know, people like kids in the same class or the same year, they have the same Jupiter most of the time, right? Does it mean that their way of learning or inquiring knowledge or, uh, way of, um, moving ahead with their intelligence is the same? No, of course it's not.
So, um, I can see the spectrum, but as soon as I meet the clients and understand how they have been working until now with those energies, I cannot really determine how they have been expressing it and to what, to what extent or what part of that spectrum they are gonna most likely to be navigating further. So again, like everything depends on the carrier, on the person, on the soul, on the consciousness behind the chart.
Amanda's First Astrology Reading
Laura: Hmm. Yeah. And so Amanda came really new to astrology. Amanda, you didn't really know anything about astrology. What was it like walking into a reading having, like what was your expectation meeting someone like Natasha for your first reading knowing nothing about it?
Amanda: Well, zero expectations because again, I already had the stereotype that astrology wasn't gonna be necessarily helpful. However, somebody I really trusted and respected in New York was the person who said, “Hey, I just had a reading with this woman. You gotta check her out.” And this is, I had just moved to Hawaii from New York.
So I look her up on Google. I find that not only is she in Hawaii, she's on the same island as me, and she's literally 10 minutes down the street from me. So I had this like, you know, even though I wasn't into things like synchronicity at that time, it was really hard to deny that there might be something here. But I didn't, I still didn't have any expectations.
But also, I remember walking up the stairs to her beautiful home, by the way, which I also didn't expect. Um, I, I was, I had my first twinge of fear. It was kinda like, “Oh, God.” Like, is she gonna see something bad? You know? Like, it, it was… Or is she gonna tell me something bad? Is she gonna tell me something scary? And I, again, looking back on it, I can just see the, the script that I was handed throughout my life about astrologers, astrology, and there was fear in there, you know?
And I, I mean, obviously, was just completely blown away. All of my misconceptions were obliterated, and I got to have what I say now, and I can honestly say this, after 13 years of Catholic school, going down the road of almost every world religion and, studying psychology in college and with my master's, all with this question of who are we? Like, who, who are you really? Like, it can't be just what I see. Like, there's gotta be more to what, who we are and what we're here for.
This was my first, this reading with Natasha, was my first tangible evidence of what one might call God or a divine intelligence that is so far beyond my comprehension that I just can't even fathom it. And so I stood in her kitchen with tears streaming down my face just going, “Oh, my God.” Like, I've been looking, and I had no idea it would be in a place like astrology. I mean, really, it was just, it was so, um, so outside of my realm of awareness that it, it changed everything. I mean, we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation. Astrology Hub wouldn't exist.
I, I hope all of you get to experience that through the podcast, you know, that you get to have this sort of ongoing, um, relationship with these astrologers and with astrology itself. It's not just, like, the one reading and then you walk away, and you maybe think about it sometimes. You actually get to continue to unfold with it.
Laura: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and that's why these thresholds are so important too, because it's a constant unfolding of our chart. So Natasha, do you remember the first reading as vividly as Amanda does? Do you remember that reading?
Natasha: Yes, I do.
Laura: Yeah. Do you, do you remember the, the big transits she was going through at the time?
Natasha: I do remember… First of all, I remember vividly every second when she was getting up my stairs and so on, partly because it was a luxury already then to have somebody physically come into your space. So I already then was working online, so that, that like having an actual person embodied come into your space, that's memorable. And then it was not just anybody, it was Amanda, you know, so you get the whole full, full-on radiance into your space.
Regarding the transits, uh, I do remember that Pluto was either on the threshold behind the scenes about to start working on her, or it was already on, uh, more than any other planet, 'cause I, I, it's like that whole transition of her, uh, that whole process of her awakening, her, uh, shift from being that persona that she thought she was while in New York doing the business, transitioning into a whole new stage of her becoming, Pluto was one of the major players, one of the major actors.
So I think when she came, that's what I, I, um… So I mean, I'm sure there were other transits as well, and I, I do have the chart of the reading itself, which also indicates, you know, when the reading happens. That will tell you a story of what is the content behind the meeting.
Laura: Mm.
Natasha: You know, there are certain triggers, you know? And, and so it is with every astrological reading. You know, when you have a reading, you look, I usually do, I look where are the planets and what, where is the, or how does it hit or work with the client's natal chart, which means what is it being activated? What is this person seeking to receive based on the energies that are going through today at this moment?
So I remember, uh, with Amanda, there was a massive like mercurial presence. I think there was Mercury on her descendant, like she's meeting, uh, Mercury, like in my, in my persona or something. You know, there are some messaging, uh, being delivered into her system, and that was definitely a strong, strong moment itself. So we can say that although Amanda said that she had nothing, no expectations, she, she didn't have a clue about what astrology, on the soul level, because the timing is so precise and because the planets reveal the intent of the soul, we can say on the soul level she was actually ready.
