00:00
For skeptics, I feel like I always trace it back to the history of astrology. While it is heavily mythological, you know, 2500 years ago, Mesopotamians, hellenistic period in Greece, like so many civilizations throughout history, have used astrology to navigate their world and it's led us here. So they were right about something, they were on to something. And I think it's being just even having like a little bit of an open mind to it, to just observe and notice because I think I started to really validate and credit astrology more through my own experiences. 

 00:46
Hello and welcome toTthe Ally Show. My name is Ali Aslamifar and I'm your host for the show. We are here with the second part of our conversation with Ashley Nguyen. If you haven't already listened to the part one, please go back to our episode nine of the Ally show where we are chatting with Ashley about her story of life and her challenges growing up and all of the greatest stories that she shared in the first part, please listen to that. And then now in the second part, as we kind of mentioned that in the first part, we are going to be talking a lot about astrology and that's how we thought it would better to separate this conversation to another episode. Now we are finally here. 

 01:33
I am so excited to share this episode and I think this concept is very interesting to be discussed as I personally needed that during this time. I am not necessarily a big believer in astrology. Growing up, I just knew it as kind of like the moon signs or the sun signs and I didn't know anything beyond that. But in this conversation, as part of my discussion with Ashley, I shared my birth details with her and she shared a lot of very interesting facts based on astrology and my birth chart, which might actually be an interesting intro for those who have never heard anything like this. 

 02:18
So at the end of this session, I left the session with this feeling that I didn't necessarily get like a big answer to, like, my questions in life, but I felt more connected to this world and I hope it makes sense when you go through this conversation, so please just give it a try. In the second part of our conversation, Ashley is also introducing her accountability campaign for this episode. Her campaign is about writing a positive affirmation for 30 days and she's a big believer of that. I've been doing it recently and it actually works. So if you want to join her campaign, please use the link in the show notes and tag along. 

 03:11
As always, if you want to support this show, the best way is to rate us up to a five star review on wherever you're listening to your podcast, such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This would help us reach the audience that would really benefit from such conversations. Just as a note, this conversation was recorded earlier in April 2024 and now we are releasing it in May. So just keep that in mind as you are listening to parts of this conversation where Ashley is referring to some specific dates. Speaking of May, this is the mental Health Awareness month, so I'm hoping that you're taking this chance to reflect in and see what you have done in the past year for your own mental health and also the people around you. 

 04:02
I'm encouraging you to help breaking this stigma around mental health and share your stories wherever you can and support whoever you know around you. Now, without further ado, let's go to the second part of our conversation with Ashley Nguyen. So it's just so interesting you pointed out, like health and the element of the food in that. It's so interesting. You also called out astrology, which I think is a good segue to the next conversation I want to have with you. And thank you so much for sharing your story and bringing that and being so honest. I think what makes your work also so interesting to me. And as I mentioned, I listen to your podcast. I mean, to me, astrology, and I see theme of astrology there. And to me, astrology is a topic that I'm not familiar with. 

 05:04
And when I was listening to your podcast, I was just more interested to it. I even, like, we started like talking to our friends a few nights ago. Like, we started like reading it. Like, what does Toru, who's Taurus and what are their characteristics? What is areas of all these characters? And it was so interesting. It brought a conversation. So to me that was very interesting. Go back to your creative mindset. I think astrology, even just talking about it like creates so much conversation and understanding and culture and bring people together. I think just to begin, I love that part of it where it just gives people something to talk about and something to relate to and something to start accepting themselves and then just being the best version that they can be. And I think that stood out to me. 

 05:58
And yeah, maybe that's where we can start talking about astrology because I have a lot of questions as someone who is curious about this topic. 

 06:07
Yeah. Oh my gosh. So glad you brought this up. It has been a pretty prevalent part of my life for the past three years. And it's so, I love that you talked about it. With your friends. Because there was a point where I was so obsessed with astrology. Whenever I went to a party or I would meet someone, the conversation would somehow end up at astrology as well. Just because that was my way to get to know people. In a way, like you said, it's something to talk about. It's a starting point. And when you look at a birth chart, there is no race to it. You know, there is no background. 

 06:39
It's you unconditionally when you were born, the snapshot of the sky and how the magnetic energy, the cosmic energy of the sky influences who you are based on the time you're born. Because, you know, every birth chart is different. I think there's one in every 50,000 birth charts is unique. So that just goes to show, like, how unique each of us are. And when we can understand, like, our chart or even be curious about it or explore it, we can maybe explore themes or parts of us that we had either hidden or that we invalidated or that were dismissive of. Because pop astrology likes to talk about just your sun sign. And a lot of people dismiss astrology because they just think that they are their sun sign. But the sun just shows you how you shine and your identity and your ego. 

