2026 Astrology Predictions: The Year of the Fire Horse

Hero and Astrologer Ophira Edut returns to unpack the astrological shifts shaping 2026. She explains why this year marks a turning point in the decade, from the rise of the “fire horse” energy to rare planetary movements that haven’t occurred in centuries. 

Learn how astrology can function as guidance rather than fate, why this period may push people toward self-leadership, and how the shift from Pisces to Aries energy could bring both momentum and volatility.

What You Will Learn

• [00:07:00] Astrology is not meant to control people’s choices, but act like a GPS that helps guide more aligned decisions
• [00:10:30] The first half of the decade carried slower yin energy with outer planets in earth and water signs, which encouraged inward reflection and spiritual exploration
• [00:11:30] Fire and air energy moving in during the second half of the decade creates forward momentum and pushes ideas that have been “percolating” into action
• [00:13:30] The Fire Horse only returns every 60 years, with the previous cycle occurring in 1966
• [00:15:30] Numerology marks 2026 as a “one year,” signaling the start of a new nine-year cycle after the closure and shedding of a nine-year
• [00:16:30] This year’s message encourages people—especially those in marginalized groups—to stop waiting for leaders and instead step into leadership themselves
• [00:19:30] Saturn and Neptune entering Aries bring structure and imagination together, combining discipline with creativity and healing
• [00:23:30] The shift from Pisces energy into Aries can feel abrupt, like being jolted awake, which may surface anger, bold action, and louder individual voices

Resources Mentioned

• Astrostyle Website & Calculators
  
  
• The AstroTwins 2026 Horoscope (Book)
  
  

Let’s Connect!

Ophira Edut

Website | Instagram

Chandler Stroud

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn 

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hey guys, it's Chandler and welcome to The Healing Heroes. I promise you.

I'm Chandler Stroud, an executive wife and busy mom of two who after years of living with anxiety. Health struggles and an unshakeable feeling like I should be happier, made a profound discovery that changed everything. Join me on a journey where unexpected paths lead to [00:00:30] healing and more happiness. On this show, we will explore unconventional ways to unlock more joy in your own life with the help of my very own healers.

And trusted advisors, the Healing Heroes.

Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Healing Heroes podcast. I am your host Chandler, and today I am back with our hero and astrologer Ra Aude. And I have to say, I've been [00:01:00] looking forward to this conversation for quite some time. We are officially in 2026, and I think a lot of us walked into this year with a mix of hope, a little exhaustion from everything the last few years have brought, and honestly, some real questions.

Where are we headed? What do we need to let go of? What is actually waiting for us on the other side of all of this change that we're witnessing? Well, it turns out the cosmos have a [00:01:30] lot to say about exactly that, and today we're gonna let RA walk us through all of it. If you've been following along with our previous conversations, you know, I came to astrology as a curious skeptic who eventually fell completely in love with it as a tool.

Not for predicting the future, but for understanding yourself better, getting curious about your patterns, finding language for things you were already feeling deep down. Think of it as RA always says, a [00:02:00] personalized weather report for your inner life. You cannot control the weather, but knowing what's coming helps you decide when to batten down the hatches and when to throw open the windows.

Today we're doing a full 2026 cosmic overview, and I wanna promise you something before we dive in. You're gonna leave this conversation knowing. Not just what's happening astrologically this year, but what to actually do with that information. Because the point [00:02:30] was never just to stare at the sky. It's to use what's up there to live in even more alignment down here.

There are some genuinely rare and significant things moving this year, including a convergence in Chinese astrology that has not happened in 60 years and a couple of Western transits that are historic by any measure. I'm gonna let RA take us through what she is watching most closely this year, and then we're gonna get into the practical, the timing, energy by season, and [00:03:00] what this all means for your healing, your relationships, and your life.

Before we jump in, here's a quick refresher on RA's background for any new listeners joining us today. As the resident astrologer for EL and the author of over 20 books, RA is a private advisor to a roster of CEOs, celebrities, global leaders, and successful entrepreneurs on tv. She's appeared as a guest expert for a multitude of outlets and created the first streaming reality TV dating show based on [00:03:30] astrology, cosmic love on Amazon Prime Video.

Her productivity training has been shared at companies like Nike and Sax fifth Avenue and her book, the Astrology Advantage from Simon and Schuster offers a practical guide to using your chart as a personal and professional roadmap. Ra, welcome back. I'm so excited you're here. I have so been looking forward to this conversation together.

I feel like it was like two years ago that you first handed me this microphone [00:04:00] and headset and we're like, wanna be on my podcast? 'cause I It was 2024, right? Yeah, it was. It was winter of 24. And you're being kind. Yeah. I think the right way to say it is I stalked you Eddie Department store in New York City and.

Forced you to take my business card and the rest is history, which I was more than happy to do. I mean, no, you came to an event that I was happy at Bergdorf, and I love being stalked that way. Stalk me that way anytime because [00:04:30] it's just the best. So yeah, here we are in 2026. Whoa, whoa. It's really gotten crazier than ever.

It really has. And yeah, I love that I'm here talking about this with you because you know, we joke about the department store and how we've been doing this for two years together, but like guys, I've been fangirling over RA since I was like 18 years old. I've been reading her horoscopes, like she's real.

Really had such an impression on how I think about myself and how I think about planetary [00:05:00] alignment and movement and working with energies versus against them. I'm just so excited to dive into 2026, and I want that for all of you. I want you to feel empowered and equipped to know how to work with this energy versus against it.

Yes. So with that ra, before we get into everything that 2026 has in store, I always love to do a quick grounding for listeners who are stepping into our world for the first time. How do you describe what [00:05:30] astrology actually does for us in the most practical sense? And you said it, astrology is. It's a, it's a tool, not a rule, much like a weather forecast.

I, I like, I actually now have a good friend who was a weather forecaster in the Navy and he has described the way they forecast the weather, which is to look at patterns, compare them to familiar patterns of the past, and make their best estimate of how [00:06:00] things might go. And then how you walk through that weather is up to you.

Mm-hmm. So the patterns that the astrology is like looking up at. If you could see all the planets overhead and the pattern they're making and their movements around the sun at any given moment, they're forming these different patterns, and it can give you an idea of the energies that are available to you.

Is it, is it a red light, a yellow light, or a green light? Is it a [00:06:30] chance of rain or is it sunny? Like, you know, I'm not gonna tell you to go not go swimming in the rain, but it might not be as fun as if you go swimming in the sun. So we have a lot of free will in astrology. A lot of people don't realize it 'cause they read their, you know, horoscope on a website or you know, in a magazine and.

They think, oh no, I wanted to do this, but now this person says I can't, and I'm doomed. And [00:07:00] that's, I just want everyone to really know that that context for astrology is, it is not meant to be a form of control over you personally, socially, politically, in any way. It's a guidance system like A GPS to help you make better, more aligned decisions for yourself.

Thanks for taking a moment to say all of that. I love the way you describe it. It's different every time, even if you draw from similar analogies and it's just, I think it's really helpful for [00:07:30] listeners before we get going, so thank you. Absolutely. Let's start with the fire horse, because I think people are seeing year of the fire horse everywhere these days sounds so sexy, especially after snake year, which was true to form a lot of people.

Really shed. Skins toxic relationships. There was so much snake ishness going on in world politics, everything else. And so I think, you know, our brains [00:08:00] psychologically love a fresh start. And when it sounds like this horse are, I mean, who doesn't love, who's not a horse girl at heart? A little bit, you know, with you.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. So then it's fire, so it sounds dynamic and active. 'cause we felt so passive and victimized by so much happening on the planet. And then the horse has this like forward momentum. So you know, the optics and the PR are the fire horse. As we know have also been capitalized on by [00:08:30] any and every person and company and brand, understandably.

I mean, do you have a marketing background? Like would you rather sell a wood snake or a fire horn? Okay. Fair. Yeah. Yeah. The visuals I'm seeing on my Instagram accounts and feeds are like beautiful of these like fiery horses running Yeah. Down the beach at sunset and like Oh, exactly. It's hard not to buy in.

Exactly. I actually work with Dua Lipa. Book Club and [00:09:00] her brand and I got to go to her concert and she had this whole one of her songs, this whole screen behind her of horses, wild horses, running into the sunset. I was like, does she even know what she's doing? So cool. I was like, she might, she got the memo early, but I mean, okay, so.

In Chinese astrology or eastern astrology, there's a new sign that rules for a whole year. So in western [00:09:30] astrology, a new sign takes over as this. It's based on solar astrology, so it's one sign for a month. It's Pisces season, airy season, whatever. In Chinese and Eastern astrology. It's one sign which is an animal except for the dragon, which is, I think you're a dragon, right?

So, oh no, you're not a dragon. I think I'm your, no, no dog or rabbit. I think dog. I gotta go back and look. It's been so long. You're, you're a dog. You're a dog. Okay. Yeah. 82, right? Yes. Yeah. Wow. Nailed it. Yeah. You're a dog. [00:10:00] Well, so there's a, there's an animal for every year, and it's actually based on Jupiter, not the moon, even though it's Lunar New Year that happens at the, at the Aquarius New Moon, which is usually the second new moon of the year.

Sometimes it's the first, but so. It has all this lore that goes along with it. But what makes it so powerful, I think, is that the first half of the decade and the second half of the [00:10:30] decade astrologically, planetarily have, are almost like absolutely polar opposites. The first half was very yin. A lot of the, the slower moving.

Generation shaping what are called the outer planets. That's, you know, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, we're in water and earth signs, which are very Y. So we were inside from the pandemic and lockdown. There [00:11:00] was a lot of internal stuff, a lot of people doing healing plant medicine, you know, such a spiritual boom.

And then 25, 20 25. Was this pivot year were those planets, you know, peeped into fire and air signs briefly, and then went back into the water and earth signs of yin. But then it was a sneak preview of them settling into these fire and air signs for the [00:11:30] long haul, for the, either the rest of the decade or a couple years toward the end, or even into the 2030s.

So. We, the fire horse energy is sort of aligned with the same energy of yang. Now, this forward momentum, like everything that's kind of been percolating in the first half of the decade, wanting to come into. Forms. So I think that excitement is, feels the expression, feels like the [00:12:00] expression of this new energy we're wanting.

We're feeling it's a little scary, a little dangerous, a little unknown, but also like we're ready for the novelty of it all. So, you know, each eastern sign corresponds with the western one and the horse actually corresponds with Gemini. Hmm. And when it comes to fire, so every, in the, in the lunar zodiac, every two years are ruled by an element.

So years that end in a zero and one are [00:12:30] metal, which is sort of the strategic sharp energy. It's funny 'cause there was a coin shortage at the mint in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. It's a metal year, so that was kind of wild. Wild. Yeah. And then years ending in two and three are water. So we have, we have a horse here every 12 years, but not a fire horse here 'cause there's, so these two year cycles, so years ending in four and five are wood.[00:13:00] 

So we have metal, which is very sharp, strategic water, which is kind of dreamy creative wood, which is about like growth and expansion and structure. Fire years that end in six and seven, which is action. That's why we're feeling this. And then eight and nine years are Earth, which is more about like settling and grounding.

So the last fire horse year was 1966. Wow. And [00:13:30] yeah, and that's, so every 60 years we have the, the. Animal and the element coming back around. In fact, some people say that's your, it's your first birthday, your 60th birthday if, if you look at it from that perspective. So yeah. That is so cool. There's so much you said in there that I never knew.

