Astrology with Love.
A special interview with Ari Moshe on his early days as a student, his unique perspective on teaching, and his upcoming Heart and Soul Centered Astrology Chart Interpretation course in Portland Oregon.*
Interview
Q: Ari Moshe, tell us a little bit about where you are coming from. What is your training, what has brought you to where you are now?
AM: My predominate training is with Jeffrey Wolf Green’s Evolutionary Astrology. I’ve also worked very intimately with Adam Gainsburg of Soulsign© astrology. Adam was my first teacher and my real introduction to soul-focused astrology.
Q: How did you find Adam and EA?
AM: It’s an interesting story actually. I was completely disillusioned about astrology. I just got to a certain point where I felt that the vastness of astrology, what I sensed of it, was hardly being touched. All of my books seemed to fall short of really addressing the meat of my growing spiritual awareness. At a certain point I just witnessed my interest in astrology wane as my passion to know the truth wasn’t really being satisfied.
Q: Then what happened?
AM: I had a conversation with a friend of mine. I remember it vividly. He asked me what my rising, Moon and Sun signs are. Before I gave him that data I said something like, “You know I’ll tell you but I don’t really feel like we actually KNOW what that stuff means. It’s like what does it mean really? I don’t think we can know”. I also remember at that time walking down the streets of west Olympia and having this moment of utter despair as I realized that I am limited in what I can understand. I felt the vastness of the stars and had a vague sense of there being a connection to what I am, but still it felt totally out of my reach. I felt a sense of hopelessness, it was very painful.
Q: Why was that so painful for you?
AM: I think it’s because I really had this idea that I could know it all, that it was in my ability to find the answers. Really I wanted connection, and I felt separation.
Q: And you didn’t think that studying more astrology would help you gain that knowledge?
AM: I didn’t. I knew that no study could possibly satisfy the yearning to know, but only temporarily fill in the sense of emptiness with the idea of knowing. At some point I concluded that I couldn’t know, which made me feel more secure than trying to know but always falling short.
That’s a part of what stressed me out about reading books that would so often give such concrete descriptions for things. Saying things like “You midheaven is how people see you publicly.” It felt too general, too vague, it lacked a higher context that I felt no one really understood.
Q: How would you describe the midheaven?
AM: I’m hesitant to describe it standing on one foot. That’s the point, knowledge is always contextual. The midheaven never stands alone in a chart, it is connected to everything else. It’s kind of like trying to describe the nose without understanding the face. It actually takes immense concentration for me to go into pure left brain zone when describing the various components of astrology. That’s not how I work as a teacher.
Q: How do you work?
AM: Holistically. I provide individual definition within the context of the larger phramework. That way everything can be related back to the essence. That’s part of what was so challenging for me about my early years in astrology – there was so much definition but so little synthesis. I didn’t feel like I could look at a chart and get the gestalt of it, like the real inner truth of a person.
Q: I know many beginner astrology students really struggle with just that: they look at a chart and they feel overwhelmed with where to go and what to do. Putting it all together and making meaning out of it seems to be the hardest part. How does one come to synthesis?
AM: Well the key is to remember that the parts don’t have an independent existence outside of its relationship with the whole. Staying relaxed and in the heart is the most important thing, otherwise it can become a process of striving to figure things out which only creates stress and separation.
Genuine, total learning is always a holistic experience. When a child is learning how to use their hands they don’t get frustrated when they can’t grab a spoon. They just keep on grabbing, exploring, using. As a society, we are way too focused on achievement and often neglect the importance of just pure experience. Through time and exposure and most importantly love, synthesis happens. Where we direct our love, results will always blossom.
Q: So let’s return to that conversation with your friend. What happened during that conversation?
AM: He actually showed me a book he had by his friend and teacher Adam Gainsburg: Sacred Marriage Astrology. I remember skimming through it and there was something about the way Adam wrote that resonated so deeply. I felt truth in his words. I sensed an embodied wisdom in that man and I immediately knew that there was something rich for me there. My friend also showed me Jeff Green’s book “Pluto the Evolutionary Journey of the Soul”. I felt an inexpressibly deep soul resonance with that book and with the man himself. That book was definitely a turning point in my life, though I did not really pick it up much at all for another year.
Q: And so then you began studying with Adam?
