Spring 2024 Astrological Forecast with Astrologer Panda Hersey

• Understanding individual charts (5:30)
• Why a personalized approach to astrology is key for making informed life choices (10:42)
• How the retrograde period allows you to  experiment with different communication strategies (21:56)
• Understanding Mercury retrograde’s influence on communication, decision-making, and self-awareness (25:31)

“As a former scientist, I would just offer up to my fellow scientists and to others that just because we can’t prove something doesn’t mean it’s not true. And so I really think that the orbits of these planets physically pull different parts of us, either parts of our brain or our whole body or something deep or very surface to us. And so that’s how it’s physically getting us to do things. It’s the reason why a movement can pop up in one area of the world and in another area of the world at the same time without those people talking to each other and how we all feel that deep inside us and feel inspired to take action.”

“Life keeps going and you either make the leap in little bits and pieces or it happens kind of all at once because you simply can’t sustain what you’re being called to do. My job as a coach is to ease people down that path of seeing, ‘Okay, yes, you’re going to have this huge transition, but there are little steps along the way.’ And my hope, my goal is to make that all accessible and possible and realize that they’re being true to themselves by looking at this little list of questions and saying, how am I doing that? How am I not contorting myself to do something that doesn’t feel right for me but kind of sticking to this, even though it’s hard because it feels like who I am.”

“Well, it’s kind of like reading the weather and you can get a sense of, oh, it’s going to be a sunny day, or a rainy day. And what I love to do is plot where all the planets are moving using this data from the jet propulsion laboratory. And that sounds so nerdy. But what I love doing is pattern recognition. And that’s what I found astrology to be, is to notice all these different regular patterns and how they weave together. And from that I’m able to pull out a story and help people see, okay, well, here’s what’s happening in your life right now, and how is that working for you?”

“The retrograde portal happens starting on April 1. But when we focus only on that little bit, we miss the part before and the part after. If we pay attention on the way to when the mercury retrograde starts, we’ll have noticed all the key signs of when things are working. This particular portal is about bringing something important to people’s attention. So it might be, how do I find either the right dream team to work with the people who are helping me with my day to day work? It might be who are the clients that really get my message. But during the period moving from March 18 to April 1, it’s an opportunity to really think about and maybe talk to people about what I think I want to share, and you’ll get their feedback. And then from April 1 until I think it’s the 25th, when the retrograde actually happens, you actually get to take some action on it and then learn from the doing.”

NICOLE

Hello, friends, and welcome back to the School of Self-Worth. I am your host, Nicole Tsong, and today is such a super fun, exciting day because we get to have a really beautiful conversation on a topic that I know holds a point of interest for so many of you. I am talking today with PANDA HERSHEY, an astrologer and coach who is coming on today to give us a forecast for the spring of 2024. That’s right, Panda is going to come in and give us all of the details and the nitty gritty for the coming weeks, and she comes in and shares with us about topics like Mercury retrograde and why it confounds so many of us and what exactly is going on. And for those of you who are confused about Mercury retro, she is going to explain exactly what it is. So get ready for a super fascinating conversation. I know that I learned so much about astrology from her, and you’re going to learn really how it can help you understand yourself more deeply and how, by tuning into it, you can actually open up your own possibility and potential. And for those of you out there who are Asian American women leaders who want the exact, step by step to understand the secret language of intuition, I’ve got a private podcast that gives you a complete behind the scenes on how to master intuitive communication patterns. DM me Secret on Instagram at Nicole Tsong to get all of the details.

Okay, friends, let’s dig in. Welcome to the School of Self-Worth, a podcast for ambitious women who know they are worthy of an astoundingly great life. Join us weekly as we get on the right side of your intuition, redefine success, and reclaim your self-worth. I’m your host, Nicole Tsong, an award-winning journalist who left it all behind to become a best-selling author of three books and work/life balance expert, helping ambitious women unlock their intuition and step into a life of fulfilment and radical joy. Every single week, I will bring you diverse and meaningful conversations with successful women from all walks of life who share insight about what it takes to be brave, joyful, and authentic every day. Every episode is thoughtfully designed to leave you feeling empowered with tangible tips and advice that will lead you to your next breakthrough. Well, Panda, I am so excited to have you here today on the School of Self-Worth. Welcome!

PANDA HERSHEY

Thank you. It’s so great to be here, Nicole.

