Never had your astrological chart read? Always wanted to know what it's like? Tune in here for Basmati Editor Ursula Squire's first time getting her Soul Chart read!
Interview (audio)
Interview (transcription)
Ursula: Hi, Andrea. It's so nice to meet you.
Andrea: Thank you. It's so nice to meet you, too. Marji told me that you've never had an astrological reading done before?
Ursula: That's right.
Andrea: So you don't really know much about astrology?
Ursula: I've dabbled but no, I don't have like a deep understanding of my own chart or anything like that. So I'm really, really looking forward to this.
Andrea: Awesome. I just want you to know I haven't – apart from your giving me your birth date- I haven't been provided any information about you. Basically, the only thing I do know is that you're the editor for Basmati, so that's what I'm working with.
And because you've never had a reading done before, I just want to explain a few things about an astrological reading. As you may know, an astrologer uses an astrology wheel or a chart and that's a map of where the celestial bodies were in the heavens at the time you were born. We're interested in the angles that they're making to each other and to you. A lot of times, people refer to an astrological chart as an energetic blueprint or an energetic imprint. And the chart reveals many things about you, both on a personal – personality level, and also, the characteristics of your essence or what I call soul in this lifetime. So do you have any questions about astrology in particular?
Ursula: I don't think so far. I'm kind of just ready to see what we come up with.
Andrea: Oh, it's good, it's very good. Okay. Let's get started then. Ursula, the first thing I notice when I look at your chart is the concentration of planets in two specific areas of your chart. And what this tells me is that you are to focus on these energies specifically and gain maximum wisdom in these areas. So, the first area is the energy of Scorpio, and I know a lot of people, they have their preconceptions about Scorpio, but it is a wonderful, beautiful sign and it's just purely out of not knowing enough about the sign that people come to judgment about it. So, the sign of Scorpio has three symbols, it's the symbol of the scorpion itself, the eagle, and the phoenix. And its element is water or of deep feeling.
Scorpio uses energies of passion to express itself. Scorpions have the power to concentrate and investigate to acquire knowledge. And Scorpions’ sense of perception is like a laser, and they also have personal magnetism. So, all signs have their positive and negative characteristics. I'd like to tell you a story about Scorpio. Imagine two scorpions tails up facing off to fight. Each scorpion feels so deeply that the knowledge that they have is correct, that they are willing to fight to defend their truth to the death. Their conflict is intense. But at one point, Scorpion One says, "I wonder what it is that the other scorpion knows that I don't. What is making that other scorpion willing to put their life on the line?" And this is the first transformation of Scorpio into the eagle because that scorpion sets out to investigate, to find answers.
And as an eagle, they can fly overhead and see what it is that the other scorpion knows. And the scorpion is able to see the bigger picture and know things that she didn't know before. And once you know something, you can't not know it, and so you're forever changed. Which is the symbol of the third aspect of the symbol which is the phoenix, which is about death and being reborn as a whole new person which now has a whole new perspective. So, Scorpio energy is the essence of how you express yourself, it's the energy that you use to shine your light. It's the energy that the public sees and also the energy you're going to use in terms of your career…with your sun at 28 degrees, you're definitely passionate and intense.
And you use this energy to obtain information about the world that you're in. You have a lot of energy to travel…this is Mars in Scorpio in the 9th House. And you gain a lot of information from the places that you go, and you gain wisdom from it and it shifts your perspective on the world. And you may find yourself shifting your philosophy frequently based on your new information about the world. Does this sound like something you may have experienced?
Ursula: Definitely, yes.
Andrea: Good. So, as you gain wisdom and insights by all this information about the world, this touches you personally, deeply, and profoundly. You feel an expansion within yourself. So, it's almost as if gaining this worldly knowledge is just not about knowing about the world, but it's also about knowing yourself personally and it touches you very deeply. And you're protective of your newfound wisdom. The cool thing about it is that you use it as a way to help other people -- this is Jupiter, Retrograde in the 6th House, and Cancer. And what it does is it allows you to develop a very nurturing sense in the way you interact with other people, you're almost motherly – you'll actually make a great mother, pets included.
But this heart, or this protective mothering, nurturing instinct that you have comes from your ability to acquire wisdom, higher levels of knowledge, information that you seek to unify all people. Like, the higher truth, not just the certain group’s perspective like a certain type of religion or a certain type of philosophy but you want the highest truth possible. Does this sound like you?
