Astrology & Shadow Work: Self-Discovery with Your Celestial Compass

By Catherine Gerdes

Journey to the Depths of Your Psyche with the Stars as Your Guide

Presenting a detailed exploration of the twelve sun signs and their shadow aspects, Catherine Gerdes teaches you how to turn your birth chart into a practical road map for self-discovery. She shares numerous exercises and prompts designed to uncover and integrate your shadow side. Catherine also shares inspiring stories and sample charts, revealing how this work can transform your life and guide you home to yourself.

Astrology and Shadow Work bridges the gap between your astrological wiring and your well-being. You'll find opportunities for self-growth by diving into the houses and aspects, nodal placements, sign associations, astrological transits, and reflective questions. For every sign, this book provides mantras, relationship advice, shadow work through tarot, insights on sun, moon, rising, and Venus placements, and much more. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned astrologer, an Aries or Aquarius, this book will help you embrace your shadow and live a more resilient, joyful life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9780738779171

Catherine Gerdes

Catherine Gerdes is an astrologer, writer, and multi-certified coach, accredited by the National Board for Health and Wellness. Her work has been featured in Well + Good, Bustle, andElite Daily, and she is a featured instructor on Insight Timer. In addition to Astrology & Shadow Work, she is the author of The Little Book of Crystal Healing: A Beginner's Guide to Harnessing the Healing Power of Crystals. Visit her at Catherine-Gerdes.com.

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About the Author

Catherine Gerdes is an astrologer, writer, and multi-certified coach, accredited by the National Board for Health and Wellness. Her work has been featured in Well + Good, Bustle, and Elite Daily, and she is a featured instructor on Insight Timer. In addition to Astrology & Shadow Work, she is the author of The Little Book of Crystal Healing: A Beginner’s Guide to Harnessing the Healing Power of Crystals. Visit her at Catherine-Gerdes.com.

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Copyright Information

Astrology & Shadow Work: Self-Discovery with Your Celestial Compass Copyright © 2024 by Catherine Gerdes.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author’s copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

Photography is used for illustrative purposes only. The persons depicted may not endorse or represent the book’s subject.

First e-book edition © 2024

E-book ISBN: 9780738779171

Book design by Christine Ha

Cover design by Kevin R. Brown

Interior illustrations

Astrological and planetary glyphs by the Llewellyn Art Department

The astrology charts in this book were created using the Kepler Superb

Astrology Program, with kind permission from Cosmic Patterns Software, Inc., the manufacturer of the Kepler program (www.astrosoftware.com, [e-mail]).

Tarot Original 1909 Deck © 2021 with art created by Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur Edward Waite. Used with permission of LoScarabeo.

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gerdes, Catherine, author.

Title: Astrology & shadow work : self-discovery with your celestial compass

/ by Catherine Gerdes.

Other titles: Astrology and shadow work

Description: First edition. | Woodbury, MN : Llewellyn Publications, 2024.

| Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: "Dive into the depths

of your psyche with the stars as your guide and find opportunities for

self-growth through astrological transits, the houses and aspects,

nodes, and much more"-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2024028483 (print) | LCCN 2024028484 (ebook) | ISBN

9780738778921 (paperback) | ISBN 9780738779171 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Astrology. | Self-realization.

Classification: LCC BF1708.1 .G475 2024 (print) | LCC BF1708.1 (ebook) |

DDC 133.5--dc23/eng/20240905

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024028483

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024028484

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Other Books by Catherine Gerdes

The Little Book of Crystal Healing: A Beginner’s Guide to Harnessing the Healing Power of Crystals

For the deep dreamers, modern mystics, and nature seekers

awakening to their cosmic connection.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One: Laying the Foundation

