About
Amanda
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Well, hello! I’m Amanda. I am a queer astrologer, witch, soul worker, educator and writer. I make my home in the unceded lands of the Duwamish, Snoqualmie, Suquamish and Muckleshoot people of the Pacific Northwest, now known as Seattle.
If I were to sum up my astrological approach I'd say that it is therapeutic, depth-oriented and transformative. If you want more specific citation of the branches I'm trained in: Evolutionary astrology supplies my core techniques, but I'm also passionate about humanistic, archetypal and queer/embodied approaches with a dash of mundane astro love thrown in. I study Hellenistic astro in my free time, and can chat about it to some extent, but do not focus on those techniques in my client sessions.
My background is also steeped in depth psychology (I have a master's degree in it), embodiment/experiential practice and social sciences (my bachelor's degree).
My approach centers the relationship not just between you and I but between all parts of existence including relationship to land, ancestors and the Gods.
My goal is to help folks deal with stuck patterns and connect with their spark of genius for the sake of healing the soul of the world.
The work I do on my own and with others is dedicated to the healing and liberation of the earth and all its beings.
For reals.
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I first ran into Astrology around age 11 when I found an "Aquarius" poster at the mall. It was the first time in my life something resonated with the weirdness and complexity of my own experiences.
Through lots of dabbling in my teens and early 20s, astrology helped me to feel more comfortable with the fact that my life doesn’t tend to fit into tidy categories. As a descendant of a whole heckuva lot of different ancestral lines, most recently including Scandanavian, Lebanese, Yoreme/Yaqui and Spanish, my process of reclaiming and being initiated into my own soulful spirituality has been twisty-turny and precious.
In my undergraduate career, I studied cultural geography and social sciences. I emerged from those studies fascinated by the evolution of human consciousness and the history of western philosophy.
Although I had always been in awe of the power of astrology, it wasn’t until I encountered Richard Tarnas’ work with astrology and historical cycles that I knew I wanted astrology to play a role in my professional life. Around that same time, I encountered depth psychology and Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious. I then stumbled into a brand new graduate program that let me focus on astrology and more ‘unconventional’ forms of psychology.
Apocalypse + Healing Crisis
I often use the tag line “Your guide through apocalypse since 2010.” It’s not just a catchy phrase, but is instead a reflection of my relationship with a vastly nuanced concept.My master’s thesis explored how apocalyptic imagery (such as images of the mushroom cloud, ecological collapse and bioterrorism) affects the human psyche at the individual and collective levels, and how astrology can help us navigate the psychological impact. In my studies I was able to explore the cross-cultural reflections of ‘apocalypse’ over the last several millennia, and how apocalypse as metaphor and lived reality has shaped the cultural context I live in at the same time as its corresponding mythologies have been used to help people navigate difficult transitions.
The full thesis can be found here, although it is old and in need of some serious editing and revising.
I thought I’d be heading to get a PhD after graduation, but within months I had a visionary experience that let me know I needed to focus on doing one on one healing work with folks for a while. This shift led me down the rabbit hole of blending evolutionary astrology, cathartic past life regression work, dream work, ritual design and more.
Throughout my life, I have had several healing crises that have broken open my heart, dramatically realigned my relationship with my body, and broadened my capacities as a healer.
The most prominent among these occurred just after the 2016 election. I had decided to ditch my day job and throw myself into my astrology practice full time (cuz shit was getting more real).
Five months later, I found myself immersed in what ended up being three years of cascading and significant life-changing health crises including significant big time surgeries. I emerged on the other side with chronic health issues and an even more intense-than-before belief that when used with a big ol’ dollop of groundedness, empathy and humility, astrology is world-changing in the best possible way.
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The heart of my work is based in a desire to help people connect more fully with their place in an animate universe.
I believe that astrology is most powerful when it informs and is informed by social consciousness and respect for the realities of people’s lived experience as well as our interconnectedness.I use astrology as an invitation to dialogue about the deepest secrets of our hearts and the endless possibilities of our dance upon this earth. Because of this, I am able to meet individuals where they’re at.
Sessions with me will often incorporate guided visualizations, somatic exploration, ritual, dream work, inner child work, tarot, shadow integration work, questions for reflection and much more.
After sessions with me, folks often report feeling seen and empowered — but sometimes also challenged. The insights that come from sessions with me deepen self-perception in ways that sometimes feel shocking and yet are ultimately validating, revealing potential blind spots and ways to work through them.
My work is largely influenced by the idea of the Great Turning and the work of Joanna Macy. In short:
"The Great Turning is the name for the essential adventure of our time: the shift from the industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization."
To be alive at this time is to live through an apocalyptic rite of passage; a revelation of what is no longer sustainable and therefore must be shifted.
I have deep reverence for the innate capacity of the psyche to heal, and I believe that facing and feeling our grief about what is happening to the world around us frees up energy and helps our ability to move forward to create new systems.
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I have been practicing astrology 'professionally' since 2010, with my formal business launching in 2012. I rely on a fusion of techniques while centering what I have learned and adapted from the various schools of evolutionary and humanistic astrology.
Astrology as I practice it is inherently spiritual. It illuminates the interconnectedness of the universe we live in. I primarily draw on the techniques of the abovementioned astrologies in combination with an animistic worldview, mythology, the social sciences, witchcraft and more. I want astrology to provide a way of animating the connection between the inner and the outer, and I believe in deconstructing norms in order to honor the complexities of your experience.
