Looking forward
Reflecting on past chapters and looking forward into 2024
Hi friend, thanks for checking in with me here today. Since it’s a new calendar year, a new life year for me personally and a New Moon in Capricorn, some reflection but mostly a forward gaze is in order. This will be a proper newsletter rather than the more usual think piece, as I have a lot to update you on about what’s new in my practice and business.
I was very early this year. I’ve been in reflection and planning mode since half November, and I’m going to keep it going throughout the year, reviewing and adjusting as I go. Maybe that’s the only ‘resolution’ I have for this year: to keep on top of my goals and intentions through the systems I’ve implemented for myself. I’ve been adjusting to using review cycles in my life and business, but that’s maybe for another letter, let me know if there’s any Notion nerds out there that would like to see this.
Today I would like to dive into the actual results of all that thinking and doodling and tell you about some of the new and exciting things that I want to give room to unfold in the upcoming year. The overall vibe is: I’m done playing small.
Alchemy
If you’ve been following along on social media these last few months, you may have already seen me post about my new project and offering called Alchemy. For a while, I was a photographer first, astrologer on the side. The two titles I carry had long been very separate identities of mine. I really had to grow into the astrologer title to fully embody it in the way I feel I can do now. Then, slowly, I started to realise that these two practices were essentially serving the same purpose: I guide you to excavate and express your truest essence. I make an effort to make you feel seen.
Bringing these two strengths together is in itself an act of alchemy. I’m always longing for more depth in the limited physical dimension we find ourselves in. That’s also why this newsletter has the title it does. The first issue of Dimensions was about something I call creative alchemy, talking about how you can alchemise different disciplines and input into your own creative output and practice.
In the Alchemy process, it starts with an astrological consultation, which will form the basis of the visual concept of the photoshoot. Carefully distilling the archetypes from your chart, I develop a visual concept that fits you and conveys your purpose in strong symbolism. The consultation is a way for me to connect with you on a deep level and to get to the core of your being. This way, we can have an crucial level of vulnerability and presence with each other and the photos will be infused with who you truly are.
So, in 2024 I want to invite you to dive deep and alchemise with me. To connect with your cosmology, uncovering your essence and let it be seen. I want to help you present this essence to the world and for you to find and connect with your tribe, by showing up as your true self. We’ll be doing it together, because developing this offering and saying out loud that I’m an astrologer is me showing up as my true self. Your move!
This process is something I deeply believe in, and it’s already set me on the path of so many more beautiful collaborations and projects that I can’t wait to share with you very soon. You can read about the first collaborative fruits at the end of this newsletter.
Mentoring
In line with the Alchemy photoshoots, I’ve embarked on another new venture of becoming a mentor. I’ll get to why they’re connected in just a bit. Over the past decade, I’ve done a lot of different kinds of photography teaching and workshops. In the past few years, the group workshops were put aside in favour of other priorities, but I kept offering to work with me privately if it was requested.
Recently though, two other paths suddenly connected in a way that inspired me. During astrological consultations, a lot of the time there is so much in a chart that you want to get into or work with over a longer period of time, but you keep it in the container of the one hour-ish consultation. Most of the time I end up wrapping up with a lengthy debrief e-mail with pointers about certain transits they still have coming up and how to prepare for them, and always love it when clients check back in with me over the course of those transits.
The secondary path was the one where I was discussing to set up a private retouching lesson with a photographer, where I felt like there was a lot more I would like to talk about with him in regards to his practice and business, more than just a technical lesson. I decided to offer him a pilot spot in my new mentoring program involving three months of coaching and support, in stead of the one-time workshop. He got on board, and something else ‘clicked’ again… I kept pulling the thread.
I suggested that, if he was open to it, we could also have a look at his astrological chart while we have our kick-off for the program and set up our objectives for the next three months together. This ended up adding such a beautiful layer to this process, giving me an extra angle to get to know someone. Again I am harnessing the power of all my unique gifts into one container. I absolutely love it, and already know I’m going to continue to develop this offering and officially launch around Q2 of 2024, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime it’s still possible to book singular mentor sessions, private workshops or astrological consultations on their own.
Workshops
Leaning more into mentoring and teaching, I realised I also really missed the group workshops. So, heck, why not bring them back? I am my own boss, after all. This year I aim to launch four different workshops, the first one is available for early birds now through my website. We’re diving into one of my favourite topics: creative portraiture. In a beautiful daylight studio in Arnhem, I’ll teach you everything I know about making compelling portraits. There will be a model to work with in the studio, a nice lunch, good times.
The other workshops will be on lighting (natural light as well as studio light), retouching and one on running a creative business. If any of these sound exciting to you, you can click the links added to the topics to add yourself to the waiting list and be the first to know when they launch. I’m so excited to share all of this with you!
Lunar Earthlings
Some more exciting astrology related news: I’m starting a collaboration with meditation coach Mahi Davide. We are both bursting with ideas, and can’t wait to share it all with you. First up is 10 Days of Rest, an online retreat Mahi is hosting. During this retreat we’re invited to unwind into our most peaceful and creative selves. A myriad of different speakers, including myself, will have their own take on rest in the context of their respective practices. I will be teaching a masterclass on resting with the Moon in astrology, and how we can find philosophical, physical and emotional rest within a lunar practice.
This idea of a lunar practice is something we would like to share with you in a more connected way, which is why we’re setting up an online community where we work with the Moon. As Lunar Earthlings, as we so lovingly called this project, we can be present with the Moon through her different phases to reflect, set intentions and be more present. In this community we will be sharing astrological insight about the new and full moons, guided meditations and journaling prompts. On every Full Moon this will be a live online get together where we meditate together. If you’re interested in joining us, you can sign up for the waiting list to be the first to know when we launch.
That’s it for me right now, lots of fun things to come. I’m really excited to see where this year will take me. I’d love to here about your plans for 2024. Don’t be shy, hit reply!