Ursula: Oh, definitely. And I was a philosophy major in college, so I think that that really speaks to my quest to find the higher truth in things.
Andrea: Perfect, perfect. There is one challenge I see for you and your intense Scorpio energy. Firstly, I want to say challenges are like muscles that must be strengthened. At first, it's difficult but once your muscle becomes strong, it becomes one of your greatest assets. So, no worries about challenges, I just want you to know something for you to put your focus on every once in a while and bring it to a higher perspective so that you can see this as a positive and not necessarily make a judgment about it as a negative. So, the challenge is your moon location in Virgo. The moon represents your emotions, your unconscious reactions and what you need.
So, with your particular energies, I detect a sense of self-criticism. You are a perfectionist, you strive for perfection and you expect that from your closest relationships as well. And the reason why you have this placement is because your soul wants to learn from this challenge. And the lesson is to accept the less than perfect shadow sides of yourself and others. It's okay to be less than perfect, and it's okay for other people to be less than perfect. And actually, it's good to remember that it's our imperfection that makes us perfect. So, I just want to say that when you accept that valuable understanding, you'll be able to use the energy of Virgo which is a nourishing energy to care for the people that you love in a more meaningful way.
The other – the second concentrated area of your chart is with the energy of Capricorn. This is an earth energy. But Capricorn is the sea goat, so the goat begins her journey under the sea at the base of the mountain. Again, the start of the journey is in water, and water is an indication that there's a lot of passion and feeling to get to the pinnacle of the mountain. Once she starts climbing, she's determined and ambitious to reach her goal and she perseveres. So, this energy of Capricorn, the achiever is what you have as the Ascendant on your chart. And the Ascendant is the energy that represents your personality. And so, again, does this sound like something that maybe a touch of you?
Ursula: Definitely. Yeah, I mean, once I set my sights on a goal it's going to happen. So, I definitely really get in the zone once I decide that I need to accomplish something.
Andrea: Wonderful. Well, definitely, people see you as serious and hardworking. I will say that the psychological framework for this goal orientation came from your family. Probably your dad… there might be an element of not wanting to disappoint them. But anyway, in any case, you are definitely driven to succeed. And what's cool is that you have a plethora of energies in Capricorn, from four other planets also working with that energy. There is Venus in your sign of Capricorn, which is bringing harmony, beauty, and balance. So, you manage to have finesse and grace with all these achievements which is fabulous. Also, Saturn brings maturity, and Neptune brings intuition, and Uranus is bringing innovative ideas that are kind of ahead of its time, so you are an innovator.
And this is all strengthening your Capricorn drive. It's really quite amazing actually, it's very impressive to see all these energies working together, they're definitely – needs that Capricorn energies that working with your scorpion deep passion energies which – it's just beautiful. I will say though that there may be a touch of sometimes (this aspect of yourself, this drive) being a little bit of a mystery to yourself because all these planets are playing out in the 12th House which is the house of the mist or mystical, and also mystery. So, you may find (sometimes, where you're not exactly sure and) you'd like to know where these inspirations of innovation come from or what it is about you that sometimes you have innovation and sometimes you don't.
Sometimes you can intuit things and sometimes you can't. Does that sound like something that happens to you when you want to achieve something?
Ursula: Definitely and I've noticed sometimes that I go through almost like a cyclical process, and sometimes I've had to almost just wait it out until the energy almost resurges or the innovation resurges within, like, on an energetic level before anything almost gets started.
Andrea: Resetting, okay. I see a touch of that in your chart, I'll keep going because I'll tie that in. Okay. Saturn's placement here, Saturn is Father Time and it represents wisdom and maturity over time. And what this is – Saturn is conjunct or very closely aligned with your Neptune, the energies of receptivity. And so, what I'm sensing from this is that over time you're just going to get better and better with this energy. So, that's something to look forward to, just keep questioning it, keep intuiting it, strengthening it like a muscle, it will get easier.
Ursula: Okay.
Andrea: That is very cool. At this point, I'd like to go into your soul's involvement in all of this. I refer to the soul as being that eternal aspect of you. It's not separate – you're not separate from your soul, you and your soul are one. But being able to detect and connect with some of the subtleties of your soul requires the shift in perspective of being able to see things a little differently than how you did in the past. And also the ability to be able to quiet the mind to tap into it. And what I see is that from a past life, a past life that you're building upon for this life is that in a past life, you were a person of power and influence and you were accustomed to feeling special, that would be your south node in Leo.
