Evolving with Astrology with Tara Jade Nichols

Tara: Find what does resonate for you because there's so much wisdom out there.  And it's for us to use and for us to enjoy and it's a tool for our self-development.  There are many rivers that lead to the ocean.  There's not just one path.  This is one tool.  This is one way of self-discovery.

Nicole:  Welcome back to the Multitudes Podcast.  I'm Nicole, and my guest today is Tara Jade Nichols, and she is an Evolutionary Astrologer and Tarot Advisor with over 20 years of experience.  Her passion is to help others heal through self-discovery and understanding their core wounds.  And in this episode, we talk about so many different aspects of astrology, and her unique lens of astrology that focuses on self-development and self-discovery.  We also break down some basic concepts about astrology and some more advanced concepts and we talk about astrocartography, astrological forecasting, which is not horoscopes, but we also do talk about horoscopes and her take on reading your horoscope and her take on mercury retrograde as an astrologer.  I also love that Tara is truly passionate and curious, and is a lifelong learner of astrology and the esoteric world and she speaks with such beautiful clarity about these concepts that anyone can learn something insightful from the wisdom she has to share.  I hope you enjoy this episode and I'll see you on the other side.

Hi, Tara, I'm so excited to speak with you today.

Tara:  Hi, thank you for having me.  I'm excited to be here.

Nicole:  Yeah, I'm so looking forward to our conversation and Tara is an Evolutionary Astrologer with over 20 years of experience and I would love to start with a little bit about what an astrologer does.

Tara:  That is always a great question because there's a lot of unknowns and I think that that's what makes people hesitant to get readings because they're not sure exactly what they're going to find out and so it can definitely stir up some mystery for them.  But it's all about understanding who you are.  So, I would say one of the biggest keys or takeaways is it's about self-validation, about understanding who you are, why you're here, what you came to do, even understanding your purpose but even, you know, what you came in to heal so that would be found in Chiron your wound.  Also, you know, some of your past life karma and patterns you're trying to release some of the family relationship dynamics that you came in with because your birth chart is your blueprint for your life.  And the way I see it is you designed this blueprint to learn, you know, and overcome whatever lessons you need to but also to become your highest expression, to become your highest potential.  And it is very much involved with exactly what the soul needed and wanted to learn in this lifetime.

So, while it is a deeper understanding unto yourself and who you are, you also understand kind of everyone in your life and the role they play and some of the experiences you've had and it helps to make a lot of sense, but then also helps you to learn how to navigate your life with more ease and grace.  So, it is a tool that's been around for, you know, thousands and thousands of years and the ancients all used it because they understood that we are the microcosm of the macrocosm.  So, as we use this energy to help guide our life and again for that self-understanding, but it works either for us or against us, depending on what's going on in our charts and in the sky, because they are a reflection of one another.  So, as we understand that deeper connection, we can move and navigate through life with more ease and grace.

Nicole:  That's a beautiful answer.  There's so much to unpack there and I know we'll get into talking about finding your purpose through astrology and understanding your blueprint and wounds and I would love to also start out by understanding the beginning of your journey and how did you get into astrology.  So, astrology is something that I've always been interested in and passionate about and kind of all of those esoteric things, you know.  I had Tarot cards in college and just was very fascinated by the spiritual world and the unseen world and kind of the mysteries.  And so, when I first moved to Hawaii, which was about 20 years ago, I took my first evolutionary astrology class and at that point I didn't really know what evolutionary astrology was, which is what I do in the type of astrology that I help others understand about themselves and it has to do with the evolution of soul.  But I took that class when I was going through my own personal Saturn return at 29 and living in Kauai and it just made sense.  And then later when I moved back to the States, I had several readings from two different teachers.  And they both told me that this is a gift that I had from a past life.  It was something that would come very naturally, very easily that I would pick it up quickly and that it was kind of what I was here to do.  Help people through their own self-transformation through astrology, and being able to communicate it in a way that would be understanding for them.

So, one of these teachers -- after hearing it several times, one of them offered to be my mentor.  And I studied underneath her and I still study with her because astrology is really a never ending rabbit hole that once you get into it, there's all these different little niches.  So, depending which way you want to go, but there's so much to learn.  And it is so fascinating.  So, I feel like it found me in a way and I'm so grateful because now I get to, you know, share it with others and again, having this sense of this is my purpose and fulfilling that purpose, but also, it brings so much, you know, satisfaction and I love what I do and value to my work as well.

Nicole:  Yeah.  Also, I love that you are still continually studying and staying curious about astrology and when you were going to these astrologers and they were telling you that this was a part of your purpose, what was going through your mind if you were resisting at all or if you felt that this was kind of a stamp to the green light to go ahead?

Tara:  It really resonated actually.  It really resonated because I loved it so much.  I had always had a healthy curiosity.  It's something that, you know, just the esoteric world in general, as something that's always called to me, that's always felt very natural.  And so, I was excited.  But it's funny because, you know, after a year of study, I kind of had to get the push to start giving readings and that was something that was challenging because of my own, you know, trying to validate what I know and my work and even just validate my own intuition which we all know can be a challenge in those earlier stages of it.  But she really had to push me to start putting myself out there.  And I'm so grateful that she did because now I get to do this as a profession.

Nicole:  Right.  Yeah.  And how did your mentor push you or how did you overcome that resistance to giving readings?

Tara:  I think it had a lot to do, you know, my own personal wound Chiron being in the sign of Taurus it does have a lot to do with my own sense of self-worth, and self-confidence and self-esteem.  So, in that sense it was kind of like, how do I put worth on this thing that I'm offering others and, you know, a lot of times in the spiritual community it can be looked down upon to, you know, put a price on what you're offering others and I experienced that in other avenues because my prior career I was a massage therapist and a yoga instructor and also, that was very challenging to put a, you know, an energy exchange or a price on my services.  And so, I did give, you know, I would probably say I probably get 50 free readings in the beginning until I felt confident that I knew what I was talking about and getting enough positive feedback that I did have enough knowledge that I did, you know, feel that sense of validation for what I was saying and the work I was doing and what I was seeing in the chart.  So, it did take a lot for me to kind of put myself out there in a way and, you know, jumping through that ring of fire of even pushing myself even a year after that to start a YouTube channel and that was definitely, you know, deer in headlights if there ever was one but now, you know, now it's a much more natural thing, because many years have passed since then.  But I would say that was the ultimate test or the ultimate push to allow myself to just have my own sense of self-validation and self-worth.

