FIRST SOME EXCITING HEADLINES

Pluto is moving into Aquarius in late March and is ushering a new age – the Age Of Aquarius. Creative rebels and mavericks will be the new normies, #justbeyourself the new #selfhealers hashtag and owning all that makes us different our new superpower and street cred.

This shift is happening whether we are ready or not, but I got you!

I created Artful Identities school precisely for the purpose of getting you ready & excited about the shift and setting you up to thrive in the Age of Aquarius!

Astrology of your natal chart is at the core of the school’s curriculum – we use it as a map and learn to read it to uncover and reclaim ALL of you. But these 4+ months are sooooo much more than that! It is what coaching industry calls a Mastermind! A high touch mentoring where you have access to a mentor (that’s me 🥰) – their knowledge, wisdom and experience – not just during but also in between the weekly live calls.

In other words…

The school is a 4+ months deep dive into your birth chart AND your identity with me in your pocket, my mentorship ON TAP! for all matters astrology, identity, art, shadow work and self integration!

Self integration, as another word for individuation, is the work of becoming whole. Your chart the blueprint of your wholeness. And your wholeness, your uniqueness. The school, a container for learning not just how to read the astrology of your chart but how to use the chart as your map and compass for your journey of self integration. And I, the facilitator of your learning, your teacher and mentor very closely supporting you and guiding you on this journey.

NOW LET’S UNPACK THIS!

OUR ASTROLOGY CHART: THE 12 STEPS ROAD MAP TO OUR SELF INTEGRATION

ASTROLOGY IS INFINITELY COMPLEX. ✔️ FACT.

AND. That is also its power – its complexity mirrors our own complexity. 

It often frustrates students when they’re struggling to “get” a concept or cannot integrate all the disparate parts of their chart into a coherent narrative about themselves. I know, I’ve been one of those students once!! 

And then I learnt that the futility of this desire lies in the following truth: our natal charts are maps of the TOTALITY of who we are. They show us our conscious and unconscious, light and dark, ugly & beautiful, easy and hard and therefore only mirror back to us the complexity and the paradox of being human. Which is why to desire to make neat sense of ourselves – with or without astrology – is a fool’s errand. 

But in the midst of this swirling stardusted chaos a clear and stable structure exists showing us the path to integrating all that we are – that structure are the twelve houses in our charts.

The houses are also the twelve steps of our individuation, our personal evolution. Each house showing us what we need to do, how we need to be to complete that particular stage of our Self integration.

And as we move through each house, piecing all of our different identities, we are making ALL of us visible. Which is what, in essence, integration work is about – bringing parts of ourselves out of hiding and into the open.

Using our charts in the process and following our twelve steps (our houses) is what gives our journey direction, focus and meaningful context. By using our astrology we have a compass to bring us back on track whenever we feel lost or overwhelmed.

And yet the end result is still not a single coherent, neatly wrapped up, narrative of who we are. The end result is self integration and that, my dear reader, in case you needed reminding, is not the same as neatness or coherence.

Dictionary definition of coherence is “the quality of being logical and consistent”. Logic is only one mode of operating we use to navigate life. And consistency is possibly the least consistent human quality.

THE ART OF COHERENCE

But there is another definition of coherence that we can indeed achieve when studying our charts and ourselves, which is “the quality of forming a unified whole“.

However, it is important to bear in mind the critical distinction between these two kinds of coherences – the former makes us much more easily, effortlessly even, be understood by others, while the latter not so much.

The more clearly and logically we try to express ourselves the more we have to edit ourselves. The more we focus on being understood the less we are communicating our full selves.

You see, fullness and clarity don’t go well together.

Fullness includes everything without asking all the parts to fit neatly together. And this messes with our brain (logic) and therefore our ability to make sense of this fullness. Clarity is what our brains crave. As our internal operating systems our brains are designed to organise and systematise information so that they can get what they crave – clarity. But too much mental organising means parts of ourselves are left out in order for the whole to make sense. And yet it’s not a whole, because not all parts are included!

