As I was sitting on the plane back to New York, all that came to mind was how incredible the past week had been in Tulum on the AstroStyle retreat. Created by Tali and Ophi Edut (aka the AstroTwins, founders of AstroStyle, twin sisters, authors, and ELLE‘s resident astrologers), the trip brought together 19 women from all over the world.
The goal? To learn the art of, yes, astrology! Each of us couldn’t be more different in terms of life goals, nationality, age, size and that is, truly, the beauty of it.
Learning with AstroStyle
Being there was like living in another world, one that doesn’t require shoes because the beach is all you need. We stayed at the Shambala Petit Hotel amongst the palm trees, quaint cabins, hammocks, and a swing set. It felt like a safe haven. This is a rare occurrence, but usually, when I travel anywhere for more than a few days, I get antsy to delve back into work. The fear of falling behind catches up on me. Maybe it’s just the Gemini mindset, as I learned, but something about Tulum was different. It felt all the more important to live in the moment.
Every day, we attended class and flipped to another chapter in the AstroStyle “Become Your Own Astrologer” star-powered workbook and study guide. The course was organized in five lessons. It focuses on birth chart basics, money, love and relationships, cosmic compatibility, and predictive astrology.
School, to me, has never been like this before! Tali and Ophi are literally the nicest. And they skillfully break it down in a unique and fun way, giving references like Madonna’s birth chart so that it’s easy to understand.
Self-Discovery Journey
For a recap of each lesson, we did worksheets to put it all together. One called the “Interpret Your 3-Part Puzzle” exercise is an in-depth interpretation where we filled out key phrases after mapping out the planets, signs, and houses in our birth charts. For example, since my Sun is in Gemini in the 11th house, I ended up with I express myself through curiosity in unconventional ideas.
As we continued filling in the blanks, plenty of “Oh yes, that’s so me” aha moments flooded the room. That’s the thing with astrology: it prompts you to get to know yourself more. The topic encompasses every part of life, from why celebrations or disasters happen on a certain day to how well you get along with others. And it’s all backed by facts throughout history to prove it. You can spend your whole life studying astrology and learn something new.
Tulum Adventures
In Tulum, we spent days walking around town, shopping at local boutiques, swimming in the freezing sea of the Cenotes, trekking up the Tulum Mayan Ruins, eating the healthiest of meals (many involving fresh fruits and avocados) and simply laying out in the sun.
What really resonated with me was getting a one-on-one reading with shamanic astrologer Suzanne Gerber, the full moon ceremony with Juli Everett of Knead & Seed and the daily movement classes with qoya expert Kitty Cavalier.
A Sisterhood Bond
The AstroTwins have been hosting their retreats for years now and it started with the idea of women empowering women. Before AstroStyle started, Tali and Ophi ran their national multicultural women’s magazine. It was called HUES (an acronym for Hear Us Emerging Sisters). I found so much inspiration from their work ethic and career journey. Both have such a passion for creating meaningful content and they do it in a distinct, catchy voice. It’s easy to get hooked on their horoscopes!
On the night before our departure, we all sat in a circle in the yoga studio and each said a few words about what the trip meant to us. The experience was so much more than what could be described. My biggest realization is how grateful I am to have formed these strong friendships within a matter of a week. Also, for the chance to learn from and contribute writing to AstroStyle. I’m still wondering if this is a dream, and if it is, don’t wake me up. 😍
And at last, we had a dance party to Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” aka one of the fave songs of Tali’s beloved late dachshund, Wendell. It sums Tulum in a nutshell: explore all life has to offer.
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