Nicole:  Right.  Yeah.  Wow!  And in a sense you were essentially working with your Chiron.  And for those of us who might not know what their Chiron wound is, could you tell us a little bit about what Chiron is and what it's like to work with your Chiron?

Tara:  Yes.  So, we all come in with a wound that we're working on healing.  And to me it's one of the more significant things in the chart to understand about yourself because it is the very thing you need to heal.  And a lot of times it's something we're bringing up from a past life.  It may or may not even be something that has happened or manifested in this life.  It could have happened earlier in life.  But chances are it's something from the past that was unhealed.  So, you got to carry it forward until it does get healed.  And it's one of the rites of passage that we all go through and it's the final passage that happens around age 50 when we have your Chiron return.  So, Chiron returns back to the same degree and sign as it was at the time of your birth, and we see it as an opportunity to do that work to heal what needs to be healed so that when it is our time to go into paths, we can do so with ease and grace.  So, since it's like looking at our mortality in a way, it can come across -- it's seen as a spiritual rite of passage.  So, it can be a spiritual wakening when people get closer to, you know, God or the creator or it can be kind of like a spiritual crisis when someone close to us gets sick or passes because that mortality is right in our face.  But as we dig deeper, we see that however this Chiron is manifesting, which, depending on what house it's falling in, which would be the area of life that shows up for you, or even what sign it's in which gives us that much more information of how it's affecting you, we can get a sense of, you know, the various times in our life that it's up, and it kind of gets more and more magnified as life goes on.  Because we really need to heal this before it is our time to leave otherwise again, we have to carry it into the next life and it's this unhealed pain or trauma that we may or may not even be conscious of.  And so, that's what one of the beauties of astrology it helps us to see things in a much clearer light and receive these insights about who we are and how we work and maybe why we get triggered with certain things and chances are it's triggering your wound which is Chiron.

Nicole:  Yeah, absolutely.  And people can find their Chiron through a birth chart reading?

Tara:  They can, yes.  Some of the, you know, if you were to receive a birth chart reading from an astrologer, not everyone will work with Chiron and definitely, you know, if you were trying to find it online, sometimes the birth charts don't have the asteroids because it is an asteroid but I would say it's one of the more significant asteroids.  But a lot of astrologers do work with it.  But, you know, depending on the year of your birth, you could figure that out as well what sign it's in, but it might not show, you know, what house it's in because that's really dependent upon your exact time of birth.  But that is a reading that I do.

Nicole:  And when you figure out someone's Chiron and explain their potential wounds, what type of advice or suggestions do you have for someone to face their wound or heal their wound?

Tara:  Well, we talk about, because it is the evolution of the soul and it's are we willing to do this work and it's really up to the soul if we're capable or wanting to do it.  It's kind of one of those things you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.  So, is the person wanting and willing to do the work.  But I will say I tend to attract a lot of the clients who are at least willing to acknowledge but looking back, you know, again, depending on what sign and what house this wound, and Chiron is manifesting, we can start to see all the different ways that it could play out when you reflect back on your life and kind of pinpoint what exactly it is.  And again, having that awareness of getting triggered and how you can shift it to kind of either see it in a new light or have a different behavior towards it, a different response, it allows you to kind of shift that perspective and change the way that it's coming up for you so that you can heal it and that you can see it in a new light.  So, it kind of gives you the opportunity, you know, to acknowledge it, understand it, gain some insights and kind of more self-reflection to how you are also either avoidant of it or, you know, we go through different ways that you can help evolve in a sense that approach it, how can you invite it, how can you face it so that you are able to kind of transform and heal it.

Nicole:  Right.  Yeah, absolutely.  And thinking adjacently to healing your wounds and transforming through that you also focus on helping people find their purpose and --

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  -- transforming through that.  Can you talk a little bit about evolutionary astrology and how you go through the process of helping someone find their purpose?

Tara:  Yes, absolutely.  So, evolutionary astrology, and even Vedic astrology, they both deal with the nodes of the moon.  So, we have a north node and a south node and you might hear it called in Vedic Astrology, Rahu or Ketu, or they call it the dragon's head or the dragon's tail.  In evolutionary astrology, we just call it north node and south node.  But basically, the south node is our karmic past.  It helps us to understand what we're releasing, what we're letting go of, what needs to be purged or cleansed so that we can evolve.  It's kind of where we can get stuck because we're comfortable.  So, it doesn't allow for much growth if we're just staying in the south node so to speak.  It can be, you know, those attributes of the self that aren't so pretty that we're not so proud of.  So, how can we see them, acknowledge them and literally do a 180 and move in the complete opposite direction, which is found in the north node.  So, the north node is becoming our highest version or highest expression or potential, what we're evolving into who we are becoming and even lets us -- it's kind of like diving in even to the future or the next lifetime.  And so, it gives us the opportunity to find that purpose, what is going to make us feel like we're doing what we came here to do.  And it also does point us to our natural innate gifts that we have to share with the world.  So, as we understand what those gifts are, and as we start moving in the direction of them, it's like we can see how moving in that direction and on that path we develop into our highest potential in a way.  So, the north node really is there to show us and to point us where our soul really wanted to go.  And we are happy.  We actually -- what makes you happy it is an inside job, but it also when you're doing your purpose, you do feel a sense of happiness.

Nicole:  Absolutely.  And thinking adjacently to helping people find their purpose and --

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  -- transforming through that.  Could you share a little bit about astrocartography in terms of places that make you happy and places that help them find their purpose?

