Therapeutic Astrology Podcast

#137 - Tiffany Hopkins - Beyond - A Living Person's Guide To The Dead - Mediumship as a Healing Practice

If you are curious about mediumship, I really recommend this interview with medium, teacher and author Tiffany Hopkins. We talk about her book, "Beyond – A Living Person's Guide to the Dead" (2025), which I find to be an easy read, as well as very informative and mind-expanding. I would call Tiffany Hopkins a visionary in this area of mediumship, and I am so glad for this conversation with her. You are very welcome to tap in with us as Tiffany Hopkins shares about: -How she became a medium in a town of mediums -Tiffany worked in tech for 20 years, and it is not too far off from mediumship -Spiritualism, the Second Great Awakening, and Lily Dale -How mediumship and working with AI are similar -The need for discernment -Staying connected to different aspects of your being -The foundation of mediumship and why it changes us -The experience becoming real as it is shared -Creativity and mediumship—where you receive and express -The importance of therapeutic support and being validated -The countercultural component of mediumship -Will mediumship be culturally accepted? -Mediumship as inherently healing and care work -The therapeutic context -Now—what if not all the information is from spirit? Tiffany has a neuroscience background and offers her new two metaphors for what is happening in mediumship -Evidence for Spirit -Improvisation as we listen to both at the same time -Can you bring in information and integrate it? -The spiritual connection is not practical! -LONELINESS—and a potential loneliness renaissance -the social construct of this one romantic partner (I relate this comment then to the Pluto in Scorpio generation) -The Pluto in Scorpio generation is born from 5th of November 1983 to 10th of November 1995 (with retrograde returns during the period so be sure to check out your actual birth day) and we talk about the deep heartbreak that often comes in relationship because we are to grow so much, that we need the pain head first- for healing to occur the trauma need expositon/confrontation/that we dare deal with it. Thank you for being with us- see the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/-lcloIIbIr4 [https://youtu.be/-lcloIIbIr4] FIND Tiffanys books right here: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Living-Persons-Guide-Dead/dp/1454958391 [https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Living-Persons-Guide-Dead/dp/1454958391] Website: https://tiffanyjhopkins.com/unseen [https://tiffanyjhopkins.com/unseen] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]

#136 - Belinda Matwali - Trauma-Informed Astrology - Invest in Your Inner Technology

This is a wonderful conversation with another "therapeutic astrologer". Belinda Matwali is an astrologer, holistic therapist, and meditation teacher, working internationally as a global wellness expert. I really enjoy her focus on self-empowerment!! So we may not be controlled. Tap with us in as we speak about: -How Belinda works with clients who seek her guidance -The inner astrology & the inner technology -Astrology for self reflection within spiritual psychology -The importance of having a spiritual philosophy -Astrology NOT just as information, but INITIATIONS -Lived Wisdom -The noise on social media -Belinda wants to empower people so we can navigate transits -Being trauma informed come through as she speaks of how we learned early to override our body's signals and weren't trained to trust our intuition. -The risk of transference of trust into another astrologer -The potential of Neptune in Aries - and also saturn and the whole shift with the outer planets in air-fire this year 2026 -How Belinda do NOT in fact look to the chart to learn about a trauma -Working with the potential in the chart -Repressed parts of the chart (blindspots) -You are not stuck, but can do the inner work -Take your personal power back -Saturn and Neptune in Aries as the rights of the individual and the expansive energy of Uranus in gemini and Pluto in aquarius that will help us TRUST our SENSES -Self-inquiry when addictions kicks in -Would you rather be with what you know even if it is not serving you, rather than the unknown? -the importance of investing in your self-empowerment -Belinda also share her way to meditation by fasting (Chiron in Taurus) -Spiritual nutrition as the spiritual wifi -the developmental chart, where you mature into it -Sun-Chiron in Taurus in the 12th that really caught my eye in Belindas chart, as a mirror of what she is doing with meditation and nutrition and spiritual guidance -a few good worlds on the meaning of eclipses (feb 17 & march 3) as the will be on importance for both Belinda and myself. Find Belinda Matwali right here: https://www.belindamatwali.com/ [https://www.belindamatwali.com/] and here: https://www.instagram.com/belinda_matwali [https://www.instagram.com/belinda_matwali] and me Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/] and the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px7Ra0dUvho [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px7Ra0dUvho] Be well out there And remember you have a place to call whole!