AM: Yeah. First I got a reading, I think it was 3 hours long! I cried after the first couple minutes. It was such a cry! A big release, like finally feeling seen, understood. I actually don’t remember much of that reading other than a few million dollar one liners. One of them was, “The greatest truths are the ones most simply stated”. That will stay with me forever. After the reading I began apprenticing with him. I transcribed his audio teachings on the 12 archetypes, sat in on classes, did personal work with him. Gradually I found myself getting more involved in studying Jeff Green’s books, his Evolutionary Astrology DVD course, and the schoolofevolutionaryastrology.com message board.
Q: When did you start giving readings?
AM: I started giving readings in 2007, maybe even late 2006.
Q: When did you start calling yourself and Evolutionary Astrologer?
AM: I think others saw me as that first, including my EA teachers. I didn’t consciously intend to make EA my main focus, but I just kept on showing up on the EA message board, asking questions, thinking about it, applying the material in my own work with clients. The message board was like a second home for me. I found myself really osmosing the essence of the teachings. The part of me that wanted to know everything was really humbled by the humility, love and wisdom of my teachers and colleagues on that message board.
Q: In 2011 you released an ebook for beginners in Evolutionary Astrology. What prompted you to write that book?
AM: It actually started off as a series of blogs and articles – some of which were for a student. There wasn’t any information out there that I felt was accessible to students who were not just new to EA but also new to astrology in general. So I wanted to explain everything from the bottom up, but from the Evolutionary Astrology perspective.
Q: So this is a good transition point. You’ll be teaching a course in Portland soon, why do you call it “Heart and Soul Centered astrology”?
AM: Because it is! Actually that’s really what makes it unique. The heart is the place within us that understands the oneness between the infinite soul and our finite human experience. It’s where all things are unified. The heart to me is the essence of integration. The title really describes two things:
One, it describes the content of the course itself. The course will focus on really understanding and appreciating the intricate and nuanced poetry of this human-soul experience. The teachings will reflect heart wisdom, not just cut and dry teachings. We will seek to learn with our heart’s mind, through embodied understanding. You know, it’s so easy to make any field of knowledge, especially astrology, just a mental exercise. To me astrology is a devotional practice. Empathy and compassion are foundational.
Two, it describes how the course will be taught. I am a heart and soul centered teacher. It’s the quality that I bring into all the work that I do. I will teach everything from the perspective of unity and connection. Again as Adam once offered, “The greatest truths are the ones most simply stated”. I feel the simper I am, the deeper the teachings will go.
Q: What are some of your other influences that have inspired your work at this time?
AM: Most and foremost the heart. It’s that place within me that sees everything from the point of view of love. With love all things can be understood.
In terms of other teachers, there are several. I deeply resonate with Adyashanti and Abraham-Hicks. I feel the quality of their teachings are incredibly loving and non judgmental. They offer a perspective on spirituality that isn’t about needing to “do something” to evolve spiritually. The emphasis is on our relationship to the present moment. Everything starts with that.
Q: What will the structure of your course be?
AM: We’ll be meeting a full weekend once a month for 6 months. There will be take home assignments and an online forum for sharing assignments, asking questions and reviewing material. Each weekend will total to about 14 hours of actual class time.
Q: Wow! That’s a lot of hours. What about self care?
AM: The most important thing to me is actually my own sense of alignment and well being. If I am aligned, then everyone will benefit greatly. There are many small breaks structured into the schedule, mostly because I know how deeply I connect to Source when I do simple things like taking a walk, hug a tree, getting my feet on the earth, playing some guitar. Things like that. And I know the breaks will be good for everyone as well. I care deeply about living in a holistic way – so I will encourage everyone to nurture their entire body during these course weekends.
There will also be a scheduled break every day so that I can catch the sunset. The course is being held just a mile from Mount Tabor which is an amazing location for watching the sunset! I love the Sun deeply and being with it is an immense source of healing/ rebalancing/ remembering.
The greatest practice of self care that I will cultivate and demonstrate is to teach with Love. I find that when I teach with love, I am really rejuvenated and it tends to spread to my students.
Q: What else are you excited about with this upcoming course?
AM: There’s nothing that joys me more about this course than thinking about all the love I will get to share! To me teaching is synonymous with loving. You know as we’re sitting here I just noticed that my yogi tea bag says, “Share your strengths not your weaknesses”. I appreciate that – it’s so simple. That’s exactly what I’m doing here. I’m only going to teach what I’m strong in, which is also what I love.
I’m excited about my preparations for this course too. Currently I’m in the planning stages for setting up media presentations for many of the segments I’ll be teaching. I think the visual accompaniment will strengthen the pedagogy. Exploring this is also helping me to further refine and clarify exactly what I will be teaching and how I will teach it. Feels really strengthening and grounding for me.
