I’m packing my bags in preparation of our FCEA Live Workshop with Steven Forrest, Exploring the Moon’s Sacred Power. It is just a few days before I leave for San Diego to help lead the event. I am so grateful to our staff, Ruby Glasspool and Paula Wansley, for working so hard on getting this event off the ground. They have demonstrated so much love and dedication! And I am extremely thankful to Penelope Love, our registrar and communications coordinator, who will keep the FCEA “ship” afloat while we are gathered in person in Southern California. I look forward to giving everyone who can join us a big hug! Such a wonderful chance to connect and be together as a community.

Steven will be teaching us “everything Moon,” a rich topic for us to feel through and absorb as a family, the FCEA family I mean. I’d like to share some personal reflections at this time about my own progressed Moon and where I am on, as Joni Mitchell would say, the “circle game.” There is a natural flow, an ebb and tide, of the progressed lunation cycle, a roughly thirty-year period of one’s life. If you have ever been on the beach and watched the ebb or receding tide, you probably have an inkling of how I feel at the moment. Let me give you a brief history that has led to this point in my life and in the trajectory of the FCEA’s growth and development. Please bear with me as I focus upon my own story. I feel it is worth sharing so folks can better understand how the FCEA came about, along with being a clear example of the sheer power of the progressed lunation cycle. 

For a number of years, I regularly drove down from my home in Northern California twice a year to Alpine, California, not far from San Diego, to attend Steven’s live Apprenticeship Program. This was when I was in my 50s (I’m 62 now). It was a period of great change in my life (Pluto, anyone? I have a natal stellium in Capricorn) and just about every bedrock phenomenon in my soul’s journey was wiped clean. I was ready for something new and fresh in my life. Many of you probably guessed it: I was in the progressed New Moon phase and my progressed Sun was entering Pisces. A double whammy, you could say. 

At the time, I met a wonderful woman, Teal Rowe, who became my closest friend and my perpetual “roomie” at AP events. Teal helped Steven, Jeff Parrett and I establish the FCEA by serving as one of our very first tutors. She is a very gifted evolutionary astrologer. During one particular AP session, in the spring of 2015, Teal and I were in our hotel room, discussing Steven’s program and I turned to her and said, “I’m going to help him with his teaching someday.” Arrogant I know! But something was being planted in my heart then that was beyond my full understanding, something, as Steven would say, like a whimsy inside. 

Fast forward a few years to 2018, during my progressed lunar return at 55, my progressed Moon was now in the First Quarter phase. As Steven describes in The Book of the Moon, “the rubber met the road.” With my clients in my astrological practice, I use the image of a snowball, just a small bit of ice and snow in the beginning, rolling and picking up size and weight through the years until the seed we planted at the progressed New Moon becomes an actual “ball” we throw into action. Time to make it real. Steven, Jeff Parrett (our former business partner) and I signed the documents to bring the FCEA to life, to establish the school as a business.

More years flowed by. I followed Steven’s wisdom to a tee as my progressed Moon grew in light. I found allies and faced enemies, endured trials and challenges, and held onto my hopes and dreams. Our school, my progressed lunar “snowball,” has taken on a life of its own. In the fall of 2024, I began my progressed Full Moon phase. I’ve built karmic bonds with the school’s beloved staff and I tried my best to strengthen my commitment. Now I am also learning how to delegate work and projects to our wonderful staff. Just yesterday, as an FCEA team, we briefly discussed via email the possible development of a program in Spanish. Part of my progressed Full Moon’s “snowball”? Possibly. We all have to ask, why not? But for Catie to develop? No. There has to be some letting go, I feel, because the “snowball” is getting larger than I can handle!

So, our gathering in San Diego, Exploring the Moon’s Sacred Power, carries a particular poignancy for me. There is a Japanese Buddhist expression, mono no aware, life is fleeting. It captures the mood and emotions we all feel as beauty fades and we realize things dissolve away. But, no worries! The FCEA is here to stay. We have bright ideas for the growth of the school in the years ahead. We all need each other as part of this learning community. But the Moon’s sacred power speaks to me as I prepare for the waning phases of my progressed Moon in upcoming years. As the Moon wanes, we harvest what we have sowed. We maintain the course with maturity and reflection. We recognize everyone is riding through the “circle game.” 

I can’t wait to see so many of you in San Diego! And for those who cannot attend, please know you are in our hearts and we miss you. Let’s revel in this lunar moment and love each other deeply.