A unified whole, on the other hand unifies everything. And that’s what our charts do for us – when we take time to dive into their depths they show us our wholeness. And studying our charts step by step, house by house, makes our self discovery journey particularly effective.

My favourite way of illustrating the destination of this journey is Art.

Consider this painting of Dora Maar by Picasso. In it you will find all you need to know about what a whole – fully integrated – individual looks & feels like.

The sitter may not be conventionally pretty. The artwork might not be considered beautiful by some either. And it certainly isn’t conforming to the dominant consensus of what “beauty” – inner&outer – is.

But you know what it is? Art that broke the rules of what beauty and Art mean.

A perfect analogy for self integration work!

When you make ALL of you visible you will appear to some incoherent, even “a travesty” – just as Picasso’s portrait did – because it’s “too much” “too chaotic” to comprehend i.e. compartmentalise. Because what you’ve done is unlock the unique code that makes you you – the only human of your kind. And in the process you’re breaking the rules of what it means to be human (as defined by majority consensus), because you become a one-off inimitable version of a human.

Now, imagine a world where we ALL did that?! EACH of us, a unique work of Art. And the whole planet, an art gallery!

Well, that vision is exactly what the Artful Identities school is designed to realise! Come join the movement!

ASTROLOGY + ART = ARTFUL IDENTITIES SCHOOL

Aside the fact that I am obsessed with both – art & astrology – and have been dying to bring them together as my signature offering, there is actually a universal benefit to this particular fusion.

Both are permission slips to be who we are, uncensored.

Astrology clarifies who we are – it reveals our truth and our wholeness – while bringing art to who we are, to our identity, allows us freedom to express that wholeness fully.

Astrology is the first step in this process. It’s the foundations. It will give us the material for the art that we are. It will reveal us in our fullness, just like Picasso’s painting reveals Dora Maar’s face in her fullness.

And similarly to Picasso’s Art, you too – as you study your chart and yourself – will discover parts of you that “together don’t make sense” and yet they are parts of you. And week by week you’ll be adding your many disparate parts into a one whole, your final project, The Art Of You.

Because the mandate of our charts – and this school – is to INCLUDE all parts of ourselves, however incoherent or incongruent their unification may appear at first.

This is also the work of differentiating ourselves, which is essential for completing our individuation. In doing so we cultivate acceptance – of self and others – that is rooted in our differences which then leads to an inner – and then outer too – sense of belonging. All qualities we will need to thrive in the Age of Aquarius.

AND WE COME FULL CIRCLE IN MY EXPOSE OF THE ARTFUL IDENTITIES SCHOOL.

Did I unpack it enough for you? Did I reveal the heart, the guts and the raison d’etre for the Artful Identities school? Which is to set us up for thriving in the coming Pluto in Aquarius era.

If not please let me know, ask me any and as many questions via email or insta DM.

THE SCHOOL FACTS

18 weeks in total; 18 live calls on Zoom; 6 foundational modules; 12 weeks of studying the 12 houses of your chart; 12 modules dedicated to the 12 houses; 1 orientation call and 5 calls/weeks dedicated to integration work (of your chart and your art project); individual Voxer support from me in between the calls; Discord group for connecting with others; the final project – The Art Of You; end of school Artful Identities art exhibition.

MY ASTROLOGY TEACHING METHOD EXPLAINED

THE ETHOS

This is critical to understand. And it is why I call my programs schools.

In schools it is considered “cheating” when someone else does the homework for us, or answers exam questions for us. What any school teacher worth their salt wants is for their students to develop critical thinking and independence of thought on the subject they are being taught.

I am one such teacher. Nothing makes me happier than to see you taking pleasure & pride in doing the work yourself. Nothing excites me more than when you have your own unique take on things! And nothing lights me up more than your curiosity & questions!

I simply don’t know how else to treat you but as my equal. I am in awe of your analytical and interpretive faculties, your desire to further refine them and your ability to use my teaching and mentoring as a springboard to making them your own.

