Astrology has always been calling me. When I was a teen, I discovered my Aquarius Sun was the weirdo of the zodiac. Fuck yes! I knew it! There was a reason I never fit in. I really leaned into this identity. Felt a kinship with any person I found out had an Aquarius Sun. I mean, Oprah is a fucking Aquarian.
It wasn’t until my 15-year-old daughter hung a zodiac tapestry in her room that I discovered there was so much more. I started to brag to her about how cool Aquarians are and then she asked me about my Rising sign. Um, excuse me? I had heard of this concept before but didn’t know anything about it. It was then, at age 35, my teenager schooled me on astrology. She pulled up my birth chart on her phone and started reading me for filth. It was illuminating and a vital stepping stone on my astrology path.
My teenager schooled me on astrology.
Since discovering that I am a witch, I have found power and untapped potential in my birth chart. I am a Scorpio Rising and have embraced my transformative nature. Shedding skins feels like an old, familiar ritual that I was meant to stumble upon.
Also as a teen, I discovered that my sister is a Leo Sun. Leos — the Lion of the Zodiac. The Sun. The confident, brave, expressive ones. The prideful, arrogant, selfish, vain ones. My sister was my childhood bully. As you can imagine, it was a struggle to grow up in the same house as your childhood bully. My sister was the one people would gravitate towards, like the Sun. I felt like she used her gravitational pull against me in many ways. I was just the weirdo, the Aquarian, the cold one. Withdrawn into my own world.
To distance myself from the trauma of my sister, I distanced myself from my Leo traits.
I hid.
I was silent.
I lived in my head.
Deep diving into my birth chart, I discovered I was hindering myself. Leo is in my 10th house/Midheaven, the house of public image, career, legacy, your life’s purpose. My North Node of destiny and spiritual growth is also in Leo. My life’s and soul’s purpose are in Leo. Fuck. I needed to transmute my own Leo energy.
I decided to use the Leo Full Moon on February 5th to start my restoration. My birthday is February 9th and I used the days in between to perform a Fire Transmutation Spell.
Leo is a Fire sign. Full Moons are prime times to release energy with the subsequent waning moon retreating, taking with it our stagnant energy for the Universe to transmute into something better. Turning what no longer serves us into growth and expansion.
I needed to transmute my own Leo energy.
I lit a black candle for banishing and a white candle for cleansing. I surrounded them with Leo crystals- sunstone, black tourmaline, and labradorite, and chamomile, eucalyptus, juniper berries, and angelica root for soothing and healing. Starting on the Leo Full Moon until my birthday, I burned a slip of paper with a limiting belief by igniting it with both the black and white candle flames and placing it in my cauldron. Watching it turn from paper to fire to sparks to smoke and ash. Transmutation. I flushed the ashes down the toilet where bullshit belongs.
I turned 42 this year. Self-expression and taking up space are still works in progress. My current career is in nursing and I feel called to care for others. Blending witchcraft and modern medicine for prevention and healing is my professional goal. Leo ruling my 10th house containing my North Node is essential in this goal and following my highest life path.
Having a damaged relationship with my only sister is another issue. I struggle connecting with women. Putting myself out there and joining the Missing Witches Coven was not easy. Being seen is still new. My eyes are adjusting to the light, but I am grateful to be here. Grateful to the Universe, my Spirit guides and sweet ancestors for navigating me to this place.
Resources
Books:
Astrology Magick by Lindsay Squire
The Book of Candle Magic by Madame Pamita
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
Instagram: @kait_fowlie, @eighthhouseastro, @elysiumrituals
Bio
Jen Yi-Boehm (she/they) is an eclectic/queer witch, Korean/white, mother of 2, wife, registered nurse, and grad student. Jen practices candle magic, tarot, and astrology with rocks and plants as her spiritual allies. When she is not recovering from nocturnal ICU nursing or studying for her MSN-FNP, Jen is planning her next vacation, thinking about future candle spells, and binging any season of RuPaul’s Drag Race for the billionth time.
