The most alive wisdom often waits at the edge where things end. We step onto the threshold between astrology’s eighth and ninth houses with Dr. Travis Elliott, a naturopath who traded protocols for presence and found his way into Asclepian dream healing, plant medicines, and the kind of listening that lets the body speak. This conversation travels from Santa Fe’s Living Astrologies conference to the old temples where snakes curled at our feet, and into the myths where Asclepius learns from Chiron, Coronis vanishes into smoke, and Medusa’s two vials test how far we’ll go to outwit death.

We talk about what happens when healthcare stops treating people like problems and starts treating symptoms as messages. Travis shares how an image can surface in the room—a felt priority that guides the next step—and how clients reclaim agency when they learn to sit with what hurts. Along the way, we unpack the eighth house as a place of composting and grief, the ninth house as the clear sky of meaning, and Ophiuchus as the healer who stands between them. We look at diurnal motion versus zodiacal motion, Telesphorus as the small herald of completion, and the moment when pushing against death breaks the order that keeps life and underworld in balance.

Underneath the astrology is a simple invitation: stay with the darkness until it’s done with you, then rise with meaning that is yours. If you’ve been craving a more soulful healthcare—one that respects intuition, the feminine, and the earth’s timing—this is a map back to that remembering. Listen, share it with a friend who needs permission to slow down, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the work. 

*The above blurb was produced by Buzzsprout's AI.

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A weary wish turns a princess into a raven and launches a map of descent: a forest thick with symbols, an old woman’s tempting cup, a heap of alchemical tan, and a precise appointment at 2 PM when the sun’s power wanes. We follow that map step by step, using a Grimm story to illuminate the eighth house as lived experience—where unprocessed memory, shame, appetite, and inheritance ask for contact rather than conquest.

I walk you through the seeker’s predictable failures and the deeper lesson they reveal: the unconscious will not be bullied by willpower. Then the tale widens—endless bread and wine, a name-inscribed ring, and a letter that points toward the Golden Castle of Stromburg. Giants appear as the embodiment of hunger. Instead of slaying them, we feed them, win their help, and unearth an ancient map that remembers what modern maps forgot. That’s the eighth house in practice: respect timing, befriend the beast, and let old knowledge guide the next mile.

At the base of a glass mountain we wait—a year of vigil—until trickster tools arrive: a staff that opens doors, a mantle of invisibility, and a horse made for impossible slopes. With a touch of Hermes, we ascend. The ring sings in the chalice; the raven-princess and seeker reunite; inner masculine and feminine align. Along the way we thread white, red, and black through the story’s veins, and connect ravens, crows, Odin’s messengers, Apollo and Coronis, Perseus and Pegasus, and the alchemy of the negrito.

If you’re navigating Scorpio season or moving through your own eighth house work, this journey offers a practical myth: how to enter, endure, and exit the underworld with something worth bringing back. If the story sparks insight, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Which symbol from the tale is speaking to you?

*The above blurb was autogenerated by Buzzsprout's AI

References mentioned:
Grimm’s The Raven, Snow White, Odin’s ravens Huginn & Muninn, the Morrígan, Apollo–Coronis–Ischys & Asclepius, Medusa–Perseus–Pegasus, Psyche & Eros, Cerberus, Jung’s collective unconscious, hieros gamos, and the 8th house in astrology.

Links to explore:
The Raven (Grimm)

Huginn & Muninn

The Morrígan

 Asclepius (Apollo & Coronis)

Medusa / Perseus / Pegasus:

Psyche & Eros

Collective unconscious (Jung):

8th house overview

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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What happens when you stop analyzing the eighth house and start walking into it? We invite you into a guided descent—part myth, part meditation—through sex, death, shared resources, and the hidden currents that shape intimacy and power. Recorded close to midnight, this journey leans on feeling more than theory, letting the night world rewrite how we meet fear, trust, and desire.

We unpack the anxiety around “empty houses” by showing why no house is truly empty and how the cusp and its ruler speak volumes. From there, we cross the threshold with stories: Persephone pulled below, Inanna choosing the descent, Hercules learning that force fails underground, and Orpheus softening the gates with song. Each myth becomes a method for real life—how to let go, how to be guided, how to bring music to heavy doors. Along the way we visit the Necromanteion, an ancient temple of the dead, and reflect on ancestor contact as a form of practical divination.

This house is where intimacy strips our persona, where shared finances and entanglements test honesty, and where the body’s quiet signals tell the truth before our minds can. We explore Reich and Freud on eros and death to ask whether life force is fighting an enemy or simply frees itself when we stop blocking it. Paradoxically, by facing mortality we recover appetite—a warm, steady desire to be here now. And when we come back up, the ninth house opens with clearer meaning because we earned our perspective below.