THE PROCESS

The modules are your lessons, you use them to study your own chart. The weekly homework is my guidance for how to interpret your chart, your houses.

The objective of your homework is to come up with your own interpretations and then bring them to me for mentoring i.e. further refining.

In other words, I am watchful of not slipping into interpreting your chart for you because that would be doing disservice to you developing your own style and voice.

I encourage you to disagree with me. I encourage you to question my interpretation of your chart. And in the fires of our differences – remember we are training for the Aquarius Age 😊 – we both refine our knowledge of astrology, shadow work, identity and art.

THE SCHOOL TIMELINE

The school will run again later this year (2023). To stay informed connect with me on Instagram and sign up for my email newsletter.

THE SCHOOL CONTENT

There are 6 foundational modules: the houses, overview (all about what houses are, their purpose of portioning the chart into segments, the whole signs house system and why we will work with it only, the house rulers, etc); correspondences method (the most expansive and deepening method of studying a chart I ever learnt, thank you Evolutionary Astrology!, explained in detail); astrology for shadow work guide (this is a complete guide to how to use astrology to identify and then integrate your shadow); your homework for the 12 houses (this is general homework, the same process you’ll use every week for working with your houses); integration work (guidance on how to keep integrating your chart as you move through the houses); The Art Of You, your final art project (guidance on how to make art based on your chart in a format that is aesthetically pleasing to you and true of you);

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE FINAL PROJECT & THE ART EXHIBITION: BOTH ARE MANDATORY.

You artwork can be artistically as outlandish and out there (YAY!) as your imagination can conceive of AND it does not need to be art in a conventional sense at all – it just needs to be a presentation of all of your Selves. (and don’t worry if you don’t understand what exactly it will look like or even what exactly I am talking about 😊all will become clear in time as I guide through the process step by step). And the act of exhibiting it is the final act of making yourself visible and as such an essential step in you declaring your authorship over your identity and artistic freedom to express it however you desire. 

12 modules dedicated to the 12 houses of your natal chart will include: comprehensive interpretations of the 12 houses (my own written content); eclectic study material (mine as well other creators’ content) to evoke the house themes we are exploring and my guidance on how to work with that content in order to bring the houses to life and viscerally connect to the house themes; house-specific homework (this homework is designed specifically for every house, and it’s in addition to the general house homework listed above)

18 live Zoom calls: they are the time for group discussion and my live mentoring on all matters astrology, shadow/self integration and identity art e.g. your chart, your shadow integration work, your final project work, etc.

Voxer support in between calls, 5 days a week: my top pet peeve in any learning container is not having enough air time and direct consults with the teacher/mentor. And from day one I have made sure that ALL my students have easy regular access to me.

Discord group for everyone to connect, share their learning journey, their stories, their art, seek and offer reflections and feedback.

THE INVESTMENT

£1111 one off payment

(or 4 x £333 = £1332 total over 4 months, direct debit)

“WOW Maya! The amount of time you invested, the quality of the content, value for money was through the roof! You could have easily doubled the school fee!” (student feedback, 2021 school cohort)

I listened to the feedback, agreed and more than tripled the price!

AND the school still remains value through the roof!

It’s an upgrade from its 2021 version – it’s longer by about a month, in addition to “houses weeks” it has 5 weeks dedicated exclusively to integration work; first time using Voxer to give you easy and quick access to me 5 days a week in between the live calls; and I have further refined the method of studying the houses!

Like I said, IT’S A STEAL!

Which is also why I won’t be offering scholarships.

As I contemplated offering them, I kept experiencing a full body NO. I also used my sacral to decide what price felt correct and after considering higher numbers as well as lower I settled on £1111/£1332. I trust that you too will use your body’s wisdom to decide if you want to study with me and – I cannot wait to meet all the YESs!!

WHO IS THE SCHOOL FOR?