NICOLE

I’m really so excited about this conversation that we’re going to have about astrology, because I feel like it’s something where I know myself, I’ve dabbled around in it in different times in my life  and I’ve always been really intrigued by it, and I just love finding out more about it. So before we dig in, because we’re going to have a really cool conversation about a forecast for the spring in 2024, what I would love to hear is more about you and your journey. Like, how did you arrive at this place in your life where you do astrological forecasts? I’m sure you do so many more things than that, but I would love to hear a little bit more about how you got to this place where this is your thing. This is what you love to focus on.

PANDA HERSHEY

Well, I came to astrology really late in life, like, not until my late forty’s, so unlike my daughters, who’ve heard about it and read about it, I had no idea what it was other than the horoscope in the newspaper. I just started to follow it and then was kind of half-heartedly studying it on my own. Then in 2016, I got laid off from my corporate job and I had had this feeling that it was coming, but all the signs from the astrology were like pointing to it definitely happening. and I had guessed, you know, I think it’s going to happen over Labor Day. Sure enough, the Tuesday after Labor Day, there’s the email from HR and my boss, and that was it. I had this decision to make, and the astrology told me, Panda, you have to change what you’re doing. You’re completely transforming what you’re doing in the world and how people are going to see you.

That led me to just say, okay, I’m going to do it. I became a full-time, what I call a community healer, doing acupressure as well as astrology, one on one coaching, and just found that I loved it. I loved being able to help people see themselves in this completely different way and how much they had to offer the world, and how to tap into that over time. And I loved just creating the story of it that they could relate to and immediately start applying in their lives.

NICOLE

Well, it’s so cool, just like everything you’re saying. I have so many questions already. What are astrological signs? Can you start there? This is like before you were really deep in the work, but you were doing enough that you were paying attention. What is an astrological sign? What is that? How do we even start to notice that there is one that’s occurring?

PANDA HERSHEY

Well, it’s kind of like reading the weather and you can get a sense of, oh, it’s going to be a sunny day, or a rainy day. Although these days, I would say the weather guys are having a little trouble with that. What I love is you can actually plot where all the planets are moving using this data from the jet propulsion laboratory, and that sounds so nerdy. But what I love doing is pattern recognition. That is absolutely my thing. That’s what I found astrology to be, is to notice all these different regular patterns and how they weave together, and from that I’m able to pull out a story and help people see, okay, well, here’s what’s happening in your life right now, and how is that working for you? So that’s kind of what I mean by the astrological signs saying, okay, this is what’s generally happening with who you are, and the talents you have, and how the world sees you, and how are you going to take that information and use it?

NICOLE

Okay, that’s helpful. That’s interesting because I feel like in my mind, it’s more advanced on the horoscope in the newspaper these days. I know you can go online and find more information, but sometimes it still feels like that. It’s like, well, let me just see what the horoscope and the paper has to tell me, and I know that that’s not very accurate in terms of  it’s a broad scope, right? It’s not as detailed as it might be for one individual.

Then looking back just at your own journey, you had a corporate job, and you were kind of paying attention to this on the side. How did you make that choice then, when you lost your job and were like, okay, I’m going to go full time to make that leap because it is still a leap, you could have said, “I’m going to just go back and return to the corporate world. I’m going to apply for jobs, I’m going to follow the regular track that everybody does and just stay on that pathway”. And what was it that helped you? Because that to me is a lot of what we talk about on this podcast, like the self-worth to make a different choice. How did you start to come to a choice where you’re like, I’m really going to go down a lane, which I might say is odd to most people, hearing you’re going to be an astrological coach!  I’m sure that you got a little bit of that along the way.

PANDA HERSHEY

Oh, my gosh, I still get that, frankly, I bump into people I haven’t seen since high school and they hear, oh, my God, you’re an astrologer, then they kind of tiptoe backwards and in another direction. That’s okay. That’s totally okay. And it was absolutely a leap of faith. But what I was able to see over time is how it was always leading me to not knowing exactly how things would turn out, but how to make choices that fit, like a whole bunch of tick boxes of, okay, am I going to be using all of my tools and talents? And in the astrology, I knew that it was always bringing what I could do, to the table, and the work that I had been doing in the corporate life, I felt like so much of me was being left behind, and I felt so empty that I couldn’t go back and do that. Often what I do for people is offer them, my members, a series of questions that help them, say, during a Mercury retrograde. And there’s one coming up.

