Therapeutic Astrology Podcast

#147 - Joel Blackstock: Mystical Experiences in Therapy - BrainSpotting & Emotional Transformation

Our guest today, Joel Blackstock, is deeply inspiring. Whether you're passionate about therapy or simply curious, this conversation is getting you there - we explore the natural therapeutic evolution, how pattern recognition is central and then Joel breaks down the differences between EMDR and Brainspotting, and then takes us further into Emotional Transformation Therapy. I highly recommend listening to this one. He shares so many powerful reflections, including: "I want my shadow in the room, so I know where it is" which feels especially resonant coming from a fellow Pluto in Scorpio gen. He also shares his own breakdown and how he had to go through the process himself. He also speaks beautifully about the shift from writing against critics to writing for the people who can actually be helped by his work. We of course also speak of Joel's astrology, where I put an emphasis on his Gemini signature to reflect his ability to research and understand neurology and the brain. It is also his Gemini nature that helps him apply different perspectives at once—and in terms of the current transits, we are looking straight at his Mercury, Jupiter, Sun, and Ascendant, which might mean that in this period of time he will make big decisions around central elements of his life. He will do so with his shadow in the room, as he says, and Chiron is in the room too, meaning his personal trailblazer signature showing itself also on the basis of his willingness to stay present with discomfort, allowing it to evolve into purpose and meaningful action. It is truly life changing transits, but it is also the long term perspective on projects- in fact all these major transits speak of change over a long time, over several years. Mind you that the outer planets make the strongest effect on us, however it often takes a while, as they retrograde and come back around. This means we got time to think for ourselves, then rethink the thinking and then rethink the foundation of ever having thought so... It certainly means that we are in a maturation process. NOW: Lean back, enjoy the conversation, and check out the links below: https://gettherapybirmingham.com/ [https://gettherapybirmingham.com/] Joel's podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@GetTherapyBirmingham [https://www.youtube.com/@GetTherapyBirmingham] Here is the first in the series we mention about the history of psychotherapy: https://youtu.be/aFCWDKd4xCg?si=M6aUTKK-kL6Xjgex [https://youtu.be/aFCWDKd4xCg?si=M6aUTKK-kL6Xjgex] or here: https://gettherapybirmingham.podbean.com/e/a-psychohistory-of-american-psychology-part-1/ [https://gettherapybirmingham.podbean.com/e/a-psychohistory-of-american-psychology-part-1/] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/] see our consversation on youtube here: https://youtu.be/On7OIcrAvKc [https://youtu.be/On7OIcrAvKc]

#146 - Justin Wilford, PhD: Your Parts Have a Spiritual Core - Healing Unattached Burdens as Lost Souls in Internal Family Systems

This is such a rich episode! Meet Justin Wilford (IFS practitioner, writer, and former academic) who for some sick reason has two PhD's. But that is all in the past. Now he is full time working with IFS (Internal Family Systems therapy) both client-work, teaching groups and retreats. COME and be with us as we explore the core ideas of IFS, including multiplicity, Self, burdens and the UB's, and the insight that our parts are not just protective, but sacred. Justin shares how his thinking has evolved from viewing parts as mechanisms or metaphors to experiencing them as beings with their own spiritual core. We also go into the theme of religious trauma and the difficulty of reconnecting with biblical language after religious trauma - which is just nice that someone else feels as well, but of course through healing those parts with religious trauma there can open a different path into inner freedom. We also speak about unattached burdens as lost souls and the whole the spiritual dimension of healing, and how Justin understands these phenomena through direct clinical and personal experience as his sagittarius ascendent would want. We also touch on Tarot and a deep explanation of the underlying nature of reality. I truly enjoy diving into these important topics that Justin clearly cares about too and are able to articulate in such an informing and felt way. youtube version: https://youtu.be/FDkZ-FT4AqM [https://youtu.be/FDkZ-FT4AqM] Check Justin out here: his substack I mention: https://substack.com/@justingwilford [https://substack.com/@justingwilford] his website: https://www.justinwilford.com/ [https://www.justinwilford.com/] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/] And listen here: https://podimo.com/dk/shows/therapeutic-astrology [https://podimo.com/dk/shows/therapeutic-astrology]

#145 - Jason D. Batt, Ph.D. - Depth Psychology, Myth and Artificial Intelligence: Soul and the Machine

"What are the deeper psychological needs trying to be met through this new technology? What are the hidden archetypal patterns at play in turning to the prospect of a different kind of mind, a mind not quite human, perhaps a mind that is more than human? In this liminal space, we find a spectrum of fantasies ranging from a coming utopia ushered in by the potentials of these immaculately conceived technologies, to the enslavement or destruction of humanity by rogue AI that has outsmarted its programmers."* WELCOME to such a rich episode, where technological philosopher, mythologist, futurist and author Jason D. Batt is talking in depth with me about AI in a psychological view. Here are some of the themes we go through together - and let me tell you, this is perspective shifting, and AI is going to be completely normal soon, so lets talk about it, here close to the ingress of Uranus into Gemini. -How the book Depth Psychology, Myth and Artificial Intelligence- SOUL AND THE MACHINE came to be -Who decides what soul and humanity is? -What are the deeper psychological needs trying to be met through this new technology? -What is AI really reflecting back to us? How is it the collective unconscious and the deeper patterns shaping humanity? -How humans have always imagined "the other" in robots & artificial beings and AI is now becoming a real version of that -Sci-fi stories have already imagined the reality we are now entering -The importance of being kind to AI as it will develop consciousness (plus it's better for oneself as well) -The myth we are in now -How Artemis II right now will capture a new "Earthrise" -The separation of astrology and astronomy -What Jason thinks of therapy with AI Thank you so much for being with us - Share it with friends and let me know what you think Mannah LINKS: this episode on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N6MUYAZOuA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N6MUYAZOuA] the book we speak about: https://www.amazon.com/Depth-Psychology-Myth-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/3031941047 [https://www.amazon.com/Depth-Psychology-Myth-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/3031941047] Jasons website: https://www.jbatt.com/ [https://www.jbatt.com/] His writings on substack: https://xenomythology.substack.com/ [https://xenomythology.substack.com/] Mannahs web: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/] *Depth Psychology, Myth and Artificial Intelligence: Soul and the Machine, page 3