I don't think I've done a deep dive into Eastern astrology like that. I had no idea that it was based on Jupiter and not the sun or the moon, or, yeah, [00:14:00] that we think about it in decades and elements like that's, that's cool. That's very cool. So yeah, the horse is like Gemini and it's in a triangle, just like the, we've got the elements with the horse.

The dog, which is like Libra. Mm-hmm. That's you. And then the tiger, which is like Aquarius. So if you're a tiger, a dog or a horse, this should be an extra dynamic year for you. I mean, awesome. I'll take it. I need a dynamic year. Yeah. I'm pumped. [00:14:30] And I do, I'll like plug this, but like I know your site, astro style.com has a lot of calculators, birth chart generators, like all this stuff people can go to your site to learn.

Have about the, we have a signed calculator on there too. If you go to our cosmic calculators on Astro style, you can find out your element and your sign. Cool. I've like lived on that site. I mean, spent so many hours just calculating stuff. So it's fun. Yeah. You can really go down the rabbit hole. [00:15:00] Mm-hmm. I keep seeing language around this year.

That sounds like a lot like stop waiting, start moving. There's this like real sense as you were describing, the 2026 as a year of like. Action and movement. Mm-hmm. And fire, like what is the invitation of the fire horse, maybe for women in particular. Yeah. And is there any caution associated with that that you'd maybe highlight?

Yeah, definitely. So it's a combination of things. In fact, we give [00:15:30] every year at. Theme in our yearly book, and this year we named the year the unbridled spirit, which is, yes, a horse pun. It's, so there's the numerology of the year too, and so you, you know, you add up the four digits of the year and then reduce them down to a single digit.

So this is a one year. Two plus zero plus two is four, plus six is 10. Then one plus zero is one. So one is the beginning of a new nine year cycle. Last year was a nine year [00:16:00] 2025, which is the end. Nine years are known to be really hard. So when a nine year and a snake, and it was all this shedding. Hmm. Now we've got this charging horse and a one.

A time of action. So my message, especially to women or anyone who's part of what would be considered a marginalized community, Hmm. In 2025 there was this feeling of like, when are the leaders who represent us going to show up for us? And in a one year. [00:16:30] In this particular fire horse here we go back to the Hopi prophecies of the, we are the ones that we've been waiting for.

Like it's not about passively waiting for a leader to show up, but. Finding that leadership in yourself or supporting someone who is a new voice instead of just the same old, and I'm in New York City where we have Zoran Momani as our [00:17:00] mayor and. He's a mere mortal, so we have to be careful about guru Fineing, anyone we wanna break out of that system.

But the fact that he won the election as a democratic socialist and a young man in his thirties, born in the 1990s with giving hope and a and a clear message, but also. Representing or trying his best to represent the voices of this community in New York. It's like, whether [00:17:30] you love him, hate him, don't care.

He's a great case study in the kind of leadership that's different. Mm-hmm. Still working in the system that we have, but also not standing for something. And I think that that's very much the energy of the fire horse in this. And what it's about, like daring to stand out from the pack. Even though horses run in packs, they're not afraid to stand.

I mean like [00:18:00] we're probably from the My Little Pony era or adjacent, like the ponies were friends, but each one was stink and sparkly. As a sparkly as it wanted to be. Love it. I love it. I also love my little ponies. Yeah, definitely a collector's item. That's so beautifully said though. I really love the way that you articulate that, like this is the time to become your own leader.

In a way I think that's so cool. As best as we [00:18:30] can and demand from the people who are our leaders, that they do, you know, we're not gonna be taking some BS false promise, you know, like people are gonna have to keep fighting and. Showing up and believing. I love, also love the Nelson Mandela quote that it's only impossible until it's been done.

So this, the fire horse energy is really an invitation into like roaming free and believing, like, just because you don't know [00:19:00] what's on the other side of that. You know, big long field, you're about to run down. That doesn't mean you, you don't go running in this. And, and it's really about being in the moment.

So two major planetary shifts that happened this year are that Saturn and Neptune went into Aries. They've been in Pisces. For the last Neptune since 2012, and Saturn since 2023, and they're sort of polar opposites. Saturn is structure [00:19:30] and boundaries. Neptune is our imagination and limitlessness and creativity and healing.

So yet they have been traveling in the same sign for the last three years, and they both went into Aries, Neptune on January 26th of this year. For the first time since for the long haul, since the Civil War era, it's gonna be there till 2039. That's wild. And then Saturn, yeah, on February 13th, went into Aries [00:20:00] for the first time since the Spice Girl era of the mid nineties, 96, 7 8, and early 99, and they came together at zero Degrees Aries, if anyone follows astrology, like the very first degree of the Zodiac.

On February 20th. That hasn't happened for thousands of years that they were at that exact point together. They weren't even in both together in Aries since 1702, so very [00:20:30] profound. That happened three days after the Lunar New Year. You're the fire horse, which was also a solar eclipse and the type of solar eclipse, it's called a ring of fire where you see a little bit of the outline of the sun, like a fiery halo.

Mm-hmm. Around the shadow, you know, of the moon over it. So it just was like, what a week, you know? Yes, yes. Hell of a week. That was mid-February, Valentine's Day, who? Right. Don't know her. [00:21:00] So yeah, that was, so that's what we are charging into the air of the fire horse in. Yeah, that's a lot. I, I have to be honest, as an Aries myself, I've literally been looking like waiting for that date since September because it was so built up in my mind I'm like, this is just like.

A totally new shift. I mean, I didn't know what to expect. I don't know if it would be good challenging, whatever, but I just felt like [00:21:30] this was a date that was somehow highlighted to me early last fall and I was like waiting for it, like the other shoe to drop almost. Because to your point, it hadn't happened in thousands of years.

No. So know. It's so wild, doesn't we? Riding the wave, talking about the eclipse, my light went out. I saw that. It's like what? It's like what is going like, yeah. Life imitate, lighting, imitates, astrology. But yeah, I know you were waiting for that and I mean, what a powerful moment [00:22:00] to be an Aries too. And I know you've had some big epiphanies in this window, so I have Yeah.

More to come on those listeners. Absolutely. Absolutely. So. You have explained a lot. This is all so helpful. I did know, like based on the reading, and I obviously follow astrology, I love it. So I knew like at a high level some of the things to watch out for this year, and I've read your book. Obviously I go deep into the Aries section of the [00:22:30] unbridled spirit, the 2026 horoscope book, but I'd love to hear from you, if you had to give kind of a 2026 headline, what would it be?

Mm-hmm. And what are you watching most closely this year? Yeah. Well, the year is also kind of split in two. So first half of the year has the big shifts of these farther outer planets watching Saturn and Neptune and Aries, which is, you know, they were in Pisces, which [00:23:00] is soft and flowy and fluffy. Mm-hmm.

But also like. A little bit of illusion, confusion, and delusion. So there was a lot of stuff like, you know. From, there was a lot of conspiracy and that sort of thing, but some of it ended up being true and some not. So it's just been this like, whoa, what the heck is real and what isn't? Hmm. The north node feel that which is our collective destiny is still in Pisces until the end of July.

So we're still kind of [00:23:30] in partly the Pisces Fog, but coming into the raw Aries realness, the, the move from Pisces to Aries energy can feel very. Abrupt because Pisces is the last son of the Zodiac, and Aries is the first kind of like that nine to one year that we're going through too. So we're having not just transitions, but very abrupt like it's like when you're, the metaphor I would make is like.

You've been sleeping in a totally dark room, you're still in your dream [00:24:00] state. And come, someone comes in and like blasts a horn and turns on all the lights and their ugly LED fluorescent lights overhead, and you're like, whoa. And that's what like the jolt from Pisces to Aries can be like, and it can, it can bring out this sort of fight and anger and reactive.

We've seen so much anger and aggression. And Aries is also the sign of the individual. Which in its shadow expression could be selfish or self-focused. There's a lot. So we [00:24:30] may be needing to watch out for like people just. Only coming from anger or pushing their own agendas versus thinking about how it also affects others.

But we're also going to hear a lot of stories and voices that aren't heard too. So on the one, so there's always like a, a helpful and a potentially harmful manifestation. April 25th, we have Uranus, which is the planet of change and revolution and innovation moving out of [00:25:00] Taurus where it's been since 2018.

Gemini for the first time since it was there from 1941 to 49, and it's gonna be there until 2033. Now, we can't overlook the fact that we have Neptune and Aries for the first time where it was during the Civil War, and we do feel like we're in the middle of a lot of civil wars. And then we've got Uranus going into Gemini, where it was during World War II and oof.

[00:25:30] Even I was looking at the astrology of Iran when it was under the Shah versus becoming the Islamic Republic. So the Shah who left during the Iranian revolution came into power in 1941, right when Iran is, was at zero Degrees Gemini, which is going to be again at the end of April. He, he left 19, well, quote unquote, left 1979.

Both of those times, the north and south nodes were in. Virgo and [00:26:00] Pisces as they are again now that happens every 18 years. So we have all these repeating historical patterns back to the weather forecast of times of war strife and conflict, or regime changes or revolutions. Does that mean it's gonna repeat the same way?

No, this is where your free will and fire horse conviction have to come in. How do we want this round of those? They [00:26:30] haven't. They haven't ever all happened at the same time. Quite like this in this moment in history, when we are this developed with technology, et cetera, which can go either way too. Yeah, but it's like this is where human creativity will and maybe karmic tests come into play.

Like, what are we gonna do with this? Here's what we got. What are we gonna do with this? So that's, that's like the first half. We've also got Jupiter, which is the [00:27:00] global planet in cancer, which is domestic. So we see a lot happening at home. We see, you know, Jupiter likes to be in cancer for some weird reason.

I'm still trying to figure out why that it's, why that's supposedly its best place. Because being global and being stuck at home, and I think it's manifesting in some of the anti. Immigrant protectionist sentiments that are happening, but on. June 30th, Jupiter [00:27:30] is gonna go into Leo, so that's also like, okay, out of this cancer bubble in Shell cancer's the sign of the crab into the Mighty Lion, which is pride and protection, and the North Note is gonna go into a Aquarius.

That's our collective destiny for the first time since. The late two thousands 2009. So that was when, for example, Bitcoin was minted and all these other, you know, we had [00:28:00] the, the subprime mortgage crisis and all these, so we can start to look at like, well, will there be some digital currency and that sort of thing that really, the stable coins of the world.

Anyway, you can go down a real rabbit hole with this patterning, but. This is to say the second half of the year we're gonna have by then Uranus and Gemini, which is about communities and neighborhoods and local action. We're gonna have this Leo and Aquarius energy coming in, which is [00:28:30] about protecting each other groups.

I mean, there's a real potential to rise into this age of Aquarius kind of promise of. Truly taking care of each other as fellow humans on this planet and building a world that isn't only favoring a small amount of people. So that's, there's no short answer yet. I'll try, [00:29:00] but this is kind of what we're looking at.

That's, it's a lot, but it's so cool. I love hearing you like pull that red thread throughout history and connect these dots. You do it so well because you've studied this stuff so deeply and for anyone that's like, whoa, like just your mind is blown right now. I highly recommend following RA on Instagram because sometimes she does post these videos where she'll talk about like.