If you’re ready to feel into the eighth—beyond clichés and fear—press play, bring a journal, and let a slower rhythm lead. If the journey moved you, subscribe, leave a five-star review, and share this episode with someone who’s navigating their own underworld. Your support helps keep the show ad-free and the work alive.

*This episode blurb was created by Buzzsprout's AI

Episode artwork is from Arnold Böcklin - Die Toteninsel III (Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin).

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Ever felt the ground give way beneath your life and, somehow, found renewal waiting in the dark? We go there with astrologer Melanie Reinhart as we explore the Eighth House—where loss, endings, and the mysteries of descent turn into a deeper kind of aliveness.

We begin with a radical reframing of “death” as the series of mini-deaths that define a lifetime: the mask that falls away, the role that ends, the image we can no longer carry. Melanie brings in Asclepian dream rites to show how healing arrives when we stop managing and start listening. Dreams don’t just offer messages; sometimes the dream is the medicine. From Persephone and Inanna to Hermes the psychopomp, myth becomes a living map for honoring thresholds, accepting uncertainty, and noticing the signs that mark true initiation.

Intimacy takes center stage as a gateway into the Eighth House. Not all sex is eighth-house, and not all eighth-house intimacy is sexual—what matters is transformation through real energetic exchange. We contrast this with polite arrangements that function but never descend. Along the way, we tackle death denial through the story of Sisyphus: chain up death and you lose meaning. Accept the descent and something winged rises—Pegasus from Medusa’s body—foreshadowing the Ninth House’s authentic meaning-making that cannot be faked or fast-tracked.

This is a guide for moving from the illusion of separateness toward the radiance of love. It’s practical, too: don’t dig aggressively for shadows; let the underworld emerge. Create sacred space, honor fatigue, keep a journal, and treat dreams as sacred visitors. If you’re navigating grief, midlife, or a season of deep change, this conversation offers language, myth, and gentle practices to help you walk on the soul’s terms.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in transition, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. What threshold are you standing at today?

* Blurb generated by Buzzsprout's AI

Cover artwork: John William Waterhouse - The Danaides

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A winter window, three drops of blood on snow, and a mirror that refuses to flatter—this is where our journey into the Seventh House begins. We take Snow White out of the nursery and into the soul, reading the fairy tale as a precise map of relationship, projection, and the parts of ourselves we meet in the other. If the First House says I am, the Seventh answers you are, and the tension between them powers the entire story.

We follow the thread of red, white, and black through alchemy’s negredo, albedo, and rubedo, then trace how a single name—“Snow White”—exiles desire and descent to the edges of the chart. The queen’s mirror speaks truth and sparks envy; the huntsman escorts us to the threshold; Artemis steadies our instincts as we run into the wild. In a spotless cottage, seven miners—echoes of the seven traditional planets and Saturn’s seven-year cycle—teach the slow craft of integration: daily work, small rooms, and long nights that turn darkness into gold.

Temptations arrive as teachings. Laces steal breath when beauty constricts. A comb slips poison through tangled thoughts. And the apple—half white, half red—reveals the cost of splitting innocence from eros. The glass coffin becomes an alchemical vessel where owl, raven, and dove keep vigil, holding intellect, underworld wisdom, and rebirth in balance. Awakening doesn’t come with a kiss but with a stumble that dislodges what choked the voice—proof that real change often arrives through life’s imperfect bumps rather than perfect moments.

We close with the coniunctio, the inner marriage that makes love generative again, and the queen’s fiery exit once her necessary trials are complete. Along the way, we connect these symbols to Libra’s scales, boundary-setting, and the lived experience of Seventh House planets: how to read the mirror without losing yourself, how to honor desire without abandoning discernment, and how to mine your own darkness for gold. If you’re ready to see relationship as a sacred laboratory rather than a battlefield, press play and step to the window with us.

Enjoyed the journey? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find their mirror too.

*this podcast blurb was generated by Buzzsprout's AI

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Step through the door marked “Descendant” and into the seventh house, where the self meets the other and the mirror talks back. We dive into the psychology of partnership, the craft of vows, and the often-misunderstood terrain where love and conflict live side by side. I unpack why the descendant tends to fall into the unconscious, how projection turns lovers into open enemies, and what it takes to retrieve the disowned parts of ourselves without losing our center. Along the way, we lean on process-oriented therapy—primary identity, edge figures, and the art of crossing the edge in small, safe doses—to rebuild agency in how we relate.

Myth deepens the map. With Venus and Saturn shaping Libra’s field, the seventh house blends connection with commitment and reminds the ego (the Sun in fall here) that true partnership requires tempering. Hera, guardian of marriage, stands for vows, structure, and integrity, while her painful bond with Zeus shows what happens when promise meets perpetual transgression. To balance that image, we look to Hades and Persephone as an unexpected model of secure attachment: a commitment spacious enough to allow difference, cycles, and sovereignty. That tension—freedom within form—becomes a practical guide for healthier boundaries, clearer requests, and more resilient repair.