#135 - Iman Moeinian - René Guénon: Traditionalism, Metaphysics, and the Modern World

Today you will meet the best kind of influencer, Iman Moeinian, whose thoughtful YouTube channel brings depth to philosophical questions. Iman Moeinians core interest is in philosophy, metaphysics, especially traditional metaphysics. I invited him to speak with me about René Guénon and Traditionalism, because he did excellent talks on the topic. TAP in with us as we speak about what has been lost in the modern world, and how the timeless wisdom of the ancient traditions can still orient our lives, like when we choose to slow down. I wanted a real casual talk so we could meet in our shared humanity, and I believe it succeeded. The recorder was on from the beginning, and you are with us through everything! Here is a few notes about what we go through in our little more than an hour together: -How Guénon has a critique of modern individuality and truth as a personal affair -Guénons bio which is quite secretive -Intellectual intuition!! (the kind of intuition that today is dismissed as superstition) -The traditional view of art where art should surely delight but also point to higher truth and not only pleasure -Critique of modern psychology! Jung popular, but Iman argues Coomaraswamy is even more important -The question of the subconscious versus spiritual origin of healing -What is metaphysics ?? -We have several critiques actually such as modern writers sometimes borrow from older masters without reference -We have a great Ananda Coomaraswamy spotlight throughout! He was a philosopher, a major thinker, mastered many languages, he had a precise mathematical style, and not widely read, so he is one Iman is bringing to a wider audience these days. Of course, we also have fun looking at Iman's chart toward the end. We find astrological clues behind his precise craft, his ability to critique where it's needed, and his spirit of careful service for example by reading, editing, writing, and doing the hard work. Through his Uranus–Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius we see some social reform going strong in past incarnations, and with both planets retrograde, a current-life rethinking of the Aquarian progress and revolt. I truly recommend Iman Moeinian - you can find some of his work here: https://www.youtube.com/@imanmoeinian [https://www.youtube.com/@imanmoeinian] My web is: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/] Thank you so much for being with us!! PS if you prefer the video version and you don't know where to find it - Here it is: https://youtu.be/xHk6zwyXHJI [https://youtu.be/xHk6zwyXHJI]

#134 - Gary Lachman - Touched by the Presence - From Blondie's Bowery and Rock and Roll to Magic and the Occult

2026 is a year when the wheel is turning in a big way, and I have the honor of speaking with Gary Lachman shortly after he's turned the big seventy; his own significant turn. Gary is a writer and musician, he was a major influence in mid-1970s as a founding member of the rock band Blondie Blondie and other bands. In the 1990s, he transitioned to full-time writing, producing influential works on mysticism and occultism. This intro is inspired by wikipedia but the book we speak about today is a much more accurate and detailed "presentation" - as we speak of his book that is a memoir of magic, rock and roll, and becoming who you are! It is called "Touched by the Presence: From Blondie's Bowery and Rock and Roll to Magic and the Occult" published november 2025 by Inner Traditions. In the publishers intro it says about Gary that he is a prolific author and lecturer on consciousness, counterculture, and the Western esoteric tradition. The big question about how we went from big music business to that of an esoteric writer, is what the book we speak about, will answer. And. Here we are in the beginning of 2026 talking in way about the forces than can be controlled and those which cannot. At least these my after-reflections. Here are some clues about what you will be tapping into with this wonderful interview with Gary Lachman: -The true self beneath layers of sleep, social conditioning, and optimization -why Gary wrote this memoir differently than his other books: not commissioned, no plan, written during a difficult period as a way to assert and protect his sense of self -a key turning point in 1975: discovering Colin Wilson's The Occult while living on the Bowery and playing with Blondie, and how that book became the doorway into consciousness studies and the esoteric -R.D. Laing and "the sane response to an insane world": family double-binds and gaslighting -the "false world" theme through existentialism and Gnosticism: gnosis as direct felt knowledge, the demiurge idea, and modern parallels like post-truth -"You're poking your finger through this paper wall… it was just scenery, but you had accepted it as reality, and suddenly you realized you could do that" -You might know the name that's on your passport, but who is that person? -the explanation on Gurdjieff's core teaching that is about waking up from "sleep" or mechanical living: -The purpose of the Work (also called the Fourth Way) was to break habitual, unconscious patterns that keep people functioning automatically and Gary personally tried this discipline, and also Aleister Crowleys. -systems of esoteric psychological development -many people (including himself) first encounter the Work through Ouspensky's writing, not through Gurdjieff directly -books like "A New Model of the Universe "opened entire fields for him: the idea of an esoteric current running through history -Gary is honest about having gone through a hard time when writing this book and as a related theme I ask him to pull up a poem he write when teenager, that I (Mannah) relate to personally. I was surprised he had it in his memory, and could recite it so well - look forward to that part of the interview!!! At least if you also know that feeling of "what is there to tell"... The poem is dark and romantic, dealing with death, defeat, and resignation, not necessarily a literal wish to die, but a youthful fascination with world-weariness, sorrow, and the idea of giving up. -choosing to transcend by writing, by working, by staying alive and engaged You also get the story of the title of the book "touched by presence" and here is a recommendation from Gary, a short (and super cool!!!) film his son made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=919SNRJtMRc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=919SNRJtMRc] thank you all for listening, and i hope you're settling into the new year..and into your own power; as you will have noticed, the wheel is already on the move. -Mannah LINKS the book we speak about: https://www.innertraditions.com/touched-by-the-presence [https://www.innertraditions.com/touched-by-the-presence] https://garylachman.co.uk/ [https://garylachman.co.uk/] https://www.gary-lachman.com/ [https://www.gary-lachman.com/] Video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/Mt1vmWzkuT4 [https://youtu.be/Mt1vmWzkuT4] More Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]

