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I write regularly at jessicashepherd.substack.com — soft, human words on healing, astrology & intuition:
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Sleepless in Vienna
Our flight time was 16 hours SFO-Vienna. We forgot the guidebook at home. We never found our camera. Arriving at the hotel, our room had been given away the night before – we had miscalculated the time zone change – and were unapologetically given a small musty, smoky room next to the elevator and the train station. The Sun was applying a square from Neptune, creating missteps, forgotten items, miscalculations and disillusionment. This will get better as the planetary energies pass, I...
Penelope’ll take Peace
Penelope Cruz April 28 1974Â She's been likened to Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn, but it's more than her almond eyes that cross cultural boundaries. Penelope's beauty is an outpouring of her soul, a soul who's crossed paths with Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and works on behalf of AIDS foundations. When she takes up a road to manifest a creative contribution in life, the Bull gracefully stumbles upon her heart's craving: simplicity, the peaceful silence of eternity. She can find that in...
Clooney’s touch o’ the Bull
George Clooney: May 6 1961 George Clooney's Aunt was named Rosemary. Rosemary Clooney, that is. Maybe that's why he has been known to break into song during interviews. Or maybe it's because he's had the honor of being one of two men voted Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine twice, ever (only shared by friend, Brad Pitt). Because he's notoriously modest about his gorgeous genes, it's probably not the latter - George is not one to brag. The Bull yawns, thinks "why bother?" and moves onto...
MAGIC IS NOT WITCHCRAFT: and if it were, so what?…
Okay, here we are at magic. Let's debunk magic (again). I'll give you a practical example. I'm not the type of person who has been able to actualize or even truly validate the idea that hard work equals success in my own life. In fact, sometimes the opposite occurs and you've seen it, too: you work hard and you're still passed over for promotion and underpaid. While this specific example didn't happen to moi exactly, you know the shtick and when it comes to creating the life you want, feelings...
Astrology is everywhere…
Here is an awesome astrology bookstore I visited while in London this January.  Isn't it beautiful??? It was my reward for soldiering through the endless armories of Henry VIII at the Tower of London in high heeled boots. The energy of beheadings was depressing, the day gloomy and ahhh my aching dogs. When we made the spontaneous decision on the Tube to check out the single line listing "The Astrology Shop" who knew? The Brits love, love astrology. The Faculty for Astrological...
Anxious? Whipsawed with worry? Paranoid? Try Pronoia
"PRONOIA is a life manual for not just overthrowing the dictator within (and so without) but more vital than this, a manual for creating an intelligent, sexy and juicy alternative to the Big Should." - Jessica Shepherd That's my official endorsement, appearing in Rob Brezsny's book promotion for Pronoia. Why did I say this? OMGoddess! this book gives you permission to end all that unhealthy negative uptight thinking and unleash the wild, compassionate trickster you know in you are in your...
Discovery:clarity in transit(ory) confusion
strong>The Astrology of Self-Discovery by Tracy Marks Intermediate to Advanced This is an invaluable book for getting down into the nitty-gritty of your own personal experience with a Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto transit. Yes, the a-ha! moment everyone has when they first understand the archetype of a planet (ie Saturn as responsibility, self-denial or Neptune as transcendence, necessary losses) is huge one giant leap toward self-understanding. Yet the psychological reality of it is a...
Astrology & Tarot, perfectly matched
The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols by Angeles Arrien Thoth Tarot Deck by Aleister Crowley Intermediate to Advanced Tarot is an ancient form of divination, just like astrology. Well maybe not just like astrology. Tarot uses cards, astrologers use circular maps of the heavens (and the computers do the math). But the similarities are striking, especially when you're using a deck that uses the imagery and symbolism of Planets and Astrological Signs, like the...
Evolutionary Astrology
The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest Beginner to Intermediate The Changing Sky by Steven Forrest Intermiediate to Advanced Inspiration. Storytelling. Imagination. These are the generous gifts Mr. Forrest brings to the world of boring old Astrology books. But he's no boring Astrologer, he's an Evolutionary Astrologer. Just like it sounds, the "endpoint" of each life is to evolve into a higher life form. That may mean talking to a few lower life forms first. He names them for us. Cool. Every chapter...
Tracking the beat, by beat
Celestial Forecaster 2007, Everyone's Daily Astrology Guide by Annie Bones Beginner to Advanced Another professional astrologer's dream tool but why aren't the neophytes using this too??!! If you want a day by day breakdown of the planetary haps written out for you by one very wise woman astrologer Annie Bones, search no further. Annie captures all the nuances of a day, large and small. It can be information overload when there's so much planetary activity in one day (welcome to the mind of an...