Catie Cadge, PhD
April 2026

Happy equinox, FCEA family! I write to you just as the Sun is about to enter Aries. Here in California, the coming of spring feels more like summer. We are in the midst of a heat wave, while several of our tutors in the Midwest and East Coast United States and Canada are buried under snow. Our poor planet Earth! Well, we move ahead with another astrological year with the Sun’s ingress into the sign of the ram. Happy International Astrology Day! 

When preparing to write this brief Dean’s Update, I did my mandatory Google search to inquire who was the first to proclaim, “International Astrology Day.” I turned to Google’s handy AI chatbot assistant, “Gemini.” Got to love that name! Apparently, our cosmic holiday was first named by members of AFAN (Association for Astrological Networking) back in the early 1990s. True? I suppose so. But, of course, I can’t know for certain and, with Gemini, there always seems to be two sides of the same coin. I wouldn’t be surprised if “International Astrology Day” is significantly older than the internet revolution. Then there is the popular interest in the “Aries point” (all 0° of Cardinal signs) as a significator of possible “fame” or “gateway” into serving the public domain. No matter what approach you take to the meaning of the Sun’s entrance into Aries, the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere (autumnal “down under”) seems to carry the hopes and aspirations of our “New Year.” We wish all of you a joyous year ahead!

Recently, Steven has written about the positive uses and possible pitfalls of using AI in the professional world of astrology. Considering Uranus will reenter Gemini soon in late April and the planet of sudden innovation and radical insight will form a trine to Pluto in Aquarius and a sextile to Neptune in Aries, I’d like to respond to our current AI revolution and add my own “food for thought” for this powerhouse of a time for thinking outside the box. So much possibility to improve our school’s efficiency and organization! 

For example, our FCEA staff has been working hard on creating a tutor handbook, drawing not only from our many years of collective hands-on experience, but also through AI tools, summarizing key points from our tutor training workshops and through utilizing notes. A special thank you to our senior staff members, Penelope Love and Paula Wansley, for their hard work in making this handbook a reality. I also wish to thank our two Instructional Assistants, Andrea Ash and Ruby Glasspool, for contributing their wisdom and skill sets to our use of AI tools to improve the FCEA experience. We anticipate similar handbooks to help FCEA students throughout their studies as well. I am so grateful for our gifted staff! 

Penelope shared with me that at the time of the school’s opening, we really had no idea of the potential of AI to assist us in running the school, because the general public’s access to AI tools did not yet exist. In her words, “It is our years of work with the school that enabled us to assemble various pieces from the school’s earliest days up until the present day, so our handbooks are a truly holistic reflection, accounting for our core, unchanging principles and the necessary evolution as we grew over the years.” 

The pros of AI are certainly evident, but we also need to consider the flaws. Recently, our instructional assistants have been working with our tutors to discuss the best ways we can respond when we encounter AI-generated writing in our courses. This is never an easy subject to address with a student! At times, in the FCEA classroom, our tutors detect possible AI use in responding to posts or assignments. All of us at the FCEA find this subject so difficult to bring up with our students. Who wants to hear a reprimand about relying on AI? Yet, we feel we must create awareness around this topic. AI can certainly be an asset at any level of astrological study. But key is the development of our own voice and critical thinking when working with an individual’s chart. 

How else can we aspire to be the best evolutionary astrologer we can be? How do we hope to remain needed as professionals who offer a human soul connection with our clients or friends and family as we read their charts? So, I ask our dear students: Please, if you hear from our staff about a possible use of AI, don’t fret and please don’t feel discouraged. Realize we are all a team at the FCEA and we want the best educational experience for you we can provide. Let us hear your words, your ideas and your unique analysis. And if we contact you in error, please don’t hesitate to respond and please, please don’t lose faith in your studies. We know you got this! Equinox blessings to you. May we celebrate “International Astrology Day” with open hearts and with hope, AI and all, for a wonderful year ahead.

Catie Cadge, PhD
March 2026

The FCEA turns seven years old, marking almost a quarter of a Saturn cycle, on March 6. Happy Solar Return, dear members, students and staff! Happy Birthday to our school. The FCEA’s Saturn falls in Capricorn, on the cusp of the 9th house, conjunct Pluto and the south node of the Moon. Transiting Saturn forms a square to our natal Saturn next April in 2027. Meanwhile, transiting Jupiter is in the school’s 2nd house (near the 3rd house cusp), preparing to turn direct March 10th, at 15°05’ Cancer, just a few days after the FCEA’s birthday and after moving retrograde since last November. I love it when Jupiter slows to a stop in the sky and moves direct. The extra weeks of possibility, a time to reflect with a Cancerian nurturing heart, and let any transits involving Jupiter mature like a fine bottle of wine. 