You’ll leave with tools for “projection hygiene,” fresh ways to read your chart from the descendant, and a simple practice for recruiting your Midheaven as a meta-communicator that can hold both “I am” and “I am not.” If you’ve ever wondered why certain partners, rivals, or patterns keep appearing, this exploration offers a compassionate, grounded path to see them—and yourself—more clearly. Listen now, share this episode with a friend who loves astrology and myth, and if the journey resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what does your descendant want you to reclaim?

*this episode blurb was created by Buzzsprout's AI

References mentioned in this episode:

• Fritz Perls – Gestalt Prayer
• Howard Sasportas – The Twelve Houses
• Rabbi Hillel
• Carl Jung – Mysterium Coniunctionis
• Arnold (Arnie) Mindell – Process-Oriented Psychotherapy / Process Work
• Brian Clark
• Jason Holley
• Rumpelstiltskin
• Snow White
• Hera
• Zeus
• Cronus (Saturn)
• Rhea
• Amalthea
• Metis
• Persephone
• Hades
• Ariadne
• Dionysus
• Pan
• Echo
• Hermes

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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What happens when we venture beyond the horizon of self and encounter the world? In this profound continuation of our houses journey, Brian Clark and I explore the second half of the astrological wheel - where we meet the other, confront our shadows, and discover our place in the cosmic order.

Recorded during a solar eclipse at the equinox (coinciding with Brian's 76th birthday), our conversation takes on a synchronistic quality that exemplifies how astrology works through us rather than merely being studied by us. Following the thread of Ariadne from Greek mythology, we explore how she reveals family secrets, follows the heroic impulse, and ultimately finds her way to the center after being abandoned - mirroring our own soul journey.

The seventh house brings us to the horizon where we encounter "the other" - that quality in relationships that reveals parts of ourselves we've yet to recognize. As Brian notes, "We marry our own shadow." Moving into the eighth, we face "loving in the face of loss" and discover how betrayal becomes a pathway to consciousness. The ninth house offers rebirth into spirit and wonder, while the tenth shapes our character through vocation and contribution. We then explore the communal eleventh house before concluding with the twelfth - a sanctuary for our exiled parts that need integration.

Throughout our dialogue, we return to Ariadne staring at the sea as Theseus abandons her, then turning toward the center of Naxos where Dionysus awaits. This powerful image captures how our greatest disappointments often lead us to our truest path - when we give back to the sea what was never truly ours and find ourselves essential parts of something greater.

How might your relationship struggles be mirrors revealing aspects of yourself? What ancestral patterns are you carrying in your intimate connections? Where do you find genuine rebirth after painful losses? Join us for this expansive exploration of how we become ourselves through our encounter with the world.

* The blurb above was generated by Buzzprout's AI

To find out more about Brian's work go to astrosynthesis.com.au.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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What can a centuries-old fairy tale teach us about our astrological journey? In this illuminating conversation, jazz musician and professor Ryan Nielsen explores the Grimm Brothers' tale "Allerleira" (Thousand Furs) as a profound map of psychological development through the first six astrological houses.

Ryan shares his personal path from a rigid religious upbringing to discovering the healing language of depth psychology and astrology. Drawing on Marian Woodman's work, we unpack how fairy tales can guide us through healing what Woodman calls "patriarchal consciousness" – defined not as gender but as any culture devoted to power and perfection at the expense of authenticity.

The story follows a princess who flees her father's kingdom disguised in animal furs, finding refuge in a castle kitchen where she works with ashes and soup-making – beautifully illustrating the sixth house themes of humble service, repetition, and alchemical transformation. Through three magical dresses (golden as the sun, silver as the moon, bright as stars), we witness the integration of solar and lunar consciousness necessary for wholeness.

This episode illuminates why regression isn't failure but often necessary healing, how cycles matter more than linear progress, and why the "woodshed" work (as jazz musicians call practice) prepares us for authentic relating. As Jung reminds us, "Real consciousness has to be based upon life experienced. Just talking about things is not enough."

Whether you're curious about astrology, psychological development, or simply love fairy tales, this conversation offers rich insights into the soul's journey toward authenticity and belonging – and how sometimes, we must don a mantle of a thousand furs before we can reveal our true cosmic nature.