Leo the Lion is the lifetime that your soul experienced. And in this lifetime, your north node is in Aquarius, and so you're accustomed to feeling special. You received a lot of attention and admiration in your last lifetime. You developed a strong sense of ego. But in this time – lifetime, in order to regain a sense of balance, your soul wants you to use your gifts to help others feel special. You know what it feels like to feel special. And your soul wants you to champion things like humanitarian causes or involve yourself in organizations and groups, where you can use the power and influence that you will have from all these other energies of Scorpio and Capricorn and Leo, and to use that influence for the group’s best interest. Here are some takeaways that I have with your soul chart.
First of all, it's important for you to share your unconventional ideas. You have great ideas, and sometimes I think you feel that other people won't see them as great as they are, maybe they're not even capable of seeing them as great as they are, but they will. And when you recognize that other people have specialties too. It will all mesh and be, it will be an easy flow between what you're special in and you're recognizing their specialties and it will work together. So, your active participation in groups is important, and seeking out friendships. Also, it's important to shift from needing other people's recognition (which is what you got in Leo) to adopting a philosophy of, "I don't really care what other people think of me. I am me and I'm going to do my thing because I feel the divinity within me, whether people recognize it or not."
Another thing is to get out in nature because it's in nature where you're going to be able to hone your own values and feel seated more – feel more at home and deeply seated and rooted in who you are. It's also going to help emphasize your self-worth and knowing that your self-worth has nothing to do with your achievements of success in the material world because quite frankly, you are complete, exactly as you are. And in this lifetime, it's about sharing that value that is inherently within you no matter what you accomplish. It's the mastery and the beauty of you, its what's already inside you and its what’s needs to be shared with other people and it will help others see the beauty and the wonderfulness of themselves.
So, I see that your soul chose the strong energies of Scorpio and Capricorn as a way for you to actually dig down deep into the meaning of life and who you are within it. Scorpio has this drive to investigate and to acquire knowledge, and it also means that acquiring that knowledge means you're going to shift and change as you tap into and more consciously attune to your soul. You're going to see that big picture, like the eagle, more objectively, you're going to be able to see things objectively. And you will – you'll have a passion to create something bigger than yourself. I see you using your Capricorn drive to succeed, but what you'll find is that, like I said, you and other people are already divine and you're going to create some – you're going to use some sort of this outward power of, in Capricorn that you have to make humanity better by helping them to connect with the divine.
And it kind of reminded me of Basmati because this is what you're doing, you're achieving a lot with Basmati and helping people to connect to their own sense of divinity. So, let's check in at this point, where are you and how are you feeling?
Ursula: I think this is so great. There are so many connections that I'm drawing to both my everyday life and also just the over-all drive or direction that I've been heading in especially as I get older. I can see how a lot of the energy that I had when I was younger is being more focused in the different ways that you're outlining. And it's interesting you bring up Basmati because I was thinking the same thing, both in terms of helping others connect to their own divinity and then also just with this drive to spread messages of like this bigger picture mission that I have, that's particularly humanitarian (or environmentally in particular) for me. So, I just think it's so interesting to see all of this coming together.
Andrea: That's very – it's beautiful. I really love tapping into the energies of your chart. I did want to say too because you have moved quite a distance away from your birthplace at some point, maybe you can do a small relocation session where I can talk about how some of the energies have shifted by you moving to Colorado, okay? And because what I primarily am working on right now is just the energies that you came in with, the energies that you're meant to work with, and are tools for your disposal, for your soul's growth. I'm just curious if you have any specific questions about anything. I didn't go into some aspects, we can pick up on them if you want, I can essentially keep going.
Ursula: I don't think I have any questions. Yet I'm just fascinated by all of this information and I'm kind of just thinking about different ways that they all relate to my life. I think it's particularly interesting that you brought up the challenges that I've faced and self-criticism, and then holding myself to such a high threshold and then also whether I mean to or not sometimes placing that same level of expectation on others that I'm close with. Because I definitely do that.
Andrea: Right. And so many people who have Virgo or Virgo-type aspects in their chart have this. And again, the challenge is meant to be the greatest lesson, and once we have our “aha!” moment and we get it, we understand that the imperfections are beautiful, it’s what makes us ourselves. And just seeing that when we allow ourselves to be comfortable in those imperfections, we allow ourselves to be comfortable around other people's imperfections…how much beauty there is to that, and what a sense of freedom comes with that. Because there isn't so much now trying to keep it under wraps or only let perfect – only let some – your idea of perfection shine through.