Chapter One: The Basics

Chapter Two: The Houses and Aspects

Chapter Three: The Luminaries and the Planets

Chapter Four: The Signs and Shadow Work

Chapter Two: Understanding the Signs

Chapter Five: Aries

Chapter Six: Taurus

Chapter Seven: Gemini

Chapter Eight: Cancer

Chapter Nine: Leo

Chapter Ten: Virgo

Chapter Eleven: Libra

Chapter Twelve: Scorpio

Chapter Thirteen: Sagittarius

Chapter Fourteen: Capricorn

Chapter Fifteen: Aquarius

Chapter Sixteen: Pisces

Part Three: Further Exploration

Chapter Seventeen: Intuitive Gifts

Chapter Eighteen: Jupiter’s Blessings

Chapter Nineteen: The Wounded Healer—Chiron and Our Well-Being

Chapter Twenty: Pluto—The Route to Empowerment

Chapter Twenty-One: The Nodes—A Purposeful Life

Conclusion

Recommended Reading

Acknowledgments

To my dear readers, thank you for embarking on your mystically curious quest into astrology. I am grateful for my teachers and mentors in navigating this celestial compass. Thank you to Lia, Nikki, and Rob. Writing is one of my first loves, and this book is birthed, at least in part, as a result of my mom’s early encouragement to write and my dad’s introduction to archetypes, mythology, and immortal stories. Undeniably, my cherished memories of both nudging my pen to paper contributed to holding this work in my hands. Gratitude and acknowledgment to my grandmother for summoning the courage to share astrological guidance in a challenging era. Thank you to everyone who has a part in distributing, retailing, and sharing this work of mine. Finally, a resounding thank you to the team of alchemists at Llewellyn for making magic with me.

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chapter art

Introduction

As above, so below—what is happening in the cosmos corresponds with the unfolding of events in our lives. There are no coincidences. There are destined moments, and in some cases, there is wiggle room for our free will. But as many of us have witnessed from transits and life events, we don’t always have a choice. We might experience a serendipitous meeting or receive a gift or career opportunity. These are like blessings presented to us—and we act on them. Then there could’ve been times when we were offered an opportunity that we weren’t prepared to receive or were shown a new path when we weren’t ready to embark on a new journey. There are also major life events, such as natural disasters or diagnoses of loved ones, that we couldn’t have done anything to change.

This book is about helping you understand yourself more richly through your chart and teaching you how to make empowered decisions during those windows of time when you do have a choice. You are made up of tons of energetic content in the cosmos, and the placements of particular celestial bodies at your time of birth determine your unique composite. Our astrological charts reveal the various aspects of ourselves—our personality, desires, wounds, gifts, and pitfalls—and learning our astrological makeup can fast-track us toward life lessons, reveal relationship patterns, and increase our self-awareness. One of the greatest benefits of learning our charts is that we gain the opportunity to live more in alignment with our authentic wiring through our natal placements, and this allows us to shrug off conditioning that has kept us out of touch with ourselves. This book is meant to inspire, illuminate, and help you discover more of who you are based on your chart’s signatures and the gifts divinely planted there. Ultimately, learning your chart enables you to reconnect with yourself. When we lose sight of who we are, our charts have the rare ability to hold up a mirror and remind us. This book will help you use your chart as that mirror.

In addition to being a rich field of study and science, there can also be an intuitive element to our interpretations. As you gain wisdom, I urge you to embrace the foundational knowledge of astrology and lean into your intuitive understanding.

Where We’re Venturing

While this book will demystify some key elements in your chart, such as the meaning of your moon sign, abundance signatures, and partnership prerequisites, and you will learn to decode some basics of this cosmic language, you can best interpret your natal chart by considering how all parts form the whole. We identify more of our traits by learning about all these components in our charts. But to understand this collective celestial web, we must grasp the basics—and there is a lot we can learn from these separate strands.

First, you’ll learn the foundational components, including important terms, the energies of the celestial bodies, and the essentials of your natal chart. Then, through sign-by-sign breakdowns, you’ll discover the twelve archetypes of the zodiac. You’ll understand your chart’s dominant energies through the signs, including your unique associations through colors, herbs, tarot, and more. As we move into more covert realms, you will be given shadow work for addressing blockages and translating cosmic language into self-awareness. Throughout this book, you’ll find descriptions that include highlights, or positive magnetic qualities, alongside shadow traits, or challenging facets. Our shadows can include the parts of ourselves we keep hidden or outside our viewfinder, and these can counteract positive developments in our lives. Bringing conscious awareness to these subconscious strands, accepting these parts, or intentionally altering them can bring deep fulfillment and lasting change. While there’s no use in vilifying these characteristics that are a part of the full-range spectrum of a sign, the conscious healing of these traits is called shadow work. Ultimately, shadow work involves awareness and integration, and it can help you make more empowered decisions. Last, you’ll explore themes for growth and empowerment. These include natural blessings and gifts through Jupiter, resilience indicated by Pluto, and how the nodal placements tie into our soul’s purpose for a more aligned, fulfilling life.

Each chapter heading provides you with a compass point. For example, if you’re curious about the transformative healing traits of Chiron or the sign of Scorpio, you can navigate and learn at your discretion. However, the intention of this book is to provide a rich, holistic awareness of your astrological blueprint. You will learn to bridge the gap between your astrological wiring and practical well-being so that you can heal, transform your life, and thrive.

