Ep. 22: Astrology, Warrior Souls, and Our Soul's Blueprint with Cate Cook

Today on the podcast we dive into the soul, how we can learn more about our soul's blueprint through astrology, what a "warrior soul" is, and how this can intersect and help with grief. We are joined by astrologer Cate Cook, who supports women by helping them understand their purpose in life and how their gifts are meant to be shared with the world.

To find Cate, check out her website www.catecookastrology.com

To check out some free information from Cate, click here to learn How to Uncover Your True Purpose.

Transcript

0:00

Hello and welcome to the grief trails podcast. I'm your host, Amanda. Kernaghan from remember Graham's a heartfelt small business that focuses on supporting those in grief. You can upload photos and have a custom card made or send someone a grief support box. Where you can choose from a variety of books to find the perfect one that will resonate with the person you're sending it to. Shipping within the us is free. And every order means so much to me. And I know from customer experience that they mean a great deal to the recipients as well. I hope you'll check us out. I'm thrilled to share today's episode with you slightly different from previous guests, where we focus on someone's grief story. Today, we focus on astrology and how that can intersect with grief, our soul's blueprints and the realm that some believe is just behind a veil that we can not see. Today's guest is Kate cook and astrologer who supports women by helping them understand their purpose in life. And how their gifts are meant to be shared with the world. When Kate reached out to me, I was excited to sit down with her and listen with an open heart. Astrology as something that reminds me of my mom and it inspired me to take out her old books and her handwritten charts that she'd made for me and other family members. Even if this is something you haven't ventured into in the past. I hope you will listen with a curious and open mind.

Cate: 1:17

you know, I've always been into astrology. My grandmother who lived with us for decades, she had an interest in astrology and so I would go upstairs and read some of her magazines with her and things like that. This was always like a closet hobby of mine. I mean, we grew up Catholic and it was kind of taboo. But at the same time, I also come from a place believing that, you know, as it says in the in genesis, that God created the heavens and the earth, right? And it was good. That's what it says. And I, I don't believe that something this intricate. Can be. Random. I mean, it is so spot on when I'm speaking to someone about their chart and I'm telling people that I don't even know and I'm telling them about their life and I'm telling them what they're good at, and little nuances of their personality that maybe only people closest to them know, maybe these are some things that they've never even said out loud to another person, and I'm speaking to their soul because. This is why they were created. And I think it's, it's so beautiful and I do see the challenges that we all go through, that there are, there's a reason behind it, there's a purpose and sometimes it's because we are way off track. And sometimes it's because we've come into this life with these people, with these beings who are only here for a short time. They're not meant to go any further. This is a part of their journey and a part of their exit is a part of your beginning. And, and it, you wouldn't have had that, those beginnings had it not been for the exit. Okay. And, and we see this over and over again with no matter what type of grief people go through. You know what? It doesn't matter. If it's, if it's, you know, a death of a loved one, or financial loss or disease, or any kind of setback, these are all very difficult chapters that we choose to go through, I believe, you know, before we get here. And it's, we still have free will. This is not saying that however the the stars are written are, you are doomed to this is your destiny. I do believe that there are certain things that we are destined to encounter, but how we deal with those things is what evolves our soul. Wow.

Mandy: 3:49

I'm really looking forward to this conversation. Yeah. Because. I think I mentioned to you, my mom was really, really into astrology and I lost my mom when I was 26 and. I still have some of her old astrology books that are worn and tattered and the bindings are kind of falling off from being opened and closed so many times. And just growing up, that was such a huge part of her. And she had done all of our natal charts for us. And so I still have those tucked in a book somewhere. And she also was a strong believer in mediums and psychics and one of the. One of the most profound things that I think made me believe because as you know, a young person and you lose this such a important figure in your life, you know, my mom was like a rock for me. And so she was gone suddenly and so there was a lot of doubt there as to, you know, I hated when people would say, this is part of a larger plan or something like that. But looking back, I actually found a tape of her meeting with a, I believe it was with a medium, and the medium said something to her about how her soul was connected to my youngest brother's soul and that they had prior lives together and, Eight years after my mom died, my little brother died. Yeah. And looking back and listening back to some of those tapes, it almost gives you chills at how spot on some of the things that she said were, and you can look back at it and think, wow, like maybe they did come into this world together to learn something and you know, have some kind of experience here and then. They were meant to, to depart early. So I love hearing about all of this. If you can go back and, so you said you first got interested with your grandmother, and how did you start to pursue this further?