All right, think about these particular, we’ll say 5 questions for them that help to know, are you making the right choices? Are you giving your energy to the things that are going to help you? How do you focus your limited time and energy to do the things that the universe is calling you to do? And that’s what I love doing, because we don’t have unlimited bandwidth in our day and in our lives, so knowing how to, I’d say, almost Google map your life, is a way to make sure that you kind of stay on your journey and don’t get too distracted.

NICOLE

That’s really beautiful. I feel like it’s this blending of a little bit of science because you had the jet propulsion lab telling you where the planets are, and then also this information that you’re getting about directing your life. I’m curious because with the planetary movements and what’s going on, how is it really correlating then to what path you’re supposed to be on? Because this is something I get sometimes from people who I teach about intuition and your purpose, and people ask if it’s a set pathway? Is it a predetermined one? I always say no, because it really changes depending on decisions that you’re making along the way, and then that is what actually changes the path. I’m curious how you see it from the astrological perspective because I feel like it’s just a little different from what I work on. How do you start to interpret and think about astrology and your own life pathway?

PANDA HERSHEY

Yeah, that is such a good question, and it’s so multidimensional. So I really believe this comes down to quantum physics, and there’s no way that I can prove any of these things. But as a former scientist, I would just offer up to my fellow scientists and to others that just because we can’t prove something, doesn’t mean it’s not true. I really think that the orbits of these planets physically pull different parts of us, either parts of our brain or our whole body, or something deep or very surface to us. That’s how it’s physically getting us to do things. It’s the reason why a movement can pop up in one area of the world and in another area of the world at the same time, without those people talking to each other, and how we all feel that deep inside us and feel inspired to take action, and so I do think the intuition part is how it affects us individually.

We’re each born with, I think, 14 talents. What is your sign? That’s just one thing. I like to think of 13 other things that are part of us and how to tap into them and use them every day, and as the planets move, they kind of pull on each of those talents at different times to call you to use them in that moment, or over that year, to make something happen, it is always a choice.

NICOLE

Yeah, so can you just say a little bit more about the 14. So do you have, like, 14 components of each person based on the planetary movement?  What is it exactly?

PANDA HERSHEY

Your sun is how you mindfully act, and the style is the astrological signs of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, et cetera. Then I think of the moon as your primal instinct, and your instinct is not necessarily how you do things, right? Then Mercury is how you process. So each of the planets that you would see in a natal chart, I think of as your natural tool. The way you naturally do things, most comfortably do things. Through life, you always have to use these tools in situations that they weren’t exactly designed to be optimal for. I hope that lands for you.

NICOLE

Well, I’m getting kind of basic granular because I feel like there are many women in here who probably have some sense that their sign is more than just their sign. Like, there’s a chart, but just for people who are like, what are they talking about? We each have all of these things based on the time that we’re born, we have a whole chart that you would need to get and find out to actually discover what’s your sun, what’s your moon? What’s your rising sign? Like those kinds of things. Is that right?

PANDA HERSHEY

That’s exactly right. And what I found in my journey of being a one on one coach using astrology is that often people don’t want to learn the astrology. They just need the help right in the moment, and what I’ve really loved doing is creating tools that help people take all of that information. That kind of stuff I can geek out on and make it just plain and simple, just to have, like a little mantra almost for themselves. 14 Statements that go with the 14 tools that say, for example, I mindfully act through matching the energy of another person and always remembering that through any situation, or my primal instinct, is to notice the details. And when we know that about ourselves and are encouraged to use that and feel like it’s okay to use it, then we feel validated, and we can trust it.

 I think that’s what your intuition work helps people do, is they have these little voices inside them telling them things, and when others around us say, oh, there’s no way you could know that, but we know that it’s true inside of us, then I think that these two works come together to say, yes, you can know it, and yes, you can believe in it, and here’s why it might be calling you right now.

NICOLE

Well, I want to go back a little bit, and then I have a bunch of other questions, because so many things come up for me when you talk about this. So when you were starting to follow the astrological signs and they were telling you, like, this layoff is happening, and then now it’s time for you to do something else. Was it really subtle or was it really obvious? Were you starting to get something where, because it’s not like you, if you’re coaching somebody, would you say, there is something in your chart that’s telling me x is coming, something is happening, is it that dramatic, or is it much more subtle?