There’s no hierarchy of better or worse personal astrology, meaning no placement or sign is superior. Even the more challenging combinations of energies and harsh aspects provide us with gifts. However, we each have indicators of behaviors that are more accessible and those that can prove more challenging. For example, if you have multiple planets in one sign, that sign’s energy can be a theme in your life and easily accessible to you. In contrast, signs with no planets or placements might be more difficult for you to access and understand. Someone with a stellium, or three or more placements together, in Leo could access their creative talents and express their heart-led passions readily. A person with no placements in Aries or the first house may have challenges focusing on their personal life and personal development journey. Our charts clue us in on our natural gifts and which areas of life have hurdles to overcome.

What You’ll Need

Before venturing forward, you’ll need your chart. You can find yours online at Astro.com, generate it in the Time Passages app, or have one provided to you by an astrologer. You’ll need the accurate date, time, and place of your birth. An accurate birth time is valuable since this determines our rising sign, impacting the placements of the planets throughout our houses. While that might not make sense now, it will prove to be important. Also, be sure that Chiron, the asteroid, is visible in your chart. While there are multiple house systems, the one we’re working with throughout this book is called Placidus. This is the most common and may be your resource’s default setting. But if you’re prompted to choose, that is the one you’ll want to pick. Once you have your natal chart with this valuable information, you’re set.

My Celestial Journey

Astrology was a tool that helped me find nourishment and healing. As I was learning to translate this language of the sky, I gained awareness of the pieces of me I’d overlooked, and I saw where my assets and passions aligned. Preceding my journey of cosmic curiosity, my grandmother was an astrologer—and she hand drew natal charts! I’m in awe of her ability to navigate this information without the support of today’s software. She left an incredible gift in the form of three generations’ worth of birth dates, times, and coordinates.

While I didn’t have the chance to learn from her, astrology felt like a language that had once been native. Investigating my chart and learning the fundamentals required research, but I quickly embraced it, and interpretations clicked. With time and practice, I became a consulting astrologer for publications with upward of fifty million monthly readers, echoing my grandmother’s published horoscopes during the Mad Men era. I’ve found satisfaction by reflecting insights to others during one-on-one readings of their cosmic blueprints. Like many astrologers, I imagine that I’ll be a student of the stars for life, and I’ll continue witnessing glimmers of new insights as various life events unfold.

In addition to better understanding myself through my chart and experiencing multiple eureka moments, I started to value divine timing, or the cosmic windows of opportunities provided by the transits. I grew conscious of my connection to a plan and universal energy greater than myself. Seeing this intertwining of our free will and divine destiny was simultaneously humbling and empowering—and this, along with a blossoming of self-mastery, is what I wish for you to find.

But before we begin, here’s one pact to consider making with yourself. Since you’ll be diving deep into your chart, spare yourself any potential judgment along this journey. In other words, promise yourself that you won’t allow a challenging aspect or difficult-seeming placement to get you down. Impactful individuals with incredible life stories have difficult aspects, such as squares and oppositions, in their charts. There are world leaders with challenging Mercury placements (the planet of communication) delivering speeches heard throughout the world. Not only is it possible to turn what you might perceive as self-defeating ick into empowered gold, but placements perceived as challenges in your chart hold the potential to evolve into your superpowers. Before we begin, I suggest making an agreement with yourself. You might call this a spell. Accept that you’ll embrace your chart with open arms, and in doing so, allow it to guide you home to yourself. And so it is …

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part onechapter art

Chapter One

The Basics

Before we jump into the signs and their shadows, we need to cover some big-picture basics. If you look at your birth chart and think, I don’t know what I’m looking at, don’t worry! Throughout Part One, we’ll dive into the meanings of your chart’s symbols and some foundational terms.

Now that you’ve downloaded your chart, you’ll notice that there is much more going on than familiar sun and moon symbols. Each of us is a complex compilation of many types of energies. Every symbol and its placement offers us clues about who we are. In this chapter, we’ll start our learning by zooming out to see the big picture, exploring the elements and modalities. Then we’ll cover the twelve houses and main aspects of astrology. Before we dive into the signs, we’ll explore the luminaries and planets, including their associations, energies, and how to apply shadow work for each. All this foundational information will enable you to zoom in and interpret more specific, unique details within your chart. But for now, the basics.

The Elements

There are four elements in astrology, and each sign embodies one of them. From the densest to lightest, the elements are earth, water, fire, and air. Depending on which element dominates your chart, you can get an idea of how comfortable you are with change and how you relate to others. Understanding the elements will help you see your patterns and embrace your natural talents.

Earth

The earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. While each earth sign is different, they are all grounded and practical in nature. They are perceived as stable, predictable, and materially focused. Earth energy is tied to money, the physical world, and energy exchanges and is therefore associated with the suit of pentacles in tarot. Of the