But recognizing that, when you go out in nature, even the imperfection is perfect. You don't look and critique a flower and say, "Right. This flower isn't perfect. You just see it in all its magnificence." For you – it's okay for you to like tap into that. Like you can do some meditation and come up with some validation or invocations or definitely work with Roger and find – and really blending and merging together these – what you consider the shadow aspects of yourself or less than perfect aspects of yourself and just being good with it. Roger will help you with that.
Ursula: Okay. Great. Yeah. I mean, I feel like over the years, I've become a lot more accepting of things just as they are rather than this notion of – this really unrealistic notion of how things should be. And I would really like to continue to follow that thread.
Andrea: Yeah, because it's just the perception, and your perception can shift. And this is what's so great about you where you have Pluto, the planet of power and shift and change and transformation right in Scorpio, its own sign. You will be shifting and changing your perspective many, many times. Things that you didn't see as beautiful maybe as a kid, you see as beautiful now and it's going to keep on shifting and changing. You actually have a unique connection between Pluto and your moon, so I definitely see that happening over and over. You might as well get used to change being your constant because you will be changing frequently, and that's good, you're growing. You came here to learn, to seek, to investigate, and to grow, and to make changes to the world and for other people. It's a great mission.
Ursula: Yeah, I think that's a great point. I mean, over the past several years, my life has gone through a lot of changes. Some seemed subtle at the times, some have been incredibly drastic. And I think looking back particularly, normally in the beginning I can always be a little bit resistant to change. But looking back, I see that those are my strongest periods of growth.
Andrea: Right, right. And I just want to tap in a little bit on this north node or direction in your lifetime to head and seeing yourself as the humanitarian worker. How do you feel about that, do you have any connections to that right now other than Basmati?
Ursula: I mean, let me give you a little bit of background. After I graduated college my plan was to move to the east coast and go to law school for contract law. And some things changed and I ended up moving to Portland and I went to grad school there for environmental policy. And I really dove into issues with bees and pesticide use and how that affects our entire ecosystem, essentially. And so, that's really been like the cause that I've championed over the past several years that is really giving birth to that humanitarian aspect – both because of how the ecosystem affects everything on earth including humans, how it affects our food supply and our economy, and how it can be a cause that a lot of people can rally together behind and really make change.
And then again, I was a philosophy major in college, and in grad school one of my concentrations was political theory. So, there was a huge focus on, like, the best way to make a government work where the downtrodden are represented.
Andrea: Definitely. Okay, so you'll have your recording of this, you can just frequently tap in and remember that this is the direction that your soul wants you to work in this area. It doesn't have to be necessarily full-time, but you can definitely be a part-time humanitarian in these areas. As long as there's a part of you that realizes that you are here for world service then that's great. Perfect.
There's an aspect of you that is – remember I told you about the mothering type that it's very nurturing and protective and instinctual. And I definitely see that part of you that gets triggered as this mother having to do with health or people's health and it's got to do with the way that you are in service to other people. There is a strong connection between this investigative work that you do because you are an investigator, with all of these planets in Scorpio, you are definitely an investigator. And it's very much linked to once you investigate and you learn, you become protective in these certain areas. This is the trying that's happening between your planets and Scorpio and what I call the Chiron wound that you have in the 6th House.
You actually feel very, very hurt, you felt like that is where you were hurt maybe in your younger years, around the age of 16. You didn't get protected in the way you wanted to be protected and now there's this protectionary kind of instinct in you, this mothering that's come up. And it's good for you to work with that. That mothering and protective instinct is highly beneficial and it's a great service to people. Do you have any thoughts or comments or questions on that?
Ursula: Well, I mean, I think that makes a lot of sense. I've had a lot of trauma and loss in my life starting around 16. I've just lost a lot of people that are close to me or a lot of people that are close to me have gotten sick. And it’s created this almost like obsessive reaction to make sure that people are safe around me.
Andrea: Obsessive is a judgment, just love it as an aspect of you knowing that that got triggered as a way for you to help other people, to help them heal, to give them nurturance. It may never feel right with you, you may never get good with all of that loss. That's the nature of the Chiron wound, it's something that sticks with us for life. But how we turn it around is by all the good that we're able to do from recognizing that wound. So, that protectionary reaction of yours, that desire to nurture others is something that's inherent in you and just see it as part of you and it's all – it's all good, work with it.
Ursula: Yeah, and that's a great way to put it too. I never really looked at it in terms of like a catalyst to help others.