On our school’s birthday, Jupiter forms a lovely trine to the FCEA’s Sun, 15°52’, Moon, 16°45’ and Neptune, 16°09’, in Pisces, while the planet of “seeing our potential” opposes the school’s Saturn at 18°13’ Capricorn. Jupiter will be at 15° Cancer the whole month of March, the lengthy period offering us more time, more Jupiter juju, to visualize productive change and build our inner resources and confidence in a 2nd house fashion as a school. We ask, “How is it we can expand with love and support and grow a stronger sense of family in the FCEA learning community?” We pride ourselves on the rigor of our FCEA curriculum and program. But in order to train evolutionary astrologers and healers in the best way we can, we must ask how we, as students, staff and members, also bring warmth and a generous spirit of camaraderie in all the ways we engage each other, whether in an online classroom, on one of our many Zoom calls or in-person at FCEA retreats. 

I must say that personally I find wearing the hats of “Jupiter the teacher” along with that of “Saturn, the hardworking disciplinarian” challenging. So far, Jupiter’s current dance through 15° Cancer has been a healing and learning experience for me. The big gaseous giant, “King of the Gods” as Steven loves to say, is opposing my natal Capricorn Mars in my 11th house, helping me to reevaluate my hopes and dreams, my goals and my need for joy in my life, as well as to reconsider what my soul wants to accomplish and defend. For some good news: on Valentine’s Day, when the Moon was in Capricorn, my partner Eric proposed to me and we got engaged. A healing opportunity for Catie? Certainly!  A shift in long-term goals? You bet. But what about my creative, self-expression (Jupiter transiting my 5th house) and what would be the impact upon my 11th house Capricorn “mountain,” of which the FCEA is a critical part? 

I hope everyone is happy to read my good news. But let’s turn back to the FCEA. February 20th marks the exact conjunction of Saturn and Neptune at 00°45’ Aries, 8:53 am Pacific time. The conjunction forms a very tight conjunction with the FCEA’s natal chart 00°54’ Chiron in the 11th house. As the FCEA community, we need a structured “vision” for having the courage and initiative, in Aries fashion, to expand our school in fresh directions. We are a Piscean school, a mystical place of learning a sacred craft strengthened through our psychic intuition and compassion. But our Aries Chiron in the 11th asks us to take action and lead with fiery gumption. So, in light of this Saturn-Neptune moment and our Chiron wound and healing path: How do we move forward? We are all in this community together. 

In the spirit of building a better school, our FCEA staff has been working hard on gathering information, rules and regulations, and helpful tips on how the school operates and putting together student surveys to invite your ongoing input and feedback. Please keep your eyes open for surveys we are sending out to students in the months ahead. When transiting Saturn eventually forms a square to our natal FCEA Saturn next year, it is time to reassess what we have accomplished and what has or hasn’t worked. Let’s use this “birthday” now to imagine the next step forward! 

Happy Birthday, FCEA!

Catie Cadge, PhD
February 2026

One of the good fortunes I have as Dean of the FCEA is that I co-teach 306: The Master Practicum with Steven Forrest. Of course, Steven does most of the talking. Everyone has been waiting to hear guidance from him in this final class before FCEA certification! I simply give the class some structure and oversee that everything flows smoothly. Steven and I alternate asking questions about the current chart the class is studying, one from a group of fictitious clients’ charts. Basically, I stay mostly a “fly on the wall,” (my own progressed Sun is in the 12th!) though at times I share my two-cents. I find it richly rewarding, just listening to the students’ insights, yet alone Steven’s input. 

This week, we looked at a chart heavy in Capricorn energy, several Capricorn planets in the 1st and 12th, along with a Capricorn ascendant (Of course, it is critical to consider the whole chart and here there is a Sagittarius 12th house Sun and Cancer Moon, 7th, just to add a little more detail). As I am sure you can imagine, it was hard not to reflect upon our current moment in time: three planets and the Sun in Capricorn, all within orb of an opposition with Jupiter retrograde in Cancer and with Mercury out of bounds. That’s a lot of emphasis upon Capricorn discipline and strategy toward that “great work”! But perhaps it involves also a bit of wrestling with control and letting go. What truly heals us in Cancer fashion? 