Soul Connection & Synastry
Laura: Hmm. Oh, I love that. So, part, one of the things that you talk about in the book too, Natasha, is synastry, and the way that Amanda meets people throughout her story, things were fated. Have you looked at your two charts together and what that might say about your cosmic collaboration?
Natasha: Yes, of course. Of course I did, and I think there is a little chapter or astrologer's notes just about our synastry. I think I dedicated a couple of paragraphs to, uh, uh, to it. Yes, of course, and, uh, it is, um, pretty, uh, monumental I would say. You know, certain synastry, uh, between the charts reveal, uh, not only the compatibility like it's usually used for a couple, not just the, uh, channels of understanding, of, um, interaction, um, pathways, but it also reveals whether it is an old connection or whether it's a connection of the souls that has already been working together or, um, somehow, uh, having experiences of incarnations together, and that certainly came through between me and Amanda's, uh, charts.
Yeah, so, so just to, to be a little bit more specific, when we have, uh, conjunctions to the south node, uh, which represents our karmic past or the, um, the, uh, information, skills, and traits, the experience that we carry through lifetimes, that's represented by the south node of the moon. When we have conjunctions, when somebody comes with their planets, personal—especially a personal planet, to your, uh, dragon's tail or to your south node, that gives you an instant clue that there is somebody you've already been working on.
And then when it happens both ways, in other words, uh, the person's planet is conjunct your south node, and your planet is in turn, uh, is in turn conjuncting their south node, which means it's a double whammy, it reinforces, you know, that indication that this is a very old connection.
Laura: Hmm. Amanda, did you, do you feel that way with Natasha? Like, it seems like from the book you guys became pretty fast friends. Uh, would you say that you kind of felt that connection with Natasha as well?
Amanda: 100%. And I know you all have had those experiences where you meet someone and it feels like you know them. You don't know why it feels like you know them, but there's that instant soul-level connection. And I think from, she really has played the role of a guide throughout my story, and it has merged into very much of a sisterhood. The more that I have been able to understand, you know, what it is that we came together for, and the opportunities that our souls have wanted to create together, it has felt very much like this co-creative beautiful weaving. And I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to, to have the connection, you know?
And, and, and what I wanted to say also is not all of the people that come into your life and you're like, “I feel like I know them,” and, uh, we… There's like some sort of chemistry attraction to that person, it's not always pleasant, right? Like, sometimes those can be the hardest ones. But this one has been just like sheer joy.
And, um, the, the opportunity to write this book together also was, was surprising. Like, I… It wasn't, it wasn't a plan, but what happened was I was writing the story, which also wasn't the plan. The, the plan was never to write a memoir. I had totally different ideas, but then it just kept coming and coming, and I was like, “Okay, I guess I'm writing this,” you know? “I guess this is what's happening.”
And I had this interesting conundrum, because I wanted to tell the story from my perspective as authentically as possible so that you could feel like you're in the story with me. And for the first 30 years of my life, at least, 33, I knew nothing about astrology. So I couldn't allude, I couldn't authentically allude to the astrology that was happening in that first 33 years of my life. And even, I mean, even through a lot of the most challenging periods of the story, I still was learning astrology through Natasha. Like, I was still receiving it from her.
So I was on this walk one day, which I don't know about all of you, but some of my best ideas come just walking outside under the sky. And I went, “Huh, I wonder if Natasha could provide a commentary.” But literally immediately I left her a WhatsApp audio. I was like, “I have this idea. What do you think? I'm, you know, writing this story, and, and maybe you could provide astrological commentary.” She got back to me quickly and with a very clear yes. It was just like, “Oh, yes, yes.” So I knew it was, it was right, 'cause it was just such a clean, like, both of us, it was the inspired idea. It met her. She was a yes.
So I can't even remember your question. Oh, did I have a feel that connection with her? Yeah, 100%. And she has revealed to me through time why astrologically we would feel that way. Why, you know, you could see it in our charts. But before I knew any of that, it was just a felt knowing awareness.
Hi, friends. If you're listening to this episode and wanna know what Life by the Stars is all about, you can head over to www.lifebythestars.com and check out all of the amazing, immersive, and exclusive packages we have available with this story. We have limited-edition signed covered copies, digital companion journals, and even an immersive book club experience with Amanda herself. So you don't wanna miss this. Head over to lifebythestars.com now and get your copy.