Cate: 5:43

It was through my own challenges throughout my life that I was just dealing with and things didn't seem to make sense. Well, first of all, one thing was that when I was 23 years old, I, my first child was born with spina bifida, and I knew of this during my first ultrasound, and I had three weeks to make a decision. Okay. I was thinking, I, you know, at a soul level, I kept thinking to myself, I wanted to make sure I had all of my kids before the age of 30. And for some reason I had this feeling that I was going to have a, a, a kid with a problem. And so I thought, gosh, I can avoid this if I have them young. I'm young, I'm healthy, I'm fit. I can do this right. And of course, my first kid, Spina bifida. So that, that was a challenge. In fact, my first marriage didn't survive kind of due to part of the struggles of, of that. I mean, that was a very difficult chapter. Then five years later, of course, I've had three kids. During that time, during my first marriage, and then I got divorced and during that five year singlehood time, I met my current husband who was never married, never had kids before, and was almost like a Cinderella story because I literally met him at the ball. I was You know, I went to TJ Max, I got myself this$30 dress cuz I was going with friends. I was going to take tickets at the door at this event just so I can get in. They all had companies that were sponsoring them to get in for this expensive fundraiser and. We ended up talking all night. We kept dancing and he kept asking for my number, but I'm like, we have nothing in common. He had his own hedge fund. Very wealthy, never been married. Here I am divorced, three kids, one with a major problem, and I, I, I just, I just thought we had nothing in common. Anyway, long story short, eventually I did give him my number. And I thought all of my money worries were over until, five years into our marriage, he changed jobs. And before you know it, everything that we had, I mean, we lived in a mansion and a very affluent suburb. He took on my three kids and was raising him as his own. We had two more kids together. And eventually he lost his job and could not find another job at all for seven years. Wow. And what happens during that time is you lose everything. We lost our house, we lost everything like we were, and, and the problem was he could not find a job. I mean, he would interview for jobs, but he was overqualified. He was too old. He was, even though, you know, he was just over 50 at the time. But it never, it nothing ever worked out. And we were just, it didn't make sense. Why, why can't he several degrees after his name? Brilliant, honest, you know, good guy. Like, why can't he have an opportunity to feed his family? I couldn't do anything. I mean, I could not support us. I, I used to be a, a travel agent and didn't make much money at all. I'll just tell you that. So it, it was, we gotten ourselves into a situation where like nothing made sense. And it was at that time, of course, I'd bring out my astrology charts and things like that. I start looking at it and I decided to dive in even further. And I got professionally trained instead of just me looking through my own guides and trying to self, you know, connect the dots. And the more I dug into it, the more I realized it was a, I was like, wow. He, it's because he's having this major Pluto transit in his second house, which lasts. 20 years. There were so many things about it. I found out even more importantly, I found out more about my own self. I found out the gifts and things that I was chasing were not my path. I found out that I had a I was really good at the language of astrology. I was really good at translating the meaning behind these glyphs. And planets. And so it was just interesting because this whole, you know, Pluto is one of those planets that really just takes you down and just gets rid of anything in your life that is not serving your purpose. So that's really how I got into it. And then I started being a, a ta for an for an astrology school. And then I just realized eventually that I'm like, well, I'm the one answering all the questions in the back office. I'm grading all the papers, I'm doing this and that. I'm like, I think I could go on my own and do my own thing. So that's,

Mandy: 10:33

I get into it. That's an amazing story and it comes like so many other things from. Being at a point where we feel like everything is broken and things aren't going the way we envisioned, and, and then suddenly we're on a different path. And I find that to be true for a lot of my guests. So that something happens and then it catapults you in a different direction. So it's interesting that you have the same experience. Can you describe for people. What is the process of doing someone's natal chart? What's involved, what kinds of things do you learn from that?