This fictitious gentleman has one of his co-rulers of his Aquarius 1st House north node, Uranus, in the 12th house, while Saturn “rises” in the first, both planets in Capricorn. Of course, I can’t dwell on every detail of this made-up client’s chart. But the need for this individual to develop his own inner life, spiritual path and creative imagination seems a necessity in bringing about his authentic “great work.” Just ask Uranus. 

Steering us back to the present moment (as I write), how can we all make the best use of Jupiter in Cancer in terms of climbing the mountain and manifesting our own Capricorn masterpiece? Sure, developing our abilities to nurture others, like big, mama Moon or like Cancerian healers, takes Capricorn endurance and a willingness to do the hard work. Where do we benefit from getting our “ducks all in a row” or building the framework to attain our goals? But every opposition is about integration. Something in us yearns to soften, to recognize and comfort the other, and to heal ourselves. Chiron and Eris in Aries square both Jupiter in Cancer and our current Capricorn stellium. Part of our healing is in tension with our “right to take up space,” as Steven would say. To be the pioneering warrior healers we are. 

So, as our FCEA classes begin this week, perhaps we all can ponder Aries, Cancer and Capricorn as signs in our own charts. Work hard and be the best student you can be. Apply the responsibility and long hours a Capricorn “mountain” requires, but see where your own heart craves nurturing care and the courage to be yourself. Perhaps like our fictitious client from the FCEA 306 curriculum with our Capricorn “great work,” we seek the authenticity of Uranus and Aquarius and the fiery initiative of Chiron in Aries. As the weeks go by in 2026, I wish success in your studies as students or in your learning as members on our FCEA calls and through our archives. But I also bless you with bold, new goals and dreams, self-direction and healing of your own.

Catie Cadge, PhD
January 2026

Solstice greetings, everyone! Throughout December, it is hard to miss the many messages of “peace on Earth” and “joy to the world.” Over the last week, I watched a few documentaries about the origin of Christmas and the celebration of Christmas through time. As evolutionary astrologers, most of us are well-aware of the pre-Christian beginnings of the season. We could mention the adaptation of the Roman holiday, Saturnalia, to the Christian calendar or the yuletide customs marking solstice becoming beloved Christmas traditions. The FCEA is a diverse school and I know, for some, Christmas is a taboo word. Please, if you do not celebrate Christmas, simply read my article as an end-of-the-year reflection and a prayer for a better tomorrow. No offense to anyone here! But I would like to bring up a particular Christmas of the past – not long past – Christmas Eve in 1968. Yes, something I saw on TV, a small segment of one of these documentaries I streamed. 

I was turning five in December of 1968 so I have no personal recollection of the event discussed in the film. Apparently, the crew of Apollo 8 were the first humans to orbit the Moon and during their ninth orbit on Christmas Eve, astronauts Bill Anders, Jim Lovell and Frank Borman recited the opening verses of the Book of Genesis from the King James Bible in a televised broadcast. It was said to be seen by over a billion viewers around the world! 

The chart casted for this particular evening is telling for me in light of the tension and strife we see today around the globe. How do we hope for peace in such troubled times? I cast the chart for Washington, DC, at 9:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, the start of the broadcast. That fall, in September, Uranus entered the air sign Libra and by December 24th, the revolutionary planet in the sign of the peacemaker was one-degree away from a conjunction with Jupiter and the south node of the Moon, both exactly at 04°58’ Libra.

Of course, we associate the sign of Libra with “peace”, our abilities to “negotiate” with others, as Steven says, or the need to calm down and find balance in our lives. But we also think about the classic syndrome, “Libriosis;” the desire to seek peace to the point of a lack of action or decision. The team of Apollo 8 found themselves in the awkward position of sharing a Christmas message of peace and goodwill to all the night of the broadcast, when the United States was entrenched in an unpopular war in Vietnam. What was the solution? With Capricorn Mercury, out of bounds at the time, and Venus, ruler of Libra south node, in Aquarius, the innovative strategy of communication was to “dodge the bullet” (excuse the war reference!) and share an image of their orbit in space with the creation narrative, 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

This was followed by several more verses and a final message of “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.”  No mention of peace.