I’m also really excited about the location. This will take place at the muse mansion which is really more like a sanctuary. It holds such a loving and peaceful vibe. I think that location will be really conducive to learning and integration.
Q: You've talked earlier about holistic learning. How will you support your students to start interpreting charts?
AM: I’m glad you asked that. This is actually something else I’m really excited about! About 30 or so hours of the total course time will be devoted to working on charts with real live volunteers. The way we’ll do this is to connect with the human being first: we’ll listen to their life story, what’s going on for them, what’s real for them. We’ll ask all the questions we want to, we’ll really connect with the person.
Then we’ll look at the chart and see what we can do. There will be no guesswork – we’ll have the opportunity to directly correlate the chart to a real life human experience. In my experience, learning in that way, with real life human connection, is very affirming. It provides direct experience, not just theoretical knowledge.
Q: That makes so much sense!
AM: Again that’s really the essence of this course: heart and soul centered. We’re aiming at connection as the means and the ends. I’ve taught several courses before and have used theoretical charts, or the charts of dead celebrities. It’s not as juicy, not as engaging. It’s still 2 dimensional, no one’s really there. Jeff Green often said, “Astrology reflects life”. So let’s connect with the life it reflects!
Q: Where have you taught in the past?
AM: Mostly in classrooms and in my own living room, also through webinar/telephone. I’ve enjoyed the living room setting the most. I like the intimacy of an environment that feels inviting and comfortable.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say to those who are considering joining this course?
AM: I invite everyone who feels a draw to this course to check it out on my website and to also peruse my teachings page to see if my work resonates with you. Registration ends Dec 21st. I’ll also be giving a full Moon teaching and holding an info meeting at the muse mansion on Dec 5th.
You know another thing I’m really excited about is the opportunity to teach a group of people who are really excited and passionate about taking this course. I joyfully anticipate continuing to watch as this group comes into perfect formation.
Q: Thank you for joining us Ari Moshe.
AM: Thank you!
Q: You can check out Ari Moshe’s course at www.arimoshe.com/portland-astrology-course.
*All questions and answers of this interview written by Ari Moshe Wolfe.
Q: Ari Moshe, tell us a little bit about where you are coming from. What is your training, what has brought you to where you are now?
AM: My predominate training is with Jeffrey Wolf Green’s Evolutionary Astrology. I’ve also worked very intimately with Adam Gainsburg of Soulsign© astrology. Adam was my first teacher and my real introduction to soul-focused astrology.
Q: How did you find Adam and EA?
AM: It’s an interesting story actually. I was completely disillusioned about astrology. I just got to a certain point where I felt that the vastness of astrology, what I sensed of it, was hardly being touched. All of my books seemed to fall short of really addressing the meat of my growing spiritual awareness. At a certain point I just witnessed my interest in astrology wane as my passion to know the truth wasn’t really being satisfied.
Q: Then what happened?
AM: I had a conversation with a friend of mine. I remember it vividly. He asked me what my rising, Moon and Sun signs are. Before I gave him that data I said something like, “You know I’ll tell you but I don’t really feel like we actually KNOW what that stuff means. It’s like what does it mean really? I don’t think we can know”. I also remember at that time walking down the streets of west Olympia and having this moment of utter despair as I realized that I am limited in what I can understand. I felt the vastness of the stars and had a vague sense of there being a connection to what I am, but still it felt totally out of my reach. I felt a sense of hopelessness, it was very painful.
Q: Why was that so painful for you?
AM: I think it’s because I really had this idea that I could know it all, that it was in my ability to find the answers. Really I wanted connection, and I felt separation.
Q: And you didn’t think that studying more astrology would help you gain that knowledge?
AM: I didn’t. I knew that no study could possibly satisfy the yearning to know, but only temporarily fill in the sense of emptiness with the idea of knowing. At some point I concluded that I couldn’t know, which made me feel more secure than trying to know but always falling short.
That’s a part of what stressed me out about reading books that would so often give such concrete descriptions for things. Saying things like “You midheaven is how people see you publicly.” It felt too general, too vague, it lacked a higher context that I felt no one really understood.
Q: How would you describe the midheaven?
AM: I’m hesitant to describe it standing on one foot. That’s the point, knowledge is always contextual. The midheaven never stands alone in a chart, it is connected to everything else. It’s kind of like trying to describe the nose without understanding the face. It actually takes immense concentration for me to go into pure left brain zone when describing the various components of astrology. That’s not how I work as a teacher.
Q: How do you work?
