New Ebook Provides a
‘Map to Your Soul’
Interview with Astrologer-Psychologist Jennifer Freed on Her Journey Towards Dwelling Deeply
By Hilary Dole Klein | October 13, 2022
When Jennifer Freed requested me how I needed to have a good time my seventieth birthday, I blurted out my fantasy of going to Florence to analysis my memoir. “I could make that occur!” she exclaimed. And she or he did. She despatched out a fundraising letter that was so efficient, even individuals who didn’t know me contributed.
“I could make that occur” may be the magic phrases behind Freed’s success. Everybody who has identified her in all probability has a narrative to inform of getting path or assist towards a path of better achievement or much less sorrow.
Freed’s personal story begins along with her rising up in Los Angeles because the youngster of New York Jewish activists. She was involved about social justice from a younger age, volunteering and attending marches and protests. Her grandmother was a spy for J. Edgar Hoover throughout WWII and uncovered the Nazi motion chief in New York Metropolis whereas posing as his girlfriend. Freed’s father, Bert Freed, was a personality actor who appeared in a whole lot of TV exhibits and films. She credit her mom, Nancy, for instructing her to like the “beyond-human world.”
Love additionally introduced Freed to Santa Barbara at age 18 when she adopted her boyfriend to UCSB. There she studied psychology and had her first astrological studying, which modified her life. She went on to get her MFT at Antioch and her PhD at Pacifica and have become a psychotherapist, mediator, and astrologer. She has written 11 books, her most up-to-date being A Map to Your Soul: Utilizing the Astrology of Hearth, Earth, Air, and Water to Dwell Deeply and Totally. It’s at the moment the number-one astrology e book — not shocking, as she has turn into an internationally acclaimed astrologer.
She and her accomplice, therapist Rendy Freedman, have been collectively for greater than 20 years. Collectively, they based the nonprofit AHA! (ahasb.org), offering social and emotional coaching to 1000’s of teenagers and bringing their applications into Santa Barbara colleges. AHA! was named an Impartial Native Hero in 2009, and in 2014, it obtained an award from the Susan Crown Alternate basis for being one of many prime eight social and emotional studying applications within the nation.
Not too long ago, Freed was named the Worldwide Psychological Well being Advisor for Nebula Horoscope & Astrology, a world app with 17 million subscribers, which is working to lower nervousness world wide.
The world might properly profit, however I feel few folks in Santa Barbara have profoundly affected so many individuals. The listing of Freed-inspired concepts and Freed-generated occasions, and her outstanding capacity to carry them to fruition, is an extended one. Whether or not one has reached out to her for remedy, had an astrological studying, or enrolled in a workshop — transformation follows. AHA! has seen quite a few cases of youngsters coming into this system from dysfunctional houses and hopeless lives and rising as faculty college students on monitor to success, even changing into therapists and healers themselves.
With Freedman’s stalwart assist to again her up, Freed faucets right into a treasure trove of concepts to carry enjoyable and pleasure into the lives of nearly everybody she meets. I’ve seen her persuade hesitant associates to carry out stand-up comedy, persuade artist Hank Pitcher to show portray to amateurs, and convey her fellow doctoral candidates collectively for a Wild Thoughts Writing workshop. Sadly, I missed out on the line-dancing, flash mob, poetry slams, psychic coaching, aura studying, mindfulness coaching, chanting, and physique intelligence programs, that are just a few of many playful, empowering adventures.
Utilizing the Largest Little Farm as a mannequin, she and AHA! created the Littlest Little Farm to show teenagers about sustainable farming. Teenagers have additionally been persuaded to exchange their screens with nature and video games on digital cleanses. After all, all this occurs with numerous folks working collectively, however it’s Freed’s optimism and dynamic enthusiasm that flip fantastical concepts into actuality.
