If you’ve been feeling a little off over the last few weeks—or especially since last week’s final lunar eclipse in Pisces—you are not alone! This eclipse season has been no joke. Eclipses have a way of stirring things up—beginnings or endings—that sometimes come out of nowhere or completely alter the path we were on. The energy can feel quite heavy. I used to feel a lot of anxiety around eclipse time because of the uncertainty, but I’ve learned to surrender to whatever life is trying to show me. And sometimes, the eclipses are trying to show us where we’re out of alignment or where we haven’t taken action when we really needed to, so the eclipse will give us that necessary nudge off the cliff.
This most recent lunar eclipse in Pisces definitely brought me several lessons about why I downplay my feelings, or override my boundaries, even when I know something doesn’t feel right. There’s some stuff there for me to process, but I’m feeling the post-eclipse clarity for the path forward, and I’m making some necessary adjustments.
This is my third newsletter for August, so I’ll keep things short. It’s a bank holiday in the UK, it’s also my last day here, and I still have a lot to pack. It’s always a bittersweet feeling to close out another London summer. This one may have been one of my favorites. Of course, there’s a part of me that’s excited to go back to New York—September is the best month to be in NYC—but I also love the life I’ve built in London. But as I’ve mentioned, I am questioning this back-and-forth routine, and I do have an itch to find a little more grounding in my life.
Which leads me to today’s conversation with astrologer, psychic medium, and fellow Pisces, Aycee Brown. Earlier this year, she released her debut book, Embody Your Magic, a guide to using modalities like astrology and Human Design to explore your shadow self and ultimately live a more authentic life. She also has an amazing podcast that’s become my new must-listen, called Is My Aura on Straight. In our conversation, we chatted about what to do when you feel like you’re in limbo—as I certainly do—or on the cusp of a major life change. We also talk about the lunar node's recent shift into Aquarius and Leo, what it means for those in the public eye (or those who want to be), and why your birth chart is your business plan.
Ahead is a condensed and edited version of our conversation, or click below to listen to the full interview.
I've been looking forward to this conversation all day. For over 15 years, you’ve been an astrologer, psychic medium, human design expert, and spiritual guide for high-profile leaders, creatives, and seekers. You wrote a book called Embody Your Magic that came out in February. You also have an MBA in marketing, which I think is so cool. But first, what were you like as a child?
Aycee: Well, I'm a Pisces. I have a big family, but as my grandmother would call me, I'm "the only only." I'm the only person on both sides of my family that doesn't have a brother or sister. So I had the only-child experience, but also the experience of having a lot of people around. It was a big deal. I was doing something on stage, creating something. I started having entrepreneurial ideas, too. We used to have this tree outside with little berries on it, and if you put them on your nails and washed your hands, there'd still be a film left over. I remember thinking, "Ooh, I should bottle this." I was always thinking about stuff like that, using my imagination. I was also starting to understand my psychic abilities then, because I used to have a lot of dreams.
When did your interest in astrology start? You said you were already connecting to psychic gifts when you were quite young, paint me the picture of how this all came to you.
Aycee: Astrology came in high school, around 14 or 15, because my mother, unfortunately, was a little emotionally and verbally abusive, and I used to think, "What's wrong with me?" Then I discovered a book, The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need. I started dissecting my chart, then everyone else's in my family. I just taught myself how to read and write charts. Figuring out what was "wrong" with me, what was happening. Then I learned about synastry, like, oh, why do I like this person when it says we shouldn't get along because of this placement or that? And then realizing, oh, it's because his sun falls in my seventh house. All of that started unfolding, and it became something I just did. I don't really know a life without spirituality, from a non-religious standpoint, since then.
Yeah, I think all Pisces relate to that. I was interested in astrology from the time I was reading Seventeen Magazine with the horoscopes in the back. It took a lot longer to realize there was a much bigger world to it. But I clung to the idea that I was a Pisces, my best friend was a Libra, and I'd read all my friends' horoscopes. I always had this desire to really understand myself and understand others.
Aycee: And that's really what it's good for, which people don't realize. I hate when dating culture is like, "Oh, people are asking for your birthday." I'm like, this is helpful. It's going to play out either way, so we might as well look at it upfront.
When you don't know a lot, you put so much weight on it. I hit a period where I decided I didn't want to know someone's chart until I'd made a decision for myself whether I like them or not.