Why This Book Is Different
Laura: Yeah. Well, you answered one of my next questions, which is how did the astrologer's notes come about? Because to our knowledge, this has never been done before, having astrological commentary on a memoir. Um, so it's really, really interesting. And Amanda, I know this is something that's important to you at Astrology Hub, but, like, why was it important for you in the book for people to be able to experience the astrology through the lived story instead of it being kind of the other way around?
Amanda: Hmm. I mean, maybe it's my personal bias. I, I learn so much through story, and so I felt that if people could come along on an adventure with me, with the highs and the lows, the heartbreaks, the risks, the challenges, the magic, the beauty, that they could experience in a different way than, like, reading about astrology. They could actually have an experience of astrology alive. And at the end of the day, for me, it's always about that. Like, I can learn all the astrology I want, but unless it's in the body and there's an experience of it and it's actually informing the way we live day to day, I'm not as interested. You know, I, I really…
So again, I feel like it's a personal bias. Like, it's, I love story. I, and, and it was important to me that the story actually feels like reading fiction, although it's completely nonfiction. You know, that there's the element of, of, again, like you're, you're in it. You can, you can experience walking up those stairs with me to that first reading. You can hear the ocean as, you know, you can feel the, the, the mist and the breeze, and you can have that experience with me and then reflect on how all of it is astrology alive. All of it. And that to me is exciting.
And so, yeah, it's kind of fun to, like, have this come together in a way that I, I really, to my awareness, hasn't been done in this way. Um, and it's a bit of an experiment. Like, hopefully people enjoy that element of it, and so far it seems like they are, just from some of the early readers. But yeah.
Laura: Yeah. I mean, I can attest that it definitely reads like fiction, and the audiobook as well. Like, talk about getting to go up, walk up the stairs with you. Like, that is a truly immersive experience. Both of them narrated the audiobook. Um, so what was it like working together in, with, in this capacity? Because you guys worked together, you know, doing charts and things, but what was it like actually the process of writing this book and making it come alive?
Natasha: Well, the first word that comes to mind is fun. I mean, the idea itself of actually creating a background, like a backdrop to a life, real, genuine life story that I was privileged to witness and walk through hand-in-hand with Amanda, that in itself was super exciting, and it felt, um, it felt like, uh, the most creative project, you know, for me that I could think of in terms of writing about astrology.
Uh, I do recall, well, you know, when I was studying astrology myself a long time ago, in the previous century, uh, I do recall the moments when I would be, um, you know, swallowing those books and getting a lot of theories, and then not remembering anything, or trying to read, as you say, charts of celebrities, which also didn't kind of glue to a reality.
And so for me, it was such an opportunity to be able to present and offer to the reader or to astrology lovers something live, something immediate, something, uh, authentically connected to a real visual experience that is being narrated by the live person, you know? So, uh, it was tremendous fun. Uh, it was also a creative challenge to be able to, um, be concise, uh, 'cause that's what we decided, uh, to do this astrologer's notes, not too deep or filled with technicalities, not to overwhelm the uninitiated reader, but at the same time, be deep enough or give enough of material to stir the interest, to trigger the interest, to tease the reader to fall in love, or at least become more curious what is this all about.
So to me, it was incredibly gratifying. It was, uh, fulfilling. It was creatively challenging to be compact, and yet informative enough. Uh, there were a lot of several notes that got deleted, cut down, sized back, you know, all of that, and that was also part of the creative process, just to make it enough, but not too much.
Amanda: We had a lot of conversations about that. That really was a, a really big consideration because we were thinking about all of you. And, you know, you will theoretically be some of the first ones to read the book, so we wanted to give you, the astrology students, the Astrology Hub community, enough to chew on. You know, enough to, like, go, “Ooh,” like, “Ooh, I can see that,” and start to make, make your own correlations, right? I did include my chart in the back of the book, so it's, it's out there. You can make your own delineations, and you can draw your own conclusions if you want.
But also, I knew that people like who I was with last night at my mom's book club—these beautiful, amazing souls in their early 80s who don't know anything about astrology, aren't like, you know, more in the like church, you know, more like in the Catholic, you know, Christian and… but still beautiful, and open, and curious. It was like could they, how could we make it so that they can also connect with this? So I think that the story part for sure will connect with anyone, everyone. And the astrologer's notes are gonna be that opportunity to go, “Huh, that's curious. That's interesting. Hmm, I never knew astrology could help you understand why you're drawn to certain places on the planet. Why was I so drawn to Hawaii?” I mean, I know a lot of us are drawn to Hawaii, but, like, I mean, one of the very first times I landed on Maui it was like, “Oh my God, I'm home.” And this is, again, before I'm that kind of person that has those experiences of, “Oh my God, I'm home,” when you go to somewhere new.
