Sophie Garcia
Why chisme?
Chisme in Spanish means tea, or gossip. Terms such as “chismosa” and so-called “cancel culture” are weaponized and used to silence those of us who name harm and challenge injustice, especially QTBIPOC survivors. My astrology brand Astrology Chisme Hotline™️ honors the legacy of safety networks and ancestral knowledge-ways inherent to oral storytelling.
MY ASTROLOGY PRACTICE
I work with both traditional and modern Western techniques and am studying my ancestral Mexican calendar known as the Tonalpohualli at school. I’ve been studying astrology since 2015 and practicing professionally since 2020. My readings are mostly on Zoom but you can catch me at your local markets as well. I’m very comfortable giving readings on the spot. I’ve hosted small workshops and after attending NORWAC for the first time this year I plan on speaking at conferences ! For now I make video content for Tiktok, IG Reels, and Youtube, write pieces on here and Medium, and do private consultations.
One of my workshops “Enriching Your Astrology Practice Via Ancestral Work” will be available on youtube and I will be making the rest of my lectures available for download on here in my shop that is coming soon.
ASTROLOGY and activism
I’ve been organizing in my communities for 5 years in person and digitally and have found that astrology has strengthened nonprofit movement practices, team-building, and connection. I’ve hosted a Mercury Retrograde-themed phone-bank with Generation Rising, a national program partnering with grassroots organizations in swing states. I also developed and presented my workshop on Astrology for Activists in my Artistic Resistance fellowship at LYRIC, an SF nonprofit serving LGBT+ youth. After winning a grant, I also hosted a workshop on Enriching Your Ancestral Practice with Astrology by “In Honor Of Our Roots” an artist collective focused on ancestral healing. I currently work as a blogger for Resonance Network, writing astrology pieces with a liberation focus. This has been my dream since I discovered that astrology is a language –
who you are outside of astrology spaces informs what you choose to talk about with it.
how is astrology useful?
Astrology can offer another language for storytelling and building hope. It’s my job to use it to paint a shift in perspective that is both accessible and tailored to each client’s unique needs which are communicated to me and further detailed in their chart. So there are many practical, applicable uses for astrology – it depends on what you ask for – nothing is too concrete. I’ve been asked for career advice, planning the ideal move, and grounding techniques. I’ve recommended that clients would wear a certain color or get a tattoo because of a Mars transit and they’re often already doing it. I close out readings with sharing basic massages for the signs from medical astrology. Besides having practical uses, an astrology reading is often a space to discuss emotions that are rarely brought up. As pragmatic as I like to offer my readings, astrology has a way of offering medicine for what affects us on a daily basis on a subconscious level as well.
wHAT IS THE HOTLINE?
After a recent conversation, I added “Hotline” to Astrology Chisme and am currently rebranding and working on collaborations. Just like an astrology reading it is never just me talking shit – I need the girls to call in. My vision is to work with other astrologers or astro-enthusiasts to learn together in a very casual way. The conversation piece is central, you can expect video interviews and blog posts where people of all levels can submit their burning questions to me. Will you call in?