PANDA HERSHEY

It is often more subtle. Usually what people come to me with is, “I’m thinking about leaving my job”. And we say, okay, well, let’s take a look at all the different things that are happening. For example, the big picture is how Pluto, which has kind of the biggest orbit out there, and I think of it as all encompassing, like a new year’s resolution, is almost how I think of it for ourselves. And 2023 to 2024 is all about letting go of structures in your life to embrace a new way of doing things. Something hasn’t become sustainable, either through your choice or through circumstance, and you’re going to have to let that go and move forward to do something differently, and how does this play into what you’re thinking?

Like, are you leaving this job to simply go do the same thing? Or are you feeling like, life is changing because your kids are getting married and moving away and you’re not going to have that as a base anymore. And you can either do something completely different or you can just keep doing what you’re doing, but without them in the picture. This starts to open a conversation of what is that transformation for me? Then we can break it down into, well, what is the Saturn portal doing for you? Who are you surrounding yourself with? Who is helping you in this transformation? Who are you feeling good with? This starts to open their eyes to, oh, this is where I’m headed and these are the choices I can start making. Does that help a little bit?

NICOLE

Yeah, that is helpful. I love to hear about the subtlety of it because I think often life is that subtle. And then what happens when you don’t follow it? What’s the cost then of not really adhering to what the planets are doing for you?

PANDA HERSHEY

Yeah, life keeps going and you either make the leap in little bits and pieces or it happens kind of all at once, because you simply can’t sustain what you’re being called to do. I think we’ve heard it often as a little pebble gets thrown until the boulders just show up and crushes you completely. I think that is my job, actually, as a coach, is to ease people down that path of seeing, okay, yes, you’re going to have this huge transition, but there are little steps along the way. My hope, my goal, is to make that all accessible and possible and realize that they’re being true to themselves by looking at this little list of questions and saying, how am I doing that? How am I not contorting myself to do something that doesn’t feel right for me, but kind of sticking to this, even though it’s hard because it feels like who I am. So kind of going back to the intuition.

NICOLE

I mean, it’s interesting because I think about how I don’t pay very close attention to mine, I pay attention to other things, right? And so it’s interesting, like when you’re not paying attention, are you somehow tuning into it and you don’t even really know? Do you find that for some people, they’re just already kind of aware of it. They just haven’t put that framework on it.

PANDA HERSHEY

Absolutely. And I love that, and I love validating that for people. It’s like, yes, you are absolutely on track. You hear it without my having to tell you, and I’m here to validate it. So you can keep going and maybe release some fear or maybe trust yourself a little more going forward, and be true to yourself. And then my job is, I don’t want to say it’s done, but it’s a huge part of what I hope I do for people.

NICOLE

Well, we’ve been talking very much on the granular level. Like, that’s how I think of individuals. One of the things I got really excited about when we had this conversation before the podcast, is how do you start to look at the bigger schematics of what’s going on? Like, I’m sure many people here have heard of Mercury retrograde, which is coming, and other astrological phenomenon’s like that.

So Panda said that she would do a forecast for us and really share some of her insights into what is coming for March and April, and I would love for us to get into that. Are you up for that now, Panda?

PANDA HERSHEY

Oh, totally.

NICOLE

Yeah. So this is something, I don’t know, anywhere where we’re headed, so I would love to hear from you when you’re doing this, what does that mean? What is a forecast? How can it apply to every human, and what is it for us? How can we start to think about it for ourselves?

PANDA HERSHEY

Absolutely. I like to think of it as a bigger picture. I mentioned earlier that 2023 to 2024 is about some major shift in our lives, and at least from so many people that I know, something is happening over these two years that is changing things for their situation completely, and so all the little steps we take along the way in those two years, are helping us get there. One of the things that’s coming up is this Mercury portal that begins on March 18 and ends in mid-May.

Now, we all hear about Mercury retrograde, and I think it’s awesome that even the Wall Street Journal will put an article on it every three, four months, and the one that is coming up, the retrograde portion, happens starting on April 1. But when we focus only on that little bit, we miss the part before and the part after. Because just imagine, for example, that you’re a hiker, and if you were with a bunch of people and you were on a hike, and then they say, “Nicole, could you go ahead and scout out where we might set up camp”, or something like that, and you only had your topo map and it wasn’t well marked. If you were going to go off and do that with your dog, you’d be like, okay, I’m going to pay attention as I walk so I can find my way back, then we’re going to get there the most efficient way because you might not take the fastest way there, and it’s the same thing with Mercury retrograde. If we pay attention on the way to when the Mercury retrograde starts, we’ll have noticed all the key signs of when things are working.