So, you know, just that alone, or, or the relationships, or parenting. You know, I, I share a lot about how astrology, as it was becoming alive in my life, was informing me as a mother, me as someone navigating a divorce, understanding my, my, uh, I don't even… I, I, I never use the word ex-husband. It feels so, like, violent. I just don't like it, so I say former husband. Uh, but, you know, understanding our challenges, understanding him better, understanding why it probably, we're probably better as friends and co-parents and not so much as, you know, husband and wife. Just being able to show people. Again, not tell them, but show them how it was helping me navigate these things.
Uh, it, it was such a fun… I love that you started with the word fun, Natasha, because it has been so fun and joyful. And both of us, and I know this happened for you, Natasha, both of us have fallen in love with writing again. You know, I, I forgot that growing up I used to love to write. I forgot that in eighth grade I won the creative writing award. Because when I went to high school and college, it became about writing in this very formulaic way. There was no creativity. It was all about the scientific method, and you had, like, exactly what you needed to write, and it wasn't fun at all. So this was just, this got to rekindle that joy of storytelling and expression through writing. And then to do it with Natasha, I mean, it was just like, “Thank you, universe. This is a really fun assignment. Like, this is a really good one.”
Advice at a Crossroads
Laura: Yeah, and I mean, for, as an astrology student myself, the astrologer's notes definitely do give enough to chew on, and there's just, uh, we can do so much more with them, and I'm, I'm excited to do more with them. But really, you can tell how much fun you guys had writing this. You can tell the joy that, uh, that comes from the pages, Amanda. It's just like, it's really, really, it's an inspiring story, and I'm so excited for people to read it.
And I think it is for anyone who's, like, standing on the edge of big changes or know that their soul is calling them in a different direction, which may be scary. And so Amanda, I know that there were times where you were terrified in this story, like, “What do, what do I do next?” And so what do you say to someone who's in that same spot as you were way back when? What, what would you say to them?
Amanda: Well, I mean, Laura, first of all, look into your astrology. I mean, the… It became such an ally for me, you know what I'm saying? Like, it became… And it got to the point where I'm like, “How come everyone doesn't know about this? How come everyone doesn't use it?” Like, it's so helpful. And also, I mean, what you just said about the story really…
I remember sometimes living through this story, and having the awareness that if I could navigate it to the best of my ability, that perhaps someday I would be able to help others who are in similar circumstances, who are in those huge life transitions, who are having to dismantle an identity that they thought was who they are, that, that everybody told them, or society, the world told them who they are. But there's that deep part underneath going, “God, I don't… This doesn't feel like me. Like, this doesn't feel right. This doesn't feel like who I am. This doesn't feel like what I came here to do.”
Anyone having those kinds of questions, anyone at, at those moments of where you know you're, you're at a crossroads. Like, you could make this decision and stay on this path, or you could, like, completely change the way you've been living your life. I just hope that it gives them hope. I hope that they can see themselves in the story, that they can feel like they're not alone, that those thoughts that you have that keep you up in the middle of the night, that make you feel like you're wrong, or not good, or, you know, not enough, all those things that you can see that other people have those same thoughts. Every—other people have those same struggles, and you're not alone, and you can emerge on the other side of this better than you ever were before. More you, more aligned, more, more peaceful with your life and your life choices.
And it was so cute last night. Oh, God, I loved this question. So these women, which is… I was amazed. Like, it was… We, we show up at, at my mom's friend's house, and they've been doing this book club for, I don't know, years and years. And I asked my mom, like, “What happens at your book club?” She said, “Well, we have appetizers, and we have some wine, and then we sit down and have dinner, and then maybe we talk about the book.” So this is kind of the environment that we walked into, right? They were… They're old friends. They're so… It was so sweet. I was like, “I, I want a book club like this. This is the best.” And so they're, you know, lots of talking, and then I start talking about the book, and they were enraptured. I mean, they were…
And I was like, oh my God, this is so beautiful that even the people you think would be the least interested in something like this, there's… We're all souls. We're, we all incarnated here for a reason. When we start having conversations at that level, there's a ping inside. Like, we, we know.
So one of the symbols throughout the book is it starts when I'm 10, and I'm looking in the—actually the mirror that… I'm in my parents' house right now. This is not the childhood home I grew up in, but there's still some remnants of the furniture from our, my family home. And the bedroom I'm staying in right now has the mirror that I looked in when I was 10 and said, “Who are you?” And I remember just looking in the mirror and, and leaning in even closer and just saying, “No, really, who, who are you?” Because I sensed there was something more than what I'd seen on the surface, right? So it was my first, like, memory of a soul-level kind of question.