Aycee: I do a five-date rule.
But now I want to know upfront what I'm working with, even though just because you see someone's chart doesn't mean they're living by it.
Aycee: Correct. That's why I have the five-date rule. You may not be aligned yet. You could be living in the shadow side of things. But I look at cardology, a system where every birthday has a card attached to it, going from Ace to King across each suit. It's so accurate. You're the Four of Spades, actually very grounded energy, spades-like. But it's accurate. I look at it as more of a soul-based temperature check.
So when did you realize you could make a business out of all your esoteric interests?
Aycee: I'd been running away from that for a while. I did a ton of stuff before doing this full-time. I went to NYU School of Professional Studies for a certificate in TV and film production, plus a bunch of other certificates. I was dabbling, and honestly a little afraid to say, "I'm a psychic." So I'd say, "I'm an intuitive life coach" instead. I got my life coaching certification. I'd been giving advice and readings since high school, and in my 20s I did readings on the side, then life coaching, and it always came back to this.
Going through everything that happened in 2020, did you feel like a lot of people were coming to you for guidance, for some kind of certainty?
Aycee: It's funny you ask, because I think about 2020 versus now. Both uncertain, but back then it felt less doom and gloom. People were starting to work on themselves, get into alignment, become more awakened. Some took it seriously, others just went back to normal. Now it's more doom and gloom, and people are paralyzed. It's strange—same person, same things going on, in a sense—but back then it felt like, okay, this will pass. Now people know they need to do the healing work, but they're fearful of doing anything at all. I think that's partly your Pisces-Capricorn thing, you know, when things are shifting, when to hunker down and get through it. I'm noticing people are having real trouble pushing forward to the next thing.
I do feel like a lot of people are talking about being on the verge of a next chapter, or a big change, but feeling stuck in the in-between. I honestly feel that way. I know what the next phase of my life should look like, but I'm like, when does that activate? What do I have to do? Is something going to happen that triggers it? So what do you do in the meantime? Do you feel like that's what's going on for a lot of people?
Aycee: Yes and no. Yes, everyone's in that "what do I do in the meantime" place. I call it the boring middle. Everyone's in the boring middle, figuring out the next step. I think the issue, in this day and age, is that we've been trained to look for dopamine hits from everywhere. That's why you're waiting for "the moment." There's no moment coming. You have to just move toward it. I've been telling everyone: just move toward it, do the thing. It might not be a significant event. Stop waiting for that. That's what people are actually waiting on, without realizing it we've been trained to look for dopamine hits everywhere, so we're waiting for some event, when really you just need to do it.
Right, and we have to put the effort in. I think you have to tell the universe, with your actions, what you want.
Aycee: What you want, how you want it, and are you moving toward it?
SPECIAL OFFER FOR FWD JOY SUBSCRIBERS: mention this newsletter when you book a reading with Aycee and you will get a bonus channeled message from her guides.
People keep saying, "If you don't learn AI, you're going to get left behind." What I really think is, if you're not spiritually intelligent, you're going to get left behind.
Aycee: You're right. I've been telling people, for at least the last year and a half, about building your libraries, doing analog things, doing the healing work, doing the spiritual work. And everyone's like, "You don't always have to be healing." Sure, but if you haven't even started yet, you still need to do something. There was a doctor on Steven Bartlett's podcast. Steven asked what the next crisis would be, and he said we're going to have the biggest mental health crisis we've ever seen in the next ten years.
That's why I tell people: do the things, so it doesn't all feel so heavy, because you'll know how much you're actually in control of.
I want to talk about the nodes shifting into Leo and Aquarius. That happened July 26th, and I feel like we're already seeing so many examples play out. I wrote a newsletter this past week about some of the influencer discourse. Nara Smith went on Call Her Daddy and tried to say she was never a "trad wife." There was also a New York Magazine piece about how the Pilates-matcha-luxury-unboxing influencer aesthetic isn't getting the views it used to. And then in the astrology community, astrologer Steven Forrest used a racial slur on a podcast and talked about his family's connection to the KKK. People tried to call him in, and he doubled down, saying he was doing his "shadow work." And there was a New York Times piece about the self-help guru, the Holistic Psychologist, who's been problematic for years. Since the nodes changed, there's a real theme of people falling from their high horse, with that South Node in Leo.