Tara:  Yes.  So, it's also, you know, not necessarily where you will find happiness.  It's where certain planets depending on your birth chart because the astrocartography map is basically your birth chart put over the map of the world, and these lines never change because the birth chart is forever.  So, it's kind of like these are your lines, but there's certain planets that cross longitude and latitude over specific areas on the globe, you know, cities and countries that they are touching, and each planet really does have a positive and negative expression.  There can be very positive things and negative things about each and every one.  But for the most part, we see for instance, Jupiter and Venus is very benefit planets, very positive planets.  And so, when you either visit again, you don't have to live there just traveling to these lines, but it would be a good idea to live there because, you know, most likely you would be embodying those energies and both of them do have to do with, you know, money and prosperity.  Venus is more of my value and maybe where I'll find love.  But Jupiter is more of expansion and speaking my truth and spirituality and -- but also does, you know, bring in blessings and good fortune and it gives us the opportunity to feel like we are living our truth in a way.

So, depending upon where these longitude and latitude lines are running across the globe, there are several different places where certain planets go through.  So, usually, there's two longitude lines and at least one latitude line of a specific planet.  So, it can manifest in several different places around the globe.  But this gives us the opportunity to travel to that energy, to embody it, to feel it, to be in it.  You know, people are needing to, let's say, come up with a very creative out of the box idea, go to your Uranus line.  A whole lot of energy is going to be there.  But we might get too bombarded.  I wouldn't say, you know, living at the Uranus line, it could be too much mental chaos.  It could even cause anxiety, but it could also cause awakenings.  It could also be sudden flashes of insights.  Again, I'm describing how it can manifest, you know, both ways.  But, you know, one of the best placements and I get to speak for, you know, speaking from my own experience, I live and move directly to my north node because that is the best line, it's the best placement across, you know, on the earth for me and I -- luckily, my husband was onboard to move directly to the north node but his is only about 20 miles away from here and the thought is, if you live within 200 miles, you feel the energy of the north node which is where I'm living, but -- and just seeing how it transformed my life and my career and what all happened in the course of moving to this, you know, this grid point, this point on the earth and how it unlocked so much potential for me, so that's really been a beautiful thing to witness but I do help people, you know, relocate.  But I will say there also are people who've had negative experiences at the north node, but what is, you know, the north node is also the south node.  They are kind of polar opposites and can be one and the same.  So, you have -- if you haven't done the work of the south node, you can't receive the blessings of the north node.  And that's just, you know, in your chart but it also goes for astrocartography.  But it is a wonderful tool to figure out, you know, if you are not resonating with the place or if you do feel called somewhere to kind of see what those energies hold for you.  And then also even in a travel sense as well.

Nicole:  Yeah.  Wow, that's fascinating!  And I also would love to know can we look up our astrocartography at home in the same way that we can look up a birth chart?

Tara:  I've not tried it just because I have my own program.  But I'm pretty sure you can and I think the challenging piece is can you decipher the planets?  You know, do you know that the glyphs, but I do think that's something that you could figure out.  I'm sure there are, you know, online sites where you can find your astrocartography map.  It's just also, you know, figuring out the glyphs and can you kind of go into specific places.

Nicole:  Okay.  Yeah, and you've mentioned planets.  And there's also the concept of houses and been told that you should not just look at where what planet your son is in, but you should also look at your house, --

Tara:  Right.

Nicole:  -- your houses.  And can you talk a little bit about that?  If someone's looking at their birth chart and they see a planet in a house, how can they work with that?

Tara:  So, the house gives us a little bit more information for which area of life that is expressing itself.  And for instance, the sun is your identity.  It's how you see yourselves and associate with yourself.  It's that I am presence but it's not necessarily how other people are perceiving you.  So, depending on what house the sun is falling in, we see which area of life where you shine, where you get a sense of self where you get a sense of identity.  And, for instance, if it's in your 10th house of career, maybe the career is where you shine.  If it's in your house in partnership, it's maybe through your partner that you shine or maybe you get a sense of identity through the eyes of your partner.  So, depending upon where that planet is falling, that's kind of how the experience is for you.  And also, you know, again, more information, what sign is it in, how is it expressing itself and then like a third layer is what planets are aspecting it?  Are they positive?  Are they negative?  Again, it's like kind of going into these deeper and deeper layers to see what's underneath it and if we can get more specific.  And that's why it's important to know the birth time because the houses are completely off if you don't know your birth time.  And so, you really can't get very specific or get an accurate, you know, reading at least for timing of things, especially if you're doing for instance a progress chart to looking out over this next year current events where are things going to fall, how do you work with that energy.  And if you don't know your birth time, you can do something called a chart rectification, which, you know, I don't do those but some astrologers do and you write down the five significant events that have happened in your life, and they're able to figure out your birth time.  That's why the birth time is so important, because without it, it's really not very accurate.

Nicole:  Right.  And you mentioned planets that are aspecting.  Can you share a little bit about what that mean?

Tara:  Yes.  So, we see it as the planets are in communication with one another and is it a positive communication which we would find in a trine or in a sextile which has to do with the degree that the planets are angling one another.  Or is it more of a negative energy, which we would find in a square, or an opposition or a conjunction?  So, these are words that help us understand the degree of the angle that other planets are making to specific planet.  And so, depending on what that angle is, we get a sense is this a challenging energy?  Or is this more of a blessing?  Is this going to come easily?  Or is this going to be, you know, something that you're needing to overcome?  So, depending on how those plants are speaking to one another and also dependent upon what house they're in, you know, do I have a challenging relationship with my mother?  Oh, Saturn is squaring is the angle aspect, a square aspect to the house of my mother.  And that is why this always will be a challenging energy.

Nicole:  Yeah, that's fascinating.  And those challenging or advantageous energies can be eliminated in our birth chart, but also in our progress charts.  Is that correct?