And this particular portal is about bringing something important to people’s attention, and hopefully along the way, you’ve been hanging out with the people who inspire you to really access that. And we’re both business owners, so it might be, how do I find either the right dream team to work with the people who are helping me with my day to day work? It might be who are the clients that really get my message. But during the period moving from March 18 to April 1, it’s an opportunity to really think about, and maybe talk to people about, well, here’s what I think I want to share, and you’ll get this feedback. Then from April 1 until I think it’s the 25th, when the retrograde actually happens, you actually get to take some action on it and then learn from the doing. So, for example, if you’re a digital CEO, you might try some ads and check your numbers and say, oh, this landed. That landed. This one not so much. Then when mercury goes forward again, you take those best nuggets, you find out what really resonated for you and you expand on that, deepen it, do more with it. But when we pay attention to the full two months of it, we really get the most out of it.

NICOLE

Very cool. Thank you for sharing all of that. I would love to break this down for the women who are listening, because most of them don’t own businesses, so say that they’re struggling or stressed in their job or something’s going on with their life, how could they really use this to help themselves? Because I think especially Mercury retrograde, most people kind of associate it with messes in technology and communication. Like, oh, Mercury retrograde, things aren’t happening. My email is not coming through or something’s broken technologically. So could you talk a little bit first about what can the impact of Mercury retrograde look like on a daily basis? Like, if I’m working and people are like, oh, mercury retrograde. Could you just share a little bit of that? And then if you’re dealing with something in your life, how might you prepare yourself on a daily basis or start to think about it in a way that could help you?

PANDA HERSHEY

Yeah. So in terms of what happens during mercury retrograde, it is that things are not progressing forward through your mind. Our communications don’t move forward. They’re moving backward. And so you may just have hiccups that make you rethink what you’re actually trying to do. These are actually great opportunities to say, oh, thank goodness, because maybe I’m not quite done writing this message, or maybe I don’t need to fully commit to an agreement. I can say, and I encourage this for my followers, that during the Mercury retrograde, go ahead and say, “Yes, sure, no problem, I agree”, but give yourself an out. Say, “You know what? I’m going to say yes for now. But April 25 into mid-May, I might make a few tweaks”, and that way, you give yourself the wiggle room to say when you get this realization of, oh, this is what I actually meant. This is what I actually need. You can smooth that way through, and you haven’t cut off all options, so that’s sort of how I think about using Mercury retrograde in the moment.

And for people who are dealing with something, this may be a time when, in leading up to it, that something is coming to your attention, and it’s a good time to listen to what signals are being brought to your attention. Someone’s trying to get you to notice something. You may be trying to get someone to notice something. And it’s important to recognize when it’s landing and when it’s not. Then during the retrograde period, and this happens with every portal, the sun is actually moving through that part of the sky that Mercury is going back and forth in, so it’s an opportunity to do something about whatever it is you’re thinking about, and you learn something from that.

So if you’re trying to get your kid to do something – when my kids were younger, there was always the folded laundry on the landing that needed to get put away. So simple, right? It’s like, okay, I’m going to try mentioning it first thing in the morning. I’m going to try mentioning it as they are done with dinner and heading up to their rooms. Hey, guys, grab your laundry on the way up and just take it to your room so I don’t have to look at it anymore. And when you start to notice what might work, you can actually try it, and then be able to be a more effective communicator about that message in that third half, and then take that lesson forward in your life of, oh, okay, this is how I can navigate this.

NICOLE

Well, when you’re talking that way, it was making more sense to me.  Sort of like you might have prepared yourself, in the last couple of weeks of March. I like the laundry example because it’s just kind of simple and easy. So you’re preparing yourself for, like I really want to move this forward, but I might not be able to move it forward because it’s Mercury retrograde, but I’ve got to plan that. It sounds like during Mercury retrograde, it’s almost like you get more immediate feedback. It either works or it doesn’t work. And if it’s not working, then you just have to be like, oops, that might be my ‘no’, now I have to move a little bit to figure out how to make it work. Telling the kids at this time, is much more effective than if I tell them in the morning, when we’re in the rush to go to school, et cetera. Is that a good way of explaining it?

PANDA HERSHEY

That is one way to think about it, definitely.