Cate: 11:08

Well, it's so specific. I know a lot of people don't understand astrology because they think it is just the horoscope and the local paper or in Cosmo or whatever. But it is so much more specific, intimate, intricate. It is. It is so incredible the amount of information you can find out about someone in their chart. So a typical reading, just a basic baseline reading will find now of course you need your exact time of birth and it can't just be a rounded number because. Rising signs will change like about every four minutes, or you'll see something different every few minutes. So what that does is, It sets your chart in motion. So each of the planetary houses, I guess I, I don't wanna get too technical, but we all have the same planets in our charts. We all have the same zodiac signs and whatnot. But the way it is arranged based on the moment you took your first breath is what sets your chart in motion and what makes you, you and. You can find out everything from, you know, either you know, physical characteristics, personality quirks, how you feel comfortable, like what situations make you feel comfortable. Are you an introvert? Are you an extrovert? Do you love to be in social situations, but you prefer to go and spend time by yourself, you know, several times a day. Like you need that downtime. You can look at career, you can see if someone was born to do something. Very specific. Are you gonna be a doctor? Are you gonna be a writer? It'll tell you exactly where your strengths lie. It'll also show you where your passions are, and it'll tell you about having children. It'll tell you your specific. Your partner, the person that you will marry or not. It'll tell you about your love life. It'll tell you about where you, your ideal living situation will be. You know that the type of aesthetic that you are drawn to. Are you a, a person that loves to live in the mountains or by the sea in the suburbs or in the middle of the city? You know, it's, it's so crazy how, no matter how you slice it and what answer you are trying to find from that same chart you can find, it's, I mean, it's, it's really incredible. Like any, anything in your life, anything, because it is your life. It's about you and it's about your life. Anything that you question will have an answer.

Mandy: 13:52

That's fascinating. Mm-hmm. So do you find most people come to you in the midst of something that has gone wrong in their life? Or what is the typical client come to you for?

Cate: 14:04

Currently I've got three main services that I have on my website. And the first one is divine purpose, because I've, I especially deal with a lot of people in midlife, women especially who. Get to a point of, you know, they've raised their children maybe, maybe their marriage is still intact, maybe it's not, but they're, they're starting to reach a point in their life where they're wondering, is this all there is? I feel like my meaning, you know, i e my children has gone and what is my purpose? What am I supposed to be doing now with the rest of my life? Cuz I feel like I have a lot of living left to do. So. I, I will look at, you know, what is their purpose? What are some of the things that brings them joy? What are the things that they still have to share with the world? And I think a lot of what they find with that reading is just a lot of validation because I will tell them what they hold in their heart, and based on that, they feel very understood. And wow, I'm not crazy. I've, yes, I've always wanted to write that book. Right. And, and it gives them that, okay, it's okay. You can go do that because actually that's why you're here. Right. Then I have another service, which is called Second Act Career Coaching. Kind of along the same lines of understanding your purpose, but this one is more specific because I have a lot of people that search me out because either they've had a career. You know, for the past, several decades and it just does not light them up anymore. Or they never felt like it gave them the success that they wanted to. Like they've worked really hard at something, but they never could just achieve the level of success or a paycheck that they've been striving for. Mm-hmm. And they wonder, well, what am I really supposed to be doing? And I can actually see that. There's, there's very specific ways of saying if someone is living their, you know, because career isn't always equal to purpose, right? We, all of us don't have careers and sometimes it, it does change throughout your life. So, Having someone who gets to a certain point in their life where maybe they've achieved that financial success, but now they're just looking for more meaning or vice versa. Like they've been, you know, wondering why they're diligent with hard work and putting in the efforts and all this stuff, but they just cannot, get unstuck or can't get to the next level. And so I show them by looking at their chart, what they're actually supposed to be doing and what are some of the talents that they take for granted. Because a lot of people don't realize that some of the things that come so easy to us. Are really a part of our purpose and a part of our talents and, and what we're supposed to be sharing with the world. We take for granted that we think that just because it's easy for us means that it's easy for everyone else, and that's so not true. So that's second act. And then I have another one that is life quake coaching, and that's basically, When you're in the midst of a really difficult chapter, you know, is it grief? Is it confusion? Is it anxiety? And I'm, I'm not saying that, I mean, if you are having a real problem, like we're, you need to talk to a professional psychologist, I'm not that girl, but what I can do is get right to the heart of what you're, why you're going through what you're going through. In fact, you don't even need to tell me. Before we get on the call, I can look at your chart and I can see where the problem is in your life. I mean, it's, it's, it's very obvious where there's, you know, it's like looking at a, an X-ray. That's fascinating. Fascinating. Yeah. But yes, people typically seek me out or astrologers when they are going through a difficult time and. I think it's, it's almost like that saying impending doom is worse than doom. If you have an idea of a timeline, cuz I, I feel like I act as the, the person that's walking through that dark tunnel with them, with a flashlight on, and I can just show them that, yes, you are going through this right now. This is why, this is what you're supposed to be doing and this is when these planets will shift. And that's the great thing because everything is cyclical. We can time, we know exactly when the sun is gonna rise every morning. And when the, and the phase of the moon, that's gonna be in the sky. We know that. Right? And we, we also know when all these planets are gonna be moving and based on the planetary action according to what's in the sky today. And what was it in your birth chart? The moment you took your first breath, that is what gives you the different experiences in your life as they're unfolding.