 07:31
But there are planets that tell you how. What your moods are like, your emotions, where you find security, how you communicate, how you love, how you are motivated, how you set boundaries, how you are optimistic. Like, all these planets work in cohesion with each other to create this beautiful, unique picture of yourself. And so using myself as an example, my big three, I'm a cancer, sun, scorpio, moon, and cancer rising. So I have a lot of water in my chart. And water is. Water as an element is a very, like, emotional feeling, sensitive, intuitive, creative element. And these were parts of me that I had suppressed for so long. 

 08:13
And so I really dug into my chart because, you know, the lack of emotion in, you know, professional life or even in asian american culture meant strength, you know, but I was just so sensitive as a kid. Like, I could feel so much but not say anything at all. I think that's like, sort of the signature of cancer is there's lots of, like, internal moodiness to it as well. And looking at, like, I don't know, looking at a birth chart also just shows you a lot about what you're experiencing in the current astrological climate. So when a full moon or a new moon happens, you might feel it because it lights up a certain part of your house. 

 08:52
Like it's transiting over a certain part of your house, it's an amazing tool to just start to kind of empathize and create compassion for people as well. Like, oh, I get frustrated with this person because they're always so, like, loosey goosey and they're so, I don't know, they lack commitment or, you know, they just. They don't show me that they're committed at all. But then I see, like, oh, there's pisces in their chart or some water signs. I'm like, okay, I understand why they are this way now. Or I understand why they have these tendencies, too. So it's just like, going back to, like, the racial thing. Like, it's like a human compassion tool almost, because it's a universal modality that helps you align with who you are in your nature. 

 09:41
And I know there are skeptics out there who don't believe that your birth time defines exactly who you are, and I'm not of that camp. I don't think your birth chart defines your destiny or where you're headed towards, but I think it can reveal information to liberate you and to create that empathy and compassion for yourself. When I realized as a Scorpio moon, I need deep transformation almost on a daily basis. So when I felt like things were stagnant for a day, I gave myself that compassion. I'm like, oh, it's because I need this deep, intense, psychological, almost like expansion every day in order to feel kind of safe and secure and satisfied. I need to go deep with someone to feel secure in this friendship. Service level, small talk conversations don't really satisfy me. 

 10:31
And so when I learned that about myself, I felt less bad over how, like, you know, a small talk conversation, a happy hour with co workers went, because I think, to me, it felt like they didn't like me because we didn't go deep. But that's just, like, my nature of wanting to experience very deep, intense conversations with someone. And I also understand that, like, this intensity that I have is not something that everyone else can palate either, too. So, yeah, astrology and human design, as well. Human design uses your birth time and your birthday as well, and birth location to kind of give you an energetic roadmap of, like, your chakra centers, your energy centers, and it kind of puts you. 

 11:10
It gives you an idea of how you best use your energy and what is best in alignment with you based on your gifts and how you should, you know, make decisions throughout this world, big or small or whatever. When you have an instinct, like, where this instinct should be coming from like, is it an emotional instinct, a sacral instinct, like a gut instinct or anything like that. So just using both of these tools almost like, feels more part of the self discovery and healing journey to me because it's just allowed me to reframe the entire way I operated, which was, you know, fear based a lot of the time. But then now I'm trusting more of my intuition as, you know, a water sign and being like, you know what? If I have this feeling about it, I'm just gonna go for it. 

 11:51
I'm not gonna overthink it, I'm not gonna give myself a laundry list of nos for not doing anything. I'm going to allow myself to listen to my natural state, to make decisions and go with my heart. And I think that's what maybe what makes a little bit different the podcast that I have is because a lot of these, the ideas that I come up with are very much like kind of gut feelings or just random inspiration pings. Like, I'm not calculated about it, I'm not planning it out weeks in advance. I. I'm not doing too much market research, actually, which maybe I should, but I'm going a lot of what my life is experiencing too. And that's like the greatest source for inspiration is your own life and your own experiences. 

 12:40
I really liked how you mentioned astrology as a compassion tool. I think it's a good summary, and I think it would be interesting to know from your perspective for the skeptics out there, what's in my moon chart, for example, and how the setting and the energy was at that moment, how should that impact my life? Why should that change? Why I behave a certain way compared to another kid that was born maybe in the same location, but x hours later or x days later, what's changing that is changing me as a person compared to that person. 

 13:25
Yeah. Well, I think for the skeptics, especially in tech, I have talked about astrology at work before and gotten lots of feedback, I'll say that. So for the skeptics, I feel like I always trace it back to the history of astrology. While it is heavily mythological, you know, 2500 years ago, Mesopotamians, hellenistic period in Greece, like so many civilizations throughout history, have used astrology to navigate their world. And it's led us here. So they were right about something, they were on to something. 

