How to Manage Chronic Pain and Live a Fulfilling Life Every Day

Hello Readers,

This is an article from Camille Johnson. Thank you for sharing these Camille!

As an aside, (this paragraph is by Kirby Moore) occasionally chronic pain has to do with nervous system changes or activation (especially around accidents, injuries or abuse). If that is the case, then Somatic Experiencing (a trauma resolution technique) has proven to be efficacious in working with chronic pain. Chronic pain is a complicated topic. Speak with your doctor or licensed medical practitioner first, and then try alternative modalities if conventional techniques aren’t working for you.

By Camille Johnson:

Chronic pain sufferers balancing jobs, caregiving, and basic daily tasks often face the same exhausting tension: living with persistent pain while still being expected to function like nothing is wrong. Pain management challenges can take over decisions from morning plans to bedtime routines, and the constant recalculation can make maintaining quality of life feel out of reach. Still, coping with chronic illness does not have to mean shrinking life down to survival mode. With practical, compassionate support and a clearer framework for what helps, a fulfilling day can become realistic again.

Evidence-Informed Moves to Steady Pain and Energy

When pain is persistent, the goal isn’t a perfect day, it’s a steadier one. Use this mix-and-match toolkit to protect your energy, lower flare-ups, and keep making room for what matters to you.

  1. Downshift your stress response (2 minutes at a time): Set a “reset cue” you’ll actually use, after the bathroom, before meals, or when you sit in the car. Try 6 slow breaths with a longer exhale, then relax your jaw and drop your shoulders; this calms the fight-or-flight loop that can amplify pain. A simple starting point is mindfulness meditation, which trains you to notice sensations without adding extra tension or catastrophic thoughts.
  2. Build an anti-inflammatory plate you can repeat: Aim for a consistent pattern rather than perfection: half your plate colorful vegetables, a palm of protein, and a thumb of healthy fat. Add anti-inflammatory “anchors” you’ll keep stocked, frozen berries, leafy greens, olive oil, beans, salmon or sardines, turmeric/ginger, and reduce the foods that often worsen inflammation for many people, like ultra-processed snacks and sugar-heavy drinks. If symptoms change after certain foods, run a 2-week “swap test” and track pain, sleep, and digestion.
  3. Protect sleep like it’s part of treatment: Pick one bedtime and wake time you can keep within 60 minutes, even on weekends, to stabilize your body clock. Create a 20–30 minute wind-down routine, dim lights, warm shower, gentle stretching, paper book, then keep the bedroom cool and dark. Many adults don’t get enough sleep, and even small improvements can noticeably change pain sensitivity and daytime stamina.
  4. Choose low-impact movement that doesn’t “borrow” tomorrow’s energy: Use a pacing rule: stop while you still feel like you could do a little more. Start with 5–10 minutes of walking, water exercise, cycling, tai chi, or a short mobility routine, then increase by 10–20% per week if your flare-ups stay stable. On higher-pain days, switch to range-of-motion and breathing so you keep the habit without paying for it later.
  5. Use coping skills that reduce the fear-pain loop: Write a quick “flare plan” you can follow when your brain is tired: heat/ice, a brief walk or stretch, one calming technique, a nourishing snack, and a realistic task list of 1–3 priorities. Practice reframing from “I can’t do anything” to “What’s the smallest helpful step?”, because keeping agency is part of living well when pain doesn’t quit.
  6. Add emotional support on purpose (not only in crisis): Pick one place to be understood, peer-led emotional support groups, a counselor, a chronic illness community, or a trusted friend you check in with weekly. Go in with a clear ask: “Can you listen for 10 minutes?” or “Can you help me plan one low-key outing?” Feeling less alone reduces stress load, which often frees up energy for self-care.
  7. Manage pain medication with a simple, safety-first system: Keep one updated medication list (dose, timing, reason, side effects) and bring it to every appointment, including dentists and urgent care. Pair medication with non-drug relief so you’re not relying on a single tool; clinicians note that people with multiple ways to relieve pain are less likely to take more medication than they should. If pain suddenly changes after an injury, especially neck, back, or joint pain, document symptoms and function daily so your care team can match treatment to what your body is doing.

Know When Chiropractic Care Fits—Especially After an Accident

When pain is tied to how your joints, muscles, and spine are moving, a hands-on, noninvasive option may help support your overall plan. Chiropractic care is often used for musculoskeletal pain relief and can be part of a broader toolkit of noninvasive pain therapies. Spinal adjustments may help improve mobility and reduce discomfort for some people, but they aren’t a cure-all and may not address every source of chronic pain, especially when symptoms come from non-mechanical causes.