“She roped me into cold-water swimming at Butterfly,” says creator and educator Stacy Pulice. “She’s not even afraid of sharks.” Ever since Pulice was a scholar of Freed’s at Pacifica, she has seen how Freed brings teams of individuals collectively who she thinks will profit from workshops with non secular visionaries, corresponding to astrologer Rick Tarnas, Qi Gong instructor and healer Paul Fraser, speaker and creator Byron Katie, Jim Peal of Verify Your Perspective, and others. “Each time she finds somebody who conjures up her, she brings them in and shares them.”
A tremendous occasion in my life came about after Freed met Mick and Tess Pulver, who had been bringing their Breakthrough Efficiency singing workshop to Santa Barbara. Recognizing its potential to launch concern and inhibition, Freed stuffed the workshop along with her associates. This system was so profitable, it unfold by way of the group. I used to be not proof against her spirited recruitment, although I had lengthy lived within the shadow of ridicule I’d obtained when making an attempt a solo within the All Saints-by-the-Sea youngsters’s choir. When Freed roped me into the mission, I really thought I used to be taking a workshop to carry out my writing voice. The following factor I knew, I used to be singing “Respect,” backed by a rock ‘n’ roll band in entrance of a dwell viewers. It was wild, terrifying, exhilarating, and affirming.
Since then, AHA! has advanced Breakthrough into an empowering program known as Sing It Out! Yearly, highschool college students, most of whom have by no means been on a stage, carry out earlier than a packed home on the Lobero Theater, singing a few of rock’s best hits.
Acupuncturist Debbie Gunther, who memorably sang “Rock Me Child” in Breakthrough, and who has taught teen workshops at AHA!, thinks Freed attracts on a useful resource that’s about happiness. “She sees chance in others who can’t see it themselves. She actually saves folks. For me — I’m at all times wanting on the darkish facet — she has the capability to dispel gloom. She has a properly of optimism, enthusiasm, and pleasure about life. Actually,” she provides, “I can’t imagine she’s Jewish!”
In the previous few years, Freed has turn into good associates with Academy Award–profitable actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who now has a house in Montecito. Freed writes on social and emotional schooling and/or astrology for the Goop E-newsletter, and participates in Goop Well being conferences, each of that are a part of Goop, the 250-million-dollar way of life emporium with 70 million followers that Paltrow constructed out of a e-newsletter of homespun recommendation and recipes she was sending to associates.
Goop Press, an imprint of Penguin Random Home, is publishing A Map to Your Soul: Utilizing the Astrology of Hearth, Earth, Air, and Water to Dwell Deeply and Totally. On an attractive Santa Barbara morning, I sat down with Freed over espresso and a savory black-rice porridge to speak about her new e book.
You had your first astrology studying in Goleta as a university scholar. How was {that a} life-changing expertise? As quickly as I had that studying, I felt like my total life was revealed to me. I knew this was a calling, and I knew I used to be going to go deeply into this work, and I’ve by no means stopped. It was an incredible expertise of being seen and impressed, and it furthered an unimaginable urge for food to be taught extra.
You might be an Aquarian, and Aquarians are deeply excited by causes and humanity. How has integrating astrology with psychology knowledgeable you as a therapist? I’ve lengthy felt that astrology was lacking a deeper hyperlink to psychology. Astrology helped me perceive the totally different ways in which folks categorical their caring for the world, in addition to their resistances to caring for the world. So, it helped me have perception and empathy for the place folks had been beginning out and the place they may go. Psychology helped me develop the instruments to assist folks problem-solve and work by way of generational trauma and private difficulties. The 2 collectively had been at all times appropriate, as a result of one is a map to your soul, which is the title of my e book, and one is actually the examine of the soul, and the way to deal with situations of the soul that individuals discover problematic.
A Map to Your Soul follows your bestselling Use Your Planets Properly, which got here out in 2020. Each books are about astrology. How are they totally different? Use Your Planets Properly is a basic textbook on the way to learn your chart to know your self and others. A Map to Your Soul takes a wholly totally different method. It’s a primer on the way to dwell your life totally. I needed to have a e book that anybody and everybody might entry and browse, whether or not they had been excited by astrology or not. It’s a distillation of the knowledge I’ve been gathering from my very own ache and pleasure, but in addition from listening to 1000’s of individuals over 40 years.