Mandy: 19:01

And I know in your message to me, you mentioned this concept of warrior souls, and I think we touched on it a little bit at the beginning, but I just, can you go further into what, what you mean by that and what you've seen with that in your

Cate: 19:14

experience? Yes. There's certain people that have you can see in their chart. Of course, it's their rising sign and their chart ruler, so to speak. And depending on the placements, sometimes some placements are a little bit more challenging than other placements. These are people or souls I should say, who have signed up for a difficult lifetime, you know? But here's the good news is that in addition to signing up for this difficult lifetime, if you look a little bit deeper in the chart, you see that you are also armed with the exact. Tools, armor, whatever is required, relationships, whatever you need to get through this life, and you just need to understand how to tap into those things. So it's, it goes along with the saying that God only gives you what you can handle. And so when people are going through an extra, Difficult life cuz we all have challenges. Not none of us make it through here without something. Right. And that's why we're here. But when you see someone who's got that extra, you know, things that you cannot even fathom then that they are going through. They are special people. They are these warriors. They are warrior souls who have they're coming here to learn some major lessons and. And I shouldn't say as if it's something that they've done in the past. I'm not saying that everything is karma. What I'm saying is that, that we are all here to evolve and to grow. And some people just said, you know what, I'm, I'm gonna just get this all done in life, in, in one lifetime or in, you know, a few lifetimes or whatever. Which I never used to believe in. You know, reincarnation until I, I started studying this more in seeing people's charts and just seeing how people are naturally gifted at a very young age with very specific things. I'm like, this is not random, and it makes total sense to me. Yeah,

Mandy: 21:18

I, it makes sense to me too, and it has taken me time also to come around to that concept. But I know definitely. A lot of things people would say after my mom died, she was 47 when she died, and the like prevailing comment that people would say, it was like, wow. She like jam packed like 80 years into 47 years. Like she did so much and was constantly busy accomplishing all of these things that it was almost like. A sense that she knew that the time was shorter. So I like to think about that too. And it, it's definitely a source of comfort to think that, you know, maybe our souls are, are signing up for a. Specific things and for a specific timeline. Do you ever meet with clients who are maybe in that third category who are really going through something very difficult and they meet with you and do they ever come back like a year, years later and tell you how things have went or reconnect with you? Yes,