But that mirror symbol follows me throughout the book. And one of the beautiful women last night asked me, and it makes me cry. She goes, “So when you, when you look in the mirror now, do you feel like you know who you are? Like, did, did that question get answered?” And I was… It was amazing to be able to sit there and, like, authentically, truthfully say, “Yes.” Like, there's a sense of peace. Of course, I'm continuing to find, uh, new aspects of myself and, and discover new elements of who I am, but there isn't that same, like, yearning and, and, and seeking that I had throughout my life.
And even I told them, you know, at the darkest part of the story, I'm looking in that mirror again, and I'm disheveled, and my mascara's running on my face, and I'm wearing, like, horrible sweats, and, you know, I haven't showered. And, you know, it's, it's not a good moment for me. Not a good look. Not a good moment. And I'm looking in the mirror going, “Is this who you really are?” You know, is this what it came to? Like, is this, is this the script? You know, is this the story?
So we all have those moments, and we all have these things that come together. And, and I love that astrology has taught me that it's conspiring for my ultimate good. It's conspiring. It's, it's a conspiracy. Co-conspiracy with spirit. And that, to me, is, like, the most magical awareness. It makes, it makes life itself a magical adventure.
Leap and the Net Will Appear
Amanda: And so I don't know if I answered your question, but—
Laura: Answer and more. That is a, that is a beautiful question, and it's, um, there's a resolve that I can sense that you feel when you look at yourself and you know exactly who you are, and I think a lot of people are looking for that. But one of the, one of the things you say in the book is, “Leap and the net will appear?” Question mark. You question it in the book. But in my experience too, when I leap, the net appears, at least when I have my whole body, heart, mind behind it. And Natasha, I'm curious if there's an astrological explanation for why that happens, uh, if the net appearing, so to speak—
Amanda: Can I caveat that real quick, Natasha? Yeah.
Natasha: Sure.
Amanda: Because one of the things that has, that frustrated me when I was in the very prolonged messy middle. So like, I leapt, and it certainly didn't feel like a net was appearing on any horizon. I was like, “Where's the net? Like, I thought there was a net.” I was told that if I follow my heart, if I, you know, live authentically and I go in this direction, there's gonna be a net. And I felt like I was smattered flat on the ground. Like, it didn't feel like a net caught me.
I know now that there was a net, and I was held the entire time, and it was completely… I was completely held, but it didn't feel that way. And so I, I remember having this moment of, okay, everyone who's written things like that, like even, um, Joseph Campbell—”follow your bliss and doors will open where they were otherwise closed.” I had this realization that all of those things are true, but it's like they've collapsed time into one, one realization. But the experience of living that doesn't feel like this, then that. There's a, there's a leap, there's a follow your bliss, there's a lot of stuff that has to happen to get in alignment with who you are and all those, and the unraveling that has to happen. And then, the doors will open. And then the net feels like it's appeared, et cetera. So go ahead, Natasha. Astrologically, um—
Natasha: Well, I don't know if it is an astrological or energetic cosmic kind of a, um, workings taking place. But when we say yes, when we open up, when we have an intent to go forth and experience what is best for us and having that faith, then the universe responds accordingly. And that's the difference between, you know—let's take Pluto because we talked about Pluto or any other planet that is about to hit, uh, you by transit. Uh, if we meet the upcoming experience with fear, the universe reads off that the doors are closed. The universe reads off that there is a limitation or there is a rejection. And when there is a rejection, like the energy still comes in, but it comes in the incomplete or distorted or resonant way to your fear, or to your reluctance, or to your negative anticipation.
Now, leaping means having courage. Leaping means saying, “Yes, bring it on because I trust.” You see, leaping and trusting are connecting. We can only leap when we trust into the benign intent in the universe and the planetary, uh, cycles and transits and whatever they are here to give us. So we are in constant dialogue. And so the way the transits operate through us depends on our readiness to receive the spectrum or even, like, surprises that they, that are might be stored for us. You see what I mean? So it's a two-way conversation.
Um, so yes, that's my explanation. You know, when we are trusting that the transits or the planet is not here to damage us or bring us down—maybe it's here to test us through maybe some difficult experience, but we say yes to that experience because deep down we know that it's necessary or important, then the, even the process of going through that experience is already, um, lived through differently.
Why Most Fears Are Just Shadows
Amanda: Well, and I, I would definitely say that when I leapt, I had fear, uh, originally. Like when I left New York, and, and like completely sold my whole life off, you know, and just was like, “Okay, I'm hitting the reset button. I'm starting over completely,” I, I had fear. But I see that even in that leaping, the opportunity to burn through that fear that I held in my system provided itself. Like it, it, it, through the experience of doing it, I actually got to realize that most of the things I fear aren't as scary. Even, even, you know, the financial ruins I found myself in, which was like one of the ultimate fears that I carried, I realized in being there that it was not fun and it was very challenging, but it wasn't quite as scary as I had imagined. Like I wasn't… You know what I'm saying?