In every of your 12 chapters, you discover a distinct area of life, which corresponds to one of many 12 homes of the astrological chart. In the way in which {that a} map can information you to a vacation spot or convey its geography — however you continue to should get there by yourself — your e book is full of checklists, inventories, and assessments for the reader to do, alone or with others. I feel crucial factor in regards to the e book is you are able to do one chapter at a time or skip round chapters. It actually has very helpful actions for self- and social consciousness in each single chapter.
I additionally base the core components of the soul on the 4 components, which have been the inspiration of therapeutic practices in lots of cultures for hundreds of years. Hearth is dynamism, boldness, pioneering, safety. Earth is practicality, stability, dependability. Air is logic, objectivity, inspiration, visionary. And Water is feeling, compassion, tenderness, mercy, forgiveness. All of us have all 4, and every signal of the zodiac is aligned with its personal component. The e book helps us notice the place we will develop extra of every component in our on a regular basis lives.
My deepest need is that individuals will do that e book in households, in teams, or in {couples}. I imagine if everyone works to develop their presents, and picks a trigger to be a part of, we will radically shift the course of this planet.
Goop and Gwyneth Paltrow appear to return in for an inordinate quantity of mockery and criticism regardless of their success. What’s your tackle that? What I discover hilarious and unfair is that Gwyneth determined to develop a luxurious model, and she or he will get crap for it on a regular basis, as a substitute of, “Good for you, enterprise lady; you go there.” There’s no person consistently taking pot pictures at a person who develops a luxurious model.
I agree. Nobody taunts Roger Federer for his multi-million-dollar luxury-brand sponsorships. And the place are the snide or shocked reactions to Tom Ford’s $15,000 “lacquered chrome acrylic anatomical bra” — leather-lined, after all. Stephen Colbert had nothing to say about that. I occur to know Gwyneth’s chart: She’s a catalyst for each unimaginable attraction and promotion. But additionally, her very essence appears to impress folks into cynicism and criticism. She’s a Libra, with many planets in Libra. Regardless that she’s one in every of our most proficient actors, she likes to shine the sunshine on others. In creating Goop, she has been daring in producing revolutionary content material, reaching 1000’s if not tens of millions. She’s additionally supported a whole lot of girls, using them, coaching them, and creating their presents in well being, magnificence, social justice, and sports activities. She’s additionally written seven cookbooks. However she will get extra contempt and mock than most public figures ever get. And but she may be very gracious about it. She doesn’t behave like an icon. I name her the glamorous goof. “That’s me,” she says, “goof, goof, goof.”
After all, a part of my very own chart is, I like controversy. Carry it on. I don’t like hatred and I don’t like meanness — ever — however I don’t thoughts if folks don’t like astrology, and I don’t thoughts if folks don’t like Goop. You don’t must do it, simply go away it alone.
Your e book describes the eleventh area because the Sacred Crew, people who find themselves aligned along with your progress and supreme success. Do you’ve gotten an instance of this? Since February of 2020, I’ve been teaching a world group of 10 ladies, probably the most dedicated group of girls I’ve ever met. One is a Microsoft government; one is a healer from Canada; one is a philanthropist; one other one is an artist. Every one has taken a step of their lives to decide to creatively categorical themselves in a significant means, and all of them are making strides to make themselves and the world a greater place. That’s what my intention at all times is — sufficient discuss; do the stroll. And it’s been the best honor of my life to work with them. They’ve turn into my sacred crew.
AHA! has been happening for 23 years, and also you and Rendy Freedman have transitioned to advisors at this level. Government Director Roxana Petty and Director of Growth Molly Inexperienced are working AHA! with greater than 25 employees. They’re an enormous cause — they and AHA! and all it has achieved for social-emotional studying — that I used to be in a position to write this e book. I additionally need to acknowledge Director of Coaching Melissa Lowenstein, who helped me craft the e book.