North node on Christmas Eve, 1968, was in Aries and Mars was in Libra, 27°14’. Were the astronauts of Apollo 8 using Old Testament prose to bring people around the world together by describing the coming of Divine light? Were we to see the dawning of a new age of space exploration as in the creation of light from darkness? Were we all supposed to calm down in Libra fashion and discover beauty in the imagery of the Moon? Or was it simply a case of Libriosis, avoiding the realities of war?

Thinking about Uranus in Libra in 1968 makes me ponder the “mental” revolutions we hope for this coming year as Uranus reenters Gemini in April. The planet remains in the sign of the twins until 2032-33. With the return of Saturn and Neptune to Aries also in early 2026, how do we have the courage it takes to speak our minds and hearts, not with “Libriosis” but with the wisdom to help our world heal? Perhaps, we can use technology and innovation to rewrite our understanding of how being an Aries pioneer and warrior can be about peace and about the Divine. How can we restore light to the world? 

I think you would agree that using a simple quote from the Bible is not enough. Let’s practice what we preach: be the evolutionary astrologers in the battlefield. Apply the insights of Uranus in Gemini with the Divine initiative of Neptune and discipline of Saturn in Aries in 2026. Like the astronauts of Apollo 8, who found light in the darkness of space, we bring light to each other through our healing readings as evolutionary astrologers. But we need no Bible verses to dodge the difficulties we face on planet Earth next year! Let’s awaken ourselves and others to truly support “peace on Earth.” I wish everyone a blessed 2026, one filled with the passion and action of Aries healers at work. Happy New year, FCEA community!

Catie Cadge, PhD
December 2025

In the U.S. where I live, we celebrate Thanksgiving every November. There are certain traditions most families follow: a visit with friends and loved ones, Macy’s Parade on T.V., and a big, hearty dinner of turkey, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce. In California, it is a wonderful time of year when the vine maples turn gold and there is less fog along the coast so the stars come out at night. But probably my most favorite part of this holiday season is when we share our gratitude for all who touch our lives and make the daily journey meaningful by filling our days with love, care and joy. First and foremost, I am thankful for you, dear reader, our students, members and community, for your constant generous support and love you share with me throughout the year. 

I want to add a personal note to this Dean’s Update. Many years ago (a complete Saturn cycle), transiting Pluto formed a conjunction with my natal Ceres. I know that many FCEA students are probably not familiar with Ceres, a minor planet, in the birthchart. We have an advanced 400 class, FCEA 405, which covers the planet, often called an “asteroid” in astrological studies. One of several interpretations of Ceres is how we express grief and use grief as a tool for evolutionary growth. In my birthchart, Ceres is in Sagittarius in my 9th house. When moving Pluto crossed over my natal Ceres, I lost my son, Aidan, at a very difficult time in my life. In the years after, I turned to higher education and travel via sacred pilgrimage to help process my loss and turned to college teaching as a means to nurture others. Ceres has been a great help, I feel, in letting me heal and find meaning in the passing away of my little boy. 

Recently, Mercury retrograde and Mars, both in Sagittarius, came together in the sky conjunct that same natal 9th house Ceres of mine. It happened to coincide with my son’s birthday, which would have been his 29th year. As you can imagine, there has been some reassessment in my heart and mind about what exactly has meaning for me in the arena of the 9th house. Where do I need courage and bold new discovery? I certainly know I wish to write and travel more, but I also want to feel I am doing the best I can as a tutor and teacher. Being able to do so has required delegating many a task at the FCEA to our phenomenal staff. I am trying hard to be “Catie” following the possibilities in my natal chart. But the only way I can make this happen and honor the spirit of my Aidan (his name means “little fire”) is to claim the 9th house road my heart wants to follow. 

So I’d like to build upon this tradition of thanksgiving by mentioning how grateful I am for the incredible staff I work with every day at the FCEA, the family who allow me to step away from the constant administrative tasks of the school. Penelope Love, communications coordinator and registrar, and Paula Wansley, business manager and registrar, play critical roles in the daily operations of our school. We simply could not function without them! Their titles reflect just a small percentage of the many gifts of service they bring to the FCEA. I know if I have a problem to solve, and I need a reliable answer, Paula and Penelope are always at my side. I can’t imagine running the school without them. This Thanksgiving, I am so grateful to have the two of them ready to assist as senior staff. 