* Writeup generated by Buzzsprout AI

Cover Art: Illustration from p. 281 of The Green Fairy Book (1902) by Andrew Lang

Ryan's New Website is yourveryownlife.com

References

Authors / Thinkers

• Bessel van der Kolk – The Body Keeps the Score
  
  
• Gabor Maté – When the Body Says No / The Myth of Normal
  
  
• Peter Levine – Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
  
  
• Donald Kalsched – The Inner World of Trauma
  
  
• Marion Dunlea – BodyDreaming in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma
  
  
• Marion Woodman – Leaving My Father’s House / The Pregnant Virgin 
  
  
• Liz Greene – archetypal/psychological astrology 
  
  
• James Hillman – archetypal psychology
  
  
• Brian Clark – astrologer, mythologist, soulful astrology Astrosynthesis
  
  
• Melanie Reinhart – Chiron and the Healing Journey 
  
  
• Anne Baring – The Myth of the Goddess / writings on lunar consciousness

Myths / Fairy Tales

• Allerleirauh (Aller Lira) – Grimm Brothers tale (“Thousandfurs” or “All-Kinds-of-Fur”)
  
  
• Handless Maiden – Grimm Brothers
  
  
• Cinderella (Aschenputtel) – Grimm Brothers
  
  
• The Frog King – Grimm Brothers
  
  
• The Three Feathers – Grimm Brothers
  
  
• Ariadne’s Thread (Greek myth, labyrinth and Minotaur)
  
  
• D

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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Dive deep into the astrological sixth house with medical astrologer Kira Sutherland as she unpacks the fascinating connection between health, routine, and mythology. This episode reveals how this often-overlooked house serves as the critical integration point between our personal journey and our relationships with others.

The conversation weaves through mythology, with Artemis emerging as the powerful sixth house archetype – self-contained, knowledgeable, and deeply connected to healing wisdom. Kira explains why Mars finds its joy here, illuminating how our health requires the same disciplined effort as Hercules' twelve labors. You'll discover the profound relationship between the sixth house (acute illness and preventative health) and its opposition, the twelfth house (chronic conditions and necessary rest).

Perhaps most fascinating is the sixth house's rulership of the small intestine – the organ that literally decides what becomes part of us and what doesn't. This perfect metaphor extends through modern discoveries about the gut-brain axis, confirming ancient astrological wisdom about body-mind connection. The discussion also explores how pets fall under sixth house domain, creating routine and requiring service while teaching us about care cycles.

Whether you're an astrology enthusiast, health-conscious seeker, or mythology lover, this episode offers rich insights into the daily rhythms that sustain well-being. Kira's expertise in both natural medicine and astrology creates a holistic perspective that will transform how you understand your own health practices. Listen now to discover how the sixth house might be influencing your life, and learn practical wisdom for working with these energies more consciously.

* The above episode description was generated by Buzzsprout AI

Discover more about Kira Sutherland at astrologyofhealth.com.

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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What happens when we fly too close to the sun? The sixth house of the zodiac teaches us this crucial lesson as we transition from the boundless creativity of the fifth house into a realm where we must learn our limits.

Through the cautionary tales of Icarus and Phaethon—young men who attempted great feats without proper training—we discover why developing skills and respecting boundaries matters. These mythological figures crashed spectacularly because they lacked sixth house wisdom: the discipline to transform raw talent into practical mastery.

Artemis, goddess of the hunt, emerges as our guide through this terrain. Unlike her reckless counterpart Orion who sought to destroy all wilderness, Artemis embodies perfect sixth house energy—skilled with her bow, attuned to natural rhythms, and knowing exactly how much to take from nature without disturbing its balance. Her hunting dogs represent those animal helpers that appear throughout fairy tales, offering instinctual wisdom when we surrender our heroic striving.

Historically, Hellenistic astrologers called this the house of "bad fortune," seeing it as a blind spot to our personality. But modern understanding reveals its gifts: Mars finds its joy here not to bring suffering but to provide the necessary discipline for developing skills through persistent effort. The sixth house isn't glamorous—it's about chopping wood and carrying water—yet these humble routines can become sacred rituals when approached with devotion.

Health also falls under sixth house dominion, with Hygieia (goddess of preventative medicine) and Chiron (whose name means "hands") teaching us that well-being comes through daily maintenance and practical knowledge. When sixth house energy becomes imbalanced through perfectionism or joyless drudgery, we might need to revisit fifth house qualities of play and spontaneity.

As we complete our journey through the sixth house, we prepare for the Descendant—the threshold to the seventh house where we meet others. Having established our individual boundaries and skills, we're ready to engage in relationship with integrity rather than losing ourselves in others.

What limits have you learned to respect in your own life? How might transforming daily routines into devotional practice change your relationship with the mundane? Join us next week when Kira Sutherland returns to discuss the sixth house approach to health and wellness.

*The above write up was generated by Buzzsprout's AI

Resources & Mentions

• Sisyphus & Camus – The Myth of Sisyphus:
• Astro.com – add asteroid Hygieia: astro.com
• Clarissa Pinkola Estés – Mother Night

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Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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