Cate: 22:17

definitely. It's cuz sometimes things don't seem to make sense right away, and. I do love hearing when they say that things kind of unfolded. You know, you can't really, even though I understand, like when when I can see things shifting or when they will shift, but it's sometimes a surprise on how they actually shift. Sometimes you can't even imagine how it's going to get better, So it's always interesting to hear their stories on how. Things opened up or they finally got the job, or you know, they, yes, their marriage ended and divorced, but they've got this, this new husband or wife or whatever that is just even more, than they can imagine. Like it was just so you, you do hear the, the happy endings and you hear the, it kind of helps to make sense of why you're going through things right now, because sometimes, Things do need to be cleared away for you to connect with what you are supposed to be doing or the perfect person that you were supposed to be with. And you can't see it in the moment, right? It's, it's hard to, because you're, you're struck with grief, you're struck with a sense of loss, even when you are the person doing the changing. Even if it's you, it's your decision to walk away from this or end this relationship or quit that job or whatever. It still is fraught with so much anxiety and wondering if you're doing the right thing, but

Mandy: 23:51

absolutely. I love fascinating. Yeah, I like to hear about how that would Yeah, I can imagine how it would come back later and people would say, oh, like in hindsight now I can, it all makes perfect sense. In your own personal life, when you started getting more into astrology and you decided to actually like take courses and start teaching courses, how did people in your inner circle react to. The way you were getting into it, did people understand or did you have people around you who were kind of, didn't get it or didn't understand why you were so interested in

Cate: 24:26

that? Yeah. The people that know me best have Al, including my kids, have always seen this part of me because I'm always. Talking about it at in some level, even when I'm not even recognizing that that's what I'm doing. But yes, there were some friends, even some friends that, you know, I've known forever that kind of look at me with crossed eyes wondering like, has she gone mad? You know, like she really believes in that. Like, really, and I'm, and, and it's, and it's really not my job to convince people cause I, mm-hmm. It, it you, you kind of wanna convince people like, no, really, really, you just don't know. And then I'm like, whatever. You know, it's, I, I would rather just focus on learning more or helping more people that really are into it than to try to convince someone that this is, you know I think the biggest problem is that people who are very Christian, I should say, I'm not even gonna say religious because other religions do believe in astrology. But a lot of Christians might tend to think that it's, this is the work of the devil, or this is just not being it, it goes against it. Even though if you really read the Bible, you would see that there's references to astrology all over the Bible And I don't, I I also think that when you, I don't know, I, I try not to put God in a box because I, I just think that it's, God is much greater and a part of astrology is not, I guess it is divination to, to some degree. Right. But it's, it's saying that we, I think it's, it's. God's way of giving us signs or letting us know that, you know what this is, I did create you to be you and you have a very specific role in the world. And I find that so beautiful. I don't see why that is a bad thing. I think it's our way of saying or hearing that we have our own owner's manual. Mm-hmm. You know, our SOUL'S blueprint is our owner's manual, and if you wanna optimize its performance. You understand how to work it. You, you read the instructions and you understand what makes you tick, what kind of job you would work best in why you're going through different things. Because we all go through, we all have these major planetary Transits that happen throughout our lifetime, mainly from the outer planets. And when these happen, that this could be what spurs like the midlife crisis, this could be what spurs a drastic change in your life where you feel like, okay, that's said, I'm, I'm out of this relationship, or I'm, I wanna change jobs or whatever. And you're, you don't know what hit you. Like, why am I feeling this way so suddenly, and. I think if we kind of know about these things in advance and understand why it's that way, we can think about things a little bit more clearly and not be so rash in our decision making. We can be more prepared. But that doesn't mean that life is not full still full of surprises and wonder. I mean, there's a million different ways that things can unfold. Mm-hmm. But at least you know, if you're on the right track or not.

Mandy: 27:47

Yeah. So for you, when you started to really dive deeper into this is around the time that, you know, you were losing everything and your husband was out of work, and did you find that once you really connected with your purpose and found what it is that you felt like you were supposed to be doing here, did things in your life shift at that point?