I am filled with gratitude for the many hours of service and devotion to the FCEA I see in our tutors and teachers. Their patience and commitment to being the best at what they do gives me peace of mind that we are able to offer a top-quality educational program. I wish to give a shout out to Carlos Velazquez as well, for his tech wizardry in keeping the school afloat. Everyone seems to love the new face of Moodle in our classes. And this year, I am also thankful to Andrea Ash and Ruby Glasspool for joining our FCEA team as instructional assistants. In just a few months, they have already accomplished such useful tasks and fine-tuned our scheduling and calendar, making the school more efficient and organized. What a gift their Virgo skills have been to our Piscean school! 

And finally, I am SO thankful for Steven’s loving commitment to the FCEA that he demonstrates everyday. I feel so fortunate to work with the master and to help promote and share his methods and approach used in our sacred craft. Let’s hope the school continues to spread our shared love for evolutionary astrology across the globe!

In the spirit of gratitude, I want to share with you our good news: we are sending out a new survey to advanced students to help better run our FCEA course calls. Please look for our upcoming email announcement. Once again, we hope to hear from you if you have had the opportunity to take our 100-, 200-, or 300-level classes. We are working to make our orientation calls, midcourse Q and As, Z classes and our 300 Zoom meetups work better for all. Mars is still moving through Sagittarius as I write this newsletter article. Please consider taking action and participating in this new survey! We know you have wisdom to share with us.

Life seems to offer us so many miracles, so many ways, to better understand ourselves through our birthcharts. Thank you for listening to my personal story about Aidan, Ceres and transiting Pluto. And thank you for being my true 9th house “family.” I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and upcoming solstice. Much love to you all!

Catie Cadge, PhD
November 2025

Greetings, FCEA community! I am writing to you just a day before the New Moon in Libra. This past weekend, I attended the OPA (The Organization for Professional Astrology) conference in Park City, Utah. How wonderful to see several of our students and recent graduates in attendance! Venus in Libra set the stage for sharing our love and passion for evolutionary astrology. I do hope to see more of you at upcoming professional conferences and retreats. Meanwhile, I’ve got some exciting news for those looking to meet in-person with Steven and fellow FCEA students, members and staff. We will have our very own FCEA retreat and live class with Steven in San Diego next April 22nd through 26th. Please hold the dates and consider joining us!

The retreat is titled, Exploring the Moon’s Sacred Power. It will be held at Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn on Shelter Island, San Diego, on the waterfront and close by to the airport and downtown. Steven will explore diverse subjects related to all things lunar in a four-day class from Thursday, April 23 to Sunday, April 26th. This is a great opportunity to hear the master in person speak about the all-important mama Moon, the secret of our happiness. What an amazing topic! Everyone loves La Luna, and how appropriate to learn Steven’s teachings at such a beautiful setting as Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn, when the Moon will be in the first quarter phase in Leo during the sessions.

But first, our opening gathering at the retreat will feature Moon in Cancer lining up with Jupiter at 17°, on the cusp of the 3rd house in the FCEA birthchart on the 22nd. What a perfect chance to love one another through some good old-fashioned warm and friendly conversation. We will have a lively and fun reception the night before after people arrive and settle into their rooms at the hotel. The retreat, in general, will focus upon the healing gifts of the Moon as we share festivities together with plenty of time to connect and enjoy the company of fellow members of the FCEA community. Lunch is included with registration and we dine in a beautiful space overlooking the marina between morning and afternoon class and snack breaks. In the evening, we will plan get-togethers so that we can all find opportunities to be with our FCEA family, while relaxing at the resort or exploring downtown San Diego.

Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn is a vacation get-away, as well. So, while not in class, we have a tropical setting to soak in pleasure at the hotel’s pool or spa, or share a break at the Oasis bar or fireside terrace. The Inn is perfect for us to enjoy a secluded retreat during the day and still be able to visit the city at night if we choose. We have a limited block of rooms saved for retreat participants, so don’t hesitate to reserve your spot. We anticipate a really special few days together and we want you to be with us!

Let me share now a few logistics: we will announce the retreat officially through an FCEA email with all the details you need to register. Cost will be $850 for all currently active students (those enrolled in classes in 2025/2026) and graduates. Students who are also Premium Members will receive an additional $75 off coupon. Registration will be $1100 for everyone else in the FCEA community. Premium Members will receive an additional $75 off coupon. There will also be a staff discount.