If you’ve been in a car crash, consider finding a provider with injury-specific experience (such as a car accident chiropractor) who is skilled in addressing whiplash, herniated disks, and spinal cord and soft tissue injuries for early evaluation. Treatment length can vary widely, from just a few sessions to extended care, depending on injury severity and how your body responds.

Daily Habits That Make Pain More Manageable

Chronic pain management works best when helpful actions become automatic. These habits reduce decision fatigue, support your body’s baseline, and make it easier to keep living your life even on harder days.

Two-Minute Body Scan
  • What it is: Do a short mindfulness meditation to notice tension without judging it.
  • How often: Daily, especially during pain flare-ups.
  • Why it helps: It can lower stress reactivity and make symptoms feel more workable.
Gentle Movement Appointment
  • What it is: Schedule a walk, stretch, or low-impact routine you can finish comfortably.
  • How often: Daily or every other day.
  • Why it helps: Consistent motion supports circulation, strength, and confidence in your body.
Same-Wake Sleep Anchor
  • What it is: Wake up at the same time, then get daylight and water.
  • How often: Daily.
  • Why it helps: A steadier rhythm can improve energy and reduce pain sensitivity.
Plate-Check Nutrition Habit
  • What it is: Add one nutritional advice upgrade like protein at breakfast or more produce.
  • How often: Daily.
  • Why it helps: Better fueling can support mood, recovery, and inflammation balance.
Weekly Flare-Up Notes
  • What it is: Write three lines on triggers, wins, and what helped.
  • How often: Weekly.
  • Why it helps: Patterns become clearer, so your plan gets smarter over time.

Chronic Pain Q&A: Myths, Meds, and Mind-Body Care

Q: What if my pain is “all in my head” because tests look normal?
A: Pain is real even when imaging does not show a clear cause. Many chronic pain conditions involve changes in how the nervous system processes signals, not just visible tissue damage. Ask your clinician to explain likely pain mechanisms and to outline functional goals you can track.

Q: How worried should I be about medication side effects or dependence?
A: Side effects are possible with any medication, but many can be reduced with the right dose, timing, and monitoring. Bring a short list of what you notice, then ask about non-opioid options, interaction checks, and a review schedule. Never stop a prescription suddenly without medical guidance.

Q: Can stress, anxiety, or depression really make pain feel worse?
A: Yes, because mood and stress can increase muscle tension, disrupt sleep, and raise sensitivity to pain signals. Chronic pain is common, with nearly 25% of Americans affected, so you are not alone in this mind-body loop. Consider a pain-informed therapist, relaxation training, or structured support alongside medical care.

Q: Should I avoid exercise until I feel better?
A: Full rest often backfires by reducing strength and confidence in movement. Start with a “minimum dose” you can repeat, such as 3 to 5 minutes of gentle range-of-motion, then slowly build. If pain spikes sharply or you feel new numbness or weakness, pause and get medical advice.

Q: When do alternative therapies belong in a pain plan?
A: They can complement standard treatment when they are safe, evidence-informed, and coordinated with your clinician. Options like physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, or mindfulness-based approaches may help you function better, especially when paired with pacing and sleep support. Look for licensed providers and set a time-limited trial with specific goals.

Q: How can I cope on days when nothing seems to help?
A: One skill is coping flexibility, meaning you can stop what is not working and switch to another tool. Keep two backup choices ready, such as heat plus slow breathing, or a short walk plus a supportive call. If hopelessness grows or you think about self-harm, seek urgent help right away.

Keep Chronic Pain Manageable With One Sustainable Daily Choice

Chronic pain can make everyday life feel like a constant negotiation between what matters and what the body allows. The steadier path is holistic pain management built on patient empowerment, where medical care and mind-body care work together and sustainable lifestyle changes support real-world limits. Over time, this approach can reduce flare-driven fear, strengthen confidence, and make room for more of the life that feels meaningful. Progress with chronic pain is built on consistency, not perfection.

Learning so much from my Esoteric Astrology Course

Hello Readers,

If you are unaware.. I am teaching a course entitled: Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation. In this class, I am going into Esoteric Western Astrology material from Alice Bailey, Isabel Hickey, Alan Oken and others. And of course, I am running it through my experience with contemplative practice, somatic skills, and embodiment tools. I am the founder of Trauma Informed Astrology dot com. This Esoteric Astrology course is like a high frequency Beginner’s class taught in a trauma-informed manner.

