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

Solstice blessings, everyone. I write to you just a few days past Jupiter’s entry into the sign Cancer. It is not an easy time in California where I live. Jupiter is making a square to Saturn and Neptune in early Aries. Unlawful abuse of military might and deceptive leadership. Tension and fire in the streets. But I don’t want to venture into an article about mundane astrology. Rather, let’s move in the direction of celebrating the high road of what Jupiter in Cancer brings. Steven will discuss the Saturn and Neptune conjunction on our solstice celebration call this week. I’ll focus upon Jupiter moving through Cancer here as I share reflections about our time in Greece.

I want to start by recognizing our tutor, colleague and good friend, Linda Walker, who is leaving the FCEA as staff in June. One of the first group of graduates from the FCEA, Linda has been a critical player at the school through her hard work and talent in overseeing many of our classes and assisting our tutors in instruction. She is also a phenomenal tutor and gifted evolutionary astrologer. Some of you know I am currently in my progressed Full Moon phase. The progressed lunation cycle is such an amazing guide throughout our lives, suggesting the questions we might ask ourselves and the steps we might take in a thirty-year long period (we teach about the progressed lunation cycle in FCEA 301: The Moon). When I first met Linda Walker, I was in the progressed first quarter Moon phase and, as Steven says in The Book of the Moon, “the rubber met the road” in the development of the FCEA. I couldn’t have made the school survive without Linda’s sharp eye for correction and constructive assistance. In essence, Linda helped fine-tune the operations of the school. A compassionate and caring soul, Linda was always there for our staff, our students and for other tutors when they needed her loving support and knowledge about the FCEA.

Linda will always be part of our FCEA family. We wish you all the best, Linda!

A few weeks ago, I returned to the “office” from our FCEA “Astrological Odyssey in Greece,” the workshop in Athens with Steven and then our Sacred Site Journey throughout many of the most spiritually-moving temples and sacred spaces of the Peloponnese peninsula. I am so thankful to have the love, talents and leadership on this trip of Steven and Lisa Jones, our FCEA tutor who, through her company, Aquarius Rising, offers outstanding astrology-themed workshops and travel opportunities. Truly my soul sister, Lisa made our journey into the kind of shared FCEA family gathering that I dreamed of. And I want to also thank our students and members on the journey too. Meeting each of you was such a blessing. Whether we were sharing insights into a sacred site like Mycenae, walking the streets of Athens or Nafplio, checking out Greek musicians in front of storefronts or eating souvlaki together at Olympia, magic of the love of family was there.

I’d like to share with you my most memorable moment, during our visit to Delphi, one of the most sacred sites in all of Greece. Prior to the trip, I spent weeks reading up on the history of the site and the famous oracle, a highly revered prophetess. She was a gifted woman who channeled the Divine (mostly Apollo, though Dionysus was also present at the site). She assisted both those in high places of power and authority and lesser folk, who at times, had more intimate and personal questions. There was something about the oracle I felt we needed to absorb as a group, we needed to feel and witness in our hearts. And there she was in full glory, her spirit, her soul. I gathered a small bottle of the sacred water, meditated among the stone blocks of the adyton, the “holy of holies” of the oracle of Delphi, and climbed the gradual path that led us through the ancient structures. It was the wind, the mountain air, that caught me off guard. “Let it move within you, let your healing intuition be a part of life’s journey. You have work to do, dear lady. Don’t lose sight of the sacred way”. I feel I was lucky to receive a special message that day from the oracle. And I was blessed to share it in my heart right there with those true family I love the most.

Weeks have gone by and now Jupiter is in Cancer. The planet conjuncts my north node in the 4^th house this summer. How can I listen to the oracle? How can I heal and nurture my soul? Of course, as FCEA students and community, you all know: look at my natal 3rd house Gemini Moon. But I feel it is really through loving you in Cancer style, dear community, to bond and commit to my FCEA clan.

In July, we will honor our new 2025 graduates. Our FCEA family is so blessed to have them as an integral part of our school. Look for more celebratory news about this group of talented evolutionary astrologers in the July newsletter. We are so proud of them!

Happy solstice to all.

Catie Cadge, PhD
June 2025

We begin Gemini season this year with some exciting news about our classes and programs here at the FCEA. We will have a new series of advanced classes at the 400-level addressing many of the special topics students requested we cover. Several years ago, Steven and I worked together to create the curriculum that was designed to introduce students to a number of useful topics in astrology, in order to give these subjects an evolutionary spin. Since then, we have been very busy running and growing the FCEA, but now we are ready to start rolling out these 400-level courses one at a time in the months ahead. This will be a gradual process, so please be patient! We want to make sure we have everything properly in place with each new offering. 

Please read on to hear about the program changes and the first 400-level class opening: FCEA 405: The Asteroids: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Juno. With synchronicity and grace, when this newsletter article comes out, we will be traveling in Greece to a few of the many sacred temples and sites associated with these well-known Goddesses in Greek mythology. What a blessing and gift to be able to commune with them, feel Divine inspiration, and connect with our hearts through pilgrimage with one another in this sacred landscape. I am so thrilled to be joined by so many FCEA students and members on this Greek odyssey with Steven. But I also look forward to sharing this rich topic in evolutionary astrology together with those who wish to join FCEA 405. 