Registration does not include hotel accommodation; however a hotel conference rate is available at an excellent price. Lunch will be provided daily, Thursday through Sunday. Please see details in this newsletter and the FCEA email you will receive. We are so excited to be providing an opportunity to bring our FCEA community together in Southern California in April, 2026. I am so thankful to my FCEA team, especially Ruby Glasspool and Paula Wansley, for their shared wisdom in planning this event. We know that not everyone will be able to attend, but we are hopeful Exploring the Moon’s Sacred Power will be a start to future FCEA-sponsored annual retreats similar to our workshop in Athens in 2025. Keep your eyes open for further announcements and I hope to see you in San Diego!

Here’s the link to register.

Catie Cadge, PhD
October 2025

Equinox blessings, FCEA community! We are at the start of our last semester prior to the new year. Enrollment is strong. We have been implementing new policies, fine-tuning registration, and embarking on developing new 400-level curriculum. We had a productive Virgo season! 

I have some exciting news to share. We recruited several new staff members and work-study students, while also expanding our teacher pool with the help of some of our very talented tutors. We are so grateful for all of them and their commitment to the FCEA. Uranus moving retrograde in early Gemini in a trine to Pluto retrograde at one degree Aquarius is opening our hearts and minds to creative solutions and radical new ideas in making the FCEA a brilliant place to study Steven’s methods and evolutionary astrology.

Let me briefly introduce our new team members. First, I want to say “thanks” to three of our current tutors, Ryan Evans, Fern Vuchinich and Shirley Waram, who have agreed to don a new FCEA “hat” and join us as teachers. Keep your eyes open and you’ll see more of them on our Zoom orientation and course Q and A calls. Next, we are thrilled to expand our amazing group of tutors with four new talented evolutionary astrologers. 

I’ll start with Penelope Love, who has been serving as a tutor since the start of 2025. Penelope is also expanding her FCEA role by being a teacher for us as well. Master-certified through our program, Penelope has been critical to the success of our school through her dedicated work as Registrar (along with Paula Wansley) and Communications Coordinator. She has three decades of experience as a writer, editor and publisher, and she has taught writing through college courses. As a tutor and teacher, she brings her love and a caring heart as educator as well as her skills in evolutionary astrology. Thank you, Penelope, for all you do with the FCEA! 

Sarah Beck joined our tutor team last January, so I know some students have already experienced Sarah’s gift for gentle, yet, helpful, comments and her loving support. Sarah recently graduated from the FCEA program and is a master-certified evolutionary astrologer. Sarah also has a strong educational background. She is a compassionate tutor with many years of experience teaching and training yoga instructors. We feel most fortunate to have Sarah serve our students with her many talents!

Vivien Jiang is our first tutor to hail from the continent of Asia. Another recent graduate of our program and a master-certified evolutionary astrologer, Vivien has worked in training management and has designed courses in KPI (Key Performance Indicators) coaching. As well as being a talented astrologer, she is also a conference translator. Her language and interpersonal skills will be so useful in the FCEA classroom. Welcome, Vivien! We are looking forward to working with you so much.

Our fourth new tutor is Ruby Glasspool, another very talented, master-certified evolutionary astrologer, who is also a recent graduate from the FCEA program. In addition, Ruby is a new FCEA teacher and she will be working as an instructional assistant with a primary focus upon the synastry courses and 300-level curriculum. Ruby loves to teach and leads very popular astrology circles in the UK where she lives. She brings a passion for education to the FCEA and many gifts in speaking and sharing our sacred craft. Ruby also has many talents in administrative tasks and organization that we are certain will be a great help to keeping the FCEA running smoothly.

Last but certainly not least, we are thrilled to have Andrea Ash’s excellent skills in running an online educational program and in her Moodle expertise. Andrea is joining our FCEA team as instructional assistant with a primary focus upon our 100 and 200-level classes. Andrea comes from a previous position as program coordinator at a major American university. She has over a decade of experience with educational program coordination, online learning and student support. Welcome to our team, Andrea!

Please give a warm welcome to our new instructional assistants, tutors and teachers when you meet them on a Zoom call or in an email exchange. We can’t do this work without them!

Catie Cadge, PhD
September 2025

In the spirit of Mars in Libra now, I am pondering about some ways I can be more proactive, have courage as Steven would say, in making the most of my closest relationships. How can I best work in collaboration to make the FCEA a better school? What creative strategies are possible? Who are my allies in support of our program of study? Let me mention first that I am so grateful for the hard work and dedication I see every day from my staff. We truly are a team and they are always there for me in loving support and wise insight. But when push comes to shove, a Dean’s job needs to entail some navigation and balance with all the brilliant minds and compassionate voices we have at the FCEA. Let me be bold in Mars fashion and take this stream of thought one step further.