Energy and where it's been in historical events and how that [00:29:30] translates to today. And I just like, I, I think that's so cool to unlock those patterns throughout history. I think it's really just got a camera to try to do it more because of Saturn and Neptune and Aries, so, you know. I love it. I love it.

Good for you. You know. Leaning in. Yeah. I mean, you know, it's so much production you have to do now like, 'cause I love how like I really love to stay up on what all different generations are creating. I think that's also sort of an invitation of the fire horse Aries energy, [00:30:00] like intergenerational cooperation, let's just say.

So like, I'm curious what. And I'm really super impressed what like young people are doing when they're making videos, like, and showing different images from history behind them. So like, you know, I'm trying not to have to be a perfectionist about it, but I'm like, that's really visually entertaining. I gotta really do that too.

So, so. Farra, we've talked about these big slow moving outer planets [00:30:30] and the energy that comes with those, but now I'd like to get personal for a moment. What is the inner planet story of 2026? The stuff that shows up a lot in our day-to-day lives, our relationships, our communication styles, and things of that nature.

Is there anything that you would highlight about 2026 in those realms? Yeah, so in astrology, what we consider the inner planets are the ones that are closest to the sun and move, like, you know, Mer, moon mer, we, we consider the moon a planet. We, in [00:31:00] our lexicon, the Moon, mercury, Venus, and Mars, because they take, you know, anywhere from two days to two months to go through a single Zodiac sign unless there's a retrograde, which means they re, they did spend longer in there.

So. We have three mercury retrogrades this year that are in water signs. So we're in one now as we're recording February 26th to March 20th and [00:31:30] Pisces. And so Mercury retrograde is when Mercury, the planet of communication, technology, and travel passes the earth and its orbit appears to go backwards as we measure the degrees of its journey and then has to retrace its steps.

So. It's a long period that can kind of make those things go haywire. But we look at what the inter planets are, new and full moons, eclipses and retrogrades usually, and then just their progression through the signs. So Venus spends about a [00:32:00] month in every sign. Venus is a planet of love. It's just, it's gonna be going into Aries March 6th, and you know, that'll color the rest of the month.

We have Mars, which is. Kind of what we're passionate about, what we're driven towards. So that takes about two months to go through every sign. Mm. We're gonna have a venous retrograde this fall in October, November. So that's a six week period where that can cause. [00:32:30] Love and harmony to go awry. So these retrograde periods are really times to reflect, repair, anything with the prefix, re you know, renew, renew vows instead of getting married.

Or if you do get married during that time, go back and renew your vows a year later. They're so again, most people hear about. Especially retrogrades and eclipse is bad. So I wanna guess really out of the, I get calls so many times, is this bad? What's gonna happen? Something bad [00:33:00] gonna happen? So much fear mongering.

I really wanna encourage you to be like, yeah, they can reveal things like, you know, we're recording under lunar eclipse here and. Eclipses are like giant spotlights that can reveal things that have been hidden, but whatever gets revealed or stirred up by an outer, an inner planet, especially a retrograde, it was there.

It's just being exposed and it's like sometimes you have to [00:33:30] deal with it, just like sometimes you have to do your homework or take out the trash or whatever else. Things don't go the way you want them to. So sometimes you do it proactively. Sometimes you need a nudge. And yes, things do line up with planetary trends.

Sometimes Neptune and Aries, for example, in the Civil War. But also it wasn't just the Civil War happening, it was also the end of slavery, suffrage, you know, women's suffrage, [00:34:00] things that we had to fight for. So. I really, I think if you were just following astrologers, would give you fearful fearmongering interpretations or only ones that give spiritual bypass, fake positive.

You might just balance them out or try or, or follow us. We'll try to keep it as real as possible. Oh, fear always does. Not all astrologers are going to are. Well, I'll just quickly say this, like [00:34:30] astrology should not be the foundation of everything behind the astrology needs to be a foundation of wisdom, understanding of how different things are going on and are at play.

It's not just the planets are coming for you, so go hide. Mm-hmm. So the inner planets are, are more like kind of the. The side roads or the roads when you get off the highway and the, the outer planets are the longer stretches of highway and what's going on there? [00:35:00] Cool. Again, great analogy and I'm gonna make a plug here 'cause you and I did a dedicated episode on the value of retrograde periods for listeners.

I think did. It's fall of 25. So if you wanna tune into that, highly recommend. That was a fun conversation also. Yeah. That can be incredibly productive. How much stuff do you have right now sitting on your desk or table that you haven't finished? I know I have a lot of piles, so yeah, I'm using this March Mercury [00:35:30] retrograde to finish up things that I started and got distracted by over the holidays or with other work that has to get done so you can really use them as opportunities to get some stuff done.

I want to just make sure as listeners are tuning in and listening to you talk about all of these really cool transits. I'd love to make sure they walk away with something that they can really use after this episode with them. If you were handing someone a rough [00:36:00] guide to the energetic seasons of 26, like a personal almanac, let's say, and I know this will vary by individual.

Mm-hmm. How would you describe maybe each quarter of the year? Like what are the biggest, like green lights maybe, and where would we need to slow down and go inward at the highest level? Yeah, and I love to think of the year and quarters. We taught a group coaching once, and we did it that year because it, it follows the calendar that a lot of people follow anyway in their jobs and [00:36:30] work.

And I love applying astrology that way. So Q1 has really been this, like all the change like. I mean, Neptune and Saturn and the fire horse is like, just try to survive. You know, like Eclipse feel that just like, just like let the changes happen and just try to stay anchored and aware, but you're not gonna be able to make total sense.

You know, hindsight is 2020. [00:37:00] So even though astrology helps us. Prepare and plan. Sometimes the events have to happen and eclipse it. It was a lot of extreme changes at once, so I think Q1 is just like, it's a gift now that Mercury is retrograde for three weeks, so we can just kinda let the dust settle from all of that.

Then Q2, April, may, June, the one main event is uras. Well, there's a couple, but Uranus moving into Gemini out of Taurus where it's been [00:37:30] 2018. So the Almanac field guide for that is it's been in an earth sign, Taurus rules money and our material realities. We've had a lot of change to that. If you look back to 2018, like.

How our day-to-day lives have changed so much and have become digitized. All the kind of everyday things we do. Now, Gemini is the sign of communication, neighborhoods, interactivity, all the, all the AI stuff that's going on. So [00:38:00] that's. Starting in late April, that's gonna be a big change. And in the book, you know, we have, we do literally have a section in the back that we call the Almanac.

That's the bigger trends. And then we have a chapter for every Zodiac sign. So if you wanna hear how these wolf. Affect your sign. Personally, it's, or if you look at your rising sign, you can find that all in our book, but, so, July, August, September. Oh yeah. Well, I would say like, you know, Jupiter goes outta cancer into Leo on June [00:38:30] 30th, but that's really the end.

So the summer, we have Jupiter going into Leo for a year going. Water, energy to fire energy. It's gonna be like a little fun. Again, some showmanship like Leo is performance like this has not been a time of like cel celebrity culture's gross right now. Like we see it totally just like how, who cares? You know?

Like what are you, you're not saving the planet here, but artists and celebrities, Jupiter's [00:39:00] philosophy and expansion and truth telling, so. The, one of the things I think has disappointed people about celebrities is so few of them being willing to take a stand. I mean, we have absolutely loved the bad bunnies and even, you know, it was very Jupiter in Cancer.

For him to do a show about his homeland cancer being home, that was the best manifestation of the first Spanish language Super Bowl. There's Jupiter International Cancer, this [00:39:30] very traditional kind of. Actually, the Super Bowl was created in the nineties. The halftime show was created in the nineties by the guys who created In Living Color.

So it's not even this tradition that, you know, that's a story for another day. Yeah. But Google that one. Yeah. Cool. So, but Jupiter and Leo, were gonna have some, we might have some great summer concerts. No, you know, Mercury's retrograde in a lot of July. So I would say also take your vacations in August if you can, or like.[00:40:00] 

Prepare, it's gonna be in cancer, so maybe you go back and visit family, but there could be tension in a fa on a family trip. So that's kind of annoying. But the North note is also going into Aquarius. We're moving into this more. Techno. I think the technology piece is really gonna speed up over the summer too, which I'm not thrilled about.

Even though I love technology, all the surveillance and everything of the AI is not great for humanity. And then October, [00:40:30] November, December, we have Mercury retrograde and venous retrograde in late October and November. But the good news is for once. There's gonna be no Mercury retrograde over the holiday season.

So the end of the year is free and clear, and then we're moving into 2027, which in human design is a huge turning point. Year, the beginning of a new 400 year cycle on February 15th. So this is also still. [00:41:00] A transitional year, eight, nine, and one years in numerology are the transitions, and then we go into a two year, which is about partnership in 2027, we're still preparing.

So each quarter you're gonna be like, you're gonna have something new. To digest and process and adapt to and clear out, but also like consider it like more of a preview of the longer term, the rest of the decade. That's [00:41:30] ahead. Well said. Okay. Thank you for packaging that up for us in quarters. I'm like on the edge of my seat.

I love that. I questions the whole thing. This is great. This is really great. Thank you. Oh yeah. When you sit with everything you just walked us through and let it speak to you at a soul level, what do you think 2026 is really asking of us? Not just what's happening, but what is it calling us to become courageous?

Good word. [00:42:00] Yeah. Which, you know, that's a favorite of mine. Yeah, exactly. And I wanna just make a note that courage does not mean just acting. I mean, I've heard it described as action, even in the face of fear, but it doesn't just mean doing, but it, it, it could eventually, it's like before courage, you need curiosity.

Courage without curiosity is just you being an asshole a lot of the times. You know, love that, love that. Or being willful, or it's like we need. [00:42:30] Responsible, grounded, calculated curiosity. That's what I think courage is. And we, and so, and, and this move the Aries energy, Saturn and Neptune and Aries are like very impulsive, raw.

Just do you know, first sign of the Zodiac never touched the hot stove. It goes rushing off. But Uranus and Gemini, it's also like. Hang on, step back, think about it a little bit. So, thoughtful action. Mindful intentional [00:43:00] action. Those are the invitations of the year. Love that. Thank you for laying that out.

There seems to be a thread running through all of it around authenticity. Mm-hmm. Like the cosmos are done waiting for us to stop performing versions of ourselves that don't fit anymore. Do you see that too? And what does that mean for someone who spent years maybe healing old stories about being too much or perhaps not enough?

Mm-hmm. [00:43:30] Well, one of the gifts of the Neptune and Pisces. 14 year era that just ended. And Saturn, as we did get all these trauma-informed tools and therapeutic message, which is, which are very important as humans, we also have to keep evolving. Now it's time to implement those. Sometimes you get, I mean, I'm not here to rush anyone through their healing process.

That doesn't happen on linear time, and there's a point where it's like, [00:44:00] okay. I know all this stuff about myself. What do I do with it? How do I then go out and then become and live this new version of me that's healed? You know, because sometimes those part, you know, those parts of you. Our, I've really learned so much about internal family systems therapy and parts work.

Sometimes those parts, it's not like you're just shedding them. There's a lot of language in the healing spiritual world of shed and cutoff [00:44:30] and overcome and this, so like there's, we need like, I think a middle ground between. Acting like you can just cut something off like a limb, you know? Yeah. The body does keep the score and it's, you have to have a healthy respect that if that was in your neural patterning at a young age, some trauma, it could show up.