 14:03
And I think it's being just even having like a little bit of an open mind to it, to just observe and notice, because I think I started to really validate and credit astrology more through my own experiences, through certain transits, or through certain seasons of my life, when you might feel like a shift, an energetic shift, and wanting, like, an explanation for, like, oh, why all of a sudden is, like, my mood down, or why am I all of a sudden feeling like I'm really busy with my career in this month or this period, you know, or, like, mercury retrograde just started. Why are all of my computers glitching? And, like, no one can get my emails and stuff like that? I actually had that happen yesterday at work. Like, slack crashed for no apparent reason. 

 14:52
And I was like, this is really mercury retrograde at work here. And I couldn't respond to a coworker, so I had to go on my phone to do it. Really random app crash, things like that. Just becoming aware of transits and opening yourself up to noticing how it affects your life. And sometimes you could just say, like, it's, you know, self fulfilling prophecy. You saw it. And so it's going to, you know, manifest in your life this way. But sometimes just, you might notice it to an extreme level, or you may notice it on a very minute level. And just with the history of astrology and with people collectively feeling like there's been a shift, like some of the outer planets to help us as a collective feel certain shifts and differences. 

 15:41
And so Pluto was in Capricorn from the Revolutionary War up until a few months ago. And so now that Pluto is in a different sign, and it will be in that sign for the next 200 years, it'll retrograde a little bit back into Capricorn. But I think by 2026, 2027, it's going to finally be in Aquarius, that this is ushering a whole new age for the United States. And I think we are kind of feeling these shifts with everyone shifting away from capitalism, speaking more on sustainability, speaking more on women's rights, on human rights, and, like, you know, in 1960, no one or 1950s, like, I don't think anyone would be having conversations like we're having now. So even when the outer planets shift, we can feel a shift in the conversation, in the political climate, in what's happening on a larger scale. 

 16:30
And so that's kind of one way I sort of like to talk about astrology to the skeptics. And while certain transits may impact you directly as well, it just takes, it's up to you to notice and feel certain things that may come up when Mercury retrograde is happening. Or if there's a full moon in Pisces and you find that you're releasing relationships or releasing, you know, escapism or dreams and things like that. So the meditations that I write kind of prompt you to notice if any of these things are apparent in your life, because they are, it's going to impact you differently based on like the house of your chart. So this is why everyone will experience it differently but us as a collective. Like, we all see a full moon in the sky. 

 17:17
And I think it's really dismissive to believe that, you know, we are, that these planets are just here so randomly. You know, we have a solar system that has, and we, to our knowledge, are the only conscious living beings on this earth. And, you know, there could be many other astrological systems out there that are navigating similar systems, too. I feel like astrology sometimes for the skeptics is just too big of a subject to comprehend and to make logical and to turn into data and stuff. But like, what if we turn the data as something we experience and what we feel and, you know, like that is valid data in my book as well, and just valid ways to experience astrology through the lens of our own life too. And not like, you know, using it to define you or affecting. 

 18:12
It's almost like it's happening in the background, like you are still living your own life. But astrology is just like an energy that is just hovering in the background, not really guiding you anywhere, but just influencing you in this way. So it's not going to change your behavior. You're not going to act differently because of a moon, but you're going to act differently because of your own internal world. And that internal world. This internal energy, which we can't calculate, we can't see all the time, may be influenced by this cosmic pull of another planet. So that's kind of my view on it. 

 18:51
It seems you've had this experience and this conversation before and many times. And I know there's always going to be skeptics. And I love how you also, like, differentiated it with using it to change your life. It's not here to change your life. It's here to give you a state of life you're at. It's here to give you compassion to help you gain compassion, to help you understand certain things and move on rather than being stuck. And I think we won't know more until through examples. So I gave you my birth information before this call because I knew this topic may come up. And for those who don't know my birth information, I'm not going to share this specific detail publicly, of course. Message me. I will send you. But fact being my birthday is coming up soon. 

 19:46
It's in April and it's past April 21, so that's great. If you have a gift for me, send it my way. I will take it. And I was born in Tehran. So with that information and the specific details of my information, I'm kind of wondering, what does. What does astrology look like for me? Like, what are some of the information that you can share with me today? And for the skeptics, stay on because it might be interesting. 

 20:14
Yeah. Yeah. I'm curious how this will resonate for you because this is our first time. Disclaimer, first time doing this. 

 20:20
First time. I've never done it. This is my first time. And thank you, Ashley. 

 20:25
Yeah, of course. So thank you for sharing your birth info with me. So you're big three. You are a Virgo rising. So this means the way you appear in the world is in a Virgo style. This puts Virgo in your first house. In astrology, things are split up. The sky is split up into houses, and each house represents a different area of your life. And your rising sign is basically the sign that the eastern horizon was in the moment you were born. It makes this part of your chart a very personal part of your chart. And this basically sets the stage for the rest of your houses because it's like a wheel. Like, you start with Virgo in the first house. Second house is Libra, and then so on. 

 21:05
So I find that if you don't resonate with your sun sign, look at your rising sign and see if you resonate with that. Because it's so personal. It's down to the minute and it's down to the. Because the eastern horizon changes signs every two minutes, you know, based on the earth's rotation. And then it also depends on the location that you were born, making it super unique as well. 

