The stars and planets winking at us from the heavens have always held sway over the human imagination. Nowthe ancient art of astrological divination has made a place in modern society as a way to explore self-knowledge and tune into a connection to the cosmos. Brielle Baker's astrology practice, Light Space Collective, helps clients tap in; here's how.
The Beginning
The global lull that was the COVID lockdown was fertile ground for the birth of Baker's business. “I was stuck indoors and had to use my brain in some capacity,” she says of the start of her formal education in astrology.
She'd always loved reading her horoscope, and with a full-time career that focused on personal development and sent her through a life coach certification, she was primed to interpret the art through a self-development lens.
“I was talking about astrology at work,” Baker says, “and my boss asked me to read her chart for fun.” When the feedback included words like “life changing” and “incredible,” she knew this was something she should share with the world. Adding in coaching and tangible goals, Baker goes beyond a diagnostic reading to practical application of the findings.
“My purpose and mission is to support other people in living authentically and living their dreams.”
A Reading
There are as many disciplines in astrology as there are stars in the sky, from the traditional to the creative. “My belief is that we as humans come into this world with a soul which came from somewhere with a memory, with a default energy,” Baker says. It's that inborn energy that dictates a certain assembly of traits read through a birth chart.
At an initial reading, Baker produces a chart of the heavenly bodies based on the date, time and location of a client's birth. All the planets represent a different trait in personality, and their positions in the rays of a circular chart of the sky say something about you. These rays represent the familiar signs like Aries, Pisces, Scorpio and so on. “If Mercury is in Aries,” Baker says, for example, “that suggests you could be a passionate communicator or learn by doing.”
In conversation with her clients, Baker uses this information to assess what their natural abilities, strengths and pitfalls might be, and uses that as a basis to discover self-awareness and discuss how to live well.
What It Is, What It's Not
On TikTok you'll see tons of astrologers selling psychic-style divinations about coming into money or otherwise predicting material outcomes. It's worth stressing that no part of Baker's practice involves telling clients they're about to meet a tall, dark and handsome stranger. “I do not tell your future,” she says. “This is very much a personal development tool.”
Little horoscope blurbs are different, too. They read only the sun sign, when a birth chart involves more than 14 points of reference that personalize and refine your makeup.
“I'm naturally more of an introvert,” Baker says, “and I always thought I needed to be more outspoken.” Through her astrology chart, she found that being very in her emotions, intuitive and empathetic was part of her personality that she didn't need to struggle against. “It gave me that permission to be who I am.”
Like a lot of personality assessments, astrology can tell you what, on some level, you already know about yourself in a way that gives clarity and confidence to live to your strengths.
Transits, or readings comparing your chart to the fluctuating position of the moving planets, be it quarterly, on birthdays or otherwise, give additional data points on how those energies and yours might interact.
It gave me that permission to be who I am.
Make the Most of It
Astrology is interactive, meaning you won't mutely receive all the answers to your personality and fate from a reading. Come to it with an open mind and general curiosity. Those exploring their astrological reading are usually trying to fully see themselves and gain perspective on their blind spots.
Baker recommends doing your due diligence to find the time you were born. “If you don't have it, that's OK. But some points in the chart move signs every couple hours, so we can't be as specific without that detail.”
After a first reading, subsequent sessions with Light Space Collective combine your astrological insight with life coaching, so you can dig into career, family and other facets of life, identify roadblocks and strategize on ways to move past them in ways that don't feel like paddling upstream. “When you have a clear vision and clear sense of knowing,” Baker says, “it just makes decisions easier. It makes saying yes or no to things easier. If you had smudged glasses, it's helping you remove that so you see yourself clearly and can move forward with confidence and conviction.”
Published as “Ask the Expert” in the December 2023 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