It could still show up like a bad uncle at Christmas sometimes, you know, even if it's not on the guest [00:45:00] list or. But also we don't always have to center our lives around that incident or trauma either. So like finding a way to respect it healthily center, but but also create the. Thing that we're gonna center ourselves around next.

What is that? And that blank page, which is so airy. So one year. So fire horse, that big, wide open pasture that can be [00:45:30] scary and sometimes out of fear of the unknown. We may go back to the thing that is, and then that's. That's a shame, you know, because we don't wanna waste all the work that we did on ourselves.

So that's why I say courage and, and it's not just curiosity, it's community too. Like really, you know, that's why you see like a lot of creators are focusing on community now versus being influencers and stars. So. In the second half of the year, if celebrities [00:46:00] do come back onto the scene, you know, a lot of them got challenged.

You know, it used to be like they were the famous 1% class and everyone else was their fans. Well, with the creator economy and YouTube and TikTok, there are people who I have never heard of who are internet famous. And I mean, I might be in my own way too. Like you either know who I am or you've no idea.

Like, it's not like, well, everybody knows who, I don't know, Brad Pitt is [00:46:30] or whatever, like Mm. Yeah. We still have those super celebs, but. They don't have the same clout. You know who No, I agree. We have kids. We know who Mr. Beast is. I mean, like esil without kids, they might not know, but like this guy is like a billionaire for doing stupid stunts all on YouTube, for example.

So if these celebrities, when Jupiter and Leo raises the curtain on the stage again in, in late [00:47:00] June. Wanna come back around like, you know, we work with Dua Lipa and her book club. She's a great example. She's a Leo. She has built a book club and community and makes her tour and her podcast and everything she does into a wi, it's called Service 95 'cause she's born in 1995 and she thinks, which I agree with and which I love about her, that.

Being of service is the highest expression of hu. That's what we're here to. Thousand percent. Yep. So [00:47:30] she is primed to move into this era and is a really great role model of what I feel like celebrities need to be coming back doing. How to be of service to the world, like instead of just accumulating for themselves.

I think if anything, we've just gotten thoroughly disgusted by the, you know, Pluto was in Capricorn from 2008 to 2024, and that was about all the hustle culture and the grinding and the accumulating and the boss this and mm-hmm. You [00:48:00] know, crush it and, and all that kind of like masculine language. And now we're in.

Pluton Aquarius until 2044, and it's about, it's gotta be good for me. And we, it's like, it's just ew. If you're doing that now. Yeah. Yeah. Well said. Well said. Mm-hmm. Also, you, and I've said this before, you and our other hero, Zach Carlson, need to get together for a pow, we really do. Between your shared interest in human design, but also he just came out with a book called [00:48:30] Healed Enough, exactly what you were saying about like, okay, you've done the healing like now.

Go integrate, be in the world and like live your life. And I just, I love that message too. 'cause we can get caught up in that. So, and people don't know how and I hope that his book does show that I'm, I'm definitely gonna be ordering it because yeah, a lot of us are healed enough, but then we just, we need roadmaps.

Mm-hmm. And I hope that 2026 people start to do that. 'cause you know, sometimes people are just like. Go out [00:49:00] and, and you know, but they're like, but I, I want to, but I'm, it's taking the first step is the hardest. So I, you know, I've been working with entrepreneurs and my as entrepreneurs program, I'm gonna run it again in a bigger way later this year.

And just really, there are so many people that just need the question. How answer yes. And then once they get the, the basis in place, they can take it from there. But like, you know, a lot of people are like, well just go and do, and it's like, okay, [00:49:30] where, how? I don't wanna like totally mess everything up.

It's very fragile too. It's like you don't wanna mess up all the hard work you've done and take yourself retraumatize yourself, so Right. Understandably people are cautious. And this is where there's some opportunity for Yeah, no, I love that you're saying this because this is exactly what led to the launch of Happiness Academy.

Even just a week ago, so many women, female listeners were saying, this is all great. We love everything you're sharing on the [00:50:00] podcast. But I wanna roadmap, like, what do I do first? What do I do second? What do I do third? And so the Academy was born, which is essentially just a. Roadmap. It is a healing roadmap of how to think about all the modalities we talk about on the show, how to integrate them into your daily, weekly, monthly, yearly lives in a way that's really authentic to you, to empower you to decide what works for you and what doesn't.

And take that and run with it and make it yours. Yeah. It's not a prescription. Well, what's great for about you though, being the [00:50:30] person that started that, is that you actually did it. So that's, I'm gonna just add that too to 2026, like. We don't need people who have never actually been there, done that, and lived it, telling us how to do that all the time.

It's like you can speak firsthand to like the courage it takes to try healing modality. I mean, you went from. This corporate life that is enviable to many people and on paper [00:51:00] looks like, why would you ever leave that to focusing on your healing? So people are gonna be wondering like, how did she find the courage to do that?

What was the first thing she did? And I feel like people like you are needed as the wayshowers for that roadmap. Well, thank you for saying that. It's a high honor and it is s what gets me outta bed in the morning. I'm so passionate about it. Yeah. I just, I know there's a better way to feel and. [00:51:30] Oh, we need it.

We just need this work so much. So thank you to everyone listening and to you Ra for saying that. My last question for you today is if you could leave every woman listening with one thing to carry into the year one truth, the stars would want her to know right now, what would it be? Mm-hmm. Can I say f the patriarchy?

Sure. I mean, we're an authentic group. Whatever you're feeling. Yeah. Whatever you're feeling. You know what I actually, so. Simultaneously to becoming an astrologer. I was [00:52:00] working with Gloria Steinem. I was an editor at MS. Magazine that was born out of me in college, starting my own with my twin sister and our friend Diane Longwood.

We started our own magazine, Hughes. It was the. An inclusive, intersectional feminist magazine. We started in 1991 as a college project and made national, it was found by Gloria Steinem when she visited our campus at the University of Michigan, and then she later hired me. [00:52:30] And so Gloria is now in her nineties.

And one of the things that I did was I was. One of the first web, I was the first web designer for feminist.com 30 years ago and helped build that out. And we had a little 30 year salon at Gloria's house at her living room, which she's. Anointed like a space for feminism to continue to thrive. I mean, she's, she's an Aries like you.

She's one of the most amazing, [00:53:00] truly one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. And so we went around and said what we think the next phase of feminism. Needs. And I said, you know, women have gotten really good at being good. We're really good at that. Being good girls, being nice, you know, fixing everything for everyone.

I was like, we need to get good at being bad. And I mean, not in like, I mean maybe this is the Spice Girl era of Saturn and Aries. [00:53:30] Again, not bad in a way that's destructive or harmful, but just like. No, we don't have to, you know, play by these rules anymore. And, and you know, like I'm seeing all these fun, like Gen Z matriarchy, things show up on my timeline.

I just wanna say, if you're a healer who's talking about the matriarchy, but you're doing it to monetize, like please go away and, yeah. And have a chat with your higher power, like, [00:54:00] please stop that unless you actually have something of service, because we don't need to monetize the matriarchy as much as we need to mobilize it first.

Well said, please make your money and monetize because yes, this wealth, gender, wealth gap has got to go, but like mm-hmm. Please don't prey on women and make yourself the central cult guru figure, and repeat the patriarchal model of [00:54:30] one person with all the answers. That's why, that's why I don't like the word predictions, you know?

Because it's like you are not the guru. You're the instrument, you're the channel. You don't have to be the guru. Mm-hmm. Just the guide the way. Show her the invitation, the welcoming space for people to show up and discover their truth in your space. Love that. Beautifully said offi. I love that. Yeah. And [00:55:00] co-sign.

It's a very hard co-sign for me, like as in when an Aries gives us permanent Aries mic, the soapbox does love it. It stood upon, but I just, I just can't, I can't that great. It's yes anymore. We do not need gurus. We don't, we don't, no. I think everyone has awakened to what's really happening in those spaces where people have served themselves up as these higher, condescending powers.

It's no, no. Like power is [00:55:30] now being handed back to community and I think people who aren't looking to be the gurus, right? Yeah. It's like no come or a new time, but the, we need community wisdom now. What you're saying is really resonating though, and why I've loved my heroine conversations so much. I think I've had 15 or 16 of them now, and all of these women have been through the belly of grief, of tragedy, of trauma, and they're [00:56:00] regular women like you and me.

Who have healed themselves, they found inspiration and joy on the other side. And I love hearing them tell their stories because they always have wisdom to offer our listeners. Yeah. And their stories are so beautiful. So I just, I have to plug them and their work and how they've been so courageous to come on this podcast and open those pieces, those parts of them up.

To our audience and it's really been beautiful to observe [00:56:30] and be a part of. So I'm gonna plug all the heroine conversations 'cause they are my, I love that. You know, additional heroes. I love that stories do have the power to heal our brains. Remember story, I think seven times more than facts. And so that's part of the courage, telling your story in a safe community.

Well, AFIA, this was awesome. Just as awesome as I thought it was gonna be. Thank you so much for joining us today. I love our [00:57:00] conversations. It's been a while and I'm just so grateful that you came on to share now about the rest of 2026. I feel so equipped. So thank you. There's so much left. It's like there's the whole year left to be lived.

We're just warming up. So you know, just please stay hopeful. You are, you are now just kind of at the starting block if you're listening to this. So you are. You are. Yeah. And to those tuning in, if you enjoyed today's conversation, please share it with a friend [00:57:30] who could use a little extra cosmic perspective heading into this year.

And don't forget to click that follow button so that you never miss an episode. You can also visit healing Heroes podcast.com to get resources, meet our heroes, share your ideas for future episodes, and connect with us. Thanks for listening, everyone. And until next time, remember, be curious, be courageous, and be kind to yourself.

You've [00:58:00] got this.

Ophira Edut: Hey guys, it's Chandler and welcome to The Healing Heroes. I promise you.

Ophira Edut: I'm Chandler Stroud, an executive wife and busy mom of two who after years of living with anxiety. Health struggles and an unshakeable feeling [00:58:30] like I should be happier, made a profound discovery that changed everything. Join me on a journey where unexpected paths lead to healing and more happiness. On this show, we will explore unconventional ways to unlock more joy in your own life with the help of my very own healers.

Ophira Edut: And trusted advisors, the Healing Heroes.

Ophira Edut: Hey everyone, and welcome back to the Healing Heroes [00:59:00] podcast. I am your host Chandler, and today I am back with our hero and astrologer Ra Aude. And I have to say, I've been looking forward to this conversation for quite some time. We are officially in 2026, and I think a lot of us walked into this year with a mix of hope, a little exhaustion from everything the last few years have brought, and honestly, some real questions.

Ophira Edut: Where are we headed? What [00:59:30] do we need to let go of? What is actually waiting for us on the other side of all of this change that we're witnessing? Well, it turns out the cosmos have a lot to say about exactly that, and today we're gonna let RA walk us through all of it. If you've been following along with our previous conversations, you know, I came to astrology as a curious skeptic who eventually fell completely in love with it as a tool.