We opened the doors of the FCEA in January, 2021, just following the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius at the end of the prior year. We literally embodied these two critical archetypes by having a lot of Jupiter gumption and some hard work and discipline of Saturn. Phew! What a journey. We are so proud of producing a successful school, even with the need to “put out daily fires,” as Steven likes to say. We are so thankful for the dedication, devotion and patience of our students, members and staff. But I want to address what I see as a drawback. Something we are finally able to address as a growing school. 

Since 2021, we have received wonderful constructive feedback – a wealth of it! Great suggestions for improvement or new directions have been coming in over the years from caring hearts and enlightened minds. How we can do things better at the FCEA. This past week, I completed interviews for the new instructional assistant position, meanwhile Penelope and Paula worked hard to assess our needs and review work-study applications. I am thrilled by the ideas I am hearing from our candidates of new project proposals and ways to fine-tune our curriculum from a number of perspectives (Uranus in Gemini anyone?). What a gift!

I would like to expand upon the creative, collaborative energy that seems to be touching my world lately. I’d like to ask all of you out there reading my update to jump into the Libra dance we are doing at the FCEA and come in defense Mars-style by submitting your ideas to help us grow into our full potential as a “Jupiter-Saturn” school. Let’s claim Jupiter by making us more welcoming, caring, and wise, while also keeping the rigor and structure of Saturn to get the learning done. If you are game, please share your suggestions and reflections at feedback@forrestastrology.center. Consider these questions:

1. What works well at the FCEA? 

2. What methods of instruction or evaluation seem the most helpful? What would you like to see more of in FCEA classes?

3. What improvements would you like to see in the monthly Q and A calls with Steven?

4. What is not working for you as a student or member? How might we improve?

5. What new 400-level classes would you like to see offered? 

6.  What other suggestions for growth or improvement, in general, would you like to share?

If you have already submitted an idea, don’t hesitate to share it again. We look forward to hearing your input. We are here to listen. What exciting new revelations might come our way as Uranus moves through Gemini? The planet turns retrograde the first week of September. What a perfect time for the FCEA staff to dive into your creative insights, reflect and consider planning ahead in making innovative change happen. Thank you for your passion for evolutionary astrology and for your dedication to the FCEA!

Catie Cadge, PhD
Late August 2025

It’s near the end of July, FCEA classes are in full swing and I am getting ready to compose next year’s school calendar. It’s been a challenging summer for starting new work projects here in California with lengthy void-of-course Moon periods and Mercury stopping in the sky to station retrograde last week. Then add Jupiter in Cancer. The universe seems to be saying time to ease up, take some breaks, nurture each other and allow moments to reflect and heal. 

Let’s see if we can make the most of these very long void-of-course “chapters” in August. There are several of them. Steven always says look for the last aspect the Moon makes before these extensive void periods. Look for a good aspect the Moon forms (a few of them are “soft” – a sextile or trine, for example); these are the best times to tap into our lunar meditations. But, of course, we can use any lunar aspect to guide us through our inner work, as we put aside initiating any significant new endeavors. Then there is Mercury retrograde appearing to travel backward through early degrees of Leo, turning direct at 12:29 am PDT on August 11th at 04 degrees 14′. The planet remains in its “shadow”, covering degrees of Leo passed over while retrograde, until August 25th. 

Somewhere in life, you need to be selfish. Something inside yourself needs a creative outlet, a way to shine with your own unique gifts, and to have fun and let go. Roar in your own particular style and find the inner muse inside. Day-to-day work routines help us to master and utilize our skill sets as evolutionary astrologers. But tedious chores and drudgery can just bring us spiraling downward. How best to describe the inner work of Leo? Revisit and reevaluate plans in Mercury retrograde fashion to restore meaningful play in all that you do. 

Let me turn back now and apply this astrological context to your work at the FCEA. Excuse me as I promote some of our advanced 400-level classes! We are slowly rolling out new courses designed to acknowledge the specialist in you. Please use Mercury in Leo, retrograde now, and feel in your heart where in your practice you’d like to truly “shine.” What is your special talent or skill? Electional, astro-mapping or perhaps rectification? As we open these classes in the remaining few months of 2025 and in 2026, opportunities arise to add a designation to your FCEA diploma stating your passion. Why not give it some thought? We look forward to seeing you in class!

Catie Cadge, PhD
July 2025