I am offering an online version of this class, starting in a few weeks – September 24th to be exact. I am offering this course on Zoom on Thursdays, starting 9/24 at 7 pm Eastern running through 8:30 pm Eastern. Let me know if you are interested or if you have questions (see below for more info). www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

So far, in the first class, where I covered the Elements, the (Western version, from Polarity Therapy) chakras and briefly went through the seasons and the 12 signs, I had a lot of epiphanies and insights. I am so excited about this class going deeper – we are about to go deep into each of the 12 signs and that includes the Esoteric Astrology material (ruler) for each sign.

Some of my insights – we need to balance all 5 elements to maintain health. Of course, there will be some days where we are more active (fire), more contemplative (air or water), more emotional (water), more communicative (air), more structured (earth) and more spacious (ether element). However, we can’t just work on one element at a time – they come online around the same time. As we strengthen our foundation (earth) and our capacity to be with big difficult emotions (water), then fire and air will improve as well. If we do a lot to improve our ether / space element (in the body, in the nervous system), then the other four elements will also improve.

I am covering specific body holds to strengthen and improve each of the four elements. The participants are loving it. More to follow!

I am looking forward to going into the esoteric waters of the subtle wisdom of each sign!

Thanks for reading,

Kirby Moore

Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation (Part One)

Online Course: Thursday evenings Sept 24th – Oct 29th, from 7 – 8:30 pm Eastern time

Cost: I am asking $450 for this part one course (9 hours of course material, lots of excellent resources and handouts also given); however, if you need a sliding scale rate, we can discuss this.

Who is this class for: This class is open to beginners as long as you have done some honest personal growth work. We are going to be looking at some shadow material for each of the 12 signs. I want people to be able to stay present with uncomfortable topics and to be able to hold activation with getting overly defended or shutting down.

To register or with questions: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

I hope to hear from you!

Kirby

About an Upcoming Esoteric Astrology Course

Hello Readers!

I’m excited to be offering a new course this fall: Through the Gate — An Astrology of Initiation. There is an initiatory path woven into Western astrology — a way of reading the zodiac not just as a map of the sky, but as a map of the soul’s journey. Several spiritual and esoteric astrologers, particularly Alice Bailey and Isabel Hickey, pioneered this path, tracing each sign through three layers: the familiar personality-level story, the soul-level work it carries across a lifetime, and the deeper awakening it points toward. I’m taking that lineage a step further, weaving in somatic tools and other wisdom traditions so the material doesn’t just stay in the mind — each session opens with a guided somatic practice, grounding the astrology in the body and nervous system before we ever open a chart.

Part One runs six sessions live over Zoom, moving from Aries through Virgo, and is open to complete beginners as well as seasoned chart-readers — the only real prerequisite is some prior inner work of your own (therapy, somatic practice, contemplative practice, or the like), since this material touches real dissolution and loosening of identity. Space is limited to 18 participants, and it’s offered on a sliding scale of $300–$450 so it stays accessible. Part Two (Libra through Pisces) will follow later this fall for those who want to complete the full arc. If this speaks to you, reply or email me at kirby@mkirbymoore.com to reserve your spot.

I have already taught this class twice. It has gone so well. One online class and the in-person class is going quite well. This is very rich material, we have excellent insightful discussions and I am learning so much along the way.

Let me know if you have questions about this course. I hope to see you in an upcoming class!

Best wishes,

Kirby

My Process in Offering an Esoteric Astrology Course

Hello Readers,

I am offering an online Esoteric Astrology course entitled: Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation starting September 24th (Thursday evenings) – going for six weeks through October 29th. Let me know if this might interest you – and pass the word to anyone you think might be interested!

Cost: $450 (sliding scale options available to those who need it)

Thursday evenings from 7 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time (Washington DC time zone)

This class is Part One – we will go from Aries through Virgo, along with covering the elements and even going through the chakras briefly. Part Two will begin in November where we will cover Libra – Pisces.

Now on to my process in offering this course:

My first astrology teacher had been a student of Isabel Hickey. In 2003, I met an eccentric, independently wealthy woman when I was working as an apprentice at an Herb Shoppe. She had been attending astrology teachers and conferences for 40 years. She recommended that one of my first astrology books be Isabel Hickey’s Astrology: A Cosmic Science. I went out and got it quickly. It is a dense book – Hickey was a spiritual and karmic astrologer, well known for her wisdom and insights and for influencing thousands of astrologers and student.