#144 - Kingsley Dennis (p.2) Beyond Conditioning - Connecting to Something Higher - The Modern Seeker & Sage Talks

This is the second part of our (yes, yours and mine!) meeting with Kingsley L. Dennis, who holds a PhD and works as a full-time writer and researcher. He is the author of more than twenty-five books and numerous articles, making it no small task to choose what to focus on!! But today is long planned job (planned by myself Mannah)of me bringing some challenging questions to Kingsley, as I recently read his 2020 book "The Modern Seeker: A Perennial Psychology for Contemporary Times." We explore what the perennial path is, and how it can be expressed through the modern language of psychology. What are the dangers of going into the occult/spiritual domain if not emotionally stable and how can therapy work together with the perennial need to decondition? Kingsley is AS WE SPEAK ready with a new book for the public called "Sage Talks: Conversations with Gods, Deities, and Avatars" (march 31, 2026) and we of course dive into that too in the later part of this interview. But mostly we go at it with bridging tools/paths for emotional health and a spiritual growth. Modern therapy and the perennial path are not necessarily opposed - but the interesting part is how we get to this point, the process of us understanding each other in this conversation I think. DEconditioning and reprogramming is a HUGE important task. Now then what? What do we replace the old programme with? Well Soulmaking, in his language, is about nourishing the soul with what truly feeds it, rather than living on distractions, substitutes, or forms of "fast food" for the psyche. A central thread in the conversation is that real development requires openness, critically questioning, flexibility and humor! And an underlying theme is the art of communication, because as Kingsley says in the end of this episode: "We are a communicative species." In astrological terms, we speak of a Mars Mercury conjunction (powerful communicator!) and Libra rising, which points to a soul emphasis on equal relationships. I find this very pronounced in Kingsley because he is always very easy to talk to and consistently invites me into a space of co-creation. Also in this conversation he speaks of allowing others perspectives - that is a Libra skill for sure!! I hope you enjoy it and will reflect with us on these existential and important topics -Mannah link to this episode on youtube: https://youtu.be/F5Sm4hz067w [https://youtu.be/F5Sm4hz067w] Kingsleys substack: https://kingsleyldennis.substack.com/ [https://kingsleyldennis.substack.com/] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]

#143 - Sian Sibley - Black Paths and Green Cathedrals - Unveiling the Green

In her book Black Paths and Green Cathedrals: A Guide to Ecological Paganism, Sian Sibley writes: "greed and gluttony are not just permitted, they are encouraged, driven by a profiteering media that feeds our fears because fear sells. And yet, no one ever tells us what 'enough' even means. We are kept hungry on purpose, starved of contentment, because a person who knows they have enough is a person who cannot be controlled." WOW. This wow factor goes all through our conversation. So welcome dear listener to TAP into a conversation about: -How working with trees is very different from working with flowers and plants: flowers are quick, but trees ask us to slow down because they move at a much slower pace than we do -By selling your time, you are giving away the best part of your life -The Industrial Revolution and the enclosure of land helped cut people off from the land and moved them into dehumanizing conditions in towns, mines, and mills -One striking example of dehumanization was the invention of food like the sandwich and the Cornish pasty -Much of modern life has handed our survival over to supermarkets and systems, leaving us deeply dependent and cut off from the sources of life -This disconnect is not just about being "green" in the modern sense of recycling or veganism, but about a root-deep wound in how we see ourselves as above nature instead of within it -What it means to be plant-blind and how admit to being just that -Humans are incredibly new compared to the plant world, yet religion and science have often trained us to think we are superior to it -CRYSTALS! There is no real proof behind claims of "ethically sourced crystals," and that label often becomes something we tell ourselves to feel better -Sacred plants are also being harmed by spiritual consumption, such as frankincense, where overuse is contributing to the endangerment of Boswellia trees -If people cannot grow food, gather water, forage, or provide for themselves, they become dependent on systems that then hold power over their lives -The drop test: If a plant can anticipate an outcome, alter its response, and remember past experiences, that fits a definition of intelligence ! -Sacred trees appear across cultures, including the world tree in Norse mythology and the enlightenment tree in Buddhism -Many ancient goddesses was nature deities connected to animals, serpents, and the living earth but later mythologies and patriarchal systems have diminished these earlier feminine powers -Plant magic and herbal practice traditionally integrate astrology through planetary correspondences/esoteric sympathies and...So Much Good Stuff in this one!! From Aeon books website: "Sian Sibley is a writer, witchcraft practitioner, and ecologist from Wales, with over thirty years of experience in plant spirit magic. She holds master's degrees in Biological Science and Ecology and Spirituality, blending scientific insight with esoteric wisdom. As the leader of the DragonOak Coven for 27 years, she has guided practitioners in structured, nature-based spiritual practices that honour both tradition and personal growth." Be well everyone and check out these links: link to the books: https://spirit.aeonbooks.co.uk/author/sian-sibley/23782 [https://spirit.aeonbooks.co.uk/author/sian-sibley/23782] link to Sian sibley: https://www.dragonoak.org/ [https://www.dragonoak.org/] link to Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/] HERE is the VIDEO version: https://youtu.be/q7dzbpBdOdE [https://youtu.be/q7dzbpBdOdE]