Aycee: It's going to be like that. It's also an opportunity for people who want to show up authentically to actually start doing it now, instead of waiting. I have a better relationship with failure, from my upbringing, so I'm more willing to take risks. A lot of people don't have that relationship with failure, so they're scared. But this node shift gives you the opportunity to show up as yourself and tell the truth. My North Node is in Leo, so the last time this happened in 2008, I was fine. I learned some things.
That was the very beginning of my career, so I don't have much to compare it to. I'd just graduated college that year. Interesting timing, though, because when it was time to find a job, the recession started. All the jobs disappeared. I wanted to work in magazines, and people were getting laid off left and right. Publishing was hit hard.
Aycee: Right. What did you learn? Everyone's always like, "It was hard," but what did you learn? Because you're not going to have the same thing happen to you again; it comes back as a learning experience.
I worked as a sales assistant at a showroom, talking to buyers, seeing a whole side of the industry I wouldn't have seen otherwise. I knew I needed to keep my foot in the game because I knew what I wanted to do, and where I was meant to go— just not the how or the when. I feel like when it comes to my career, I'm a very powerful manifester.
Aycee: Yeah, you have Aquarius ruling your tenth house, so it's going to work out for you during this shift. I looked at your Vedic chart too, to see what Mahadasha period you're in. You'll begin your Jupiter-Saturn Mahadasha on January 8th, 2027. There's a Dasha period and a sub-Dasha for each; sometimes they run every two years, sometimes shorter. So there'll be a bit of push-and-pull next year. You'll be in it for two years. Things will be good, but Saturn wants you to follow the steps, follow the rules.
I was listening to your podcast episode about how your birth chart is a business plan, and I love that framing. Whenever I meet people at a crossroads, I always want to look at their chart, because there's so much information there. When I had a full-time job in fashion and was trying to figure out what was next, the first thing I did was go back and listen to the recording of my first birth chart reading. I'm curious how you would interpret my purpose based on my chart?
Aycee: When it comes to purpose, there are a few different angles to look at. What stands out to me is your Black Moon Lilith and your Chiron in Gemini in the second house, and then all that eighth-house energy in Sagittarius. You have your moon and midheaven in strong Capricorn, but there's this urge to be free. How has that played out for you financially? Are you fulfilled financially? Do you feel constrained?
Up until, I'd say, 2025, I felt really good financially. I’ve never had strict financial goals for myself. I don't measure the success of a year by saying "if I make this much, I'll be happy." I was in such flow from 2021 to 2024, I never worried about money, jobs just kept coming in. But I did experience the very negative side of Jupiter in Gemini at the top of 2024, I found out my business manager had stolen $63,000 from me in April of 2024.
Aycee: Okay, that makes sense with the eleventh house too, with Saturn. I think what would help now, with Pluto out of the way, is focusing on what you're building that you can't see yet, given your tenth house in Aquarius, especially with Pluto there now, since Pluto is the future. You're feeling toward something that might not exist yet, but your Capricorn energy will help you solidify it moving forward. You're in your Jupiter Mahadasha for the next 18 years, so I think you'll be successful, but you need to stay focused. And you'll have to do yourself a favor with Uranus now in your second house, not letting that get in the way.
With Neptune moving into my twelfth house, I was thinking, "Do I need to become an astrologer"?
Aycee: It's not a bad thing. I think it's about niching down into something you're genuinely passionate about, and looking beyond the books and training to how it actually shows up in your own life. When people say, "That's not what that means," I think, to you, maybe, because I'm looking at it from a much deeper level. My work is soul work—helping people get to the root, play the cards they've been dealt. If it's not astrology for you, maybe it's something more trend-based, predictive, which would suit you, actually, because Aries is about being first, about trends. So over the next few years, pay attention to the things people aren't doing within the industries you love, and act on that instead of waiting to see if the economy or the climate changes first.
That's such a good tip. That's so true with my Mercury's in Aries, and there are so many times I've been first to something. I think I need to give myself more credit, instead of waiting to see what other people say first, or whether it's "okay," before I own what I know and believe.
Aycee: Own what you know and believe, and call it a day. I think that's going to be important for everybody, not just you.
I feel like a lot of people, especially women, think running a business means being in your masculine energy. You mentioned this on one of your podcast episodes. I run my own business, and I think I do it in my feminine energy.
