I am learning to surrender to the cycles of the cosmos and the seasons of the Earth. Flowing with these natural currents rather than against them leads to a feeling of enchantment. Astrology is a compass, and annual profections are a simple yet profound timing technique to navigate the cosmic seas. For each year of life, a house within our natal chart activates. On the day we are born the first house activates, at age one the second house activates, at age two the third house activates, and so on.
I’m 31 and in an eighth house year. As a Leo rising, my eighth house is Pisces. This year has been expansive, dissolving barriers between me and the divine. For decades I was blocked, at least consciously, from a meaningful relationship with the unseen realms. I was raised Catholic and never resonated with the preachings and teachings of institutional religion. My relationship with the mystical blossomed during my late 20s when I chose to reconnect with my inner child. This unlocked a playfulness and vivid imagination that had been repressed for years. Today, my inner child beams as I finally admit magic is real. It took decades to become a believer. However, my ancestors and spirit team waited patiently, guiding my subconscious toward the supernatural and mysterious.
As a child of the 90s, I had a ravenous appetite for supernatural media such as So Weird, Don’t Look Under the Bed, Halloweentown, and Goosebumps. I learned to read at a young age and loved reading the books my first-grade teacher supplied in her classroom. She introduced me to the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osbourne. The series revolves around a brother and sister, Jack and Annie, who find a magic tree house that sends them on adventures, transporting them through space and time. Jack and Annie travel to the age of the dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt, the Amazon Rain Forest, and the Pacific Ocean where they befriend bottlenose dolphins in my favorite book, Dolphins at Daybreak. The Magic Tree House series was a pillar of my childhood, nourishing my imagination with fantastical tales of adventure.
During my teenage years, I developed a fascination with ghosts. One of my favorite TV shows was Ghost Whisperer, in which Jennifer Love Hewitt plays Melinda Gordon, a medium who communicates with the dead. My stepmom and I were obsessed, and we would watch Ghost Whisperer together on the Friday nights I spent at my dad’s house. My stepmom shared my captivation with the supernatural. She took me on my first-ever haunted walking tour during a family vacation to Galena. A guide escorted us through the dark streets of the western Illinois town, telling tales of Galena’s haunted history. At the end of the tour, the guide asked if anyone had ever experienced hauntings or supernatural activity. A woman courageously spoke up and prefaced that she’d never told this story to anyone before. She shared her experience of being visited by a deceased grandparent in her dreams as a child. The story sent tingles down my spine, and in my bones, I knew it was true.
For years, I thought only some people were fortunate enough to be born with psychic gifts. My perspective was limited by the media I consumed which portrayed psychics as people who saw spirits. To this day, I have never seen a spirit. However, in October 2021, everything changed. My mom called to inform me she needed to lend me a book called Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson. She had just finished reading it and felt compelled to share. I am confident that our ancestors orchestrated this exchange from beyond the veil.
In the book, Laura tells stories about Teams of Light, her words for ancestors and spirit guides, communicating with the living through the language of signs. She declares everyone can communicate with their Team of Light. All it takes is a little belief and trust in the mystery. This book radically expanded my awareness of the nature of the universe. It transformed my fascination with the supernatural into the firm belief that I can communicate with the dead! The book helped me see that my great-grandpa Gerold Rupert Willing, lovingly known as Grandpa Rupert, had been sending me signs all my life.
Grandpa Rupert is my grandma’s father and my mom’s grandfather. He is a descendant of German immigrants and was born in Milwaukee. He married my great-grandmother, Emily Placzkowski (who I’m named after), in 1943. Together, they had five children including my grandma, three great-aunts, and one great-uncle. Grandpa Rupert worked for the electric company in Milwaukee and served as the union steward for the Steamfitters union. My aptitude for community organizing is an ancestral gift I inherited from him. Grandpa Rupert passed away in July 1993, three months after I was born. I was his first great-grandchild, and he lived just long enough to hold me in his arms.
Throughout my childhood, my grandma, great-aunts, and mom spoke about Grandpa Rupert as if he were alive. He was an invisible trickster making objects mysteriously disappear and leaving coins for his descendants to find. When I was four or five years old, I had a pair of Mary Janes, and one shoe went missing. My mom and I searched the house to no avail. One morning, we were stunned as we came downstairs and turned to face the den. In the middle of the entryway was my missing Mary Jane! There was no logical explanation, and my mom chalked it up to Grandpa Rupert’s mischievous ways.