Tara:  Yes.  So, the birth chart never changes because it's kind of written in stone at the time of your birth.  But as we have life experience and age, the progress chart does move, and it does change and it's very current to what's happening today.  And that's why it's, you know, important to understand both charts because the birth chart is the overall theme, but it also kind of relates to let's say, the first 20 years of life you may or may not resonate with who you were at that time.  And not only that, you've probably learned already a lot of the lessons that you needed to learn when you were smaller, when you were a young adult.  And that's no longer the case, the lessons have changed, and that's part of your evolution.  It's like do I choose to evolve?  Do I choose to learn these lessons?  And then what are the new kind of challenges that are coming up for me so that I can grow because that's kind of what it's about the soul growth and allowing that soul to continue to evolve.

Nicole:  Right, right.  So, the progress chart is future looking or it's forward looking.  And is that the same thing as reading your horoscope or...?

Tara:  No.

Nicole:  Yeah.

Tara:  No.  And I have to say I am not a fan of reading your horoscope.

Nicole:  Okay.  Why not?

Tara:  Because it's just -- it's such a superficial way of looking at it.  It's not really getting to the heart of it.  A lot of times it's not even accurate because people are reading what their sun sign is because most people know what their sun sign is.  And they're basing the horoscope really on the house.  So, if you don't know what your rising which is also called your ascendant sign, which is the sign on the first house cusp, that would be, you know, somewhat more accurate.  But again, it's such a superficial way of kind of looking at it that I feel like it discredits a lot of the -- it invalidates the significance of astrology.

Nicole:  Gotcha.  Yeah.  I feel like reading your horoscope has become kind of this gimmicky meme like thing for astrology.

Tara:  Yes, [unclear 30:28] actually nice.

Nicole:  Yes, absolutely.  And I'm thinking more than in terms of reading a progress chart.  That's more tied to astrological forecasting.  And you also do talk about astrological forecasting.  You also have a podcast and we can link our listeners to that.  Can you talk a little bit about what is astrological forecasting and how that relates to your progress chart?

Tara:  Yes.  So, forecasting, you know, the progress chart is showing you today how the planets have moved and shifted from your time of birth, and where they would be located today in your chart.  So, the inner planets from Mars inward do move quite rapidly.  They will change houses, they will change signs, and they will also have a different conversation with the other planets in your chart.  The outer planets don't really move much because they're moving so slowly, but when we are looking at a progress chart and doing something like forecasting, for instance, looking out over the next year, how will this next year unfold while we look at you know, where's Jupiter?  Where are you expanding?  Where are the blessings coming in?  Jupiter magnifies whatever it touches.  Can be good or bad, but it brings it up in a way that we can no longer ignore it.  But it is seen as usually a more positive energy, for instance of Jupiter is moving into your second or eighth houses.  These are financial houses.  Money most likely is coming in.  You are going to create some kind of abundance whether it's getting a raise or, you know, or increasing your assets.  Maybe you're going to buy a house.  But if we look at for instance, Saturn where is Saturn -- and Jupiter stays in the sign for about 13 months.  So, it would most likely stay in a house for about a year.  Saturn is slower moving planet.  It stays in a sign and usually a house about two and a half years.  Wherever Saturn is it's -- Saturn is seen as a more challenging energy.  It's the lesson bringer.  It's the teacher, but it is also the authority where we step up into our maturity where we take responsibility for ourselves and for our life and where we are is the disciplinary but it also helps us to build towards our future.  So, it's not always, you know, a negative thing.  It can really help you build your career or build your family or build a relationship, you know, whatever it is that you want.  And while it does move slowly there's an energy of brick by brick, you know, it's the goat climbing step by step to the top of the mountain, but he's not going to give up and he's going to get there and he's going to build a solid foundation for you in your life but it's not easy, because it can feel like sometimes we're carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.  And it's kind of that sense of I've got to roll up my sleeves and there's work to do.  But the positive thing about Saturn is it will make you get it done.  Whatever your goals are, Saturn will help you do it.  It won't be easy, but nothing that's truly satisfying is because it forces our growth.

When we're looking at that progress chart, you know, these would be some of the things that we would look at, for instance.  It's like what are those major transits?  What house are they in?  What sign are they in?  Where can you focus?  How can you use this energy knowing that this is where the blessings are coming in?  Knowing that this is where the work is that you have to do?  So, understanding what that is is really working with the cosmos.

Nicole:  Yeah, I love that and in terms of thinking through if you're sitting down with someone, and do you notice that there -- how does it work?  It's like Saturn is in a particular sign and it's in a particular house at the same time and then you're overlaying that on top of someone's chart?

Tara:  Yes.  Yes, absolutely.

Nicole:  Gotcha.

Tara:  Because we're also looking at the outer wheel, which shows us where the planets are in the sky.  So, when we're doing forecasting, it's three wheels.  It's the natal chart placed on top of the progress chart placed on top of, you know, current aspects, current transits where the planet in the skies are falling, which house is it falling in, which area of life is it affecting you?  So, it's a tri-wheel.

Nicole:  Wow, it's really a complex tool!  Yeah, and when you're looking at all of these wheels and you're sitting down with someone and talking through the energies that they may experience, what type of advice or how are those conversations unfolding in terms of practical things to look out for or what would you...

Tara:  I usually, you know, I do ask some questions, so I can kind of pinpoint exactly how it's going to manifest.  You know, for instance, if it's in that 10th house, let's say Saturn's entering your 10th house, are you starting a new business?  Are you thinking of changing a career?  Are you wanting to move up to a different position and taking on more authority in the workplace?  This is going to be more of that challenge, but the 10th house also rules the father.  So, we could see even health conditions that start to manifest in the father or some sort of challenge that the father might go through.  Maybe he's going to sell his house.  Maybe he's going to retire.  Again, this could also affect just his wellbeing.  There are several ways things can play out.  And that's why, you know, I do ask questions when I can kind of narrow it down to a few different things so we can get an idea for how it most likely would manifest.  And also, you know, depending on, for instance, the eclipses where the eclipses are hitting you, that's where you notice the most kind of change and transformation over a six month period.  So, that's always insightful to look at as well.  But there's so many different things to look at in someone's chart, especially if they are in a time of feeling.