So I got to face the, the fears and also realize… I often think of the fears that we have. You know those little cartoons from like Mickey Mouse, like old school, where there would be a projector, and there was a light and, and then there was like a mouse standing in front of the projector, like making these big scary monster, like shadows on the wall? Do, do you remember that at all? Yeah, you do, Laura. Natasha's like, “No.” Uh, but anyways, I just realized that like so many of my fears were like that. They were these things that I build up in my mind that create this shadow on the wall that's terrifying, but then I got to see that it was really a mouse, like making these big, huge, scary things.
So I completely agree with Natasha because once we're aware of the transits, because I wasn't aware of any of the astrology stuff then, you know, then we get to, we get to choose. And I know often as astrology students there can be this like bracing for like a Pluto transit or a Saturn transit or, you know, it's like, “Oh, no,” or, or a projection that it's gonna be something horrible. But what Natasha just said about meeting it as the opportunity with the openness allows an entirely different experience of that transit.
How Pluto & Uranus Reward Change
Laura: Mm-hmm.
Natasha: And can I add also, uh, to that astrologically speaking, uh, uh, big players like Pluto, Uranus, Saturn, uh, Jupiter, uh, but Pluto and Uranus especially, they thrive when we leap. They thrive when we say yes to change. Uh, the energy of Pluto is rewarding the change and transformation, and it, it, it, uh, creates pain when there is stagnation or resistance to that. So certain transits are actually experienced way richer when we, uh, listen and, uh, act on that call of shifting our reality or making profound changes, you know? Uranus comes, and if we sit and hold on to our structure and reality as it is, being afraid to let go anything or face or, or welcome any kind of a new paradigm, then Uranus might hit that and be what they call shock, you know? Because what is shock? Oh, we didn't want that, but that happened, and now I'm in shock. Now I have trauma because of Uranus. You see what I mean?
So planets call… they want us to change. You know, stagnation is not life-asserting energy. Everything moves in this creation. Everything from the atom to the planets to the galaxy, everything is in a perpetual state of motion. So, uh, when, when we respond maturely and consciously to the invitation of change and moving on to some new reality, then of course, um, the impact is way softer or way richer and way more beneficial.
And as Amanda said, it's not like I'm saying there is no fear when you're leaping. Of course there is fear. It's natural. It's human. Of course there is caution. Of course there is anticipation—what if things go wrong? However, um, surfing together with those energies is way more coherent and produces way more fulfilling result than resistance to those waves.
Fear vs. a True Soul Calling
Laura: So how do you, how do you, how does one know if they're responding maturely to a transit like this? So, uh, like how do you discern between, you know, what is fear and what's a real inner knowing? Or like where are you like grasping for change versus, no, this is a real calling that my soul is calling me towards? Like, how does one discern that?
Natasha: Well, we need to know where the person is at first. You know, what is the, what is the, uh, place where, uh, let's say Uranus or Pluto or Neptune comes into? Where are you at? How did you arrive to that? What is your life circumstances, you know? And then we go from there. You know, how changeable are they, or how old or outdated are they? Maybe they aren't, then the response might be different, you know?
So, um, yeah, it's… I mean, again, we can generalize. However, when we deal with a specific life, specific person, we need to look at all of the circumstances of who is arriving, how they are arriving to this transit, where are they meeting that planet, and what are the possible responses that are healthy, um, and, uh, progressive, you know? Um, or vice versa, where can we be cautious, you know? With a healthy caution, you know? Where we can say, “Okay, let's just wait it out.” Now, the energy is not conducive for too much motion. Maybe there is a way more conservative time right now to mature for the next step.
Laura: Hmm.
Amanda: And Laura, I think, too, self-reflection is really powerful here. And also, this is where the keywords for the planets actually can be very helpful. But I like to think of them more as qualities. So for example, with Saturn and some self-reflection, one could ask themselves, am I in integrity? Am I taking responsibility? Am I actually exercising healthy discipline? Or am I trying to control the situation? Am I totally paralyzed by fear? Am I out of integrity? Which there were many times in the book where, where Natasha was helpful in pointing that out to me, you know?
So I, I think just being aware, again, if it's a Saturn transit, okay, here are the… and we can all feel that. We can feel the qualities that are life-affirming, I'll use a word Natasha just used, and we can feel the qualities that are constrictive and life-deteriorating.
