How Astrology Can Illuminate Your Path to Self-Discovery with Kathryn Diaz, LMFT
In a world where many of us are searching for deeper meaning and self-understanding, ancient wisdom systems like astrology continue to offer valuable insights. On a recent episode of The Moon Collective Sanctuary podcast, host Dr. Lydia Luna, PhD, welcomed holistic psychotherapist Kathryn Diaz, LMFT who brings a unique blend of expertise to her practice. With credentials as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and specializations in EMDR, somatic therapy, and depth psychotherapy, Kathryn has spent over 12 years studying and applying astrology as a tool for healing and self-discovery.
Her journey into astrology began during a challenging period in her early thirties when personal crises led her to seek answers beyond conventional frameworks. What started as a quest for external guidance evolved into a journey of self-understanding that now informs her therapeutic approach with clients. In this exploration of celestial patterns and psychological insights, we'll discover how astrology can serve as a mirror reflecting our inner landscape and a map guiding us through life's most significant transitions.
When the Universe Reroutes Your Path
Saturn, often referred to as the cosmic teacher, brings some of life's most significant lessons through its 28 to 30-year orbit. When this planet returns to the same position it occupied at your birth—typically when you're around 30 years old—it often triggers a major life evaluation that many experience as a turning point.
For Kathryn, her Saturn Return coincided with feeling dramatically off course in life. She describes this period as one where everything seemed to be erased, forcing her to start over. While the experience was intense, she now views it as a necessary blessing that prevented her from continuing down a path that would have led to misery. This cosmic intervention, though challenging, ultimately guided her toward her current fulfilling work combining psychology and astrology.
Saturn Return represents a universal milestone that many people experience without understanding its astrological significance. It's a time when the universe demands authenticity and alignment with your true purpose. Those who resist these lessons often find themselves facing increasingly difficult challenges until they surrender to the necessary changes. By understanding this transit, we can approach this life phase with greater awareness and intention, recognizing that sometimes the most difficult redirections lead to our most authentic path.
Collective Transformation in Revolutionary Times
Currently, we're experiencing a rare astrological event that hasn't occurred since the American Revolution of the late 1700s—Pluto's transit through Aquarius. This outer planet, associated with transformation, destruction, and rebirth, is now activating the sign connected to innovation, social structures, and collective consciousness.
Kathryn points out that the last time this transit occurred, it coincided with the Age of Reason and a period of political and social upheaval. Similarly, our current moment features challenges to established systems and widespread questioning of authority. This transit helps explain much of the social and political turmoil we're witnessing today. Unlike shorter astrological cycles, this Pluto transit will last approximately 20 years, suggesting we're only at the beginning of a lengthy transformative period.
For individuals navigating these turbulent times, understanding this cosmic context offers valuable perspective. Rather than viewing current challenges as random chaos, we can recognize them as part of a larger evolutionary process. Kathryn suggests that during such periods, we must develop a greater capacity for discomfort and uncertainty while finding joy in small pleasures. This balanced approach—acknowledging the difficulty while not becoming overwhelmed by it—helps us remain grounded during times of significant collective change.
Integrating Somatic Awareness with Astrological Insights
In her therapeutic practice, Kathryn bridges astrological wisdom with somatic awareness, recognizing that our bodies often communicate what our minds cannot yet articulate. Many clients arrive at therapy intellectualizing their experiences, struggling to identify or express actual feelings.
When asked how they feel, people typically respond with thoughts rather than emotional states, revealing a common disconnect from bodily sensations. This tendency to stay "in our heads" often serves as an avoidance mechanism that prevents deeper healing. Kathryn's approach focuses on bringing attention back to physical sensations and present-moment experiences, asking questions like "What are you noticing happening right now?" and highlighting subtle shifts in breathing or gaze.
This somatic approach complements astrological insights by grounding cosmic patterns in embodied experience. For example, challenging planetary transits often manifest as physical symptoms that serve as messengers. Kathryn describes how her own body signals when she's not honoring her boundaries—through digestive issues or illness that prompted her to reassess her choices. This integration of celestial knowledge and bodily wisdom creates a holistic framework for understanding ourselves and our patterns more completely.
Astrology as a Map for Family Patterns and Life Transitions
One fascinating application of astrological knowledge is its ability to illuminate family dynamics and generational patterns. Kathryn became particularly interested in fertility astrology during her own journey to motherhood, discovering interesting connections between her birth chart and her mother's.
Her mother had experienced multiple miscarriages before unexpectedly conceiving Kathryn, who was born as a surprise. Analyzing her mother's chart, Kathryn found Uranus (the planet of unexpected changes) in the fifth house (associated with children)—reflecting the circumstances of her birth. Later, when Kathryn herself became pregnant, similar astrological patterns appeared, with her son born on her wedding anniversary despite having a different due date.
These generational connections extend beyond birth timing to include inherited traits and challenges. Many psychological patterns that appear in therapy can be seen reflected in family members' astrological charts, offering a different perspective on traits often attributed solely to environment or upbringing. This astrological lens provides another tool for understanding why we might struggle with certain issues across generations, helping clients develop compassion for themselves and their ancestors while creating new possibilities for healing.
Embracing Your Cosmic Blueprint: Steps for Personal Exploration
If you're intrigued by how astrology might illuminate your own life journey, there are several accessible ways to begin exploring this ancient wisdom system:
Start with your personal chart: Download an astrology app like Time Passages and spend time reading about your own placements. Understanding yourself first provides the foundation for deeper astrological knowledge.
Look beyond your Sun sign: While popular astrology focuses on Sun signs, your Moon sign (emotional nature), Rising sign (outward expression), and planetary placements offer a much more complete picture.
Notice patterns during transits: Pay attention to how you feel during different lunar phases or when planets go retrograde. Keeping a simple journal can help you identify personal patterns.
Consider relationship dynamics: If you're in a relationship, exploring synastry (chart comparison) can provide insights into your connection. Compatible Moon signs or complementary Sun-Moon placements often indicate natural understanding.
Track Saturn cycles: Mark your calendar for ages 29-30, 58-59, and 87-88 when Saturn Returns occur. These periods often bring significant life evaluations and changes.
The beauty of astrology lies in its ability to provide a framework for understanding life's ebbs and flows without determining our fate. As Kathryn emphasizes, these celestial patterns offer information and timing insights, but we always retain our agency in how we respond to them.
Stargazing as Self-Discovery
In an age dominated by technological advancement and scientific rationalism, the enduring appeal of astrology speaks to our fundamental human need for meaning and connection. Far from being merely predictive, modern psychological astrology offers a rich symbolic language for understanding ourselves and our place in the cosmos.
As Kathryn Diaz demonstrates through her integrative practice, astrological insights can complement other therapeutic modalities, helping us navigate life's transitions with greater awareness and intention. People experiencing Saturn Return, those processing collective changes during our current Pluto transit, and anyone seeking to understand relationship patterns can benefit from astrology's unique perspective. This cosmic framework honors universal experiences while respecting individual journeys.
Perhaps most importantly, astrology reminds us that we're part of something larger than ourselves—connected to cosmic rhythms that have guided human experience for millennia. In a world that often feels fragmented and uncertain, this sense of connection can be reassuring. As you gaze at the night sky, remember that the same stars that influence your life have witnessed countless human stories unfolding across time, offering their silent wisdom to all who pause to listen.
Connect with Kathryn Diaz on LinkedIn, @astroccult on social media or visit kathryndiaztherapy.com to learn more about her holistic healing approaches.
Visit mooncollectivesanctuary.com or follow @mooncollectivesanctuary for more resources.