Artful Identities school is for you if:

✔️You are obsessed with the question “WHO AM I?” but struggle to reconcile within yourself all your seeming contradictions and are looking for a method that will help you with that integration.

✔️You are obsessed with Astrology! You might even be a professional astrologer or you’re just an enthusiast who consults your natal chart daily for transits and clues so you can follow the trail your Soul and your Highest Self are leaving behind. AND you are FLUENT in the basics of astrology language (the signs, planets and aspects, while the houses, of course, you can be pretty clueless about 😊)

✔️You have a desire to both expand and deepen your understanding of your chart AND you have plenty of time to dedicate to the study; to get the most out of the school you’ll need to put aside at least 4 hours a week for study (outside our live calls); it will help if you’re someone who enjoys studying, like, a lot!!

✔️You love Art! You might even make art daily or regularly, or you think of yourself as a creative person; Or you might just have this deep desire to aesthetisize (beautify) your experiences; to make meaning and beauty out of your darkness and “ugliness”; and are looking for like minded people to do it with. Or at the very least you’re eager to play with your creative self expression using your astrology!

YOUR LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of our time together you will:

💫Gain greater understanding of your personal mythology and your own hero’s journey 

💫Develop greater precision and clarity in the way you use the language of astrology to map out your self integration journey 

🖼️ Learn how your chart can help you integrate the more contradicting and divergent parts of yourself

🎨Learn how to use foundational principles of Art and being an Artist to apply to your Self – to your Identity

🎨Learn how to see your Identity as your own Art work and how this shift in perspective allows you to claim full autonomy and freedom over who you are and how you show up in the world.

PAST STUDENTS TESTIMONIALS

“Maya, the study materials you wrote for us, the resources you created for us is f**king gold. Our live group calls were essential but even if the written material is offered on its own it is so valuable and I’m so excited to return to it over and over again to continue to hone my language with it. And already I see how it’s elevated my ability to use astrology to offer guidance to others.”

“Dearest Maya, I’m eternally grateful to you as a teacher, crone, Mama Bear, astrologer, soul companion! There is so much I wish to say to you… Thank you for your impeccable realness, the way you’ve guided and held and pushed us all… I hold you in such high regard, and feel so blessed by your love, and the way you are driven to create and give of your Soul’s gifts. You’ve so enriched my life and being ❤️ I absolutely adore you!!!”

“Maya you made the houses come alive for us in a way that stops us from getting stuck in a story. We can wonder around in it, in many new ways, and the house will always look a bit different.”

“My biggest takeaway, the thing I appreciated so much is the way you presented the houses – you made them so dynamic and gave them depth and personality! For example when we were working with our 11th house if I just went with the “community” or “hope” or “long term goals” it wouldn’t have meant much but you spoke of the 11th house as the house of our individuation and that blew my mind!!”

“Thank you Maya for the depth of your work. You provided such a great framework for me to study my chart. I am a complete convert to the whole signs house system. Also, your unique interpretations that I never heard anywhere else before. The course was a reminder that there is NO part of myself that is so ugly that it shouldn’t be seen. When I saw how much homework we had to do I thought to myself ‘maybe I should just quit now, it’s too much work’ but I am so happy I decided to stay!”

“It’s been quite the transformation. I am more confident and more at peace with who I am. There was always a part of me that didn’t care about what other people thought but I never owned it. Now I do and the right people are attracted to me.”

“My biggest takeaway from the school is the idea that we are a paradox. It’s been so helpful to make peace with all these different parts in myself. And working through all the houses made me see how all of them are me. The chart and me are complicated and I don’t have to be one thing or another. Both ends of the paradox can exist and they are not going to go away. Instead I just need to embrace them and learn to love them.”

“This journey has shown me that astrology is not just a mental artifact and you just learn stuff but a visceral experience of life! The way I live my life now as a result of this course is if I’m going through something, like feeling very emotional, rather than getting caught up in it, I think “I wonder which part of my chart is this emotion that I am feeling” It’s this embodied and practical application of astrology that feels so great.”