Cate: 28:09

They absolutely did. I mean, first of all, I started instead of being very bitter and feeling like a victim and feeling very unfulfilled. I started feeling that there was meaning in my life. I started understanding that some of those gifts that I had were not to be taken for granted. I started realizing that I did have the power to kind of change our lives in a financial way, right. So it was, it was just very eye-opening. And it was kind of funny how it, a part of this was coming around because I was going through that difficult chapter financially. But in addition to that, I was, I used to be a bl a beauty blogger for a while, especially during the, I, I've done this since probably like about 20 15, 20 17. I'm trying to think of. Around when, but then when around the time of the pandemic in 2020, I started doing, getting more out there on the internet and realized that I needed to hire a branding expert. So I hired this woman who walked me through this process, and here I am selling skincare and cosmetics. That's what I did. And instead this woman, Ask me questions regarding, so what is the thing that you do when you forget to eat, you forget to go to the bathroom. What is the thing that you are so engrossed in that you lose all track of space and time? And that's when I said, well I guess I'm looking at astrology charts. I'm reading books on astrology. I'm listening to podcasts about astrology. And I said, but that's not my brand. You know, that's, I'm, I'm a beauty blogger. And she's like, no, it's, that's, that's actually who you are, so you need to do something about that or incorporate that into your website. And I'm like, no way. I was, I was not going to do readings for people. I was like, that's just, I, I was fighting all that saying No way. Until and that's when I, you know, I, I guess made the shift realizing that I needed to do something.

Mandy: 30:19

Why do you think you were fighting it initially?

Cate: 30:21

I think it's because I always thought that that was just a, a, like a weird hobby of mine. I didn't think it was something that I was supposed to share with anyone. I didn't know if that was something that I could actually do to make a difference in anyone's life. And now I find it so fulfilling, so meaningful. I mean I probably get just as much out of doing a reading for someone than as they are getting out of it. I mean, it's, it, it can get very emotional usually for them. I'm not, I'm not crying, but it can get very emotional. People are, when I see people connecting some dots and making some big. Or having some big revelations or feeling, you know, I know some people are even asking me on on, on specific decisions like what they should be doing with their life. And my job is not to tell them what to do, but it is to guide them so that they make their own decision. I am not there to tell them how to live their lives, but you could tell when there are certain people who are coming in with big decisions. On their plates and trying to understand like how to come up with the with these decisions. And so when I can spell out why they're here and what some of the challenges are and how they might be contributing to some of their challenges, you know, because sometimes that's hard to hear, but you you know, I've gotta say that in a gentle way, but it, it's. It's so, it's so clear, that there's more to everything than, than we know. You know, there's, everything is much deeper and intricate than, you know, such a simple Yeah,

Mandy: 32:07

answer. And sometimes you need an outside person to help you see, see some of those things, right? We can't always see what's too close to us. We have to look at it from a, a further away view. So I think that's probably one of the things that you provide people in addition to, it sounds like. And some of the first examples you were giving of your work. Almost like you're able to give people a permission slip to do what maybe they know deep down is something that intrigues them, something that lights them up that they are thinking about, but aren't sure if that's the direction that they should go, and then you're able to give them a little bit of confirmation and permission.

Cate: 32:51

I think that's exactly right. I think you just summed that up perfectly because. People do know, but they're afraid to make those decisions. And if someone, an outsider who does not know them and takes one look at their chart and tells them about themselves that know that I wouldn't, shouldn't be able to know. And then when I just say certain things, you're like, oh gosh. Well that's what I've been feeling. So I guess this must be right. I mean, it is, it is divinely appointed really. I mean, it's, it's a part of who they are. And it's, I mean, it's so incredible. I'm, I'm always, I'm always fascinated by it every single time.

Mandy: 33:33

Yeah. It is fascinating. And you know, I. I had always, known about astrology, not at the level that you obviously know it so deeply, but I've had a surface level relationship with astrology and believed in it for a long time, and I knew that it could provide some answers as to, you know, purpose and, and those kinds of milestones in your life. But I had never actually thought about it in the realm of grief and how it could be useful if somebody is. Really struggling with a big loss in their life. And so that's something that is new to me and I like hearing about how people could go to an astrologer and how that might be useful to them in their grief.