Ophira Edut: Not for predicting the future, but for understanding yourself better, [01:00:00] getting curious about your patterns, finding language for things you were already feeling deep down. Think of it as RA always says, a personalized weather report for your inner life. You cannot control the weather, but knowing what's coming helps you decide when to batten down the hatches and when to throw open the windows.

Ophira Edut: Today we're doing a full 2026 cosmic overview, and I wanna promise you something before we dive in. You're gonna leave this [01:00:30] conversation knowing. Not just what's happening astrologically this year, but what to actually do with that information. Because the point was never just to stare at the sky. It's to use what's up there to live in even more alignment down here.

Ophira Edut: There are some genuinely rare and significant things moving this year, including a convergence in Chinese astrology that has not happened in 60 years and a couple of Western transits that are historic by [01:01:00] any measure. I'm gonna let RA take us through what she is watching most closely this year, and then we're gonna get into the practical, the timing, energy by season, and what this all means for your healing, your relationships, and your life.

Ophira Edut: Before we jump in, here's a quick refresher on RA's background for any new listeners joining us today. As the resident astrologer for EL and the author of over 20 books, RA is a private advisor to a roster of CEOs, celebrities, global leaders, and successful [01:01:30] entrepreneurs on tv. She's appeared as a guest expert for a multitude of outlets and created the first streaming reality TV dating show based on astrology, cosmic love on Amazon Prime Video.

Ophira Edut: Her productivity training has been shared at companies like Nike and Sax fifth Avenue and her book, the Astrology Advantage from Simon and Schuster offers a practical guide to using your chart as a personal and professional roadmap. Ra, welcome back. I'm so excited you're [01:02:00] here. I have so been looking forward to this conversation together.

Chandler Stroud: I feel like it was like two years ago that you first handed me this microphone and headset and we're like, wanna be on my podcast? 'cause I It was 2024, right? Yeah, it was. It was winter of 24. And you're being kind. Yeah. I think the right way to say it is I stalked you Eddie Department store in New York City and.

Ophira Edut: Forced you to take my business card and the rest is history, which I was more than happy to do. I mean, no, you [01:02:30] came to an event that I was happy at Bergdorf, and I love being stalked that way. Stalk me that way anytime because it's just the best. So yeah, here we are in 2026. Whoa, whoa. It's really gotten crazier than ever.

Ophira Edut: It really has. And yeah, I love that I'm here talking about this with you because you know, we joke about the department store and how we've been doing this for two years together, but like guys, I've been fangirling over RA since I was like 18 years old. I've [01:03:00] been reading her horoscopes, like she's real.

Ophira Edut: Really had such an impression on how I think about myself and how I think about planetary alignment and movement and working with energies versus against them. I'm just so excited to dive into 2026, and I want that for all of you. I want you to feel empowered and equipped to know how to work with this energy versus against it.

Chandler Stroud: Yes. So with that ra, before we get into everything that [01:03:30] 2026 has in store, I always love to do a quick grounding for listeners who are stepping into our world for the first time. How do you describe what astrology actually does for us in the most practical sense? And you said it, astrology is. It's a, it's a tool, not a rule, much like a weather forecast.

Chandler Stroud: I, I like, I actually now have a good friend who was a weather forecaster in the Navy and he has described the way they [01:04:00] forecast the weather, which is to look at patterns, compare them to familiar patterns of the past, and make their best estimate of how things might go. And then how you walk through that weather is up to you.

Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. So the patterns that the astrology is like looking up at. If you could see all the planets overhead and the pattern they're making and their movements around the sun at any given moment, they're forming these different [01:04:30] patterns, and it can give you an idea of the energies that are available to you.

Chandler Stroud: Is it, is it a red light, a yellow light, or a green light? Is it a chance of rain or is it sunny? Like, you know, I'm not gonna tell you to go not go swimming in the rain, but it might not be as fun as if you go swimming in the sun. So we have a lot of free will in astrology. A lot of people don't realize it 'cause they read their, you know, horoscope on a website or you know, [01:05:00] in a magazine and.

Chandler Stroud: They think, oh no, I wanted to do this, but now this person says I can't, and I'm doomed. And that's, I just want everyone to really know that that context for astrology is, it is not meant to be a form of control over you personally, socially, politically, in any way. It's a guidance system like A GPS to help you make better, more aligned decisions for yourself.

Ophira Edut: Thanks for [01:05:30] taking a moment to say all of that. I love the way you describe it. It's different every time, even if you draw from similar analogies and it's just, I think it's really helpful for listeners before we get going, so thank you. Absolutely. Let's start with the fire horse, because I think people are seeing year of the fire horse everywhere these days sounds so sexy, especially after snake year, which was true to form a lot of people.

Chandler Stroud: Really shed. Skins toxic relationships. There was so much [01:06:00] snake ishness going on in world politics, everything else. And so I think, you know, our brains psychologically love a fresh start. And when it sounds like this horse are, I mean, who doesn't love, who's not a horse girl at heart? A little bit, you know, with you.

Ophira Edut: Mm-hmm. Yeah. So then it's fire, so it sounds dynamic and active. 'cause we felt so passive and victimized by so much happening on the planet. And then the horse [01:06:30] has this like forward momentum. So you know, the optics and the PR are the fire horse. As we know have also been capitalized on by any and every person and company and brand, understandably.

Chandler Stroud: I mean, do you have a marketing background? Like would you rather sell a wood snake or a fire horn? Okay. Fair. Yeah. Yeah. The visuals I'm seeing on my Instagram accounts and feeds are like beautiful of these like fiery horses [01:07:00] running Yeah. Down the beach at sunset and like Oh, exactly. It's hard not to buy in.

Chandler Stroud: Exactly. I actually work with Dua Lipa. Book Club and her brand and I got to go to her concert and she had this whole one of her songs, this whole screen behind her of horses, wild horses, running into the sunset. I was like, does she even know what she's doing? So cool. I was like, she might, she got the memo early, but I mean, okay, so.

Chandler Stroud: In [01:07:30] Chinese astrology or eastern astrology, there's a new sign that rules for a whole year. So in western astrology, a new sign takes over as this. It's based on solar astrology, so it's one sign for a month. It's Pisces season, airy season, whatever. In Chinese and Eastern astrology. It's one sign which is an animal except for the dragon, which is, I think you're a dragon, right?

Chandler Stroud: So, oh no, you're not a dragon. I think I'm your, no, no dog [01:08:00] or rabbit. I think dog. I gotta go back and look. It's been so long. You're, you're a dog. You're a dog. Okay. Yeah. 82, right? Yes. Yeah. Wow. Nailed it. Yeah. You're a dog. Well, so there's a, there's an animal for every year, and it's actually based on Jupiter, not the moon, even though it's Lunar New Year that happens at the, at the Aquarius New Moon, which is usually the second new moon of the year.

Chandler Stroud: Sometimes it's the first, but so. It has [01:08:30] all this lore that goes along with it. But what makes it so powerful, I think, is that the first half of the decade and the second half of the decade astrologically, planetarily have, are almost like absolutely polar opposites. The first half was very yin. A lot of the, the slower moving.

Chandler Stroud: Generation shaping what are called the outer planets. That's, you know, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, [01:09:00] we're in water and earth signs, which are very Y. So we were inside from the pandemic and lockdown. There was a lot of internal stuff, a lot of people doing healing plant medicine, you know, such a spiritual boom.

Chandler Stroud: And then 25, 20 25. Was this pivot year were those planets, you know, peeped into fire and air signs briefly, and then went back into the [01:09:30] water and earth signs of yin. But then it was a sneak preview of them settling into these fire and air signs for the long haul, for the, either the rest of the decade or a couple years toward the end, or even into the 2030s.

Chandler Stroud: So. We, the fire horse energy is sort of aligned with the same energy of yang. Now, this forward momentum, like everything that's kind of been percolating [01:10:00] in the first half of the decade, wanting to come into. Forms. So I think that excitement is, feels the expression, feels like the expression of this new energy we're wanting.

Chandler Stroud: We're feeling it's a little scary, a little dangerous, a little unknown, but also like we're ready for the novelty of it all. So, you know, each eastern sign corresponds with the western one and the horse actually corresponds with Gemini. Hmm. And when it comes to [01:10:30] fire, so every, in the, in the lunar zodiac, every two years are ruled by an element.

Chandler Stroud: So years that end in a zero and one are metal, which is sort of the strategic sharp energy. It's funny 'cause there was a coin shortage at the mint in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. It's a metal year, so that was kind of wild. Wild. Yeah. And then years ending in two and three are water. So we have, we have a horse here every 12 [01:11:00] years, but not a fire horse here 'cause there's, so these two year cycles, so years ending in four and five are wood.

Chandler Stroud: So we have metal, which is very sharp, strategic water, which is kind of dreamy creative wood, which is about like growth and expansion and structure. Fire years that end in six and seven, which is action. That's why we're feeling this. And then eight and nine years are [01:11:30] Earth, which is more about like settling and grounding.

Chandler Stroud: So the last fire horse year was 1966. Wow. And yeah, and that's, so every 60 years we have the, the. Animal and the element coming back around. In fact, some people say that's your, it's your first birthday, your 60th birthday if, if you look at it from that perspective. So yeah. That is so cool. There's so much you said in there that I never [01:12:00] knew.

Ophira Edut: I don't think I've done a deep dive into Eastern astrology like that. I had no idea that it was based on Jupiter and not the sun or the moon, or, yeah, that we think about it in decades and elements like that's, that's cool. That's very cool. So yeah, the horse is like Gemini and it's in a triangle, just like the, we've got the elements with the horse.

Chandler Stroud: The dog, which is like Libra. Mm-hmm. That's you. And then the tiger, which is like Aquarius. So if you're a [01:12:30] tiger, a dog or a horse, this should be an extra dynamic year for you. I mean, awesome. I'll take it. I need a dynamic year. Yeah. I'm pumped. And I do, I'll like plug this, but like I know your site, astro style.com has a lot of calculators, birth chart generators, like all this stuff people can go to your site to learn.

Ophira Edut: Have about the, we have a signed calculator on there too. If you go to our cosmic calculators on Astro style, you can find out [01:13:00] your element and your sign. Cool. I've like lived on that site. I mean, spent so many hours just calculating stuff. So it's fun. Yeah. You can really go down the rabbit hole. Mm-hmm. I keep seeing language around this year.

Ophira Edut: That sounds like a lot like stop waiting, start moving. There's this like real sense as you were describing, the 2026 as a year of like. Action and movement. Mm-hmm. And fire, like what is the invitation of the fire horse, maybe for women [01:13:30] in particular. Yeah. And is there any caution associated with that that you'd maybe highlight?

Chandler Stroud: Yeah, definitely. So it's a combination of things. In fact, we give every year at. Theme in our yearly book, and this year we named the year the unbridled spirit, which is, yes, a horse pun. It's, so there's the numerology of the year too, and so you, you know, you add up the four digits of the year and then reduce them down to a single digit.

Chandler Stroud: So this is a one year. Two plus zero plus two is [01:14:00] four, plus six is 10. Then one plus zero is one. So one is the beginning of a new nine year cycle. Last year was a nine year 2025, which is the end. Nine years are known to be really hard. So when a nine year and a snake, and it was all this shedding. Hmm. Now we've got this charging horse and a one.