If you haven’t read Hickey’s book, it is dense. Even the font is dense – it is like they were trying to pack as many words as they could onto each page. It gets into deep astrological technique and even deeper spiritual facets for each sign, each planet, each Ascendant, house and aspect. It is a great resource.

With that said, there were some sections that I couldn’t understand very well. Hickey would talk about Esoteric rulers of signs and I was like, “I have no idea what that means or even where to look it up.” Then life happened and I forgot about the esoteric rulers for a few years.

Around the time of the Covid pandemic, I got my hands on Alice Bailey’s Esoteric Astrology book. If you think Hickey’s book is hard to read, you should just skip Bailey’s book. It is full of rich, insightful and esoteric teachings – like you need a good teacher to help you unpack it. It is similar to (not exact analogy) Tibetan Buddhist tantric teachings where you must have an appropriate teacher (a Lama) interpret and unpack what each line means. Otherwise, you won’t understand the metaphors or what is happening in the body. This is similar to Bailey’s material. It is very full, very dense and very disorganized.

I spent some time sifting through the whole book. I tried to take notes. Which is pretty much a necessity because she has information about each sign and each planet scattered throughout the book. It really isn’t that bad – but she has different topics and chapters and includes info on the signs and planets under each chapter. So, I had to bounce around the book. Bailey was writing that book in the 1930’s and 40’s. A while back. And yet, some of her thoughts and wisdom still hold up today.

I thought about teaching something along the lines of an Esoteric Astrology class sooner, but I had big gaps in my understanding. Baily talks about the 7 Rays – spiritual energies that are coming through to our world. She talks about the three wheels – the Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable wheels. And two of these wheels are moving forward, and one is moving backward. Say what? This is all on top of the esoteric info about each sign and planet.

I needed some help unpacking Bailey’s material. Enter Alan Oken’s book: Soul-centered Astrology. When I found this, it helped. He simplifies Bailey’s material, and he doesn’t include much at all about the Hierarchical Level of Signs – just the Soul-level or Esoteric level. Which is enough! This book helped to fill in some of the gaps I had as I was attempting to sift through Bailey’s book on my own. I still had a few gaps remaining.

Enter Claude. Yes, the AI platform. I hesitate to mention this, but I figure, take advantage of resources if we have them, right? My wife got Claude to help with her business and gave me the password to her account. It turns out Claude is pretty good with esoteric astrology as well – not perfect, not able to produce much independently yet, but it is a great resource.

I ran some questions by Claude about a spiritual astrology course, mentioning Isabel Hickey and even mentioning Alice Bailey a bit. I was surprised by what it came back with. It knew a lot about Bailey’s esoteric rulers. It did pretty well with the 7 Rays. And it did pretty well with the three wheels and their movements. AI is not able to hold many layers of astrology just yet. It makes a lot of mistakes. I had to double check several things in the books each time I talked to Claude. But when I came back with the right answer it would correct itself saying, “Oh. Right. Thanks for correcting me on that.”

It has been several months since I first started these conversations with Claude about esoteric astrology topics. I appreciate how it helped to fill in a few of the gaps I had. And I was able to give Claude my opinions about Bailey’s controversial rulership assignments. With my own experience of esoteric teachings, retreats, somatic practices and heart teachers, I bring quite a lot to this process. Claude agreed with me on most of my redone rulers when I explained the reasoning for them.

I have already begun to teach this course in-person. It is a great small group. I am learning a lot as I teach it and I am loving the process. It will help to deepen and enrich the online class (starting in September – see above).

Let me know if you want to schedule a 10-min Zoom call to see if the class might be a good fit for you.

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Kirby Moore

What is esoteric?

Dear Readers,

I am teaching a class called Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation. It starts in person in two weeks, and then in September, I’m teaching an online version. If you’re interested in joining either, you can reach me here: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

I’m excited to go through this material with students. I’m making it accessible to complete beginners to astrology, provided they’re willing to do a little homework to catch up on basic astrological vocabulary. Participants should have time to go through the study guides and sit with the material — I want us to have rich discussions and unpack it in new ways. The main prerequisite, for both the in-person and online versions, is that participants have done some real, honest personal growth work on themselves.

We’ll look at three layers of each sign: the shadow material (reacting from wounding, defended, guarded); the traditional personality traits; and what the soul yearns for — the higher-frequency, soul-level, esoteric material.

Several people have asked me: what does esoteric mean, in the context of this class? What is esoteric astrology?