You know, I work with a lot of people who are either curious, they've never had a reading or I do have a lot of return clients but it's a lot of times when people just need more clarity, or they're needing guidance, or they're not, you know, quite sure of their direction moving forward.  So, I help them to find that clarity and a lot of it is through understanding kind of that divine timing of when things are happening.  And oh, these are your gifts, you should do something, you know, in this area.  And oh, this is your wound.  This is something for you to work on healing and acknowledge and, you know, kind of be able to rewrite that story of how that wound is manifesting for you.

Nicole:  Yes.  You mentioned a little bit about what people in general come to you for.  I'm curious, what are some of the top questions.  Or do you see a repeating question that you tend to get as an astrologer?

Tara:  A lot of times it's career and relationships, most of the time.  Sometimes it is health.  I would say those are some of the biggest or, you know, relationships whether that's romantic or family.  Even, you know, friendships, even people maybe who want a little bit more, you know, they're worried about their kids, what's going on with my child.  But definitely relationships and career and, you know, direction in that way I would say would be the main questions that I get, but, you know, nothing is really off the table except I can't tell you when you're going to pass, that's like a breach of integrity in the profession.  So, that's really the only thing that's off limits, but we definitely can get insights into all the people that are in your life and what's going on with them and what's going on with your relationship to them.  When it's going to change, when it's going to shift and what is needed to work through it.

Nicole:  Yeah.  And about that breach of integrity about someone's mortality, is it that it's not possible to understand in a chart or it's just not something...

Tara:  It's very possible but it's kind of one of those unspoken we don't -- we just don't go there.

Nicole:  Okay, interesting.  And can we talk a little bit about how people can understand relationships better with their parents, siblings, children, partners through astrology?

Tara:  Yes.  So, understanding for instance, each house represents a person in your life.  So, we can see, you know, what planet or sign rules them.  We can see what planets are in those houses in particular to kind of see and again, you know, looking at the aspects are there planets squaring that house, what's going on with them.  So, it's a way for you to kind of step outside of your emotional attachment from them and see things from kind of a broader perspective, almost in a more intellectual light of saying, oh, this is how this person is.  This is their natural way of being.  This is why they respond in that way.  So, how can I maybe, you know, change or understand how they work so that I can approach them in a different way, but again, helping you get a deeper understanding of, you know, why the relationship is the way it is.  And sometimes just receiving that type of validation helps so much with our own sense of, you know, emotional experiences that we have that are wrapped into those relationships.

Nicole:  And you also provide synastry readings or readings where you overlay two birth charts?

Tara:  Yes.  So, synastry readings, I do a lot of times for couples, you know.  They either are married or they're thinking of getting married, or they're just started dating, and they're boyfriend and girlfriend, and you're wondering what is the likelihood of the length of this, you know, relationship.  Are we going to make it?  And, you know, through synastry readings, is what they're called, basically, you get a deeper understanding of each other.  What is each other's [unclear 41:20]?  What is each other's north node, your highest potential?  How can we support each other?  But we look deeper into how do they love which Venus shows us these things.  You know, what are they really seeking in partnership?  Juno, which is an asteroid will show us this information.  And then how is their sun and moon communicating to one another?  How is Venus and Mars communicating to one another?  And even more significantly, how are their midpoints of the sun and moon connecting to one another?  Because that's really the magnet of the relationship.  And as we understand this relationship, you know, what are the blessings, what comes easy, but what are the challenges and how can we navigate those challenges when they come up?  Are there a lot enough planets kind of hitting each other off that would speak more to the longevity of the relationship together?  So, there's many different things you can look at when you're looking at a synastry reading to see, you know, which direction is this relationship going and how can we better understand each other through, you know, understanding each other's wounds and how they love and what they're needing in partnership and but then also, how to navigate more of those challenges and partnerships so that we can be the best partner to the other.

Nicole:  And when you look at charts in synastry reading and you see that there are a lot of challenges or you see that there are certain problematic aspects of the relationship for example, how do you deal with that in terms of communicating that?

Tara:  Well, I usually try to be very direct with people.  But not necessarily -- I'm not one to sugar coat, let's say but I try to be very neutral in my delivery.  For instance, I would say, you know, maybe in this case you need to work on this.  And that would help with the longevity of the relationship.  Because this is the thing that's kind of triggering that are jeopardizing the longevity of the relationship.  I think it's important not to get too, you know, emotional, but it's -- they're coming to you because they want to know the truth.  And so, I really always try to be very honest, but neutral in my delivery because I don't really believe that it's good or bad and I believe that many things can be worked through in a chart.  And it's up to the unique individuals that they're willing to put in the work to make it last.

Nicole:  Right.  Yeah.  That's in a sense how I've understood astrology is that there are no -- it's not good or bad.  It's like everything has a neutrality aspect to it as well.

Tara:  Yes, absolutely.  And it's like, people are like, oh, I'm this, what do you think about that?  And I'm like, well, there's so many other things that would play into it.  But, you know, again, everyone has beautiful things about their signs and their qualities and they also have things that they need to work on.  And I think that's part of taking a body in this lifetime is committing that, yes, we all have a lot of work to do.  And are we willing to show up to do that work?  That's really the bigger question.  And that's again why I love evolutionary astrology because it does push us to look at those pieces that are our biggest challenge so that we can evolve and become, you know, even better version of who we are.

Nicole:  Yeah, absolutely.  And in terms of people doing the work either with you or they take a reading and then they go and do the work, what does that look like to you in your experience of returning clients or people who are really taking astrology to better understand themselves?