So when we take those times with ourselves, which I love to journal, I love to, you know, go on walks and be quiet with myself—those are the times where I can have that kind of self-reflection. And if you're aware of the spectrum of the qualities of a planetary energy, you can literally go down a checklist. Like am I, am I here expressing these things, or am I here expressing these things? And if I am expressing the, the less mature qualities, why? Like what's the story? What, what's the, what is the fear? What do I need to face? Maybe I need some help with that. You know, we, we, uh, this is why we have each other. This is why there are people that help facilitate some of these processes for us, because it can be hard to do alone. It can also be hard to even see these things on our own.
So but I do think that it's absolutely possible. You know, Uranus coming, like Natasha said. Am I like so stuck that I can't even fathom a change in my life? Am I just terrified and, and wanting to preserve everything exactly the way it is? Or am I open to, to be delighted? Am I open to be surprised? Am I open to where life wants to take me next? And am I trusting enough to know that that is happening for my good? You know, and all this, it's, it's a process. You know, no one's perfect at this. We're all here, you know, riding these waves, and sometimes we wipe out on the waves, and sometimes we ride them beautifully. But it is a process of learning how to do that, right?
Meeting Transits with Curiosity
Natasha: Absolutely. I can add my little… As an astrologer, uh, of course I'm aware of the transits, of my own transits, you know, and yet I, um, tend to like to stay curious. You know? I do not let myself try to anticipate possible scenarios, because I know that it's narrowing the spectrum of, uh, opportunities. So my, you know, when I am applying astrology to myself, I say, “Bring it on and show me. Surprise me.” Even if it's a, you know, so-called difficult, heavy-duty planet, surprise me. Show me what's needed. Bring it on, you know? And then there's magic that happens. You know? You pull in wisdom. You pull in cosmic wisdom, and you're getting wiser with it together.
Amanda: Can you feel the courage, though, in that statement? That “bring it on.” I, I remember one night sitting in this full moon circle with these beautiful women, you know, right by the ocean, and I looked up at the moon and raised my arms up to the moon and said, “I am ready for my destiny.” And literally within days it was like, talk about the S-H-I-T hitting the fan. It was like, whoa. And so there, it does take some courage to just… I love to call it a sacred yes. Like, that just like, yes.
But that shit hitting the fan was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, but of course it was painful in the moment. But, you know, so there is that, the courage, and we've talked about that a few times, to just, to, to leap.
And I love that you say bring it on, Natasha, and I love that you stay curious. You know, when we make our treasure maps, our little vision boards at Astrology Hub around the, the Aries new moon every year, I love to write, “Surprise me. Delight me.” Like, bring in something I could have never even imagined, and it, it does. It does. And I, and, and that's so, that's a message we've been hearing from astrologers on this platform now recently with Uranus moving into Gemini. There's been a lot of reiteration of that kind of like, be curious, be open, watch where you're too stuck, you know. Allow newness into your life. Yeah.
Laura: My favorite Uranus quote is, “Choose change before it chooses you.”
What It Means to Live by the Stars
Amanda: That's a good one. Yes.
Laura: Yeah.
Amanda: Yes. Mm-hmm.
Natasha: Mm-hmm.
Amanda: Yeah.
Laura: So Amanda, after everything that you've gone through with the writing the book, the stories in the book, what does it mean to live your life by the stars?
Amanda: Hmm. Wow, I love that. For me, it's a very alive experience. It's a very, um… It's, it's everything we've been talking about here today. It's, there's the level of awareness of what's happening both in your chart and happening in the bigger cosmic energies. And holding that awareness as we navigate life. Holding the awareness of the opportunities, the invitations. Holding the awareness of the magical unfolding as it's happening. Even it can be as simple as acknowledging the seasons and being more and more in alignment with the seasons of the year, the, the changing, um, tides that are happening all the time. So it's not a simple answer, but it's a very alive answer, and I think it's a very personal answer for each person and where they're at. But it's recognizing that we are in a, in a co-creation with the universe. We're in a constant dialogue, and letting that inform our days, our experience.
Laura: Hmm. Beautiful.
Get the Book – Special Bundles Available
Laura: Well, Life by the Stars is available now. You can get your copy at lifebythestars.com. And we intentionally created some really amazing packages for, uh, this book launch to make it seem less like a traditional book launch and more like a community experience. And so, uh, we have a Living by the Stars journey, a complete immersive book experience that Amanda will be leading. So Amanda, do you wanna speak about this a little bit?
Amanda: Yes. I also wanted to mention that if you want to order the book on Amazon, it is also available there too. So you have two choices for how you, uh, get the book. So either Amazon and Barnes & Noble, like, the, you know, the major retailers, and then… or you can buy it through lifebythestars.com. And through us, you'll get the best pricing, 'cause we can offer it a little bit different than those big retailers.