I’ve sat with that question for weeks now. Here’s where I’ve landed:

Esoteric teachings aren’t hidden because they’re risky, or because they’re too complex for most minds to hold. They’re hidden in plain sight because they require something rarer than intelligence: a nervous system settled enough to rest in not-knowing. A willingness to stay a perpetual beginner. The deepest wisdom is usually the simplest — it’s not veiled by complexity, but by our own noise. The natural state is already here, always has been. What obscures it isn’t its subtlety, but our own entanglement — in past, in future, in the endless emotional projections we mistake for the present moment.

I’m a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner — you might say a bit of a yogi. I fumble and bumble in my practice, but I’ve been meditating since 2002, and I’ve learned a few things along the way. I’ve watched Tibetan Lamas embody joy, lightness, and spaciousness with real ease. What do they know that I don’t?

Mostly, they’ve made peace with impermanence. They’re not gripping onto good health or another ten or twenty years. Whatever conditions they meet, they bring onto the path — including illness, loss, and difficulty. They hold a quiet gratitude simply for having the chance to practice at all, knowing how rare that combination of causes and conditions is. And they understand cause and effect: that to arrive somewhere, you first have to put the causes in place. There’s no shortcut to the result — only the steps that lead to it.

Many of these teachers have likely walked this path for many lifetimes, by their own account. If we haven’t reached their depth of realization, that’s simply where we are — newer to the path, or slower to take the openings we’ve had. No need for guilt or shame in that. We start where we are, with what is, and take the next step from here.

What these teachers embody isn’t reserved for the advanced. It’s that most of us are too busy, wound too tight, too stretched thin by the demands of life to rest in the subtlety of what already is. We project our worries and stories onto the past and the future, making things more complicated than they need to be — and in that state, we’re rarely ready to receive what esoteric teachings actually offer. We want more, bigger, peak experiences. True wisdom asks something smaller: can I take three mindful breaths, and be as fully present as possible for them? That might be enough, for now.

If this kind of subtlety is what you’re looking for, let me know. This Esoteric Astrology course is for participants who want to grow, who are hungry to learn and who are curious to see how Western Astrology as a path of initiation actually looks.

Reach out with questions or to see if this is a good fit! https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

Thanks for visiting,

Kirby Moore

Online Esoteric Astrology Class

Hello Friends,

I am really looking forward to teaching this class online starting in September. Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation gets into juicy, succulent material.

It is named for esoteric Gemini – esoterically, Gemini is seen as the Gateway to the Temple of Wisdom. However, how does Gemini open that Gate? How does Gemini start to settle and ground themselves to get on an efficacious spiritual path to go through that Gate, entering the sacred ground of the Temple of Wisdom?

We will get into these facets and more in this course!

Part One: Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation covers Aries – Virgo. We only have 6 sessions and they are 90-minutes each. We will go deep into the first half of the zodiac and still have time for rich, insightful discussions and sharing. You will get a lot out of this class!

Benefits of Attending this Class:

A three-tier reading of each sign — the shadow/wounded expression, the familiar personality-level traits, and the soul/esoteric expression, so they can locate all three in their own chart rather than just the “middling” trait-list version of astrology. A somatic map for the material — the five elements and chakra system used as body-based entry points into each sign, plus grounding/settling practices they can use before working with activating content. The zodiac as an initiatory cycle, not a static personality quiz — reading the wheel and seasons as a path of growth and testing (the “outer shell of an inner journey” framing), rather than sign-as-fixed-trait. Lineage and transmission — direct access to the Hickey / Bailey-D.K. esoteric lineage, clearly sourced, alongside your own synthesis and where you diverge from it. Practical self-application — by the end, the ability to actually locate their own natal placements through this shadow / personality / soul lens, not just absorb the framework abstractly.

Starting September 24th – Thursday evenings 7 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time on Zoom, going through October 29th.

Cost: $450 – let me know if you need to discuss a sliding scale option – there are several spots available.

Get In Touch: To register or ask questions use this link: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

Zoom link sent out after you register. There are more than 25 pages of study guides for this class – excellent material to go along with the lectures and discussion.

I hope to hear from you!

Kirby Moore

Upcoming Esoteric Astrology Course

Hello Friends,

I am excited to be leading a class entitled, “Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation.” There is an in-person class starting August 28th in Charlottesville, Va. Reach out here if you are interested: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

I will also start this course online in late September – also reach out if you are interested in that format. It will start Thursday evening, Sept 24th and go from 7 – 8:30 pm Eastern time.