Tara:  Well, I actually have a lot of returning clients and some of my clients have been around for, you know, seven, eight years.  And so, I feel like they're getting something out of it or they wouldn't be returning.  But I also believe that, you know, it's up to us to take the information and what we're going to do with that information but it really gives us an opportunity to work with the cosmos and to work with that divine timing to allow ourselves to excel.  You know, are we going to leap ahead quite quickly down that timeline, you know, becoming our best self or are we going to take the slow route?  And so, I think that's the opportunity that astrology gives us.  It's like, if you can pinpoint it, acknowledge it, need it, transform it, and then move through it, you're light years ahead of other people who can't even figure out what it is.  They don't even see it.  So, it does bring a lot of that clarity.  And I think that's the biggest piece that I hear from many clients is, wow, like you just nailed it for who I am and how I feel.  And so, there's a sense of feeling seen.  And there's a sense of this deeper understanding of who they are.  But not only that, there's a piece of just being able to see a path forward like a light of this is the direction that I'm heading and to have that guidance and that clarity, you know, during these times, but this is, you know, I believe astrology is going to be just as popular if not more popular than yoga.  You know, 30 years ago, yoga was not a big thing.  It wasn't what everyone was talking about.  There wasn't a yoga studio on every corner like there is now.  And astrology is going to be the same way.  This is the Age of Aquarius and Aquarius rules astrology.  And so, it's already gaining in popularity, but this is -- we're just scratching the surface right now.  So, I do believe it's going to continue to grow rapidly over the next 10 or 20 years and I feel like people will know their charts inside and out, not just their sun sign.  They're going to know where every single planet is, what house it's in, what degree it's in, and then you have a sense of oh, there's a new moon happening this weekend and Aquarius at one degree.  Oh, it's falling in this house.  This is where my new beginning is, you know, like you're just going to know it.  And that's like having that personal relationship with astrology of knowing what's going on in the sky and how it's affecting you personally.  I mean, it's still amazing to see it play out because you can know the energies and you can know, you know, what's coming, but it can still sometimes kind of hit you out of nowhere when an experience shows up or happens, but it does at least validate it and it does help you prepare for it in a way.  But it is something that, you know, living in alignment with nature is living in alignment with the cosmos and realizing there's so much more out there that's bigger than us.  That's taking place and while we are that microcosm, you know, seeing it play out on a larger scale it's just -- really, it's such a powerful thing.

Nicole:  I think that is also just a beautiful reminder that nature and your appreciation for nature can extend beyond the forests and the oceans and mountains.  It's also the cosmos and the stars and asteroids and the idea of being in tune with nature also can mean being in tune with the cosmos.  I think that is also a beautiful tie into the idea that being attuned with astrology can be seen as being attuned with nature because you're essentially trying to incorporate the influences of nature.  That is the cosmos, that is planets and also thinking about the impact of astrology on a larger scale.  I would love to talk a little bit about the Age of Aquarius and its impact on Earth as a whole and just that shift that people might have heard about, but they're not sure what it is and how to think about the Age of Aquarius.

Tara:  Well, the Age of Aquarius, it is the age of awakening, but it also rules kind of all of like the esoteric, you know, for instance, it's the Golden Age, it's the age of information.  It's a very intellectual, it's very forward thinking, it's inventive, it's scientific.  It goes into the future and brings back solutions to the problems, you know, it's the humanitarian.  And many aspects all of those they call it New Age even though it's super old age information.  I don't know why it's called New Age, but, you know, meditation, acupuncture, Qigong, astrology, Tarot, all these ancient tools, techniques, I mean, bring in the I Ching, bring in human design, all these things.  It's all about, you know, understanding and it's very much as bridging that gap between science and spirituality.  And so, we are seeing that play out and that's what the whole, big, you know, change that happened with the Mayan calendar on December 21st of 2012.  That is the moment we stepped into the Age of Aquarius, but it is a 2,000 year cycle.  So, we are just beginning.  So, it's like where is this going to take us and the advancement where -- what, you know, how can we use this to our advantage.  But that kind of gives you an insight to what the Age of Aquarius and the age of awakening is all about.

Nicole:  Yeah.  And is that meaning that the Earth or the universe is it has its own birth chart and it's kind of like in the sign of Aquarius right now or?

Tara:  Yes, are moving literally through the sign of Aquarius.  Earth is moving through the sign or I would say our galaxy is kind of moving through the sign of Aquarius.

Nicole:  Fascinating.  And Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, correct?

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  And how is that connected to the age that we're in now that there's a Uranus influence?

Tara:  Well, each planet is always connected with a sign.  We kind of see them as like they're married.  They have very similar influences and energies as one another.  And so, whenever we think of Aquarius, we're usually thinking of Uranus as well because they do go hand in hand and a lot of it, you know, mythologically when we look at the stories of how those planets came about, it is very much tied into the mythology of, you know, the sign as well of Aquarius.  So, they're kind of, you know, they're always working together.

Nicole:  Yeah, that's super helpful.  I really appreciate explaining more in detail about what the Age of Aquarius means.  And another term that I feel like a lot of people on the surface have heard about astrology is Mercury in retrograde.  And I just wanted to talk a little bit about that from the point of view of an astrologer, first, what is Mercury in retrograde.  And secondly, I feel like Mercury in retrograde is probably one of the most memed astrological happenings.

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  We have Mercury and Gatorade and Mercury and the microwave.

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  How does that make you feel as an astrologer?  How do you think about that?