Cate: 34:14

Mm-hmm. It's, I think it's been very helpful. And just another story too, when you were telling me about your mom and her astrology and things like that, my mom, who also died too young, I mean, she was 69 and just didn't wake up. Okay. Mm-hmm. But she, she could, she had I don't, I don't know if I would call her psychic or, but she would say that she would be able to communicate with angels. Okay. And what was strange is that she had told me things about us, like my husband and I. Years before, before she died, you know, I mean years. And that didn't start happening until after she died. Like she, she told me that he was gonna lose his job and that he was gonna be outta work for seven years. She told me. Wow. So many crazy things. And I remember at the time I was, when she was still alive, I was actually taking some classes for interior design and I called her one day cuz I was so excited for like the a I got in my architectural, you know history class. And she's like, so you're really gonna be an interior designer? I'm like, well, yeah. And she goes, Oh, no. Like, I'm like, well, what do you think I'm gonna be? And she was like, oh, no, nothing, nothing. You know? And she wouldn't tell me. But she, she knew so much. And so after she passed, I was so, I always needed her insights. I loved hearing because no matter what I was going through before, she was always that source of information. Someone that could help me get through, you know, shine that light in the dark tunnel. And when she was gone, I had to rely on myself, right? Mm-hmm. I had to be that person and had she still hung around if she was still here today, I don't know if I would be doing what I'm doing, you know? Right.

Mandy: 36:09

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I definitely wouldn't be doing. Most anything that I'm doing right now had I not gone through some of the big losses of my life. And yeah, I love talking about this stuff and I know astrology and this like ability to communicate, you know, in some other way or the ability for mediums to give you a reading is a very separate thing, but it is kind of in like the same plane in some way to me. And yeah. I actually, I'll tell you one more story just for fun but at my mom's wake, we were standing in a really long receiving line and a friend of hers came up to me at the wake and she gave me a hug and she put something in my hand and she covered both my hands with hers. And she said this. Paper. I keep a pad of paper next to my bed when I sleep and I woke up in the middle of the night and I just started writing and I didn't know what I was writing. And I woke up, I had four sheets of paper and I have three siblings and there was one for each, me and my three siblings. And it was this note, like to each of us with these few bullet points of things that. Were very specific to us that she was a friend of my mom's, but I don't think she knew us that intimately. And the things that were written were just so meaningful. And that little blue piece of paper is something I still have to this day and it's really powerful to think about. Is really helpful to, to know that she had this. Inclination, whatever it was that woke her up from sleep to write down. And so I love hearing about everyone's experiences with

Cate: 37:54

that. Oh, I think that's so beautiful to hear that your mom was able to connect with her friend mm-hmm. And, and to, to give you and your siblings the information. Yeah. I mean, it's so comforting. Have you ever read any of Jen Weigel's books? No, but I'm gonna write it down. Okay. Write that down. Anyway, if you just, if you just Google, Jen Weigel w e i g e L. She was a well, she is, she is a, a, able to connect with her dad. So her dad died of a, a brain tumor. He happened to be a very prominent sportscaster. On the news and after he died, she was able to connect with him and you know, never had those types of things before, but then she started her ability to do that. She wrote several books and he was just talking about life on the other side and how he really is always with her, like they're always there trying to guide her and help her and communicate. And I do believe that our loved ones are. Very much with us that that heaven isn't a place that is far away. It's, it's just on the other side of a veil, and they're, they're right here and. We do and we can communicate. We just have to. And you know, that's another thing too, with astrology, you can see how people can be able to tap more into their intuition or and I, I know our intuition is really our higher self. Mm-hmm. But, you know, there's, there's ways to be in a place in a more Be in a place where you can actually understand how you receive information best. Mm-hmm. You know, if, is it when you're taking a shower? Is it if you're on a walk? Are you doing something with your hands? Are you, you know, like it just depends on, you know, your chart things. Yeah. That's so cool.

