Therapeutic Astrology Podcast

#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/]

#132 - Dr. Steven Farmer - Healing Ancestral Family Patterns - Get in Touch with Ancestors

Dr. Steven Farmer is a bestselling author, licensed psychotherapist and somatic therapist, shamanic healer, ordained minister, former college professor, and the creator of many oracle decks (not ORAL I mispronounced when I introduced him ) Tap in with us as we speak about: -Steven's call to shamanism -The samness of trauma therapy and shamanism -Experiences of losing faith in God and later reconnection -Guidance from spirit guides within the therapeutic process -The experience of being a "weird kid" — and the need for something different (for example, an Aquarius Moon) -Inspiring, encouraging, teaching, and healing -Journaling/soul-journaling -The ancestral council that speaks with one voice -Learning to listen to your inner voice -Finding your own spiritual guidance -A direct message from the ancestral council, that Steven channels -Stevens pitch to everybody about how to get in touch with the sacred via the ancestors -Ancestors as intermediaries -Family secrets and dark laws in the family dynamic -"Your dark law is often the result of ancestral patterns with one or more of your most immediate ancestors being shaped by a similar imperative." -Healing the effects of abuse in the family -The cure in stretching yourself -In the astrological perspective, I touch on the Capricorn–Cancer axis and its connection to lineage and I also mention the Aqurius moon because Steven emphasizes community- and the aquarian moon also points to Stevens music. -Prayers of thanks -A story of spirit animals (distant ancestors) Thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoyed it. At 78 years, Dr. Steven Farmer brings wisdom and experience and wonderful suggestions for healing, so much so, that we've already agreed to meet again- just the idea of it during the interview calmed me down, because in the first part I already realised there wasn't time for all my questions. Plus a new meeting makes even more sense when I hear he's already writing another book! LINKS video version: https://youtu.be/sh0Zm0bQPB8 [https://youtu.be/sh0Zm0bQPB8] (fun fact the photo for this audio version only you are listening to, is from when Steven showed his fingers in a certain way to count ancestors and Zoom let it rain down like this - well I took the interruption out, but fun photo) Steven: https://drstevenfarmer.com/ [https://drstevenfarmer.com/] the book we speak of https://a.co/d/f7h2tMI [https://a.co/d/f7h2tMI] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]

#131 - Matt Powers - Mystic Wisdom in a Deck of Cards - Unique Forecasting System - A Language of Creation

Intuitive guide Matt Powers is weaving ancient wisdom and cosmic insight into modern life, and that is exactly what he shares with us about in this episode. Matt Powers is formerly a filmmaker, but found his true calling as a vessel for self-discovery, forecasting, and intuitive guidance. Stay with us for this meaningful and layered conversation starting with the explanation about his major turning point after a parentel loss, opening the door for him to recognize and step into his intuitive abilities. Prior to this those same abilities had been misunderstood greatly... Tap in as we talk about: -What it really means to live and work in alignment with one's inner design -Structures that genuinely align with feelings rather than mere consensus -ADHD and the pressure to conform to a standardized rhythm -Patterns, signs, and symbols in the material world as a way of receiving information -How a regular deck of playing cards can be used as a divination tool -When therapy can become destructive in its attempt to socialize and normalize -Inspiration to reflect on your internal design through self-discovery -How playing cards can tell you about yourself -What the Mystic Test Book speaks of -How the cards are a model of the revolution around the Sun -Ancient wisdom in modern life that stands the test of time -Cards to simplify and create order (a big theme in Matt's birth chart around exactly order and systems) -The sensitivity we circle back to several times -The nodes of the moon -Forcasting by playing cards -Attune to your own rhythm -WHAT mysticism is, the presence of prayer, the language of creation and other jewels, like when Matt shares my card-reading through a love letter! TAP in and reflect with us about the order of things, the flow of the cycles and listen as Matt gives us a walkthrough of how the place the cards on the place of planets and their meaning. Rich episode, we might learn something together in this one!! LINKS: Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ptYdcIjAys [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ptYdcIjAys] Matt Powers: https://www.powers.guide/ [https://www.powers.guide/] https://www.instagram.com/themattpowers/ [https://www.instagram.com/themattpowers/] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]

#130 - Isabel Clarke - Madness and Mystery - Psychosis and Spiritual Experience

"As human beings we have experience and we have story. We tend to shape the experience with story into a form that makes sense, is comfortable for ourselves, and presents us in the best light to others. In the case of psychosis, and other exceptional and anomalous experiences, the experience threatens to overwhelm story. In these circumstances, the obvious recourse is to go to the 'experts', perhaps the doctor, who has a ready story based on the medical model. You are ill. We can treat you." (quoted from Isabel Clarke, Conflicted Stories. A case of expanded reality.) But there is another way..... a way of understanding the mind as permeable, porous and the self being something we create. WELCOME to a rich episode with psychologist Isabel Clarke, who has many years of experience working at the intersection of spiritual emergency and psychosis - with expanded consciousness. Psychosis and spiritual experience both involve entry into another reality – a reality that is integral and vital to human life. As Isabel Clarke points out, this realm can be loving and expansive, but it can also smash the self. A key factor is the ability to move in and out of these states voluntarily. In this conversation, we explore schizotypy as a dimension of human experience, involving sensitivity and openness to anomalous experiences. We speak about two ways of knowing: the scientific mode of precision and division, and a more integrative way of knowing through emotion, imagination, and poetry. Tap in with us as we go into what it means that the mind is open and what Isabel calls "Myths of Power" - and also that we need to take serious the shared world, as we can only conduct our lives full time in the shared world. (Her Capricorn Moon is very present, yet constantly balanced by her Libra placements). I also ask her about trauma and openness, and what it means in everyday life what it looks like to be porous. Isabel Clarke is of a certain age, that is 80 years, and apart from this wonderful meeting, her experience can be found in several books and articles, including: "Madness, Mystery and the Survival of God" "Third Wave CBT Integration for Individuals and Teams: Comprehend, Cope and Connect" "Meeting Mental Breakdown Mindfully: How to Help the Comprehend, Cope and Connect Way" REMEMBER: We er more connected than we may think!!! I would love to hear from you, when you have heard this episode. It was such a joy to speak to Isabel Clarke and meet her heart to heart. LINKS: video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqEaLEL6YT0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqEaLEL6YT0] Isabel: https://www.isabelclarke.org/ [https://www.isabelclarke.org/] Mannah: https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/ [https://www.therapeuticastrologer.com/]