Tara:  I love the memes.  I think they're hilarious.  And they help people to kind of understand it in a light.  But no planet is actually retrograding.  It more appears that way from the viewpoint of Earth.  However, Mercury is the planet that most often goes retrograde.  So, it kind of always gets a bad rap because it's happening, you know, usually three, it's actually happening four times this year.  And it happened, you know, three times a year for three weeks.  Let's say that's normally how often we experience a Mercury retrograde.  It's because Mercury rules our communication and our ideas.  It also rules electronics.  It is likely that there is miscommunication, mishaps, delays, crashes, injuries, accidents, because people are not paying attention because their mind is elsewhere.  And then even, you know, in electronics, is when your computer breaks or you drop your phone in water or something happens.  But a lot of cancellations because it's like the communication cannot go forward.  It can only go backwards.  And so, it's a time of not acting.  It's a time of rethinking, reviewing, re-evaluating what is and isn't working.  But, you know, because it's happening so frequently, it's the one we hear about the most and we do blame things on Mercury when it's in retrograde.  But the truth is retrogrades give us an opportunity to make the changes that need to happen before we move forward with something and had they not gone retrograde and have us kind of rethink and rearrange our plans around a little, we would be a lot worse off had it -- than if it had just stayed direct, you know.  So, I think it gets a bad rap.  But in the end, it is working for us.  Yes, it can make things happen that are not so, you know, fun or fortunate and it's like expending a lot of time to make something happen that shouldn't have taken so long.  That's almost like the feeling but at the same time, it's an opportunity to go back and fix things that need to be addressed.  And so, it's like the thought is whatever is being swept under the rug that you've been avoiding it comes out in a way that you can no longer avoid it.  You have to acknowledge it and you have to decide to make a change and do something to prevent it happening again.

Nicole:  Got it.  And is this a universal impact on everyone?  For example, I learned that I was born in a Mercury retrograde and I've learned that maybe that will have a different impact on me for example.

Tara:  So, if you are born during a Mercury retrograde meaning Mercury was, you know, technically, from the viewpoint of the Earth going retro at the time of your birth it feels more natural during Mercury retrograde.  So, you can actually probably make things happen and you're thinking clearly and there are no issues while it's retrograde but when it's direct which is most of the time, that's when more likely there are miscommunications or not feeling heard or not feeling like people are, you know, really understanding what it is you're trying to communicate to them.  So, that can be a very frustrating energy.

And another thing I would say is also if you were to look in your progress chart now, is your Mercury still retrograde today?  That would be something interesting to find out as well because, you know, it doesn't stay retrograde forever.  And if it is still retrograde, then again that retrograde Mercury is working for you.  If it's not, then maybe things have shifted, and you found a way to communicate in a way where people understand you with clarity.

Nicole:  So, that means that people get out of their retrograde or?

Tara:  Yep.

Nicole:  How does that work?

Tara:  For instance, if at your time of birth, if the planet is retrograde, if it's at the end of a retrograde, chances are as, you know, if we're looking at your progress chart, let's say you're 20 years old now, then it could be by this point in your life, because the planets are always moving.  Remember the progress chart is based off of the birth chart.  But let's say you're 40 years old and the planet went retrograde early on in Mercury retrograde at the time of your birth, it may or may not be direct anymore in the progress chart and the current chart.

Nicole:  Okay.  So, does that mean that - -well, how does that work if Mercury is moving so quickly?  Like, how is it that it's taking like 20 to 40 years to go in and out?

Tara:  It doesn't move as quickly in the progress chart as it doesn't [unclear 58:44] vie.  Those are very different time frames.

Nicole:  Wow!  Okay.  So...

Tara:  For instance, the sun spends 30 years and a sign in the progress chart.

Nicole:  Okay.  So, someone would -- in order to understand for example, how to work with Mercury retrograde, they would need to understand their birth chart when they were born was Mercury in retrograde and then understand where it is in their progress chart.

Tara:  Yes.  And even, you know, yeah, and they're even in the current transits, because it's really the current transits.  For instance, we just came out of a Mercury retrograde.  This year they're all in Earth signs.  Last year they were all in Air signs.  So, it affected us more mentally last year.  This year it's going to be more in the physical.  And this one was in Capricorn.  So, depending on where Capricorn is in your chart, going and find out where the Mercury retrograde is happening, let's say it's happening in your house of relationships, and your partner, you know, that is where the miscommunication is happening.  That's where the challenge is happening because the current transit of Mercury is also falling in a specific house, which is your area of life.

Nicole:  That's why -- I can see why it's so helpful to get a reading because there's, like, you can find this information on your own, but there's so many layers.

Tara:  Yeah, there's a lot of layers.

Nicole:  Makes it very complex.

Tara:  Exactly.  And I think getting just that basis, especially if you've never had a reading is very important, because once you have the basis, then other things will start to make sense.

Nicole:  Right.  And you technically only need a birth chart reading once?

Tara:  Yes.  You only need a birth chart reading [unclear 1:00:41] once.  But, you know, a lot of people do like to have the progress chart readings and, you know, the forecast readings to kind get an idea where they are right now and what's to come, how to work with that energy.

Nicole:  Got it.  And how often would you recommend someone to get a progress chart reading?

Tara:  It really depends.  I never like to give times because it really is like what's going on in your life.  Are you having a really challenging time in life?  You know, do you need guidance and clarity and direction?  Or is it more just for you just kind of want to see what this year has in store?  So, I would say some clients they just need, you know, one, a year to say this is what's happening this year for you.  This is where the energy is.  How can I work with this energy?  There's other clients that maybe are going through big life changes and they're needing more support.  So, maybe every two, three or four months is when you need to have a rating to kind of understand the direction going forward and come back to a place of feeling that validation and that clarity.  And so, it really depends on what's happening in your life.  Not so much like a timeframe.

Nicole:  Okay.  Yeah, that's super helpful and I'm curious about how astrology benefit you and how do you plan your week or month or year for example, using astrology?

Tara:  Well, I use it to know when to launch things.  To know when, you know, I'm going to be more receptive by others.  I use it as like a planning tool, let's say for work and career.  Also to understand my relationships, to know when I should travel, where I should travel.  I found where I wanted to live by using astrocartography and living at my north node, but it does because I know it with like, you know, so much of my being and I'm so aware of what's going on in the sky.  You know, it is likely you won't find me traveling during a Mercury retrograde unless it's a place I've already been to.  Like I really do listen to it.  I quickly sped up my wedding because I was like there is no way I'm going to get married during a Venus retrograde.  It rules love.  You cannot have that planet retrograde when you get married.  We got to make this happen quick, you know.  So, it's funny because -- but I also live and breathe it.  It is what I do.  Like it's just been so validated for me that it's so truthful that I do let it really guide my life and I see it as a tool to work in my favor.  So, I see it as a blessing that I know what's all going on.  I definitely allow it to guide me and most of the moves I make in my life literally career wise, relationship wise like you name it, and astrology plays a part in it.