Chandler Stroud: A time of action. So my message, especially to women or anyone who's part of what would be considered a marginalized community, Hmm. In [01:14:30] 2025 there was this feeling of like, when are the leaders who represent us going to show up for us? And in a one year. In this particular fire horse here we go back to the Hopi prophecies of the, we are the ones that we've been waiting for.

Chandler Stroud: Like it's not about passively waiting for a leader to show up, but. Finding that leadership in yourself or supporting someone who [01:15:00] is a new voice instead of just the same old, and I'm in New York City where we have Zoran Momani as our mayor and. He's a mere mortal, so we have to be careful about guru Fineing, anyone we wanna break out of that system.

Chandler Stroud: But the fact that he won the election as a democratic socialist and a young man in his thirties, born in the 1990s with giving hope and a and a clear message, but [01:15:30] also. Representing or trying his best to represent the voices of this community in New York. It's like, whether you love him, hate him, don't care.

Chandler Stroud: He's a great case study in the kind of leadership that's different. Mm-hmm. Still working in the system that we have, but also not standing for something. And I think that that's very much the energy of the fire horse in this. [01:16:00] And what it's about, like daring to stand out from the pack. Even though horses run in packs, they're not afraid to stand.

Chandler Stroud: I mean like we're probably from the My Little Pony era or adjacent, like the ponies were friends, but each one was stink and sparkly. As a sparkly as it wanted to be. Love it. I love it. I also love my little ponies. Yeah, definitely a collector's item. That's so beautifully said though. I really love [01:16:30] the way that you articulate that, like this is the time to become your own leader.

Ophira Edut: In a way I think that's so cool. As best as we can and demand from the people who are our leaders, that they do, you know, we're not gonna be taking some BS false promise, you know, like people are gonna have to keep fighting and. Showing up and believing. I love, also love the Nelson Mandela quote that it's only impossible until it's been done.

Chandler Stroud: So [01:17:00] this, the fire horse energy is really an invitation into like roaming free and believing, like, just because you don't know what's on the other side of that. You know, big long field, you're about to run down. That doesn't mean you, you don't go running in this. And, and it's really about being in the moment.

Chandler Stroud: So two major planetary shifts that happened this year are that Saturn and Neptune went into Aries. They've been in Pisces. For the [01:17:30] last Neptune since 2012, and Saturn since 2023, and they're sort of polar opposites. Saturn is structure and boundaries. Neptune is our imagination and limitlessness and creativity and healing.

Chandler Stroud: So yet they have been traveling in the same sign for the last three years, and they both went into Aries, Neptune on January 26th of this year. For the first time since for the long haul, [01:18:00] since the Civil War era, it's gonna be there till 2039. That's wild. And then Saturn, yeah, on February 13th, went into Aries for the first time since the Spice Girl era of the mid nineties, 96, 7 8, and early 99, and they came together at zero Degrees Aries, if anyone follows astrology, like the very first degree of the Zodiac.

Chandler Stroud: On February 20th. That hasn't happened for thousands of years that they were at [01:18:30] that exact point together. They weren't even in both together in Aries since 1702, so very profound. That happened three days after the Lunar New Year. You're the fire horse, which was also a solar eclipse and the type of solar eclipse, it's called a ring of fire where you see a little bit of the outline of the sun, like a fiery halo.

Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. Around the shadow, you know, of the moon over it. So it [01:19:00] just was like, what a week, you know? Yes, yes. Hell of a week. That was mid-February, Valentine's Day, who? Right. Don't know her. So yeah, that was, so that's what we are charging into the air of the fire horse in. Yeah, that's a lot. I, I have to be honest, as an Aries myself, I've literally been looking like waiting for that date since September because it was so built up in my mind I'm like, this is just like.[01:19:30] 

Ophira Edut: A totally new shift. I mean, I didn't know what to expect. I don't know if it would be good challenging, whatever, but I just felt like this was a date that was somehow highlighted to me early last fall and I was like waiting for it, like the other shoe to drop almost. Because to your point, it hadn't happened in thousands of years.

Chandler Stroud: No. So know. It's so wild, doesn't we? Riding the wave, talking about the eclipse, my light went out. I saw that. It's like what? It's like what is going like, yeah. Life [01:20:00] imitate, lighting, imitates, astrology. But yeah, I know you were waiting for that and I mean, what a powerful moment to be an Aries too. And I know you've had some big epiphanies in this window, so I have Yeah.

Ophira Edut: More to come on those listeners. Absolutely. Absolutely. So. You have explained a lot. This is all so helpful. I did know, like based on the reading, and I obviously follow astrology, I love it. [01:20:30] So I knew like at a high level some of the things to watch out for this year, and I've read your book. Obviously I go deep into the Aries section of the unbridled spirit, the 2026 horoscope book, but I'd love to hear from you, if you had to give kind of a 2026 headline, what would it be?

Ophira Edut: Mm-hmm. And what are you watching most closely this year? Yeah. Well, the year is also kind of split in two. So first half of the year has the big [01:21:00] shifts of these farther outer planets watching Saturn and Neptune and Aries, which is, you know, they were in Pisces, which is soft and flowy and fluffy. Mm-hmm.

Chandler Stroud: But also like. A little bit of illusion, confusion, and delusion. So there was a lot of stuff like, you know. From, there was a lot of conspiracy and that sort of thing, but some of it ended up being true and some not. So it's just been this like, whoa, what [01:21:30] the heck is real and what isn't? Hmm. The north node feel that which is our collective destiny is still in Pisces until the end of July.

Chandler Stroud: So we're still kind of in partly the Pisces Fog, but coming into the raw Aries realness, the, the move from Pisces to Aries energy can feel very. Abrupt because Pisces is the last son of the Zodiac, and Aries is the first kind of like that nine to one year that we're going through too. So we're having not just transitions, but [01:22:00] very abrupt like it's like when you're, the metaphor I would make is like.

Chandler Stroud: You've been sleeping in a totally dark room, you're still in your dream state. And come, someone comes in and like blasts a horn and turns on all the lights and their ugly LED fluorescent lights overhead, and you're like, whoa. And that's what like the jolt from Pisces to Aries can be like, and it can, it can bring out this sort of fight and anger and reactive.

Chandler Stroud: We've seen so much anger and aggression. And [01:22:30] Aries is also the sign of the individual. Which in its shadow expression could be selfish or self-focused. There's a lot. So we may be needing to watch out for like people just. Only coming from anger or pushing their own agendas versus thinking about how it also affects others.

Chandler Stroud: But we're also going to hear a lot of stories and voices that aren't heard too. So on the one, so there's always like a, a helpful and a [01:23:00] potentially harmful manifestation. April 25th, we have Uranus, which is the planet of change and revolution and innovation moving out of Taurus where it's been since 2018.

Chandler Stroud: Gemini for the first time since it was there from 1941 to 49, and it's gonna be there until 2033. Now, we can't overlook the fact that we have Neptune and Aries for the first time where it was during the Civil War, and we do feel like we're in the middle of a lot of [01:23:30] civil wars. And then we've got Uranus going into Gemini, where it was during World War II and 

Ophira Edut: oof.

Chandler Stroud: Even I was looking at the astrology of Iran when it was under the Shah versus becoming the Islamic Republic. So the Shah who left during the Iranian revolution came into power in 1941, right when Iran is, was at zero Degrees Gemini, which is going to be again at the end of April. He, he [01:24:00] left 19, well, quote unquote, left 1979.

Chandler Stroud: Both of those times, the north and south nodes were in. Virgo and Pisces as they are again now that happens every 18 years. So we have all these repeating historical patterns back to the weather forecast of times of war strife and conflict, or regime changes or revolutions. Does that mean it's gonna repeat the same way?

Chandler Stroud: No, [01:24:30] this is where your free will and fire horse conviction have to come in. How do we want this round of those? They haven't. They haven't ever all happened at the same time. Quite like this in this moment in history, when we are this developed with technology, et cetera, which can go either way too. 

Ophira Edut: Yeah, 

Chandler Stroud: but it's like this is where human creativity will and maybe karmic tests come into play.

Chandler Stroud: Like, what are we [01:25:00] gonna do with this? Here's what we got. What are we gonna do with this? So that's, that's like the first half. We've also got Jupiter, which is the global planet in cancer, which is domestic. So we see a lot happening at home. We see, you know, Jupiter likes to be in cancer for some weird reason.

Chandler Stroud: I'm still trying to figure out why that it's, why that's supposedly its best place. Because being global and being stuck at home, and I think it's manifesting in [01:25:30] some of the anti. Immigrant protectionist sentiments that are happening, but on. June 30th, Jupiter is gonna go into Leo, so that's also like, okay, out of this cancer bubble in Shell cancer's the sign of the crab into the Mighty Lion, which is pride and protection, and the North Note is gonna go into a Aquarius.

Chandler Stroud: That's our collective destiny for the first time since. [01:26:00] The late two thousands 2009. So that was when, for example, Bitcoin was minted and all these other, you know, we had the, the subprime mortgage crisis and all these, so we can start to look at like, well, will there be some digital currency and that sort of thing that really, the stable coins of the world.

Chandler Stroud: Anyway, you can go down a real rabbit hole with this patterning, but. This is to say the second half of the year we're gonna have by then Uranus and Gemini, [01:26:30] which is about communities and neighborhoods and local action. We're gonna have this Leo and Aquarius energy coming in, which is about protecting each other groups.

Chandler Stroud: I mean, there's a real potential to rise into this age of Aquarius kind of promise of. Truly taking care of each other as fellow humans on this planet and building a world that [01:27:00] isn't only favoring a small amount of people. So that's, there's no short answer yet. I'll try, but this is kind of what we're looking at.

Ophira Edut: That's, it's a lot, but it's so cool. I love hearing you like pull that red thread throughout history and connect these dots. You do it so well because you've studied this stuff so deeply and for anyone that's like, whoa, like just your mind is blown right now. I highly recommend following [01:27:30] RA on Instagram because sometimes she does post these videos where she'll talk about like.

Ophira Edut: Energy and where it's been in historical events and how that translates to today. And I just like, I, I think that's so cool to unlock those patterns throughout history. I think it's really just got 

Chandler Stroud: a camera to try to do it more because of Saturn and Neptune and Aries, so, you know. 

Ophira Edut: I love it. I love it.

Ophira Edut: Good for you. You know. Leaning in. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. I mean, you know, it's so much production you have to do now like, 'cause I love how [01:28:00] like I really love to stay up on what all different generations are creating. I think that's also sort of an invitation of the fire horse Aries energy, like intergenerational cooperation, let's just say.

Chandler Stroud: So like, I'm curious what. And I'm really super impressed what like young people are doing when they're making videos, like, and showing different images from history behind them. So like, you know, I'm trying not to have to be a perfectionist about it, but I'm like, that's really visually entertaining. [01:28:30] I gotta really do that too.

Chandler Stroud: So, 

Ophira Edut: so. Farra, we've talked about these big slow moving outer planets and the energy that comes with those, but now I'd like to get personal for a moment. What is the inner planet story of 2026? The stuff that shows up a lot in our day-to-day lives, our relationships, our communication styles, and things of that nature.

Ophira Edut: Is there anything that you would highlight about 2026 in those realms? 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah, so in astrology, what we [01:29:00] consider the inner planets are the ones that are closest to the sun and move, like, you know, Mer, moon mer, we, we consider the moon a planet. We, in our lexicon, the Moon, mercury, Venus, and Mars, because they take, you know, anywhere from two days to two months to go through a single Zodiac sign unless there's a retrograde, which means they re, they did spend longer in there.