But we did put the packages together so that we could actually practice and learn how to live our life more with the cosmic awareness. And so the Living By the Stars experience is a four-week immersive book club, and it's gonna be very intimate. We're gonna gather once a week. We're gonna go through each part of the book together. I'm gonna share some of the key themes that were happening at each part of these… the, the story. We're gonna go through some of the practices that were the most powerful for me as I was going through each of these stages of the journey. Um, and we'll do them together. I will totally be inviting your experiences, your own reflections. Uh, so it'll be very collaborative, very community-building.
Um, and then there's also… so that's, like, the, the package two. Package one, you can get the, a signed copy of the book. Uh, both packages come with a signed copy of the book. But package two, you get a signed copy of the book, and you get a digital companion journal. So if you wanna do some of those more reflective practices on your own, then you can do that. And we, we put together this really beautiful—it, it originally started as a book club kit, but then it became something else. I don't even know what to call it. But it really walks you through, like, sections of the book, and then also walks you through how to actually implement some of the things that I was using to help me navigate these really challenging moments in my life. So I think you're gonna find it really reflective, and, and really provide an opportunity for you to go deep with yourself and to reflect as you're reading the story.
Um, you get a, a bookmark, a Life by the Stars bookmark. Um, the, the, the package two gets an actual physical journal as well, so that it's, like, lined, and there's journal prompts. And, um, so it was really fun to put these packages together and just imagine how can we, how can we not have this just be a passive reading experience for you? How can we, like, enter into a dialogue with you? And let's, like, dig in to life together. So—
Laura: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And so you can find all those packages at lifebythestars.com, and the signed editions are limited. Uh, we have a, a nice little family operation sending out these bundles, uh, out of Amanda's family's home, so it is truly limited. It is truly a family affair. Um, and so if you want them, you can find them at lifebythestars.com. And I hope you guys join for the book club experience. I'm super excited for that, because when I read the book, it really does feel like a mirror. Like, it feels like a lot of the things that you've gone through, Amanda, I've gone through in some way. I know Katie on our team feels similar, and I know everyone listening is also gonna feel that way too. So thank you so much for joining, um, me today. Is there anything else you wanna say about the book before we close up?
Natasha: What I was going to say is that when I was studying astrology, I wish I had material like that. I wish I had a book or something similar where I could actually learn from a live person's, uh, experience, like step by step. Because to me, this is the most memorable, um, way of studying astrology. Hands-on, like direct, you know? It becomes visceral. You identify when you listen or read those experiences and see the parallel through an astrological lens, you actually start integrating the astrological knowledge so much deeper than just the pure theory.
Because the theory itself, like in a book or the, or the workshop, it's sometimes just like a theoretical kind of verbal accumulation of terms that are not necessarily accompanied by the live examples. So, I mean, for me, this is, this is an excellent way of studying astrology, and I really wish there would be more material presented in astrological courses and study where you have something similar, where you actually have live charts connected to events. Uh, not by celebrities, not by somebody we don't know who the heck they are, we only read about them in the news or whatever, but actual live persons.
For example, having students presenting some transitions in their life and see what was happening during that time, and having that as a study case. You know? To me, the live case studies are the most memorable and the best way to learn.
Amanda: Actually, there's someone who's been so sweet. He's, he's been part of my behind-the-scenes little group, and he's like, “I've been thinking of, like, what you're doing, I've been thinking about for a long time,” and it's basically like astro narrative. Like, I think right, this could be a whole new genre, like astro narrative.
Natasha: Right. Right.
Amanda: And, um, I already know Ricky Williams is working on a book like this. Georgia Stathis is working on a book like this. So I do think this is gonna be the beginning of more, but I love what you said, like in real time even with students in coursework and really bringing it to life this way.
Natasha: Yeah. Exactly. That's why I used your chart, uh, when I was doing the course on the relocation astrology. I used your example, uh, and I used a couple of clients whose life I kind of followed also, just to give a sense of immediacy and realness to, to the, to the astrology that they are seeing in front of them, you know? Uh, I think it's so much better integrated when it is, you can identify, when you can, uh, feel it on your own skin rather than just hearing the description of the archetypes or transits or angles. What does it mean? What it means, you just go straight to the chart, your own chart. You describe the experience through words. This is how it feels, and then you feel it. You sense it, you know? So there is like a short distance between theory and, and an actual, uh, integration and embodiment.
Laura: Awesome. All right, everyone. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for making Astrology Hub a part of your life, and we'll catch you on the next episode.