AM: Holistically. I provide individual definition within the context of the larger phramework. That way everything can be related back to the essence. That’s part of what was so challenging for me about my early years in astrology – there was so much definition but so little synthesis. I didn’t feel like I could look at a chart and get the gestalt of it, like the real inner truth of a person.
Q: I know many beginner astrology students really struggle with just that: they look at a chart and they feel overwhelmed with where to go and what to do. Putting it all together and making meaning out of it seems to be the hardest part. How does one come to synthesis?
AM: Well the key is to remember that the parts don’t have an independent existence outside of its relationship with the whole. Staying relaxed and in the heart is the most important thing, otherwise it can become a process of striving to figure things out which only creates stress and separation.
Genuine, total learning is always a holistic experience. When a child is learning how to use their hands they don’t get frustrated when they can’t grab a spoon. They just keep on grabbing, exploring, using. As a society, we are way too focused on achievement and often neglect the importance of just pure experience. Through time and exposure and most importantly love, synthesis happens. Where we direct our love, results will always blossom.
Q: So let’s return to that conversation with your friend. What happened during that conversation?
AM: He actually showed me a book he had by his friend and teacher Adam Gainsburg: Sacred Marriage Astrology. I remember skimming through it and there was something about the way Adam wrote that resonated so deeply. I felt truth in his words. I sensed an embodied wisdom in that man and I immediately knew that there was something rich for me there. My friend also showed me Jeff Green’s book “Pluto the Evolutionary Journey of the Soul”. I felt an inexpressibly deep soul resonance with that book and with the man himself. That book was definitely a turning point in my life, though I did not really pick it up much at all for another year.
Q: And so then you began studying with Adam?
AM: Yeah. First I got a reading, I think it was 3 hours long! I cried after the first couple minutes. It was such a cry! A big release, like finally feeling seen, understood. I actually don’t remember much of that reading other than a few million dollar one liners. One of them was, “The greatest truths are the ones most simply stated”. That will stay with me forever. After the reading I began apprenticing with him. I transcribed his audio teachings on the 12 archetypes, sat in on classes, did personal work with him. Gradually I found myself getting more involved in studying Jeff Green’s books, his Evolutionary Astrology DVD course, and the schoolofevolutionaryastrology.com message board.
Q: When did you start giving readings?
AM: I started giving readings in 2007, maybe even late 2006.
Q: When did you start calling yourself and Evolutionary Astrologer?
AM: I think others saw me as that first, including my EA teachers. I didn’t consciously intend to make EA my main focus, but I just kept on showing up on the EA message board, asking questions, thinking about it, applying the material in my own work with clients. The message board was like a second home for me. I found myself really osmosing the essence of the teachings. The part of me that wanted to know everything was really humbled by the humility, love and wisdom of my teachers and colleagues on that message board.
Q: In 2011 you released an ebook for beginners in Evolutionary Astrology. What prompted you to write that book?
AM: It actually started off as a series of blogs and articles – some of which were for a student. There wasn’t any information out there that I felt was accessible to students who were not just new to EA but also new to astrology in general. So I wanted to explain everything from the bottom up, but from the Evolutionary Astrology perspective.
Q: So this is a good transition point. You’ll be teaching a course in Portland soon, why do you call it “Heart and Soul Centered astrology”?
AM: Because it is! Actually that’s really what makes it unique. The heart is the place within us that understands the oneness between the infinite soul and our finite human experience. It’s where all things are unified. The heart to me is the essence of integration. The title really describes two things:
One, it describes the content of the course itself. The course will focus on really understanding and appreciating the intricate and nuanced poetry of this human-soul experience. The teachings will reflect heart wisdom, not just cut and dry teachings. We will seek to learn with our heart’s mind, through embodied understanding. You know, it’s so easy to make any field of knowledge, especially astrology, just a mental exercise. To me astrology is a devotional practice. Empathy and compassion are foundational.
Two, it describes how the course will be taught. I am a heart and soul centered teacher. It’s the quality that I bring into all the work that I do. I will teach everything from the perspective of unity and connection. Again as Adam once offered, “The greatest truths are the ones most simply stated”. I feel the simper I am, the deeper the teachings will go.
Q: What are some of your other influences that have inspired your work at this time?
AM: Most and foremost the heart. It’s that place within me that sees everything from the point of view of love. With love all things can be understood.
In terms of other teachers, there are several. I deeply resonate with Adyashanti and Abraham-Hicks. I feel the quality of their teachings are incredibly loving and non judgmental. They offer a perspective on spirituality that isn’t about needing to “do something” to evolve spiritually. The emphasis is on our relationship to the present moment. Everything starts with that.
