It is hard to discern what we chose and what was inherited or thrust upon us and how much of our lives we are truly living for ourselves.
Most of my life I struggled with the maxim: “This above all: To thine own self be true”
For decades, I generated millions of dollars in sales for a boss who didn’t value me. On the outside, I looked strong and confident because I have a Leo Rising and I’m a fiery Scorpio, but I was born with a very difficult Saturn that was always whispering in my ear that I was not enough. My insecurity was a mile deep and hidden, like the mass of an iceberg. And it was sinking me.
Trust me when I say, there is a whole Universe going on inside of each one of us that is distinctive and unique. I am still learning my own chart 20 years after I first dug into it.
When I started my astrological practice in 2009, I called my business Star Presents and packaged my knowledge up into whimsical Sun Sign gifts that were not serious astrology. That was stuff I did on the side, by word of mouth only:) I would have never had told a workplace client who asked me what I was up to on the weekend that I was off to Muskoka to lead a weekend retreat on the Astrology of Relationships.
Studying my chart revealed to me why I struggled as I did with things other people didn’t. For years, I was tormented by the word potential. People would see me and tell me all the things they would do if they had been bestowed with the gifts I had been given and there I was, at a complete loss as to why life felt so hard for me. Why I couldn’t make “me” go!
Astrology showed me the difficult aspects I had in my chart and the poorly placed planets that kept pulling the rug out from underneath me. It highlighted pitfalls I was vulnerable to and told me about the elements I was lacking. Studying my astrological chart helped me to identify the tools I had at my disposal to work with the planets instead of against them.
I have read brilliant philosophers, meditated my ass off, trained to become a therapist and gone through years of therapy. I’ve delved deep into different expressive art forms and hands down, Astrology is the brightest light I have found to assist with self-exploration and discovery.
You Are Unique Astrology package is a bundle of six one-to-one sessions in which we delve deeply into what makes you YOU!
I will act as your sounding board and companion, helping you to learn about your deeper motivations and how you can call a self-truce to achieve them.
The first consultation will be a longer one in which we will look back on the big events of your life. Using the dates you identify as significant, I will do a Chart Rectification to clarify your birth time. It might be bang on, but it’s usually not and having the correct birth time to work with is super important. We will then do an overview of your birth chart.
Throughout our sessions, we can cover a specific issue you’re grappling with, or explore how current situations are providing space for soul growth. You will decide the focus based on your needs and together we’ll use the symbolism of your natal chart to help you better understand your true self. I will offer up any wisdom I have gained on my own astrological journey to help to fast-track you on yours!
"I absolutely loved my reading with Shannon. Her deep love and passion for astrology shone through, as well as her presence with me. Her approach was intuitive and detailed. I was able to learn things about myself that I knew to be true, but had not named, which allowed freedom of acceptance for myself. We focused on love and relationships and she was able to tell me the sort of person I would jive well with and she was absolutely on target. The quirky behaviours that I do in relationships turns out to be part of who I am and embracing and accepting myself for who I am is key. I am now seeking out partners who fit this profile and will be asking Shannon's assistance along the way :)"
RMT, Acupuncturist, Owner of Sun and Moon Integrated Wellness
"Shannon is truly gifted. My session with her connected so many dots; I discovered things about myself that had baffled me for a long time. It gave me a great peace to understand that it is part of my make up. Now I can rest in that and know that things will shift as the planets move!
She showed me how to look at the challenges of my life through a new lens. Explained to me what areas to get support so that I could thrive more in my personal life and my work. It’s definitely been the most helpful astrology session I ever had! I highly recommend her."
Founder of Shakti School & Musician with Aykanna
Shannon hails from a wee village in Nova Scotia and attended University in Halifax where she studied Journalism at Kings and completed her BA in Theatre at Dalhousie. She graduated from the Actors Training Program and realized she had no interest in acting but she did for a while anyway and had small roles in films you would never have heard of that screened at the Halifax film fest. She was typecast as a bitch, likely because of her eyebrows.
She was the lead singer and co-songwriting parter of a band called Five Foot Nine. They were kind of a big deal for about four years in Halifax. They produced an e.p. that got picked up by No Records and recorded an awesome full length studio album that never saw the light of day.
She received training in transpersonal psychology from the Psychosynthesis Institute in CA and is qualified as a Life Coach with the Certified Coaches Federation and she uses both well in her astrological counselling.
Shannon spent close to 30 years in fine dining, where she drank a lot and made a lot of rich people very happy while pursuing her passion for astrology fervently on the side.
In 2009, she completed her diploma in Chart Consultation with the Canadian Association for Astrological Education (CAAE) which was more of an achievement to her than her university degree. She taught advanced classes for the CAAE and served on their board but she didn’t enjoy the teaching much and is not a natural board member. She did both because she loves the CAAE.
Shannon has facilitated Astrological Retreats and led Astrology workshops for GLOL Montreal, Astrology Toronto, Astrology Niagara, and various women’s groups and organizations. People blow a lot of smoke up her ass about how good she is at such things.
Two things people don’t know about Shannon is that she has a brown belt in Karate and is a renowned poet in her own mind.
Currently, she lives in the East end of Toronto with her husband Harrison. He is a Gemini, the one sign she said she would never date...
"As a person who has always believed in the science of astrology, I didn’t need “proof” of the technical side of this practice. But when Shannon showed me my chart and explained it, I knew right away she KNEW what she was talking about as a technician because her chart read was incredibly detailed.
For example, I didn’t know my exact time of birth. I gave Shannon a range of 6 to 8 am because, according to my mother, I was born “sometime in the early morning”. Shannon used her process to ascertain birth times but then focused it with what she knew about me and my personality. She estimated a birth time of 8:40 am (which I thought was too late based on what my mother had said!) Completely by chance, I recently came across a copy of my birth certificate. Amazingly, it showed a birth time of 8:31 am!
But Shannon is so much more than technically proficient. As a consummate student of human nature, she explains how the chart indications may play out for you given your personality and how it could impact your daily life. This is where she truly excels, as she explains things in a way that makes the sometimes esoteric information personal, insightful and helpful. For those of us who are trying to live in harmony with the universe this is essential knowledge.
Recently she told me there may be some issues coming up with possible renovations to my living space. Since I had no plans to do this I just put this information in my back pocket. So a month later, when our landlord decided to renovate the laundry room, redo the basement hallway and completely overhaul the pool area in our building I just smiled … she had seen it coming a mile away!
I can’t recommend her enough, and I will always rely on use her services when those big (or small) life questions come up. Shannon is a blessing!"
Lara Rodin
Live Well With Lara- Holistic Nutrition and Wellness