 21:26
So maybe just to clarify it, what are these signs like? What does rising sign mean? What are the houses mean? I think just basic terminology would also be helpful for folks who are listening and also myself. 

 21:41
Yeah, good call. So basically, let's start with the signs. So we know, like, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, cancer. We see these signs all the time. These signs are constellations in the sky that represent a symbol, often have personality traits related to it. So I like to think of the signs as like, the personality or the style of your chart. And then the houses, like I mentioned, the sky is split up into. I use whole sign astrology. So the sky is split up. If the sky is 360 degrees and there are twelve signs, each house is 30 degree slices of the whole chart of the whole sky. And each house represents a different part of your life. So it's kind of the where it's the stage of astrology, if that makes sense. And then finally the planets. 

 22:36
Planets can live in your planets, when you're born, were in a certain sign, and depending on where it was in the sky, it's in a certain part of your house, too. So the planets are like the actors, the characters, and they exist in these signs as personalities. Each of the planets have certain characteristics about them as well, but they are expressed through the filter of the sign. So with your rising sign, that's your ascendant. This one's a little confusing because it's not a planet. It's just where the eastern horizon was coming up when you were born. And this was in the sign of Virgo. So this makes your ascendant, the symbolic meaning for your ascendant is your purpose, your life purpose, where you're steered towards. 

 23:24
It's the way you show up in this world, like most, kind of like the first layer of defense, I guess, like the way you are perceived by others. And this will portray in a Virgo style for you. The sun is, you know, this biggest star in our sky, and it moves each sign every month. So it's in a different sign each month. So your sun sign is your ego, your identity. It's how you shine in this world. And depending on the sign that it's in, you're going to shine in that style of the sign. So your sun is in Taurus, and depending on the house that it's in, you're going to shine in this area, or you might feel pulled towards shining in this area of your life. 

 24:17
So for you, it's in the 9th house, which is publishing spirituality, higher learning, long distance travel, very expansive part of the house. So it makes sense for me that your son is in this house because it is quite a spiritual and healing house as well. And so you kind of shine in these areas. Like your identity feels very, like, lit up when you are able to share things related to either travel or writing, astrology, even spirituality and stuff like that. Because the first house is always the self, the body, vitality, the way you show up. And that's why your body, and sometimes the way you show up is so associated with the rising sign. The rising sign is always in the first house and in Virgo, which for you is quite detailed and analytical. It also has healing aspects of it as well. 

 25:20
The sign is the maiden. The maiden wants to help others and heal, but doing so in a way that's very discerning and very calculated, but in a way that will serve the greater good. Virgo has lots of traits of wanting to be of service as well. And there's also, everyone talks about the perfectionist side of Virgo, and that is its shadow side, too, is wanting to perfect the details to the point of inaction. And so that's what kind of Virgo really needs to work on, is moving towards a place of I'm happy with where I'm at, and I will move on to the next thing, knowing that these details are good enough for now. So I wonder, between your rising and your sun, how does that resonate for you? 

 26:07
So that was actually interesting because I think this is now getting to a point. I'm seeing some of these examples, as you are saying. Some of these examples starts making some connection, which is interesting. So for the sun, you mentioned the spirituality travel. I think podcasting goes into, like, creating and creation in general, like writing slash talking, because I do that a lot. So I think it makes a lot of sense on that perspective. The second one, my rising sign in Virgo, that one actually doesn't make sense to me because it's interesting. And that might have been some of the things I overcome earlier. But what I can say is, let's say for this podcast, I'm not too perfectionist, actually. I love the process of editing. 

 27:01
For example, I love the process of talking to people, creating it, and putting a couple of, like, posts online about it. But perfectionist, I'm pretty scrappy. Like, one of the reasons I've been in startups, and I love this startup environment is this kind of like a scrappiness and not being too perfect, but learning quickly, having fun, building, and like, that's kind of like the part I really enjoyed. So I wonder if it's something that's changed or if there is other signs that can impact this based on astrology. 

 27:35
Definitely. Well, Virgo, I think, gets the wrap for being perfectionist, but it's not shown in everyone. That is the deepest, darkest side to Virgo, and that's what Virgo is in its shadow. And I think you're living probably in the best parts of Virgo that can, you know, edit and like, go through very large pieces of work and look down to the details of it. You know, there's still that element to it of getting like, you know, the caption, right, the colors. I don't. I think you care about the details. And because, like, the thing about your rising sign is it tells you what your planetary ruler is. So that is the other influence on this trademark. And Virgo is ruled by mercury. And mercury is all about communication. It's all about travel, disseminating ideas, and it's also a sign that moves quite quickly. 