We’ll go deep into the signs and the planets, with a brief exploration of the five elements — Ether/Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth — and how they map onto the chakras. Together we’ll move through shadow material and the layers of personality into the soul-level work that esoteric astrology makes possible.

Because of this depth, the course does have a prerequisite: participants should already have done real personal growth work. If something we discuss touches a nerve, I need you to be able to stay present with it — without reactively contracting or getting defensive.

The class is named for Gemini – seen esoterically as the Gateway to the Temple of Wisdom. We will discuss how to unlock that Gate, and how to enter the Temple of Wisdom itself (hint: it involves deeper embodiment and grounding in our innate wisdom of the body). There are surprises with every sign and the esoteric planetary rulers open up another layer of astrology rarely discussed!

In-person class: starts August 28th (Friday), from 2 – 5 pm at my office on Berkmar Drive in Charlottesville (commuters are welcome!). 6 Three-hour sessions going through October 2nd.

Cost of In-person class: $900 however, there are two sliding scale spots available at $600 and one 50% scholarship spot at $450. Reach out now to grab one of these spots!

Register or ask questions here: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

Online Class: Part One starts September 24th (Thursday) evening from 7 – 8:30 pm Eastern time. 6 90-minute sessions going through October 29th. 9 hours of material.

There will be a part two for the online class as Part One goes through Aries to Virgo. Libra to Pisces will be later this fall.

Cost of Online Course: $450. There are two $300 sliding scale spots available. Let me know if you are interested! Reach out at the link above.

I hope to hear from you.

Kirby Moore

A Teaser for my Upcoming Astrology Class

Hello Dear Readers,

You are getting a lot of content recently. Yes, there are a few spots remaining for my upcoming in-person Esoteric Astrology class: Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation. You are welcome 🙂 I am trying to fill these spots.

In this post, I will reveal the surface layer of the Esoteric planetary Ruler for each Zodiac Sign. This is just a teaser. Most of these Rulerships are surprising (at least some of them were to me) – but when you (take my class and) see the logic running behind each of them, it will all coalesce nicely into place.

The Esoteric level of astrology which I am analyzing in this class has to do with, “What does the soul want on a deeper level?” As I move toward alignment with universal love and group consciousness, what does each sign represent along that journey? This is soul-level work.

Aries Esoteric Ruler is Mercury. Getting the best out of Mars and Mercury. The fire of the mind coming literally into fruition.

Taurus’ Esoteric Ruler is Vulcan. Don’t worry, yes, I unpack “what is Vulcan?” in my class. “What does Vulcan represent?” Whether the hypothetical planet (of Vulcan) exists, metaphorically, it is a solid soul-level ruler for Taurus.

Gemini’s Esoteric Ruler is Venus. I originally named this course for the idea that Gemini is the Gateway to the Temple of Wisdom. We spend a surprising amount of time on Gemini in my class. Unpacking the “Threshold to the Temple,” why is Gemini so important for those of us living an Earthly existence and “What is the Temple itself,” we go deep with this often-mistaken-as-the-most-superficial of all the signs.

Cancer’s Soul-level Ruler is Neptune. Yes, you heard that right. The Lunar ruled sign of the emotional tides has the most nebulous planet as its Esoteric Ruler. Whoa! That is a lot of water to negotiate. It is fun to flesh out how we work best with this sign and its ruler of the undifferentiated ocean of consciousness.

Leo’s Esoteric Ruler is both surprising and not. If you are a competent astrologer, you already know it. It is the Sun. Yes, the Sun is the Exoteric (traditional) ruler, the Esoteric ruler and the Hierarchical ruler of Leo. It has all three levels of Rulership – the only sign where that happens.

Virgo might have the most interesting (set of) Esoteric Rulers. This is where things get both interesting and controversial. In my class, I will explain Alice Bailey’s thoughts, I will mention how many astrologers are torn over her assignments, and I will explain my own opinion of how I actually agree with most of what she wrote about it. I am leaving this blank for a reason (take my class to find out more!).

Virgo is the bridge sign between the personal ego (developing a self) and sharing my now-developed self with my community. There is a reason I think Virgo’s esoteric rulers are the most interesting of all. (Don’t worry – there is still plenty of juicy material to unpack from Libra to Pisces!)

Libra’s Esoteric Ruler is also surprising and not. If you are a decent astrologer, you might know that Saturn exalts in Libra. There is definitely alignment between Saturn and Venus’ diurnal sign. What you might not know is that Saturn is also the Esoteric Ruler. I appreciate Bailey’s logic for most of her rulerships and the same applies to Libra.