After I read Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe, my childhood memories of mysterious encounters with Grandpa Rupert came flooding back. I was filled with immense love and wonder as I realized I could initiate contact with him. Immediately I knew which sign to ask for. In addition to trickster pranks, my family associates Grandpa Rupert with cardinals. So that’s what I asked for. In the months that followed, the floodgates opened. I received a cacophony of signs, including one incident where a cardinal miraculously swooped in front of my face just after I thought, “It’s ok if I don’t receive a sign today.” It felt as if my ancestors and spirit team were joyously celebrating our open line of communication.
It’s been three years since I initiated contact with Grandpa Rupert, and today I’m on a path of ancestral remembrance. Learning about the cultures and stories of my ancestors roots and nourishes me. Recently, I asked my Slavic ancestors how they cared for themselves, and they showed me the Tower card representing sudden change, upheaval, and destruction. In the Herbcrafters Tarot, the Tower features mushrooms, the alchemists of the forest, breaking down decaying matter and transforming it into nutrient-rich soil. My matrilineage survived many Towers including forced displacement, ethnic discrimination, and tragic loss.
Next, I asked them how they cared for their families, and they showed me the Curandera of Water, known as the King of Cups in traditional tarot. Curanderas are Latin American folk healers, shamans, and wisdom keepers. The King of Cups represents emotional balance and intelligence. Together these cards convey the power and resilience of my Slavic motherline. These women alchemized their pain and suffering, building emotional strength to heal, care, and provide for their families. Their resilience flows through my veins. In an era of global Towers including rising fascism, political repression, and climate catastrophes, I draw on the alchemy and strength of my ancestors to show me the way.
Astrology of Pisces Season
Pisces is mutable water ruled by Jupiter and the final sign of the zodiac. Pisces magic dissolves the capitalist fallacy of rugged individualism. Venus exalts in Pisces, illustrating that love is the force weaving our fates together. Pisces’ oceanic consciousness is the whimsical imagination of children and the prophetic visions of mystics. Pisces is a sign of faith, daring to believe in the dream realm. If we can dream it, we can build it speaks to the sextile or collaborative relationship between Pisces and Capricorn. As Audre Lorde said, “It is our dreams that point the way to freedom.”1
Let’s get into the major transits of Pisces season…
Sun enters Pisces - February 18th 4:07 a.m. CST
Mars stations direct in Cancer - February 23rd 8:00 p.m. CST
New Moon in Pisces - February 27th 6:45 p.m. CST
Venus stations retrograde in Aries - March 1st 6:37 p.m. CST
Mercury enters Aries - March 3rd 3:04 a.m. CST
Lunar Eclipse in Virgo - March 14th 1:54 a.m. CDT
Mercury stations retrograde in Aries - March 15th 1:47 a.m. CDT
Sun leaves Pisces - March 20th 4:02 a.m. CDT
Herbcrafting
This week, I am participating in the Herbal Academy’s free virtual herbal conference. So far, I have listened to Adriana Ayales’ talk about herbs for dreams and consciousness expansion and Asia Suler’s talk about herbs and intuition. My 9th house Venus is soaring learning from teachers who share my love of plants, healing, and magic. I am deep in student mode furiously taking notes and trying to integrate all the wisdom. There are so many things I want to share about my growing relationship with plants, but for now, I encourage you to check out this free conference if your curiosity is sparked!
Sol Connections
Dani, Aryn, and I recorded the Aquarius Astro Church sermon yesterday. In the episode, we reflect upon the archetypes, patterns, and stories prevalent throughout Aquarius season. The episode will be uploaded to YouTube soon, and I invite you to subscribe to our channel. We are gearing up to launch on major podcasting platforms around the Spring Equinox. If you are local to Milwaukee, we invite you to celebrate with us in person at our podcast launch party on March 20th! Reply to this email to receive more details.
My Latest Hyperfixations
🌱 I wrote about flowing with the cycles of the cosmos, but how do I do this? I utilize astrological timing techniques, track planetary cycles, and journal extensively. With the Venus retrograde in Aries/Pisces coming up, I’m re-reading Pallas K. Augustine’s transmission about the Venus cycle and patiently waiting for the release of their next Venus retrograde workbook! Fellow Astro nerds & Venus devotees, you can join the waitlist here.
🌱
’s Substack contains a wealth of resources for dreamers and worldbuilders. Ari Felix’s work supported me in transmuting shame to affirm my role as a worldbuilder. Recognizing our role is vital in times of collapse and rising fascism, and the newsletter below has so many beautiful insights.
🌱 This conversation with Atava Garcia Swiecicki about ancestral plant medicine is everything!
In Pisces magic, Emily
The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.
Happy birthday, Audre Lorde! Her quote came to me, and I searched for her birth chart to find she was born today! Born February 18, 1934, in New York, New York with a 29° Aquarius Sun, 11° Pisces Mars, and 17° Pisces Mercury. Rest in power, Audre Lorde.