Photo by Aryn the Alchemist
Astro-Collaging Your Natal Chart Workshop
An 'Astro-Collaging Your Natal Chart' workshop led by Aryn the Alchemist
Astrology is the study of how celestial bodies in the sky, depending on where they are positioned, may influence people and events on Earth. Tarot, on the other hand, is a type of fortune-telling that uses a deck of 78 uniquely illustrated cards, each representing major or minor details in one’s life. Both divinations encompass complex histories and many different styles and approaches. Creative metaphysical coach Aryn the Alchemist wears the hats of a storyteller, artist and community space holder by way of these spiritual modalities.
“Who needs ChatGPT when you have these ancient practices that have so many generative ideas?” Aryn jokes. “Astrology and tarot are so rich with symbols and stories and narratives.”
Aryn is having a “Collage Your Own Tarot Card” workshop this Sunday, September 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tooth + Nail Studio and Gallery, 2018 S 1st St, Suite 308. They plan to choose several cards from the Major Arcana for folks to recreate in their own way. Those more advanced in knowledge of tarot will have the option to create their own, entirely new card. Tickets can be purchased here.
Humanistic Perspective
As a professional astrologer, Aryn specifically practices Hellenistic techniques with a collectivist, humanistic perspective, catalyzing folks into their own autonomous astrological journeys. They are a co-host of Sol Connections, a podcast about “enchanting relationships with the human, more-than-human, and divine.”
Earlier this year in June, Aryn had facilitated their very first in-person workshop, “Astro-Collaging Your Natal Chart,” where they found fascinating the many different ways people interpret the stars, planets and elements. Aryn affirms, “Astrology can get very cerebral and analytical, but collaging it can help move it into a realm that’s more creative and organic, and that’s what’s exciting to me.”
Aryn gravitates towards these modalities because they connect folks to intuition and curiosity, and can help increase one’s capacity to deal with uncertainty or discomfort. Such energetic channels may especially be effective during volatile social and political times. “It’s interesting because astrology in its origins, used to be an institution within political frameworks,” Aryn explains. “In the past, astrologers were astronomers or mathematicians, but the Catholic Church and Western ideas like rationalism and the scientific method really divorced that.”
Spiritually Starved?
Photo by Aryn the Alchemist
Aryn the Alchemist Headshot
Ayrn the Alchemist
In fact, Aryn finds astrology and tarot to be ideal conduits into finding purpose and healing because they are not tied up with modern systems of power. Aryn notes how many marginalized folks are drawn to astrology today as a result of not having access to other forms of spirituality.
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“In America,” they elaborate, “we are culturally and spiritually starved because our systems have created consumerism as a solution while white supremacy has severed so much of our connections to our roots. Because of that, a lot of New Age stuff is a mish-mash of all these different cultural heritages and it becomes appropriation, which is disrespectful and problematic.”
Astrology originated in ancient Babylon and has been utilized throughout history by many different cultures and civilizations around the world. “The West likes to position itself as if it created all these things,” Aryn points out. “So much of Western tarot was influenced by exchanges between Roma, Persian, Chinese and North African cultures. A tarot researcher I follow, Sanyu Estelle, suspects that 70 percent of Minor Arcana imagery is not actually from Italy.”
Originally from Southern California, Aryn the Alchemist moved to Milwaukee from Florida in 2022. They first became fascinated by tarot and astrology as a teenager and would eventually launch their own astrology blog after college. “That was my way of exploring the subject through writing, which is one of my greatest passions,” Aryn recalls.
While working as a teacher in their 20s, Aryn began offering astrology consultations. “I met a lot of really cool witches online who were doing that kind of thing,” they continue. After taking time away from astrology coaching in order to focus on teaching, Aryn re-launched their astrology business last October. “It’s really exploded with a re-emergence of interest over the past five-ish years, and it’s really cool to see.”
Aryn the Alchemist hopes to facilitate more in-person workshops in the future while holding virtual workshops as well. They remain available for one-on-one creative astrology readings. Aryn recently launched Divine Muse Academy, a three-month online program for artists centered on community-building and occult education, which commences at the end of the month.
“I’d love to do more community rituals where I can support people where they’re at in a spiritual sense,” Aryn mentions. “There’s a big need, especially for dealing with grief and safely exploring harder emotions. Grief and rage are best experienced in community; I don’t think we’re meant to sit in those feelings alone. In the spaces I’ve participated in where we can do that, it’s so transformative and nourishing.”