#133 - David Leskowitz - Sideways from Saturn - Astrological Guidance From The Centaurs

"A mystic directly experiences the flowing waters of inspiration in moments that seem to transcend space and time. Yet these, the coordinates of astrology, can still help us describe such events. Astrologers may seek out patterns that trace our treasured mystics' meetings with the muses of their ecstasies. If we succeed, their biographies may gain a brilliant new dimension, revealing some of the cosmic architecture through which spirituality flows." Quote from beginning of a chapter by David Leskowitz from the book we focus on today BY THE NAME: "Sideways from Saturn, Astrological Guidance from the Centaurs" It has just been published here in january 2026 - a long awaited book about the astrological meaning of Centaurs. Centaur refers to a distinct class of planetoid between asteroids and TNO/KBO*. There are so many of them and this episode is meant to inspire you to -rather than give up in overwhelm- to develop a personal and direct relationship to- well some of them! I recommend the book and no one pays me to do that, I just truly love a book that is both inspiring in message and in its form- and also I think it is really needed as someone like myself who has only been in depth familiar with that one Centaur Chiron - here we get a lot deeper into the Centaur family and paradigm. Welcome to this episode and now this text written fully by a human, me, Mannah, I write these for every episode, so that you may get some overview of what it is I invite you to tap into with me. It would be easier and more well written if I took the transcript from zoom or asked chatgpt to mix something up, but then again, what would I use my long lonely nights for, if not writing these show notes. I appreciate you reading and caring for the personal touch! MY GUEST TODAY: David Leskowitz who edited and put the book together is an astrologer, healer, and writer with a BA in religious studies and a decade-long engagement with the Centaurs. He has written for The Mountain Astrologer, The Career Astrologer, and Astro.com, and is the cat-herder of Praesepe Press. (you will learn in the end what it means being a herder of brillant cats) Tap in with us as we speak about: -The Centaur Era -Personal Encounters with the Centaurs -Wisdom from outside of society -Centaur-personalities and subcultures and Centaur-astrologers -Bask in the observations and the messages they bring to us -The differences between the Planets and the Centaurs -Forming personal relationships with Centaurs -Look to your Centaur transits! -Healing with the Centaurs -We talk about several but speak mostly of Chiron and Asbolus -The being behind the symbol -Becoming a conduit -The re-emergence of the relational need in astrology -Observe without agenda -Therapeutic Astrology as a Chironic Art (to this, let me add that in one of the chapters in "sideways from Saturn" Melanie reinhart says about the terrain to which the Centaurs guide us, that it is traume-informed both trauma on a personal, but also ancestral, cultural, and historical level.) -What is the perfect blend of astrology and healing? -Many inroads to making meaning -David recommends the important contributions of Philip Sedgwicks work and the late Nick Anthony Fiorenza -Centaurs unusual rhythm and how it gives a certain weight to a moment -The experience of an archetype in ones life -Beyond the Myths for example beyond the WOUND in the WOUNDED Healer -Asbolus and the myth of Ixion -Hybridity -Case studies of James Leininger -My reading with David 6 years ago -Ceremonies of healing with the Centaurs -A glance at David's own chart Thank you for being with us!! Share this episode wildly with your friends who might also be into asteroids and planetoids and David's term that I love: Visionary Astrology of the Ecstatic Centaurs! -Mannah *TNO stands for: Trans-Neptunian object and KBO: Kuiper belt object LINKS: Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUxvut7jplo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUxvut7jplo] Website for book: http://praesepe.press/sideways-from-saturn [http://praesepe.press/sideways-from-saturn] Astrology site http://centaurs.space [http://centaurs.space] Healing work http://centaurhealing.earth [http://centaurhealing.earth/] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]