What is your name & location?
Chase Chualong , San Francisco
How do you heal yourself? What is your favorite form of self-therapy?
I heal myself through the various tools that I've learned throughout my 20's. Astrology has been my favorite form of self therapy because it is a filter to demystify my experience and provide insight.
When/what was the catalyst that made you start?
When I was in my early 20's I kinda laughed at a friend who told me a story about carrying 'a pocket full of stones'. I went and tried it i put 3 pieces of citrine and 1 piece of clear quartz in my pocket and it changed my life. My posture seemed taller, my outlook brighter and it was the first time I've really recognized the nature of energy. From then, I immersed myself in breathwork, crystals, energy work, magic, mantra and astrology.
How has this form of healing helped you?
After I had received my very first astrology reading, I walked out with glowing eyes and was like, "I'm not crazy. I can't believe it."
The most powerful relief came over me as there was an actual way to place my complex thought processes and experiences into words. Now, I am able to read my own chart and reach new ways of understanding myself all the time. The learning and self discovery never ends, but astrology is a wonderful way to explain and contextualize my experiences.
What does your process look like? (Please share what you feel comfortable sharing)
I have always journaled my insights and feelings for years. What I have been doing lately is going back to entries and seeing what planetary alignments were happening at that time. Cycles of time are crazy when you study them. There is always the developement of a storyline somewhere and you can witness how your perspectives develop if you are paying attention.
By knowing what is happening in the sky and how it is showing up in my life, I am able to place awareness to my thoughts and actions. The use of astrological timing helps me to prepare for upcoming phases that may be difficult. Sometimes if the upcoming period shows a focus on my family, I start the process earlier and try to get a feeling of what needs to be looked at in my relationship to them. This is also helpful when I am going through a rough patch and I understand why a certain area of my life is calling for so much attention. When I get an idea of what is to come, I will then turn to my herbal rememdies and flower essences to guide me during a challenging time. The astrology identifies and the plants are a physical tool to assist me in the direction that I need. The journaling is the way to validate and record the process. Healing and growth are beautiful processes when recorded.
How does it make you feel when you are healing yourself?
To achieve 'healing' there is first the recognition of suffering that comes before the healing. I love when I can reach a place of healing because in order to have gotten to that point is the identification of the cause, the action that supports that healing and the result of that action. The process is likely painful, whether it is painful realizations, a tramatic event, or caring for yourself after a hard week. To heal yourself means that you have been able to surpass a difficult situation and sometimes it's really dark and hard, but if you're a healer you have already signed up for that.
Why is what you do so important? Why is this form of self-helping important to you?
Astrology is important because it helps someone un-learn ideas and and values that are not in line with their essential nature. In a world where there are so many structures that determine what and how our lives should look like, astrology offers the potential of an individual based soley on what they are made of. This is not typically the first way that people understand themselves, it is usually, 'how you fit into the structures around you' rather than, 'how to create your reality based on who you are fundamentally'.
What is your inspiration to continue doing what you are doing? What is the fuel that keeps you going?
I wish to give my clients that same experience that I had after my first reading: An overwhelming knowing of who I am and the confidence to live up to my best possible self. This form of compassionate awareness is the basis of my practice and the goal of my education style. The more people on this Earth who lovingly know who they are and what they are suposed to be doing, the more people who can positively affect and influence others to do the exact same thing for themselves. Like a huge wave of self-love dominos.
What are your visions &/or goals?
My short term goals are to do community work with families that are affected by domestic violence and combine a bit of counseling with astrology as an interactive way to understand relationship dynamics and do work around worth and wholensss.
In the future, like soon, I see myself creating communities of healers (unbound by distance) that are doing a lot of outreach and education around bridging all sorts of gaps. Generational, sociopolitical, genders, sexualties and all of it. The more healers that are stepping out of 'island mentality', the more that are able to join together and create change and innovation through the integration of modalities and minds working together.
Tell us a fun fact about your form of healing, what it is that you do, or something people may not know.
Sun-sign astrology was actually introduced through a newspaper in the UK in the 1930's. It was a completely watered down version of astrology and it became wildly popular. Flash forward to now and sun-sign astrology is found in most newspapers and magazines and all over the internet. Astrology has moved in a very different direction from being a key component of decision making within a kingdom for thousands of years before. I'm quite fascinated at how this form of counsel has somehow been hidden in many ways and what the future of it looks like.
In one sentence, what is your message to the world?
Your main reality exists within your mind, heal yourself and heal your entire world.
You can reach Chase at earlybirdastrology.com!