One factor I find out about this work is that I get the eye, however my accomplice, Rendy, is the explanation I can do it. I need to spotlight that there isn’t a particular person on this planet who’s reaching what they’re reaching with out somebody or some folks creating the likelihood to precise themselves. And for me, that is Rendy, Rendy, Rendy. She’s quieter and fewer outspoken than me, however what she is, is the rock of my coronary heart and soul, and the explanation I can rise up and take dangers — which typically embarrasses her tremendously.
In the event you really feel secure along with your folks, then you may take extra dangers. In the event you don’t really feel secure along with your folks, the stakes are a lot larger. I do know that once I fall on my face — and I do, as a result of I’m a risk-taker — I’ll stroll round the home and say, “I’m such a loser. I’m such a loser.” And Rendy simply laughs. And we mess around with it: “I’m the largest loser.” “Who’s the largest loser?” “You’re the largest loser.” After which it’s okay, as a result of she loves me, and I’m good. This actually issues, and it doesn’t need to be a pair, however it must be individuals who can go, “I’ve received you. You’re good.”
I perceive that you’re consistently getting provides from folks excited by collaborating with you. I get hit up weekly: marijuana … ketamine … canine toys…. And I’ve to say no, as a result of these will not be in alignment with me.
Nevertheless, I obtained an impassioned e-mail from a lady in Ukraine, Valeria Salivanchuk, who’s the International Head of Public Relations at Nebula Horoscope & Astrology. She requested me to assist a marketing campaign the group is launching to lower nervousness for Psychological Well being Week, beginning October 10. If anybody is aware of about nervousness as we speak, it could be the folks dwelling in Ukraine. Valeria informed me she might have left when the conflict began, however she mentioned, “I’m unsafe in my physique in Kyiv, however my soul is aware of no different place to be,” which I assumed was stunning.
We’ve been working for months now to create a information on the way to use astrology to assist scale back nervousness, which might be accessed by way of Nebula (nebulahoroscope.com). After I requested Valeria, “What can I do that will help you moreover this?” she mentioned, “Please inform folks by no means to overlook Ukraine. We don’t need to be one other conflict zone that they suppose that that is regular. This isn’t regular.”
Valeria believes, like I do, that for those who really feel related to one thing better than your self — one thing cosmic however sensible — you’re extra impressed to do good issues on this planet. It’s my deepest honor to do what I like probably the most, which is astrology plus psychology in a world format.
What have you ever laughed about lately? Not way back, the girl doing my PR requested me, “Effectively, Jennifer, what’s your e book a bridge to?” And I got here dwelling to Rendy and mentioned, “Rendy, what is that this a bridge to?” And we laughed and laughed as a result of, actually, I’ve written 11 books; I’ve helped create AHA!; I’m turning 65. I do not know what it’s a bridge to. I’m simply going to resolve what’s the greatest contribution I could make. You and I and everybody else will probably be shocked to see what’s subsequent, as a result of I do not know.
I’ve identified you for many years. I’ve had readings with you, taken your workshops, laughed, danced, sung, and swum with you. And I’ve at all times been curious in regards to the supply of one in every of your best strengths — moreover your genius for astrology, charismatic empathy, and thrilling eloquence: The place do you get your outstanding vitality? No, no, I don’t have that a lot vitality. I’ve nice spurts of vitality, however then I crash, so I’ve to watch out. Rendy will get upset with me once I need to go to mattress at eight o’clock, and she or he desires to remain up till nine-thirty. So, I’ve restricted vitality. I simply have loads of it within the second.
I additionally spend no less than two hours a day in non secular workout routines. That’s what it takes to run me. There could be no me with out a strict, repeating self-discipline, and I by no means miss a day. I couldn’t do that work with out it, so I at all times get it achieved by 9 within the morning — every day train can occur later within the day. And the opposite factor: I’ve been in remedy my entire life, and can proceed to be coached, as a result of I don’t settle for my flaws as irreversible.
In different phrases, you observe the map of your e book. Sure.