In addition to having the honor of working extensively with Patricia Walsh and Mark Jones (and in the more distant past, Steven Forrest), extensive self-study means I have learned from and been deeply influenced by many others including astrologers Jessica Lanyadoo, Richard Tarnas, Jason Holley, Demetra George, Chani Nicholas, JP Hawthorne, Austin Coppock, Dane Rudhyar
Other Magical Beings who have impacted me include: adrienne maree brown, Sonya Rene Taylor, Tori Amos, Starhawk, Dave Matthews, Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, Rainier Maria Rilke, Daniel Pinchbeck, James Hillman; ocean, mountains, rivers and skies
I am consistently inspired by the vast array of newer practitioners emerging on the scene, and learn so much from them and my students all the time.
Relevant Trainings and Experience can be viewed further down this page.
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Acknowledging that we live in societies that are built on oppression is a crucial component of healing work. This work must happen inwards at the personal level just as much as in the outer world. It requires a dismantling of basic cultural and societal assumptions about worth and value.
When it comes to the healing arts, this includes assumptions about: who should have access to healing arts; gender binaries; what ideal/mature/”real” relationships should look like; and more.
My own process with anti-oppression work is an ongoing commitment. I am bound to screw up at times.I strive toward a safer/braver spaces model in my classes and sessions. This, too, is an evolving process.
As a community based practitioner, and I am deeply inspired by and grateful for the queer and non-monogamous communities I am so fortunate to learn from and be held by.
I also believe that astrology and soul work should be affordable and accessible to any who wish to use them. To that end, I try to be as transparent as possible about my sliding fee scales, and have a membership program with a variety of options for learning about yourself and astrology.
I strive to keep other forms of accessibility in mind and to make changes as I am able.
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I have been a guest on many podcasts over the years, and have done a terrible job of keeping track of them. Here are the ones I can remember:
Episode 1 of my own podcast, Aquarian Spirals, features some background about me.
2024
Within Orb ep. 53: Building Zodiacal Containers
(this is a great option if you want to learn about my lineage and approach)The Nature of Invisible Things ep. 8: Return to Beauty with Amanda Moreno
(this series focused on Origin Stories)2023
One Sage's View Podcast ep. 10: Moon and Uranus and Ancestral Healing
Relevant Trainings + Experience
Relevant trainings and experience (in addition to uncountable hours of self-study, conferences and standalone lectures):
Graduate School:
MA Psychology & Spirituality, Antioch University Seattle (2009-2012; thesis: Astrological Ritual & the Apocalyptic Imagination)
Certifications + Trainings:
2010-13: Level II Forrest Trained Astrologer
(completed 192 hours of training with Steven Forrest)
2012-14: Certified Deep Memory Process Practitioner, Assistant + Supervisor
(completed all modules of training with Patricia Walsh; certified practitioner)
2021-22: Self to Systems
The Self to Systems Training Course teaches strategies for inclusive leadership, anti-racism and decolonization, psychological safety, institutional bias, and building inclusive workplaces and communities
2021-23 Transformative Mentoring Psychosynthesis Coaching Training
(with Mark Jones and Keith Hackwood; certified practitioner)
2023: Integrative Somatic Parts Work
(with Fran Booth; through The Embody Lab; certified practitioner)
2023: Reiki I + II
(with Cassie Salewske)
Courses, Workshops, Mentorship:
AstroLogik course with Antero Alli (2007)
Mentorship with Randy Morris (grad school advisor) + Alexandra Hepburn (grad school advisor) (2009-2012)
Apprenticeship with Adam Sommer (2010)
Supervision, mentorship and one on one work with Mark Jones (2013-2016)
Creating Soulful Ritual with Randy Morris and Molly Young Brown (2013)
Core Shamanism & Shamanic Extraction workshops with Beth Beurkens (2014, 2015)
Fundamentals of Astrology Year One with Austin Coppock (2020)
Supervision with Jason Holley (2024; ongoing)
Professional Appearances:
Speaker & Panelist at/for: NORWAC (2022, 2023), SFAS, WSAA, OPA and various other orgs and institutions
Various podcast and radio show appearances
Continuing Education at North Seattle College; Instructor: Astrology for Personal Growth Parts I and II (2019-present)
Portland School of Astrology; Core Faculty (Aug 2020-Aug 2022)
International Association of Ethics in Astrology; Board of Directors; Chair, Diversity Committee (Feb 2021-Dec 2022)
Association for Astrological Networking, Steering Committee (2016-2018)
The Vajra on Broadway (resident tarot reader & workshop teacher); June 2013-October 2018
Madrona House Apothecary (Astrologer); 2017-2020
East West Bookshop (Astrologer and Tarot Reader) (2018-2019)
Weekly Column Writer; Planet Waves (2014-2016)
Publications + Writings:
Astrological Ritual and the Apocalyptic Imagination (master’s thesis; 2012)
Honoring Relationship Diversity in Astrological Consultations (link opens as a downloaded PDF; article for The Career Astrologer)
Interviewed for Bustle Magazine (2022)
Two years of weekly columns on the topic of spirituality can be found here (2014-2016)