Nicole:  Absolutely.  I'm also thinking about the fact that you have had previous lifetimes as an astrologer.  And it's really like in your being and can you talk a little bit about that like how you think about the fact that you were an astrologer in your past lifetimes.  How you feel like that impacts you in this lifetime.

Tara:  So, the thing that these astrologers were seeing is, you know, your rawness, which is astrology, and my Mercury and my Sun were all what we call a conjunction.  So, they're all in a very close degree to one another.  In the sign of Scorpio which is a very intuitive depth full sign in the 12th house and the 12th house rules past life.  So, this is what they were seeing.  And that's why they said this is a sense, you know, your son is your identity.  You are going to identify as this Mercury.  This is how you think, this is how you want to communicate this to others and Uranus is astrology.  And when we think of Scorpio, it is very much a sense of helping people transform, helping people have a rebirth, a growth, helping them purge their old toxic behaviors, their old ways of being.  How they kind of allow themselves to step into their power basically.  And so, that really resonates for me because that's what I love doing.  And my north node is in Libra, which is helping people, you know, find balance and helping people in their relationships in their life.  Like that is kind of my purpose.  And it is conjunct.  It's sitting with my Pluto.  So again, there's that other theme because Pluto is the natural ruler of Scorpio I'm getting another theme of my purpose is to help people transform.  My purpose is to help people become empowered.  And astrology is the avenue that I personally have as a gift to help people do that.  So, that's kind of how I see it.

Nicole:  Yeah, absolutely.  Thank you for sharing that and explaining a bit about how that connection resonates with you in your current daily life and profession and your being.  And I know we're getting a bit close to time, but I do want to address the idea that there are a lot of people who are skeptical of astrology or they feel like it doesn't resonate with them.  I think we touched a bit about that with horoscopes like reading horoscopes.

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  But I'm curious about like for those listening who are not sure if astrology is for them, or they feel little bit skeptical about it, like what would you recommend for them?

Tara:  I don't think it's for everyone.  I'm totally okay with that.  You know, it's like I believe there are many paths to God and there are many rivers that lead to the ocean.  There's not just one path.  This is one tool.  This is one way of self-discovery.  And if it doesn't resonate for you, then that's okay.  And it's not for you.  But I will say I love skeptics and I love when a skeptic comes to a reading because I usually always turn them into a believer.  So, I love taking on that challenge and, you know, I can understand why people wouldn't see the validation in it, especially people who are more from the scientific background.  Those are the I would say more skeptics.  But I would say it's not for everyone and that's okay and find what does resonate for you because there are so many of these ancient, you know, esoteric -- there's so much wisdom out there and it's for us to use and for us to enjoy and it's a tool for our self-development.  And this is what's going to lead us to our growth and our happiness.  So, you know, find what that is and use what works for you.

Nicole:  Yeah, that's a beautiful answer.  And I love that idea of these are tools that you can experiment with and see if it resonates with you.  And if it doesn't, there might be another tool out there for you that does.

Tara:  Yes.

Nicole:  And I also want to provide a chance to talk about other offerings that you have and do you also work with Tarot and can you explain a little bit about how you work with the other tools?

Tara:  Tarot and astrology actually go very much hand in hand.  Each one of the cards in the Tarot deck is also associated with a sign or a planet.  So, that's how closely linked they are and they're both divination tools.  They're a little bit different and I think about, you know, astrology has a lot to do with timing of things, and even the Tarot is a little bit more of like, energetically what's going on, but they can be used together and I do like using them together, but I do offer Tarot readings.  That is something that I've also been doing for, you know, 10 years and I do love the wisdom in Tarot and especially people who don't know their birth time or have a hard time finding their birth time that might be a better avenue for them to kind of have the accurate reading that they're wanting.  But I do -- I actually just published an astrology oracle deck.  So, I made an oracle deck based off the planets and the signs and the asteroids and the nodes and that sort of thing to kind of help people learn more about astrology but it's a beautiful deck.  And so -- but I do offer Tarot readings as well and I do offer retreats if people are interested in learning astrology.  I have in-person retreats.  I'm going to hopefully by the summer publish courses, online courses, so if people just want to do their own self-study.  I'm very active on Instagram and Facebook.  I do host a podcast.  That's all things astrology with another Evolutionary Astrologer Jordan Wolfe.  So, we kind of do that podcast together and both put our perspectives in about what's going on.  But I have a monthly -- a bimonthly newsletter talking about the, you know, the new moon and the full moon and what energies are coming up.

So, there are several different kind of offerings I have and I will soon be putting a membership out for people who want to kind of know more specifically what each week is holding for them energetically.  So, you can find all that information on my website, which is Tarajadenichols.com.

Nicole:  Great.  Thank you so much, Tara, for such a beautiful conversation and for sharing about what you do and your story and for explaining so many concepts so clearly, and I really enjoyed our conversation today and we'll have all of those links in the show notes.

Tara:  Thank you so much for having me, Nicole, this lovely conversation and I can't believe it's been over an hour.  Where did it go?

Nicole:  Absolutely.

Tara:  But, yeah, thank you for letting me share my passion.

Nicole:  Thank you for listening to my conversation with Evolutionary Astrologer and Tarot Advisor, Tara Jade Nichols.  As noted in the episode, Tara has a podcast you can listen to and she also has offerings available on her website, if you're interested in reading.  Please be sure to subscribe and follow Multitudes wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.  Or check out Multitudespodcast.com.  And we'll see you next time.