NICOLE

Okay. And I know there’s probably many different ways to think about it, but that’s one where I’m like, oh, I could get that. Because sometimes it does feel like that. During Mercury retrograde, you’re, like, trying to push something forward. And this can happen in life in general. You’re trying to push something forward, and you can feel that you’re pushing rather than in a flow, like you’re forcing something rather than actually flowing with it. It’s like square peg, round hole. It’s just banging your head against the wall, versus when you actually get the right way through, so it’ll be much easier during Mercury retrograde? Like, it’ll be really obvious, is what it sounds like?

PANDA HERSHEY

Yes. And you don’t have to talk about it. It’s more like just do a few things and take notes of, okay, that didn’t work. And then when it starts to move forward, you can start talking through it and not have to use your actions as much as your words to encourage whatever it is you’re trying to get across.

NICOLE

Yeah. And then by the time the retrograde is over and things kind of break open again, you can stay focused on the things that were working, is what it sounds like. Kind of like a testing period in certain ways?

PANDA HERSHEY

That is the perfect way to describe it, Nicole.

NICOLE

Yeah. Because I’ve never actually personally felt stopped during that period. I know some people are like, oh, I give up on life. It’s Mercury retrograde. And I’m like, I always find ways forward, but I feel like it’s because if you stay persistent, then that would actually enable you to really work.

PANDA HERSHEY

Yeah, absolutely.

NICOLE

And I’m assuming then, going back to the granular, that with each individual, with their signs and everything, they would have different ways of dealing with the situation.

PANDA HERSHEY

Absolutely. And this gets a little nerdy, but there’s a container, we’ll say, for the Mercury retrograde, the specific degrees are 16 to 27 degrees of areas, and that will affect each person differently. And for one person, it may be, oh, my God, every single part of them is being called to be put to work during this time. And another person may have just like, okay, focus on your expansion and focus on what you do with it. Very limited. So each one of us has a different sense of what’s going on during Mercury retrograde.

NICOLE

Okay, great. This is the thing I always find interesting about astrology. So I’m a Scorpio, and I don’t feel like I’m necessarily an obvious one, although some of my dear friends are like, oh, you’re such a Scorpio. I’m like, well, I think a lot of people have a hard time guessing at the beginning than I am. I remember when I asked Panda, we chatted before this, she’s like, oh, but it just depends on so many things, like your rising sign, your sun, your moon, all this stuff, so I’m always really interested in how do we start to apply ourselves, because there’s all those fun memes online about when you’re this sign. Like, you’re this way. But I feel like from what I’m getting from our conversation is, it’s much more nuanced than that for each person. And then that nuance is also going to determine a little bit, like, how you handle this spring forecast.

PANDA HERSHEY

Yeah, absolutely. I love those nuances of, yes, you might be a Scorpio, but there might be things, tools, that help soften the intensity that people think about of having that Scorpio sun. For example, if you had that Scorpio sun but also had Venus and Pisces right near it, you might really enjoy just feeling the energy around you, and it just helps you soften that intensity a little bit. Like, I can feel what you’re feeling, and I really appreciate that, and I love that, and that could tone it down. Whereas someone who has a sun in Scorpio and then Pluto in Scorpio, like really close, they would be like, what am I going to do with that? I’m going to use that in some way to get you to do something, or help me to do something, or something like that. So I love all the multitude of combinations.

NICOLE

Right. There’s really so many when you get down to it, because there’s humans who are living life and there’s so much diversity in who we are and how we are. Yeah. Well, for people who are curious about really starting to get a little bit more into astrology, what would you recommend for them?

PANDA HERSHEY

Oh, wow, that is such a great question. Well, I am on Instagram, and what I love to do is tell stories. So a big part of what I offer is just translated forecasts for the day. So offering up, if you follow me, you’ll just get a little hint of a question of, is this happening in your life? Okay, well, pay attention to this just today. And then in the caption, I kind of give some of the astrology explanation of that. But it’s a way to tap into the usefulness of what it can offer without having to nerd out until you want to. So that’s one way. There are so many good websites out there that offer a lot of information and opportunities to learn, and so many great astrologers, and the key thing, just find someone you resonate with, period. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but there probably is someone out there who, when you hear their voice or you hear what they have to say and how they say it, it lands for you, then that’s the person for you.

NICOLE

Would you say for people even just starting to do their own charts, or finding a way to get that, would be a step to just understanding themselves on a different level, or starting to see that reflected back?

PANDA HERSHEY

Wow. That is. There are a lot of great classes out there. Some of the great teachers out of there, Liz Green, for example, in England, is absolutely amazing. She’s so down to earth and so knowledgeable and is just a no BS kind of person. She has been a great teacher for me.