 28:25
So mercury retrograde is happening right now when it moves just a little bit slower than usual. But mercury is a sign that basically is a big influence on your chart. And because Mercury is so impactful in your chart, it's good to look at the sign that it's in. And the sign that it's in is Aries, which is a very independent, passionate, fire blazing sign, trailblazing. And when I saw this, I was like, oh, this makes a lot of sense because you are, like, an entrepreneur right now, and you have a lot of planets in Aries, actually. But I think, like, what you value is this level of independence, especially in the way that you speak, like, being able to speak about these things in an unfiltered way. Your mercury is kind of leading you towards that. 

 29:11
And it's funny, it's in the 8th house, which is associated with mental health. So isn't that a little spooky? 

 29:19
That is so interesting. So there is a specific house associated for mental health? 

 29:25
Yeah, there are like. So there are a few houses that are a little bit more private and deeper. So the fourth house, the 8th house, and the 12th house, the 8th house, is often associated with other people's resources, taxes, inheritance, also mental health. And just like, kind of the deeper, darker things of life that sometimes can be hard to speak about. And I think you found a way to speak about it in a way that's very trailblazing, Aries. And because your Mercury is in it, this is where Mercury thrives, is in this area of your chart, too. And you're driven by Mercury because that's kind of the planet that's steering your life's purpose is towards Mercury, towards the 8th house. So it's like you're already. You're, like, on the way. 

 30:12
You're on the way to living in your purpose in a way, which is a really beautiful thing to see in your chart. 

 30:18
That's awesome. I'm now tuned in. So, yeah, actually, two questions here, because I know we also have limited time, but I can't get enough of this one is then where is the Taurus? Because I've always thinking that, like, that was the one thing I always knew about my astrology is like, yeah, I'm Taurus, just to have like a conversation started with friends. But that's question number one. And question number two, given the information you have about me, considering what you know about the astrology at this time of the year, what are the things I should be considering? Because I know I see some of the posts that you're putting online on social media. It's been interesting for me to follow and see those. 

 31:10
And I'm wondering, based on what you know about the current state of astrology, what should I consider during April, which is also the month of my birthday? 

 31:20
Yeah, yeah. And how fun for that. So, yeah, Taurus is a fix. So I, I like to go into the elements for your big three. And that's like, I think what we've shifted as, you know, generally as a culture, we've shifted from only talking about our sun sign to now talking about our big three. And that's your rising sign. So your virgo rising, your sun, which is in Taurus, and your moon, which is in Pisces. So kind of remember these three things when you talk about astrology to your friends. Now, if you can, I can write it down for you later. So your sun in Taurus, while it does represent your identity and your ego, it's also how you shine. And Taurus is a fixed earth sign, your rising mutable earth sign. And your moon is an immutable water sign. 

 32:05
So you have lots of earth and water to you, just like in terms of your big three. So take with that what you will if you find that you gravitate more towards Earth, because that's what I kind of want to look at, too. And with you being in both fixed and mutable modality, so each sign has a modality to it, and it basically is the sign's job. And this modality tells us how it operates in the season as well. And this is when astrology starts to make more sense too, because there's cardinal, mutable and fixed. So right now we just started spring, so we're in Aries season, and Aries is cardinal because it's starting spring. And then we're going to go into Taurus season, which is fixed. So it's almost keeping us fixed and stabilized in the season of spring. 

 32:49
And then the mutable signs after that will be Gemini. It's when we shift from one season to another. So, and this kind of reflects in us as people, too. So you have both. There's a part of your identity that is very loyal and very solid can be stubborn. Sometimes fixed signs tend to be a little bit more stubborn, but they keep the momentum going like they keep the energy going. Mutable signs are here to adapt and show what's new and almost shake things up in a way. If you think about the parts of the times of year when we go from one season to another, there's so much instability in a way, but it's good because it's leading us towards a new era. So mutable signs are really good at adapting and being sensitive and opening up to lots of new ideas. 

 33:34
Going back to your question about Taurus, though, Taurus is the sign of the bull, and because it's fixed earth quite grounded, it seeks material comforts in a way like appreciates material comforts and resources and learning how to use the materials of the earth wisely. In a practical way, it's quite loyal. Practical sign. And some people, the shadow side, I guess, of Taurus is not moving. Fixed earth. Earth that never moves. Being a little too either stubborn on something or not wanting to make any shifts in their life because it's just way too daunting for them. Stability is something that Taurus really finds safety in, but it's more so your moon where you find safety in because your sun is in Taurus. 

 34:21
I think you may have an identity that is very grounding to other people, very stabilizing, very loyal, and just in a way that keeps the momentum going, but not in a way that steps on anyone's toes. Not like that Aries trailblazing leadership style. But in a way that's like, all right, I'm observing, I'm noting, I'm calculating all of these things and I'm just going to do what I can with the materials and resources that I have. Very resourceful, too. So with that being your Taurus description, how do you feel about all of this? 