Aycee: You can do both, but certain parts of business are more masculine-centered: the seeking, the pitching, the reaching. There are certain things, but you don't have to live in that space 100% of the time. It does have to show up at some point, though, if you're in business at all.
And I think that's where human design really helps: figuring out how to use your energy in the best way to create, sustain, and build a business. I'm a Generator, so I don't believe in pitching myself. I just focus on creating content and putting myself out there. If I really want to work with someone, my trick is trying to set up a meeting or lunch and talk to them face to face, instead of pitching cold.
Aycee: That makes sense. I always say Generators and Projectors are more alike than Generators and Manifesting Generators, because we're both waiting for something external to move us. You're waiting for a sign. I'm waiting for an invitation. Same idea, really.
Yeah. Otherwise, it's about following what's bringing me joy.
Aycee: Which is important. And when it comes to masculine and feminine energy—we all have both within us. Some people are more core feminine, some more core masculine, and it's about how you use it, and what business you're in, but you'll still have to touch both. You can absolutely run a business from feminine energy; neither is bad, it depends on your goals. When it comes to using your human design and your astrology chart in business, it's helpful because it shows you your strengths, what to focus on. When people talk badly about these modalities, I always think, have you actually spent time using them? What were your results? Because when you find what you're actually good at and start earning from it, you have to switch modes, from passion to profession, and that leap is hard. That's what people struggle with most, and that's what I use these tools to help them figure out, even people in corporate or C-suite founders.
Are there any transits you're excited about for the rest of this year?
Aycee: I like the node shift, going back to that earlier time I learned a lot, and even though there were some lows, it turned out well for me in the end, and opened up a lot of opportunities. I'm really curious about Neptune, what's going to get created. Mostly, though, I'm interested in how Neptune and Saturn play out over the next three years.
For sure. I think there'll be a big shift with social media too, since it really took off after the last round of the nodes in Leo and Aquarius. Instagram started around 2010. Any advice for people who are feeling stuck or uncertain right now?
Aycee: Book a session, so I can get you unstuck, yell at you a little, and push you in the right direction. I work well in a crisis. Everyone who's ever been referred to me came to me in a crisis. But mostly: just move, act on something. You don't need a big grand plan, take small steps, do one thing every day for 21 days, even five minutes, just to move. Stop waiting for "the moment." I'd also say: get more comfortable with boring things. As an older millennial, and as an only child, I have a good relationship with boredom, and I've noticed these phones have taken that away from us. So I tell people: buy physical books, actually read, find a hobby, do a little project that takes you into your own space for even five or ten minutes a day journaling, something that's just you and that thing, nothing else. Because if you're on social media and you're not looking for something specific, not teaching or selling, once you've found "the thing" you were scrolling for, there's nothing else there. You should leave. Get back to simple things, hobbies. They can be inexpensive; it can start with books, it can be anything.
Acknowledge that sometimes really amazing things come from boredom.
Aycee: Everything comes from it, because your body's quiet and still, and you can actually listen.
Final question: what's bringing you joy right now?
Aycee: Probably getting back into painting. I think I'm going to side-quest it. I might document the process on a secret Instagram account, or maybe on my Substack. I think I need to challenge myself sometimes, just to see what happens, so I've got a little challenge going with myself around art.
Like a true Pisces. What can’t she do?
Aycee: Exactly. I'm actually really good at a lot of things, and people get so annoyed when Pisces say, "we're everything, everything is us, we're amazing." But I have this thing I call the Zodiac Reincarnation Theory that came to me— the idea that as Pisces, we were every sign before we got here. So, number one, we're a little fed up with you all. And number two, we're genuinely good at a lot of stuff, because we've lived through so many lifetimes. So yes, there's an attitude of, "I do know it all, and you don't want to listen." Having the psychic and mediumship side makes it worse, honestly, because people come back and say, "You were right," and I think I know, you could have listened last year when you first came to me.
Aycee’s Reading List
I love this book because it gave me a clear understanding of a few things my soul signed up for in this lifetime. I actually love recommending this to people who haven't had their Saturn Return yet.
I love this book because if you focus on your Sun, Moon, Rising and any Stelliums you have this book can help you heal your body.
I love this book because it goes into detail about the day your were born and characteristics that are unique to you. It’s so amazing.