Mandy: 39:48

Yeah. You know, I've had a lot of guests on the podcast and some I like to hear about different ways for, for listeners who might be going through a really hard time right now and who are grieving and just looking for other people's experiences with grief. We always hear about the typical things, which are very helpful, don't get me wrong, but things like going to therapy and journaling and Getting outside. Like these are all very common things we hear about for grief. But sometimes I like to hear about other options for people because maybe those things aren't enough or they're not working for someone. And I had someone on who talked about hypnotherapy and how that that is something that she offers and, and seems to be really helpful for people who are grieving. And, and someone else was talking about using sauna and these nature retreats and how that was really helpful. And I just, When you talk about astrology, I think the same thing. It's like this out of the box way that people can connect deeper with themselves and, and be able to find meaning that maybe they aren't able to find in other ways. And so I love being able to have you on so that people can explore what might be the right approach for them in their own grief.

Cate: 41:03

Yeah. Thanks. I, I do believe that. There, there's so much more. We are so connected with everyone else and with with the people that have passed. And, and I, I think a good place to start too would be to kind of look up some of these books, look at some of, read more into the what, what's going in, what's going on on the other side, you know? Mm-hmm. Because I think that gives some comfort knowing that we're, we're not alone. We're not, they didn't leave. Forever. Mm-hmm. We are, we are still connected and we will see them again if you can't, you know, physically communicate right now. So, I don't know. I, I agree that it's, it's. It's difficult, but if you, if you understand who you are and can look at it or, and or see this as really just a part of the, a bigger picture mm-hmm. That it's really just a blip on the radar for as long as our soul is going to be around, you know? Yeah.

Mandy: 42:02

Oh, thank you so much for sharing all of this with me. I think it's been amazing. Where can people find out more about astrology and more about you and what you're offering?

Cate: 42:12

Well right now, I, you could go to my website, which is cape cook.net. That is going to be changing soon. But I, so I think another good place to reach me would be on Instagram. I. At the Real Kate Cook, and it's c a t e c o o k. I do have a link tree there, which has all kinds of well free information that you can have, but as well as some of the services that I'm offering or you know, any new things going on. I usually share on Instagram, some kind of a. Personal story or a personal or something. You know, it's, it's not always a hundred percent astrology related, it's more spiritually based. But cuz I, I know that my ideal person that is looking for my guidance is not usually very you know, d doesn't know a lot about astrology, so I try not to take, I try to take the. The technology or whatever the techniques out of it. And try to just be very broad with my

Mandy: 43:18

approach. Yeah, that is interesting. Do most people who come to you, you said that most aren't very familiar with astrology and don't know a lot beforehand. So do you find people are very trepidatious and nervous about looking into astrology?

Cate: 43:34

Yeah, some people are, some people are wondering like, oh, am I gonna tell them something horrible like when they're gonna die or something like that? I'm like, no, I don't. You know, first of all, if anyone tells you that they can tell you exactly when you're gonna die, they're wrong. Like, you can't that, that, first of all, that's not what I'm looking for. Okay. And secondly, I don't think that anyone can pinpoint an exact date on that anyway. First of all, it's not gonna show in your chart. It's usually gonna sh you know, you can see things in other people's charts, like your kids, your, your parents, whatever that you might, that might reference back to you, but but it's not gonna show in your chart because we keep going on, you know, it's not gonna show that, that in our chart anyway. But yeah, there, there, that would be one thing that people are confused about. But a lot of times it's surprising and a lot of people that I never would've thought would be into this are very into it and have had some kind of dabbling in it in the past. Whether they've had a reading before. But my approach though is just very, it's not super woowoo. It's not, not that there's anything wrong with woowoo, but I, I, I like to just give it all straight that it's not a, it's, it's very approachable and I try to keep it as real and earthly as possible.

Mandy: 44:54

That's great. So people can feel like it's a safe. Place and a safe thing to try. And if it's, you know, it doesn't feel right to them, then that's okay, but Right.

45:03

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you enjoyed this interview with Kate as much as I did. As always, I will leave you with a journal prompt, follow wherever it leads. You. Find a quiet place and set a timer for 12 minutes and write about a warrior soul you have known in your life. Feel free to share your writing with us in email. At contact@remembergrams.com to support the show, please subscribe and share your favorite episodes with others. And if you know someone who is grieving, whether it is the loss of a pet or the loss of a close family member or friend. Please check out. Remember grams.com to send them something personal and from the heart. Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful day.