Q: What will the structure of your course be?
AM: We’ll be meeting a full weekend once a month for 6 months. There will be take home assignments and an online forum for sharing assignments, asking questions and reviewing material. Each weekend will total to about 14 hours of actual class time.
Q: Wow! That’s a lot of hours. What about self care?
AM: The most important thing to me is actually my own sense of alignment and well being. If I am aligned, then everyone will benefit greatly. There are many small breaks structured into the schedule, mostly because I know how deeply I connect to Source when I do simple things like taking a walk, hug a tree, getting my feet on the earth, playing some guitar. Things like that. And I know the breaks will be good for everyone as well. I care deeply about living in a holistic way – so I will encourage everyone to nurture their entire body during these course weekends.
There will also be a scheduled break every day so that I can catch the sunset. The course is being held just a mile from Mount Tabor which is an amazing location for watching the sunset! I love the Sun deeply and being with it is an immense source of healing/ rebalancing/ remembering.
The greatest practice of self care that I will cultivate and demonstrate is to teach with Love. I find that when I teach with love, I am really rejuvenated and it tends to spread to my students.
Q: What else are you excited about with this upcoming course?
AM: There’s nothing that joys me more about this course than thinking about all the love I will get to share! To me teaching is synonymous with loving. You know as we’re sitting here I just noticed that my yogi tea bag says, “Share your strengths not your weaknesses”. I appreciate that – it’s so simple. That’s exactly what I’m doing here. I’m only going to teach what I’m strong in, which is also what I love.
I’m excited about my preparations for this course too. Currently I’m in the planning stages for setting up media presentations for many of the segments I’ll be teaching. I think the visual accompaniment will strengthen the pedagogy. Exploring this is also helping me to further refine and clarify exactly what I will be teaching and how I will teach it. Feels really strengthening and grounding for me.
I’m also really excited about the location. This will take place at the muse mansion which is really more like a sanctuary. It holds such a loving and peaceful vibe. I think that location will be really conducive to learning and integration.
Q: You've talked earlier about holistic learning. How will you support your students to start interpreting charts?
AM: I’m glad you asked that. This is actually something else I’m really excited about! About 30 or so hours of the total course time will be devoted to working on charts with real live volunteers. The way we’ll do this is to connect with the human being first: we’ll listen to their life story, what’s going on for them, what’s real for them. We’ll ask all the questions we want to, we’ll really connect with the person.
Then we’ll look at the chart and see what we can do. There will be no guesswork – we’ll have the opportunity to directly correlate the chart to a real life human experience. In my experience, learning in that way, with real life human connection, is very affirming. It provides direct experience, not just theoretical knowledge.
Q: That makes so much sense!
AM: Again that’s really the essence of this course: heart and soul centered. We’re aiming at connection as the means and the ends. I’ve taught several courses before and have used theoretical charts, or the charts of dead celebrities. It’s not as juicy, not as engaging. It’s still 2 dimensional, no one’s really there. Jeff Green often said, “Astrology reflects life”. So let’s connect with the life it reflects!
Q: Where have you taught in the past?
AM: Mostly in classrooms and in my own living room, also through webinar/telephone. I’ve enjoyed the living room setting the most. I like the intimacy of an environment that feels inviting and comfortable.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say to those who are considering joining this course?
AM: I invite everyone who feels a draw to this course to check it out on my website and to also peruse my teachings page to see if my work resonates with you. Registration ends Dec 21st. I’ll also be giving a full Moon teaching and holding an info meeting at the muse mansion on Dec 5th.
You know another thing I’m really excited about is the opportunity to teach a group of people who are really excited and passionate about taking this course. I joyfully anticipate continuing to watch as this group comes into perfect formation.
Q: Thank you for joining us Ari Moshe.
AM: Thank you!
Q: You can check out Ari Moshe’s course at www.arimoshe.com/portland-astrology-course.
*All questions and answers of this interview written by Ari Moshe Wolfe.
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Ari Moshe Wolfe is an Olympia based astrologer, writer and teacher. Rooted in the modality of Evolutionary Astrology and expanded through his own life experience and heart-centered approach to life, Ari Moshe’s teaching style and practice of astrology combines strong technique with a deep compassion and strong intuition. He has written the forward to the republished classic “Pluto the Evolutionary Journey of the Soul” by Jeff Green as well as his own beginners guide to Evolutionary Astrology. For more information about Ari Moshe and his work, visit: www.arimoshe.com
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