Scorpio’s Esoteric Ruler is where I have at least one disagreement with Bailey’s system. She assigns Mars to Scorpio for it’s Soul-level work. Personally, I think that is due to the fact that she was writing her material in the 1950’s (can you believe that?!). Which means that the planet Pluto was not well-known yet. Pluto was only discovered in 1910. So, by 1950 it had really only gone through two signs – definitely not enough time to assign traits and patterns to it. Hence Bailey’s reliance on Mars being a co-ruler of Scorpio and even its Esoteric Ruler.

IMHO – Pluto is a better Esoteric Ruler for Scorpio when you lift up the rocks and look in the dark corners and crevices, regarding what the sign is trying to do. When we think about Scorpio’s Soul-level work, I think Pluto is a better assignment. And I will fully unpack that in my class.

Sagittarius has another controversial Esoteric Ruler. However, I have to agree with Bailey again (like with Virgo above). This plays into the Temple of Wisdom analogy from its opposite sign of Gemini. I will leave this one blank as well (take my class for more). It is very interesting and I’m sure it will create a rich and rewarding discussion!

Capricorn has an interesting assignment for its Soul-level Work ruler. When I sat with Bailey’s assignment, at first I thought I could find something that might fit better. But then, over time, I realized she has a point. Especially for structured, organized, strategizing, building Capricorn! Saturn is both Capricorn’s traditional Ruler and Esoteric Ruler. Yet, there is still much to examine about this in my course.

While Aquarius’ Hierarchical Ruler is quite controversial, its Esoteric Ruler is not. I am fully on board with Bailey’s assignment of Jupiter as Aquarius’ Soul-level work Ruler. I have my thoughts on clarifying her Hierarchical Ruler – from a certain perspective, I agree with her logic. But we are only looking at Esoteric Rulers in this particular class [with just 18 hours – in-person; or just 9 hours for the online version (Aries – Virgo in part one)]. There is some juicy material to unpack about Jupiter’s Esoteric Rulership nonetheless.

Pisces. The Cosmic Dustpan. The sign of Completion and Preparing for a New Cycle. What might its Esoteric Ruler be?

Take your time with this one…

Would you be surprised to know that Pluto has this job? There is SO much to discuss and elaborate on about Pluto’s placement for Pisces’ soul-level work.

Let me know if you have questions about my upcoming course. Go back a couple of posts to see more details about it!

In-person class starting in Charlottesville, Va August 28th (Friday) afternoon from 2 – 5 pm and going through October 2nd (6 Fridays – three hour sessions with breaks).

Online version of the class is broken into two parts: Part One covers Aries – Virgo. It will be six 90-min sessions from September 24th – October 29th, Thursday evenings 7 – 8:30 pm (Eastern time). Part two will probably start in November – again running for six weeks (with breaks for holidays) and being six 90-min sessions.

Reach out with comments or questions here: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

Wishing you all the best,

Kirby Moore

Podcast Episode: Astrology And Embodied Initiation

Pip: Astrology, somatics, chakras, and the soul’s descent into embodiment — and somehow Kirby Moore has turned all of that into a class with a registration form.

Mara: That’s the territory we’re covering today — a new astrology course built at the intersection of esoteric Western astrology and somatic healing, and the lineage of teachers and traditions behind it.

Pip: Let’s start with the course itself and what it’s actually asking of people.

Astrology Course and the Path of Initiation

Mara: The course is called Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation, and the central claim is that the Western astrology chart contains hidden wisdom that requires an informed guide to unlock.

Pip: The post Preparing for Upcoming Astrology Class puts it plainly. The setup is a friend’s question about what esoteric means — and the answer is: “a level of wisdom which must be revealed by someone who knows. Yes, it is hidden, possibly occult.”

Mara: So the prerequisite isn’t just knowing your sun sign. It’s having done real personal growth work — enough to stay present when the material gets uncomfortable. Discomfort, as the online course post puts it, is not a detour from the work; it’s part of it.

Pip: That’s a genuinely unusual bar for an astrology class. Most courses ask you to know what a rising sign is. This one schedules a ten-minute intake call.

Mara: The structure reflects that seriousness. The post What Does My Through the Gate Course Look Like breaks down a four-layer examination of each zodiac sign: shadow material, personality traits, higher-frequency manifestations, and — where most of the time goes — the esoteric rulers of each sign.