 35:02
Yeah, it makes sense. I think it would also be interesting to hear from folks who, let's say, worked with me in the work environment because, I mean, feel free to leave comments below this audio. I'm curious to hear from you or just send me a message, but I feel that's about right because, I mean, I'm looking at like situations that I shine and it's actually those moments where I'm resourceful, where I can just take a moment and try to make something good out of it. I don't give up. Usually very persistent. There was part of my life where because of the problems I was dealing with, I had a hard time, like sticking to a job sticking to a project. But if I start something, I really love to continue doing it. I'm grounded. 

 35:58
What was interesting you mentioned there is a combination of a grounding earth factor and also water. So I'm kind of. I kind of feel I'm grounded, but at times, I feel like I have, like, too much energy of the water. So I feel that duality between water and being grounded and earthy. So if that makes sense to you and, yeah, I mean, overall, it made. Actually, it made sense. It's interesting. So I am Virgo Taurus, and what was the third one? I forgot. 

 36:34
So Pisces is the last one. And we can talk about that, too, because I think that's where you might experience this lack of perfectionism or this lack of being really loosey goosey with details and scrappy. Because Pisces is your moon sign is so important to know, because sometimes we feel the moon more than we feel the sun. The moon is closer to us. It shifts and wanes. And the moon can tell us so much about our inner world and our emotional life or the tendencies that we tend to fall into on a daily basis. It more so represents the moon is a luminary of the sun. 

 37:12
So the moon is here to guide you on a daily basis of what you need to do in order to get to your purpose, to get to your life's purpose of the sun, or to your planetary ruler, mercury, for you. So, with a Pisces moon, it's really interesting. It's a mutable water sign. And because you're made up of mutable and fixed, I think that's where you find this polarity between yourselves, because I almost see those two modalities as opposite. One's constantly changing, and one is completely stable. And Pisces especially, is a very dreamy, creative, and sensitive sign. It's represented by the twin fishes pulling each other in, like, a little circle. And it's also ruled by Neptune and Jupiter. So it's a sign that is very much not of this realm. Very mystical, very dreamy. 

 38:08
And so that's why when you have these big visions for the world, like we talked about earlier, I'm like, that's so pisces on point for you, because they can just envision things that some people can't. And because this is balanced with your earth, that's why you're so much more than your sun sign. Like, it's like you're having this dreamy vision of, you know, what life could be like when we all live in this one beautiful multicultural, unified country and earth. But then your earth signs kind of give you the resources to help you achieve that dream, almost. 

 38:41
And with your Pisces moon, this means almost on a daily basis, you might want to find security through creativity or through exploring your dreams or your daydreams or fantasies or things that maybe you kind of escape off to when you're going throughout your day, which is kind of hard because Pisces can lose track of time quite easily and can not have a construct of anything. It's mutable water. It's mist. It's everywhere and nowhere. Like, if you think about, like, just the concept of water, it's hard, or mist, it's, like, hard to contain it and define it. And, like, it's everything that it encapsulates and it's everything that it doesn't encapsulate, too. So, like, playing with this energy of realizing that your moon is so. Is so, like, watery in a way. 

 39:30
So it does make you, like, somewhat emotional and, like, privy to certain things. And I think this is why you can talk about pain in such a way that is earthy and grounded, but also this need for almost a creative satiation every day through your dreams and your drawings and the visions that you have. It's very compassionate, very sensitive sign, too. So I wonder if you felt any of the Pisces. 

 39:58
So let me be honest. In the beginning of my questions about astrology, I had a hard time following because I think it was still a topic where I couldn't figure out the order of these facts. The three things that you mentioned, and as you were going, it started just making more sense. It started, like, the three things I could. We talked about creativity. And, like, my daydreaming. My daydreaming started actually coming together, and these three elements started connecting. And I think if I want to give one advice right now to the skeptics, it's just trying this, like, just listen and ask someone. I mean, I know you also, like, offer astrology and reading for folks, and they can get on your schedule. Just listen to this once and see how it feels. Because I'm 1000% honest here. I didn't feel it in the beginning. 

 41:05
Now I started, like, really understanding and connecting it. I'm glad went through this experience live here, because I couldn't be as honest as I can be at this point about what I'm feeling. You may have started even seeing change in my face. I was, like, flying. 

 41:21
Yeah. Your reactions when I was talking about the Pisces moon, I was like, oh, it's starting to connect for him. 

 41:27
Yeah. Yeah. And, like, it was so interesting. It was at that time, it was like, by understanding the third element, I was like, oh. And then things started connecting. So I think that was so interesting. Thank you so much for walking me through this experience. Actually, the question that we still need to, if we have time, and if you think we have time is at this time of the year, what should I consider? Maybe just a quick version of it. So we are mindful of your time as well. 