“I feel like I received this secret magic gift that is allowing me to deepen into the paradox that I am and experience it in a way that is nourishing rather than depleting.”

“I enrolled in the school to learn about the houses because I never really fully understood them, how they fit together. But I do now! I can see so much more in a chart now! And how all the houses actually speak to each other, back each other up. It’s been wonderful to learn all that!”

“I have so many empty houses so going through every one of them helped me see all these other aspects of myself that I never even looked at astrologically.”

“As I prepared my homework for the last session, I reviewed my homework from our first ever session and it was wild because I learnt so much astrologically that I could identify the language of my chart in my first homework! It was all my sixth house, my Pluto and Saturn. In the end it was all so clear looking back to identify what archetypes I was struggling with. Also, I learnt to be accepting of the tensions between my houses. I learnt that they actually feed each other and support each other where before I used to think that they are at cross purposes and in the way of each other. And accepting that they all represent different but equally important parts of me.”

“Going through my twelve houses has taken me through my rebirth process. I feel like I’ve come to a place where things that needed to die died. And I feel like a very different person. When my journey with the course began one of the ways I was going to measure my progress was with career where I felt stuck for awhile. And now at the end of the school I have a coaching product that I can clearly measure my progress. And personally I feel bolder. I feel clearer. I feel unshakable at the core. I now have words for who I am, what I want to do and where I want to go has been amazing.”

MY INTENTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL

To support you in achieving all your learning outcomes by being available to every. single. one of you. for individual guidance and mentorship with your chart interpretations, your self integration work and your final project The Art Of You.

To provide a safe and structured container for your learning so it can be focused and well guided AND to allow for plenty of freedom and space so you can follow your own inspiration and hunches.

To create a holistic experience for you – we study your charts AND we integrate your charts (your different houses) as we go along AND in doing so we integrate you as a whole person AND we create art to express that wholeness AND in doing so we anchor your learning (of your astrology AND yourself) so the experience supports you long term.

MY CREDENTIALS

I have attended a couple of Evolutionary Astrology courses with Sabrina Monarch and learnt from some other greats like Tom Jacobs , Tara Aal, and Sonja Francis to name just a few. Also, an amazing free educational platform, where I learnt so much, is the EA Zoom Meetings youtube channel. 

But essentially I am an autodidact. A well self-taught astrologer.

Over the last 30+ years – and particularly deeply and intensely since my Uranus opposition in 2010 – astrology has been my primary map for navigating my way through life and language for making sense of the world and my place in it.

Also, as a 5th house Pluto in Virgo square 8th house Mars in Sagittarius (both retrograde), I lived a life of a relentless push&pull of deepest desires – some darker than others, some mine some others’.

And found that fulfilling my desires is much less about satisfaction and more about initiation. The stronger the desire the more intense the initiation, often leading to a dark night of the Soul. In other words, fulfilment of our desire is a portal to new versions of ourselves.

Also, opposing this stelium is another cluster of archetypes hanging off my North Node – all in Aries and full of *undesirable* desires: Chiron, Venus, Lucifer and Eris. And all in my 12th house. Living mythically, even if I had no clue at the time, was – and still is – the order of many of my days.

All of which makes me a natural born and life long shadow worker.

I also have a First Class Honours degree in English Literature (obtained in the United Kingdom) earned by demonstrating a talent for deep listening and laser sharp analysing of language to hear the subtlest nuances of meaning, intended or not.

This is in fact one of my superpowers – to listen deeply and to hear clearly all that is said, as well as omitted. And from that, discern what best guidance I can offer.

MY CHART

For me it’s always been a matter of professional integrity to be transparent about my own chart. I want you to know my biases, my filters but also my strengths and desires so that you can have one more way to help you decide if I am the right teacher & mentor for you.

THE APPLICATION FORM

The applications are now closed, but the school will run again later this year (2023). To stay informed connect with me on Instagram and sign up for my email newsletter.