Eventually, there will be a variety of optional elective 400-level courses available to 300 Master Level students and FCEA graduates. These will include electional astrology, astromapping, and chart rectification, to name just a few. Students who complete three 400-level electives will earn an Honors Designation on their FCEA Master’s diploma, and students completing all six 400-level electives will earn a Distinguished Honors Designation. By participating and receiving credit in these classes, students will be able to add recognition of a specialty (a focus upon certain advanced skill sets in evolutionary astrology) to their practice, and the two-tiered honors designation will be noted on graduate listings on the FCEA website and added to their FCEA diploma. I am hopeful this new 400-level curriculum will provide an additional layer of support for students who are expanding their professional practice. 

In FCEA 405: The Asteroids: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Juno, we focus upon these “Big Four” because they were the first asteroids (Astronomers now call Ceres a dwarf planet, along with Pluto. We astrologers continue to call it an asteroid.) to be discovered and introduced into astrological study and analysis. Personally, I am very excited about this course! As I write this newsletter article, the asteroid Vesta is transiting my natal Neptune/Juno/Pallas conjunction in Scorpio, 8th house. It feels as if synchronicity is saying this is the right time to open the class with its maiden run. In FCEA 405, we will explore Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno in both the natal chart and by transit, progression and solar arc. We will investigate these four asteroids in the context of various charts, including their possible role in the nodal story or when the lunar nodes are being activated. 

For this initial class offering, FCEA 405 will run July 25th through August 15th, four weeks long with Zoom meetups on Fridays between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm, Pacific time. In addition to live weekly tutor-led class sessions, the course includes written discussions, handouts, charts and videos by Steven. Course tuition is $399. If you are currently in the 300-level or an FCEA graduate, please consider joining us in class! Our catalog includes enrollment information. I hope to see many of you participate down the road, as well, as we open each of these exciting new courses.

Let me start this month’s update with a personal reflection about our current moment in time. In preparation for Saturn’s entrance into Aries on May 24th, I find myself contemplating what I need to work on in myself, the hard work it may take, to have the courage to lead the FCEA with the initiative and gumption of Aries. You see the sign Aries falls in my natal 1st house, intercepted, with Jupiter at 10°28’, providing me an opportunity for expressing the energy in the sign of the ram. 

But, as Steven always says, the full expression of a planet sitting in an intercepted sign takes a longer time to mature and develop. Jupiter, co-ruler of my Pisces ascendant, and Saturn, dispositor of my Capricorn Sun, always seem to be duking it out for me. My natal Saturn is in Aquarius and in the 12th house. Now Saturn by transit is traveling through my 1st house, the ringed planet will conjunct my Jupiter in about a year’s time. Is the universe asking me to accept the challenge and somehow integrate the energy of these vastly different planets? To step up to the plate and mature, Saturn style, into leadership? 

These are valid questions I imagine for myself. But when I also think of Aries, I ponder: What is worth fighting for and defending? And isn’t the 1st house the house Steven calls “enlightened selfishness”? With Neptune by transit there as well, I wonder, where is the spiritual path leading to deeper consciousness for me? How does one balance a call to action with meditation and the emptiness of ego? Moving Saturn will square my natal 10th house Capricorn Sun soon in 2026, Neptune in orb of a square as well.

Enough about me. How do individuals at the FCEA respond on a high road to both Saturn and Neptune in Aries? In past newsletter articles, I encouraged people to claim the path of the spiritual warrior. And, to me, this is still valid. But I would like to ride a little more with the concept of “enlightened selfishness”. What needs to radically develop in ourselves to be that warrior? I say a realistic and at times selfish approach to our basic rights to make our quest for consciousness front and center in our lives. 

Now don’t get me wrong; I am the Dean of our school and I certainly want to see us studying and applying ourselves through mental effort at every stage of our course work or on calls as FCEA members. How else can we learn the nuts and bolts of our sacred craft? But perhaps the universe is saying make the time, put the work in, and have the courage to dive into, as Steven would say, “cleaning our spiritual windows.” Doing so may involve some risk, some personal gumption in order to put your needs first. How else can we strive to be accomplished evolutionary astrologers if we don’t put our spiritual journey in the forefront of our lives?

I realize I am asking a lot of questions here. I just think reflecting upon transiting Saturn and Neptune for all of us involves giving definition to what works for us individually in growing our spiritual practice. It will follow that the mystical, psychic, and sensitive watery energies of Neptune will bless and make real our intuitive gifts. Then we can really put into place all the technical skills of study at the FCEA. With discipline and dedication, we grow in consciousness and then we become the kind of warriors the world needs. Set intentions for putting your Neptune work into action, giving your spiritual life a “right to take up space.” I have a feeling the rest of your astrological work will fall into place.