Honestly, one of the ways that I learned, I’m kind of self-taught, is I took a book called Planets in Youth by Robert Hand, and I retyped the entire book. It’s about 350 pages, all text. It became part of me through that work where after that, I could just toss every book away and understand how it works. So there’s so many ways to access it. People can always reach out to me and tell me where they’re at, and I might have some suggestions on who to listen to or how I could help them. I love opening people’s eyes to the possibilities.

NICOLE

Well, yes. That’s amazing. So definitely, everyone make sure that you reach out to Panda. But before we do that, we’re going to get everybody information about you. I forgot to share with you that we do rapid fire questions at the end of episodes. Are you up for that? You wouldn’t have known them in advance anyway. They’re just for fun.

PANDA HERSHEY

Okay, cool.

NICOLE

Yeah. Okay, awesome. So they’re simple. Let’s go with the first one. What is the last thing you watched on tv?

PANDA HERSHEY

Shogun. I’m still watching it right now. It’s on Hulu. So good. You know, when the first one came out, I was just, like, on the edge where my parents were not going to let me watch that with Chamberlain.

NICOLE

But this is like a new series that’s out on Hulu? Okay, well, maybe I’ll have to watch it. I think my husband is halfway through, but maybe I’ll have to start watching it. Okay. What is on your nightstand?

PANDA HERSHEY

Oh. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown.

NICOLE

Such a good one. I love her.

PANDA HERSHEY

Yeah. I am trying to find those connections between the work that I do and the way she talks about emotions, because it’s really all connected. And helping people access the work I do without the terminology, is so important to me. I love the way she explains things.

NICOLE

Totally. So beautiful. Okay, when was the last time you tried something new and what was it?

PANDA HERSHEY

Ooh. Okay, so I don’t know if this counts, but in my yoga class, we did the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises that my teacher’s 94 year old mother-in-law has been doing for over 40 years. And it was so amazing that I think I have to do it every day now.

NICOLE

That sounds really cool. I wouldn’t even know where to go with that, but that’s awesome. Yeah, that’s great.

PANDA HERSHEY

Like Jack Lalaine kind of stuff.

NICOLE

Cool. Amazing. Okay, great. And the last question is, what are your top three most used emojis on your phone?

PANDA HERSHEY

The heart with my daughters. My favorite is the face with the horizontal lines for the eyes and the mouth, and I guess the celebration one, the one with the hat. I love that one.

NICOLE

Amazing. Awesome. I love hearing what people use for emojis because it tells us a lot about  conversations – you’re so, so fun. Well, panda, what a delight to have you on. I know that you also had something to offer everyone who wanted to know more about the spring forecast. Do you want to share a little bit about what that is?

PANDA HERSHEY

Oh yes. If you are interested in trying to get the most out of this Mercury portal from March 18 to mid-May and beyond, frankly, there are going to be some ripple effects and it’s all about getting something important out there for people to pay attention to. I’ve got an email sequence that I will just send you. It’s like two very short paragraphs about helping you notice what’s going on in your life so that hopefully by the end of the portal in mid-May, you’ll have really clarified what it is that’s important to you and how you’ve been able to communicate that. So people listen, just sign up. It’s probably about 15 emails that are just going to end up in your mailbox and help you stay on track and see how it develops.

NICOLE

So great, Panda. Well, I’m definitely going to sign up because I want to know what’s happening during that portal, and then where can they find you. What’s your name? Hashtag on Instagram. Your hashtag?

PANDA HERSHEY

It’s pandahershey . All one word.

NICOLE

Ok. Make sure to follow her. We’re going to also include all of her contact info below. Panda, thank you so much for being on the podcast today and sharing your wisdom. What an interesting, fascinating conversation about astrology today. Truly.

PANDA HERSHEY

Thanks Nicole. I hope to do it again. This was so great.

NICOLE

Thank you so much for tuning into today’s episode. Before you go, don’t forget, if you are a high-achieving woman who wants to uncover your biggest blind spots preventing fast intuitive decisions, I’ve got a 72-second assessment for you, so make sure to dm me quiz on at NicoleTsong at Instagram, and thank you for being here and for listening. We read every note that we get from you about how the podcast is making a difference in your life. Please know how much we appreciate each and every one of you. Until next time. I’m Nicole Tsong, and this is the School of Self-Worth.