Pip: Eighteen hours for all twelve signs, with a somatic settling exercise built into every session. The math is tight.

Mara: Which is why the online version, detailed in Online Astrology Course, covers only Aries through Virgo across six ninety-minute Zoom sessions, with a Part Two planned to complete the zodiac. Cost is four hundred fifty dollars online, nine hundred for the in-person version in Charlottesville starting August twenty-eighth.

Mara: The goal running through all three posts is the same: the more we learn about each sign’s layers, the more compassion we can develop — for ourselves and for others.

Pip: That lands the course somewhere between astrology education and contemplative practice. Which makes more sense once you know whose shoulders it stands on.

The Lineages Behind the Teaching

Mara: The post titled Wisdom Teachings from the West from July twenty-first traces the web of teachers and traditions informing this work — Craniosacral Therapy, Isabel Hickey’s Spiritual Astrology, Alice Bailey’s Esoteric Astrology, and somatic experiencing lineages among them.

Pip: The personal chart reading in that post is striking: “an exact Hades Moon in Libra, Sun in the 8th house, along with my south node and Mars, Chiron conjunct my Midheaven.”

Mara: What that means in practice is a chart oriented toward depth — toward uncovering what’s hidden. It’s offered not as credential-dropping but as context for why this particular teacher keeps going deeper.

Pip: The soul’s journey into embodiment, mapped through the zodiac — that’s where we’ll pick this up next time.

Mara: The thread across all of this is embodiment — the idea that understanding a chart and understanding yourself are the same motion.

Pip: More of that next episode. Stay present with what arises.

Wisdom Teachings from the West

Hello Readers,

I have been very blessed to be able to learn from realized masters, Tibetan Lamas, embodied-wisdom trauma resolution teachers (senior somatic experiencing faculty), bodyworker / heart teachers and somatic embodiment coaches. Not to boast – I am thankful for my karma, and I have chosen not to have children in this particular lifetime, so I have more time to study and put their teachings into practice. And it has been an up and down journey.

My own astrology chart reveals my desire to go deep – an exact Hades Moon in Libra (Moon conjunct Pluto), Sun in the 8th house, along with my south node and Mars, Chiron conjunct my Midheaven. I can mix it up socially with people and talk about superficial topics just fine, but my preference is to go deeper. To look under the surface, to invite the revealing of secrets, to get to the root of the matter. This is true in most things I do – somatic-process-oriented bodywork, astrological interpretations, classes I teach, etc.

My first astrology teacher had studied extensively with Isabel Hickey. Hickey was a great Spiritual Astrologer out of the Boston, Ma area. She was born and raised in the U.S. which is interesting how she brought together such dynamic spiritual and psychological (archetypal and karmic) lineages in her work. Hickey died in 1980, so of course I didn’t get to meet her (I would have been one year old when she died).

As I prepare for this Through the Gate astrology course, I am loving the transformational process of insight and expansion happening in my system. I am working with Alice Bailey’s source text of Esoteric Astrology (which is a challenge to say the least as it is not well-organized) along with Alan Oken’s Soul Centered Astrology (which is better organized and helps to explain several of Bailey’s key concepts). Hickey worked in the same theosophical-adjacent space as Alice Bailey, with Alan Oken as one of Hickey’s senior students.

Discovering that there is a unique, evolutionary, initiatory esoteric path in Western Astrology which came almost exclusively from Westerners (even if Bailey did “download” a lot of her wisdom) is great. Even here in the States, we have had incredibly wise heart teachers.

In my bodywork journey, I have been studying and practicing Craniosacral Therapy the longest (since 2005). It is fascinating that Cranial Osteopathy developed exclusively in the United States (yes, there is archeological evidence of similar methods or techniques in ancient cultures, but these techniques were lost when those cultures disappeared). So, I have also learned solid Western techniques for healing and embodied wisdom without having to travel far (from my home in Virginia, USA).

I appreciate the opportunity to share a lot of these healing and insightful lineages in my class. Through the Gate: An Astrology of Initiation will go deep. But it is primarily looking at signs and planets (only). That is how we can go deeper. There will not be much time to talk about individual charts. Rather, we are looking at the soul’s journey into deeper embodiment, uplifting wisdom and group consciousness through the lens of the zodiac. It will be a rich and rewarding journey.

See my previous posts about this class. There is an in-person version starting in Charlottesville, Va in late August (pretty soon!) and an online version starting in late September.

You can always get more information or ask me questions here: https://www.traumainformedastrology.com/contact

Thanks for reading,

Kirby Moore