 42:19
Yeah. So big thing happening right now. This is April 3 that we're recording. It's mercury retrograde, started on April fool's day. And as a virgo rising, because mercury is your planetary ruler, mercury is going to have an impact on you in a heavier way than some other people. And mercury is happening in this. Mercury retrograde is happening in the sign of Aries, and your mercury is in Aries. So this is, like, one big thing that stood out to me that you might want to look out for, that you might feel like, just be careful if you feel, like, hot headed or a little bit sharp with your tongue, because Aries can be a little bit too passionate sometimes or a little bit too, like I said, hot headed is the word that comes to mind. 

 43:03
And just when you are speaking to someone, if there's a sensitive topic that you're trying to bring up, be careful of the flame that you bring to this topic and just try to ground yourself back, because at this point, your words might not. Because mercury rules communication. Your words might not come off how you mean. And so it's really good to kind of triple check or, like, take a pause and think about what you want to say and if this is what you truly mean as well. 

 43:32
With mercury retrograde in Aries, it's always good to just make sure that your details are all aligned as well and that you, if you're traveling, to make sure that you triple check, you know, everything so that you're not, you know, finding yourself with, like, lost luggage or, you know, a mishap or anything like that, like, to the best of your ability, it might still happen. But, you know, finding, like, a humility and grace with this period that we're all kind of experiencing as well. Like, if things do go wrong, there's nothing wrong with you. It's just we're all kind of collectively experiencing this and to laugh it off a little bit as well. 

 44:06
And so you might find that either, like, this part of your life in the 8th house, like taxes, I mean, it is almost tax season, funny enough, and this is happening in your 8th house. Like taxes might come up or they might, you know, either go awry or something might get lost in the shuffle and or glitch might happen around this. Or you might find like more topics related to mental health or other people's resources, like either money or, you know, partnerships or contracts or dealings. Like try to avoid, like getting into any new contracts right now. 

 44:35
And if you are in any, like just to double check, triple check all the details and make sure they say what they mean because this is all going to culminate in a new moon in Aries on next Monday, on April 8 for a solar eclipse actually as well. So your Aries is in the 8th house. So you might feel like communication might be either, you know, weird, funky, glitchy solar eclipses are always weird energy and that themes around, like, you know, other people's resources. Mental health might come up for you during the next week or so, especially because you have mercury in retrograde in Aries and the new moon is going to be in Aries as well. So that's my advice to you for kind of the next few weeks. 

 45:15
Mercury retrograde ends on April 25, so you'll have to do a birthday in mercury retrograde. But after that you're set clear and you should be feeling like a weight was lifted in terms of like, oh, I don't know why I can't find the words for this thing. You know. 

 45:33
There are two questions that we always love to ask our guests, and hopefully this is going to be the end of this show soon because I know our time is almost done. But again, I can't get enough of this. First one is we kind of talked about it already, but to keep your mental health in a good insane state, what are some of the activities you take on daily basis? What are some of the routines you have, especially, like, for someone who is working in tech? I think knowing that someone like you follows those routines, it would be encouraging, hopefully for the folks to learn from these experiences and routines. 

 46:12
Oh, yeah, for sure. Because, you know, I do have a nine to five. And so what I try to do every morning is, you know, wake up before I have to go to work because I know a lot of people just wake up and sign on immediately, and I try not to do that. I get up a few hours before I actually have to start my day and I don't check my phone and I do a meditation every morning with like a little bit of breath work every single morning. Like, that's my non negotiable. Non negotiable. And I also try to go for a walk with my dog every morning to get that, like, sunlight in help. I talked about this in the. We pause. But, like, getting vitamin D first thing in the morning will really help you sleep later at night. 

 46:53
So every morning, that's kind of how I start my day. And then when I have to go to work, I do try to take a lot of breaks and at least, like, eat lunch outside of my desk because that. That space and that break is just so needed from, like, you know, staring at a screen all day or just doing really head, like, heady mental things. Like, and I kind of mentioned, like, the biggest nerve exercises. And we pause as well. Like, the cranial release and the cross arm stomps. Like, I do those sometimes if I'm feeling really overwhelmed with the topic or I just don't know where to turn next when I'm solving a problem. And I'll turn to these exercises just to reset because it's like, you know, less than two minutes of my day. 

 47:33
And I try to do something like, outside of, you know, work after work, like, at least leaving. Cause I work from home, like, leaving my house for yoga, like, going into the studio or going swimming or outdoor climbing or, like, hiking if I have time for it as well. And ending my days with something that is really nourishing. Like, I try not to watch too much tv closer to bedtime and try to do something, like, with my hand. So I've been doing lots of cross stitching lately to just soothe my mind because it's like a nice, repetitive, like, creative task in a way. And, like, playing crystal sound bowls, too. It's been really, like, harmonizing to just feel the vibration before I go to sleep. 