Chandler Stroud: So. We have three mercury retrogrades this [01:29:30] year that are in water signs. So we're in one now as we're recording February 26th to March 20th and Pisces. And so Mercury retrograde is when Mercury, the planet of communication, technology, and travel passes the earth and its orbit appears to go backwards as we measure the degrees of its journey and then has to retrace its steps.

Chandler Stroud: So. It's a long period that can kind of make those things go haywire. But we look at [01:30:00] what the inter planets are, new and full moons, eclipses and retrogrades usually, and then just their progression through the signs. So Venus spends about a month in every sign. Venus is a planet of love. It's just, it's gonna be going into Aries March 6th, and you know, that'll color the rest of the month.

Chandler Stroud: We have Mars, which is. Kind of what we're passionate about, what we're driven towards. So that takes about two months to go through every sign. Mm. [01:30:30] We're gonna have a venous retrograde this fall in October, November. So that's a six week period where that can cause. Love and harmony to go awry. So these retrograde periods are really times to reflect, repair, anything with the prefix, re you know, renew, renew vows instead of getting married.

Chandler Stroud: Or if you do get married during that time, go back and renew your vows a year later. They're so again, most people [01:31:00] hear about. Especially retrogrades and eclipse is bad. So I wanna guess really out of the, I get calls so many times, is this bad? What's gonna happen? Something bad gonna happen? So much fear mongering.

Chandler Stroud: I really wanna encourage you to be like, yeah, they can reveal things like, you know, we're recording under lunar eclipse here and. Eclipses are like giant spotlights that can reveal things that have been hidden, but whatever gets revealed or [01:31:30] stirred up by an outer, an inner planet, especially a retrograde, it was there.

Chandler Stroud: It's just being exposed and it's like sometimes you have to deal with it, just like sometimes you have to do your homework or take out the trash or whatever else. Things don't go the way you want them to. So sometimes you do it proactively. Sometimes you need a nudge. And yes, things do line up with planetary trends.

Chandler Stroud: Sometimes Neptune and Aries, for example, in the Civil [01:32:00] War. But also it wasn't just the Civil War happening, it was also the end of slavery, suffrage, you know, women's suffrage, things that we had to fight for. So. I really, I think if you were just following astrologers, would give you fearful fearmongering interpretations or only ones that give spiritual bypass, fake positive.

Chandler Stroud: You might just balance them out or try or, or follow us. We'll try to keep it as real as [01:32:30] possible. 

Ophira Edut: Oh, fear always does. Not all 

Chandler Stroud: astrologers are going to are. Well, I'll just quickly say this, like astrology should not be the foundation of everything behind the astrology needs to be a foundation of wisdom, understanding of how different things are going on and are at play.

Chandler Stroud: It's not just the planets are coming for you, so go hide. Mm-hmm. So the inner planets are, are more like kind of the. [01:33:00] The side roads or the roads when you get off the highway and the, the outer planets are the longer stretches of highway and what's going on there? 

Ophira Edut: Cool. Again, great analogy and I'm gonna make a plug here 'cause you and I did a dedicated episode on the value of retrograde periods for listeners.

Ophira Edut: I think did. It's fall of 25. So if you wanna tune into that, highly recommend. That was a fun conversation also. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. That can be incredibly productive. [01:33:30] How much stuff do you have right now sitting on your desk or table that you haven't finished? I know I have a lot of piles, so yeah, I'm using this March Mercury retrograde to finish up things that I started and got distracted by over the holidays or with other work that has to get done so you can really use them as opportunities to get some stuff done.

Ophira Edut: I want to just make sure as listeners are tuning in and listening to you talk about all of these really cool [01:34:00] transits. I'd love to make sure they walk away with something that they can really use after this episode 

Chandler Stroud: with them. 

Ophira Edut: If you were handing someone a rough guide to the energetic seasons of 26, like a personal almanac, let's say, and I know this will vary by individual.

Ophira Edut: Mm-hmm. How would you describe maybe each quarter of the year? Like what are the biggest, like green lights maybe, and where would we need to slow down and go inward at the highest level? 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah, and I love to think of the year and [01:34:30] quarters. We taught a group coaching once, and we did it that year because it, it follows the calendar that a lot of people follow anyway in their jobs and work.

Chandler Stroud: And I love applying astrology that way. So Q1 has really been this, like all the change like. I mean, Neptune and Saturn and the fire horse is like, just try to survive. You know, like Eclipse feel that just like, just like let the changes [01:35:00] happen and just try to stay anchored and aware, but you're not gonna be able to make total sense.

Chandler Stroud: You know, hindsight is 2020. So even though astrology helps us. Prepare and plan. Sometimes the events have to happen and eclipse it. It was a lot of extreme changes at once, so I think Q1 is just like, it's a gift now that Mercury is retrograde for three weeks, so we can just kinda let the dust settle from all of that.

Chandler Stroud: Then Q2, April, may, [01:35:30] June, the one main event is uras. Well, there's a couple, but Uranus moving into Gemini out of Taurus where it's been 2018. So the Almanac field guide for that is it's been in an earth sign, Taurus rules money and our material realities. We've had a lot of change to that. If you look back to 2018, like.

Chandler Stroud: How our day-to-day lives have changed so much and have become digitized. All the kind of everyday things we do. [01:36:00] Now, Gemini is the sign of communication, neighborhoods, interactivity, all the, all the AI stuff that's going on. So that's. Starting in late April, that's gonna be a big change. And in the book, you know, we have, we do literally have a section in the back that we call the Almanac.

Chandler Stroud: That's the bigger trends. And then we have a chapter for every Zodiac sign. So if you wanna hear how these wolf. Affect your sign. Personally, it's, or if you look at your rising sign, [01:36:30] you can find that all in our book, but, so, July, August, September. Oh yeah. Well, I would say like, you know, Jupiter goes outta cancer into Leo on June 30th, but that's really the end.

Chandler Stroud: So the summer, we have Jupiter going into Leo for a year going. Water, energy to fire energy. It's gonna be like a little fun. Again, some showmanship like Leo is performance like this has not been a time of like cel celebrity culture's gross right now. Like we see it totally [01:37:00] just like how, who cares? You know?

Chandler Stroud: Like what are you, you're not saving the planet here, but artists and celebrities, Jupiter's philosophy and expansion and truth telling, so. The, one of the things I think has disappointed people about celebrities is so few of them being willing to take a stand. I mean, we have absolutely loved the bad bunnies and even, you know, it was very Jupiter in Cancer.

Chandler Stroud: For him to do a show about his homeland cancer being [01:37:30] home, that was the best manifestation of the first Spanish language Super Bowl. There's Jupiter International Cancer, this very traditional kind of. Actually, the Super Bowl was created in the nineties. The halftime show was created in the nineties by the guys who created In Living Color.

Chandler Stroud: So it's not even this tradition that, you know, that's a story for another day. Yeah. But Google that one. Yeah. Cool. So, but Jupiter and Leo, were gonna have some, we might have some great summer [01:38:00] concerts. No, you know, Mercury's retrograde in a lot of July. So I would say also take your vacations in August if you can, or like.

Chandler Stroud: Prepare, it's gonna be in cancer, so maybe you go back and visit family, but there could be tension in a fa on a family trip. So that's kind of annoying. But the North note is also going into Aquarius. We're moving into this more. Techno. I think the technology piece is really gonna speed up over the summer too, which I'm not [01:38:30] thrilled about.

Chandler Stroud: Even though I love technology, all the surveillance and everything of the AI is not great for humanity. And then October, November, December, we have Mercury retrograde and venous retrograde in late October and November. But the good news is for once. There's gonna be no Mercury retrograde over the holiday season.

Chandler Stroud: So the end of the year is free and clear, and then we're moving into 2027, which in human [01:39:00] design is a huge turning point. Year, the beginning of a new 400 year cycle on February 15th. So this is also still. A transitional year, eight, nine, and one years in numerology are the transitions, and then we go into a two year, which is about partnership in 2027, we're still preparing.

Chandler Stroud: So each quarter you're gonna be like, you're gonna have something new. To digest and process and adapt [01:39:30] to and clear out, but also like consider it like more of a preview of the longer term, the rest of the decade. That's ahead. 

Ophira Edut: Well said. Okay. Thank you for packaging that up for us in quarters. I'm like on the edge of my seat.

Ophira Edut: I love that. I questions the whole thing. This is great. This is really great. Thank you. 

Chandler Stroud: Oh yeah. 

Ophira Edut: When you sit with everything you just walked us through and let it speak to you at a soul level, what do you think 2026 [01:40:00] is really asking of us? Not just what's happening, but what is it calling us to become 

Chandler Stroud: courageous?

Ophira Edut: Good word. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. Which, 

Ophira Edut: you know, that's a favorite of mine. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah, exactly. And I wanna just make a note that courage does not mean just acting. I mean, I've heard it described as action, even in the face of fear, but it doesn't just mean doing, but it, it, it could eventually, it's like before courage, you need curiosity.

Chandler Stroud: Courage [01:40:30] without curiosity is just you being an asshole a lot of the times. You know, 

Ophira Edut: love that, 

Chandler Stroud: love that. Or being willful, or it's like we need. Responsible, grounded, calculated curiosity. That's what I think courage is. And we, and so, and, and this move the Aries energy, Saturn and Neptune and Aries are like very impulsive, raw.

Chandler Stroud: Just do you know, first sign of the Zodiac never touched the hot stove. It goes rushing off. But Uranus and Gemini, it's also like. Hang [01:41:00] on, step back, think about it a little bit. So, thoughtful action. Mindful intentional action. Those are the invitations of the year. 

Ophira Edut: Love that. Thank you for laying that out.

Ophira Edut: There seems to be a thread running through all of it around authenticity. 

Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. 

Ophira Edut: Like the cosmos are done waiting for us to stop performing versions of ourselves that don't fit anymore. Do you see [01:41:30] that too? And what does that mean for someone who spent years maybe healing old stories about being too much or perhaps not enough?

Ophira Edut: Mm-hmm. 

Chandler Stroud: Well, one of the gifts of the Neptune and Pisces. 14 year era that just ended. And Saturn, as we did get all these trauma-informed tools and therapeutic message, which is, which are very important as humans, we also have to keep evolving. Now it's time to implement those. Sometimes you get, I [01:42:00] mean, I'm not here to rush anyone through their healing process.

Chandler Stroud: That doesn't happen on linear time, and there's a point where it's like, okay. I know all this stuff about myself. What do I do with it? How do I then go out and then become and live this new version of me that's healed? You know, because sometimes those part, you know, those parts of you. Our, I've really learned so much about internal family systems therapy and [01:42:30] parts work.

Chandler Stroud: Sometimes those parts, it's not like you're just shedding them. There's a lot of language in the healing spiritual world of shed and cutoff and overcome and this, so like there's, we need like, I think a middle ground between. Acting like you can just cut something off like a limb, you know? 

Ophira Edut: Yeah. 

Chandler Stroud: The body does keep the score and it's, you have to have a healthy respect that if that was in your neural patterning at a young age, some trauma, [01:43:00] it could show up.