 48:15
And I feel like I do have so much better quality of sleep when I don't, like, look at my phone before bed or try to answer emails before bed. I set really strict boundaries. I was thinking about this on the walk that I did with my dog today. About my hours of operation. I have my hours of internal operation, which are the evening and the morning time. And then my hours of external operation where I'm talking and conversing with people is going to be during the core afternoon hours or morning hours as well. Using a Google calendar to keep, like, anything that I have to do organized and, like, manage my time, like, well, that way. And also make sure that I have balance in my life, too. When I look like, look at. I've been doing too much of one thing. 

 48:58
I'll try to balance it out, like, the next week and set an intention for what I want this week to come. So, of course, like, you know, meditation and yoga is going to be an almost, like, everyday thing for me or movement. But those are my main, you know, rituals to kind of keep me sane and, you know, keep me trucking through this tech job that I have. 

 49:19
Yeah. And I can imagine how much of a big difference it makes. I remember my days in tech, and they were not as good, but as soon as I started, like, injecting meditation techniques, it just made a big change. And in your case, you're even taking it so much further and, like, making it so organized and prioritizing your mental health more than what you're doing. And I'm sure it's having a positive impact on your performance at the role that you have. So it's a win both for the product and the team you're working at and also for yourself. I think that's awesome. And hopefully folks will follow you on social media because I know you also post tips and everything about these things, which is super helpful. Also, a reminder about the Wepaws recording we had. 

 50:12
Ashley mentioned a couple of points that are actually. She is bringing those practices into the Wepaws, and we have a recording of it. Tune into that. That's a very interesting session that we had a few weeks ago. And last but not least, there is this thing we always love to hold our guests accountable, to do an activity with some of our listeners for around 30 days, for about a month. If you were to be an accountability partner for some of our listeners, what would you do with them to keep their mental health in a good state for 30 days? 

 50:52
I think something that I have been trying to do every day is a positive affirmation because, you know, we didn't get to talk about this too much. But a lot of the narratives that we have as children define, like, our internal dialogue, and so almost like, rewiring that dialogue by saying something positive to yourself, like looking in the mirror and telling yourself something uplifting, like, even if you don't really feel it at the moment, but you, by saying it or speaking it into existence, like, I am strong. I can do hard things. I am kind. That is something that I'd love everyone to do each day and, like, have a little mantra or an affirmation to just say to yourself, either first thing in the morning when you're brushing your teeth, or at night when you're wanting to go down to bed. 

 51:36
I feel like it's such a small little thing that can really change the way you feel about yourself and what you're capable of and what you believe about yourself, too. 

 51:47
That's amazing. So 30 days of affirmations, and hopefully after that 30 days, it becomes an everyday thing. 

 51:55
Yes. 

 51:57
What has been the impact of doing that for you? Because I know you've been doing it. What did change in your life, doing. 

 52:04
These affirmations, even writing them or listening to them on a guided podcast? It really has helped to my insecurity because I was a people pleaser and so much of my validation was external. I felt very insecure in what people thought about me. And by telling myself these things, like, I am confident, I am courageous, it's helped heal this level of confidence within me and helped me be sure of myself. So I can take big leaps and maybe do things that I am uncomfortable with, but I know feel right. Like, for example, going into yoga teacher training, I had told myself for a long time, like, you don't have the voice for it, you can't make money for it, blah, blah. But then I connected more with myself and who I am, the way I introduce myself. And I'm like, you know what, I'm kind. 

 52:50
I want to share this practice with people. It's benefited me so much. I am a great teacher, saying these things to myself to just encourage me to take that leap and continue on and persist through any uncomfortable challenges that I may face. 

 53:19
It's been over 2 hours we have been talking, so it's been a joy. And again, back to the card of the day. So for those, I mean, most of you don't know, Ashley brought a card today to the show. And on the card it was written joy. So I think that was the name of the day for today. It was so joyful chatting with you. Any last thought? Anything that you think should have been discussed but not, and I'm sure we will have more conversations in the future, but anything you want to share before ending this call? 

 53:53
Yeah. Thank you so much for having me and bringing joy into this conversation that, you know, that can be difficult. I loved being here and being able to share a lot about my story. So thank you, Ali, for the experience and for the platform to share my voice in this way. 

 54:11
Thank you so much again, Ashley, thank you so much for being so open about your story and bringing all these gifts to the show. And thank you for being an ally and hope to see you again on the show. 

 54:25
Yeah, thank you so much. It's been an honor. 

 54:34
All right, that was our second part of the conversation with Ashley Nguyen. I hope you enjoyed this conversation. And you can also use astrology sometimes as a tool for human compassion. As a reminder, the accountability campaign for this episode is also about writing a positive affirmation every day for 30 days. If you want to join this accountability campaign with Ashley, please use the link in the show notes and we'll contact you accordingly. Thanks again for always being supportive of all the projects we are doing, such as this show and our Wepaws meetings, that we are actually putting an end to its beta version. We are coming back with more details on how we are going to continue WepaWs and how we are going to expand it to support our mental health better and more effectively. 

 55:28
Thank you and see you on the next episode of the Ally Show.