Chandler Stroud: It could still show up like a bad uncle at Christmas sometimes, you know, even if it's not on the guest list or. But also we don't always have to center our lives around that incident or trauma either. So like finding a way to respect it healthily center, but but also create the. Thing that we're gonna center ourselves around next.

Chandler Stroud: What is [01:43:30] that? And that blank page, which is so airy. So one year. So fire horse, that big, wide open pasture that can be scary and sometimes out of fear of the unknown. We may go back to the thing that is, and then that's. That's a shame, you know, because we don't wanna waste all the work that we did on ourselves.

Chandler Stroud: So that's why I say courage and, and it's not just curiosity, it's community too. Like really, you know, that's why you see like a lot of [01:44:00] creators are focusing on community now versus being influencers and stars. So. In the second half of the year, if celebrities do come back onto the scene, you know, a lot of them got challenged.

Chandler Stroud: You know, it used to be like they were the famous 1% class and everyone else was their fans. Well, with the creator economy and YouTube and TikTok, there are people who I have never heard of who are internet famous. And I mean, I might be in my [01:44:30] own way too. Like you either know who I am or you've no idea.

Chandler Stroud: Like, it's not like, well, everybody knows who, I don't know, Brad Pitt is or whatever, like Mm. Yeah. We still have those super celebs, but. They don't have the same clout. You know who 

Ophira Edut: No, I agree. 

Chandler Stroud: We have kids. We know who Mr. Beast is. I mean, like esil without kids, they might not know, but like this guy is like a billionaire for doing stupid stunts all on YouTube, for example.

Chandler Stroud: [01:45:00] So if these celebrities, when Jupiter and Leo raises the curtain on the stage again in, in late June. 

Ophira Edut: Wanna come back around like, you know, we work with Dua Lipa and her book club. She's a 

Chandler Stroud: great example. She's a Leo. She has built a book club and community and makes her tour and her podcast and everything she does into a wi, it's called Service 95 'cause she's born in 1995 [01:45:30] and she thinks, which I agree with and which I love about her, that.

Chandler Stroud: Being of service is the highest expression of hu. That's what we're here to. Thousand percent. Yep. So she is primed to move into this era and is a really great role model of what I feel like celebrities need to be coming back doing. How to be of service to the world, like instead of just accumulating for themselves.

Chandler Stroud: I think if anything, we've just gotten thoroughly disgusted by the, you know, Pluto [01:46:00] was in Capricorn from 2008 to 2024, and that was about all the hustle culture and the grinding and the accumulating and the boss this and 

Ophira Edut: mm-hmm. 

Chandler Stroud: You know, crush it and, and all that kind of like masculine language. And now we're in.

Chandler Stroud: Pluton Aquarius until 2044, and it's about, it's gotta be good for me. And we, it's like, it's just ew. If you're doing that now. 

Ophira Edut: Yeah. Yeah. Well said. Well said. 

Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. 

Ophira Edut: Also, you, [01:46:30] and I've said this before, you and our other hero, Zach Carlson, need to get together for a pow, we really do. Between your shared interest in human design, but also he just came out with a book called Healed Enough, exactly what you were saying about like, okay, you've done the healing like now.

Ophira Edut: Go integrate, be in the world and like live your life. And I just, I love that message too. 'cause we can get caught up in that. 

Chandler Stroud: So, and people don't know how and I hope that his book does show that I'm, I'm definitely gonna be ordering it because yeah, a lot of us are healed enough, but then [01:47:00] we just, we need roadmaps.

Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. And I hope that 2026 people start to do that. 'cause you know, sometimes people are just like. Go out and, and you know, but they're like, but I, I want to, but I'm, it's taking the first step is the hardest. So I, you know, I've been working with entrepreneurs and my as entrepreneurs program, I'm gonna run it again in a bigger way later this year.

Chandler Stroud: And just really, there are so many people that just need the question. How answer yes. And then once [01:47:30] they get the, the basis in place, they can take it from there. But like, you know, a lot of people are like, well just go and do, and it's like, okay, where, how? I don't wanna like 

Ophira Edut: totally 

Chandler Stroud: mess everything up.

Chandler Stroud: It's very fragile too. It's like you don't wanna mess up all the hard work you've done and take yourself retraumatize yourself, so 

Ophira Edut: Right. 

Chandler Stroud: Understandably people are cautious. And this is where there's some opportunity for 

Ophira Edut: Yeah, no, I love that you're saying this because this [01:48:00] is exactly what led to the launch of Happiness Academy.

Ophira Edut: Even just a week ago, so many women, female listeners were saying, this is all great. We love everything you're sharing on the podcast. But I wanna roadmap, like, what do I do first? What do I do second? What do I do third? And so the Academy was born, which is essentially just a. Roadmap. It is a healing roadmap of how to think about all the modalities we talk about on the show, how to integrate them into your daily, weekly, monthly, yearly lives in a way that's really authentic to you, to [01:48:30] empower you to decide what works for you and what doesn't.

Ophira Edut: And take that and run with it and make it yours. Yeah. It's not a prescription. 

Chandler Stroud: Well, what's great for about you though, being the person that started that, is that you actually did it. So that's, I'm gonna just add that too to 2026, like. We don't need people who have never actually been there, done that, and lived it, telling us how to do that all the time.

Chandler Stroud: It's like you can speak firsthand to like the courage it takes [01:49:00] to try healing modality. I mean, you went from. This corporate life that is enviable to many people and on paper looks like, why would you ever leave that to focusing on your healing? So people are gonna be wondering like, how did she find the courage to do that?

Chandler Stroud: What was the first thing she did? And I feel like people like you are needed as the wayshowers for that roadmap. 

Ophira Edut: Well, thank you for saying that. It's a high [01:49:30] honor and it is s what gets me outta bed in the morning. I'm so passionate about it. Yeah. I just, I know there's a better way to feel and. Oh, we need it.

Ophira Edut: We just need this work so much. So thank you to everyone listening and to you Ra for saying that. My last question for you today is if you could leave every woman listening with one thing to carry into the year one truth, the stars would want her to know right now, what would it be? 

Chandler Stroud: Mm-hmm. Can I say f the patriarchy?

Ophira Edut: Sure. [01:50:00] I mean, we're an authentic group. Whatever you're feeling. Yeah. Whatever you're feeling. You know what I actually, so. Simultaneously to becoming an astrologer. I was working with Gloria Steinem. I was an editor at MS. Magazine that was born out of me in college, starting my own with my twin sister and our friend Diane Longwood.

Chandler Stroud: We started our own magazine, Hughes. It was the. An inclusive, intersectional feminist magazine. We started in 1991 as a college project and made [01:50:30] national, it was found by Gloria Steinem when she visited our campus at the University of Michigan, and then she later hired me. And so Gloria is now in her nineties.

Chandler Stroud: And one of the things that I did was I was. One of the first web, I was the first web designer for feminist.com 30 years ago and helped build that out. And we had a little 30 year salon at Gloria's house at her living room, which she's. [01:51:00] Anointed like a space for feminism to continue to thrive. I mean, she's, she's an Aries like you.

Chandler Stroud: She's one of the most amazing, truly one of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. And so we went around and said what we think the next phase of feminism. Needs. And I said, you know, women have gotten really good at being good. We're really good at that. Being good girls, being nice, you know, fixing [01:51:30] everything for everyone.

Chandler Stroud: I was like, we need to get good at being bad. And I mean, not in like, I mean maybe this is the Spice Girl era of Saturn and Aries. Again, not bad in a way that's destructive or harmful, but just like. No, we don't have to, you know, play by these rules anymore. And, and you know, like I'm seeing all these fun, like Gen Z matriarchy, things show up on my timeline.

Chandler Stroud: I just wanna say, if you're a healer who's talking about the [01:52:00] matriarchy, but you're doing it to monetize, like please go away and, yeah. And have a chat with your higher power, like, please stop that unless you actually have something of service, because we don't need to monetize the matriarchy as much as we need to mobilize it first.

Ophira Edut: Well said, 

Chandler Stroud: please make your money and monetize because yes, this wealth, gender, wealth gap has got to go, but like mm-hmm. [01:52:30] Please don't prey on women and make yourself the central cult guru figure, and repeat the patriarchal model of one person with all the answers. That's why, that's why I don't like the word predictions, you know?

Chandler Stroud: Because it's like you are not the guru. You're the instrument, you're the channel. You don't have to be the guru. Mm-hmm. Just the guide the way. Show her the invitation, the welcoming space for people to show up and [01:53:00] discover their truth in your space. 

Ophira Edut: Love that. Beautifully said offi. I love that. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. 

Ophira Edut: And co-sign.

Ophira Edut: It's a very hard co-sign for me, like as in 

Chandler Stroud: when an Aries gives us permanent Aries mic, the soapbox does love it. It stood upon, but I just, I just can't, I can't that great. It's yes anymore. We do not need gurus. We don't, 

Ophira Edut: we don't, no. I think everyone has awakened to what's really [01:53:30] happening in those spaces where people have served themselves up as these higher, condescending powers.

Ophira Edut: It's no, no. Like power is now being handed back to community and I think people who aren't looking to be the gurus, right? 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. 

Ophira Edut: It's like 

Chandler Stroud: no come or a 

Ophira Edut: new time, 

Chandler Stroud: but the, we need community wisdom now. 

Ophira Edut: What you're saying is really resonating though, and why I've loved my heroine conversations so much. I [01:54:00] think I've had 15 or 16 of them now, and all of these women have been through the belly of grief, of tragedy, of trauma, and they're regular women like you and me.

Ophira Edut: Who have healed themselves, they found inspiration and joy on the other side. And I love hearing them tell their stories because they always have wisdom to offer our listeners. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. 

Ophira Edut: And their stories are so beautiful. So I just, I have to plug them and their work and how they've been so courageous to [01:54:30] come on this podcast and open those pieces, those parts of them up.

Ophira Edut: To our audience and it's really been beautiful to observe and be a part of. So I'm gonna plug all the heroine conversations 'cause they are my, 

Chandler Stroud: I love 

Ophira Edut: that. You know, additional heroes. 

Chandler Stroud: I love that stories do have the power to heal our brains. Remember story, I think seven times more than facts. And so that's part of the courage, telling your story in a [01:55:00] safe community.

Ophira Edut: Well, AFIA, this was awesome. Just as awesome as I thought it was gonna be. Thank you so much for joining us today. I love our conversations. It's been a while and I'm just so grateful that you came on to share now about the rest of 2026. I feel so equipped. So thank you. 

Chandler Stroud: There's so much left. It's like there's the whole year left to be lived.

Chandler Stroud: We're just warming up. So you know, just please stay hopeful. You are, you are now just kind of at the starting block if [01:55:30] you're listening to this. So 

Ophira Edut: you 

Chandler Stroud: are. 

Ophira Edut: You are. 

Chandler Stroud: Yeah. 

Ophira Edut: And to those tuning in, if you enjoyed today's conversation, please share it with a friend who could use a little extra cosmic perspective heading into this year.

Ophira Edut: And don't forget to click that follow button so that you never miss an episode. You can also visit healing Heroes podcast.com to get resources, meet our heroes, share your ideas for future episodes, and connect with us. [01:56:00] Thanks for listening, everyone. And until next time, remember, be curious, be courageous, and be kind to yourself.

Ophira Edut: You've got this.