I'm Shivani Gupta, and welcome to the Ask Shivani podcast. I believe that one of the best presents that you can give yourself is time to be able to sit down and ask yourself some questions. I believe that the quality of the question that you ask yourself will determine the quality of your life.

Shivani Gupta (00:37)

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Ask Shivani podcast. I am so excited about having Amanda Vodic on our podcast today, when I tell you a little bit about how you'll be like, oh, I think I might need to have a session with her. I know I certainly did. When I read through her briefing, she's a medium and she channels guidance for people through astrology. And Amanda will get talking about that I've gone back to astrology as I've got older, even though I grew up in India. And so, I'm so fascinated about the work that you do. She also knew that, you know, it was always more than a career, she had this inner calling to be able to pursue what was really important. And she wanted to find the answers to Who am I and what am I here to do. And this is what she's ended up doing. Now, there's a heap of other stuff that I can tell you about Amanda. She is really using astrology to change a lot of things in life. And now she's starting to create a lot of unique bodies of work. And also, when you experience the challenges of astrology session with her, one of the things she talks about is that you get more than simply the symbolism of the astrology that's revealed. She holds in that space and brings in the spiritual team to have additional guidance. That sounds so cool. By the way, I definitely think I want a session now. She uses her calling and her work and her purpose to be able to guide you to yours. Amanda, welcome.

Amanda Vodic (02:11)

Thank you so much for having me. And thank you for that beautiful introduction.

Shivani Gupta (02:16)

Oh, look, I could just have kept reading. It's just so fascinating. So, I think what we need to do is dive a little bit into how you got to be here. And the work and obviously, you know, people talk about their journey. But one of the things Amanda, I'm really interested in this podcast is what have been the highlights and lowlights, what have been the positives, the negatives that have really brought you here to doing this incredible work that you're doing now. Tell us about it.

Amanda Vodic (02:42)

Oh, yes. Okay. Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate being given this opportunity, because as you mentioned in my little introduction, you know, definitely I always felt like I had a calling. And, you know, when I was a young girl and started keeping a diary, all I wrote about is I want to be this when I grow up, I want to be that when I grow up, and I would try on all million different job titles. And, you know, career is definitely something that felt really important to me. And so, as I came into my 20s, you know, walk out of high school and into my 20s, It felt so strange that, that finding my thing was so elusive when it felt so important. And so really, my story starts around 27-28, which is if you follow astrology, you know, it's quintessential Saturn Return moment. And I wasn't into astrology at that point. I was very, very, very practical, very, you know, straight up and down wasn't really into a spiritual side of life.

I later realized I was just suppressing that. And, but I came to a moment when I was 28, where I was actually in a really great job. I gotten what I thought was my dream job, which was event planning. And I looked around at my work and the people I worked with, and the opportunities I had, and it was all amazing. And yet, I just was like, Oh, this, isn't it. And when you have one of those moments, you're like this, isn't it? coupled with the fact that I just gotten married? I could see that, you know, 30 which you know what the time? Oh, 30, you know, got to have it all figured out by 30. I, probably one of the very rare moments in my life where I actually listened to my gut instinct. And realize the only thing in life I felt sure about is I wanted a business and I I'd known this for a decade. And I hadn't done anything about it. Other than trying to find my creative thing, which is a whole other story. And that really, I think was the quintessential moment because it's really important. If when we're talking astrology, that 27, 28 29 to listen, and to even for everyone now to think back of how they felt at that time and what they might have been questioning because really what Saturn does at that moment, it says to us, do you really want this? Because it's an energy that is all about our career. It's all about our career and our calling at quintessential moments in our lives. If it asks us, do you really want this because it's going to give you everything you want, but it's not going to give it to you on a silver platter, you're going to go through trials and tribulations, etc. And so, it asked you, okay, I'm going to put you through these trials, but do you really want it? And I realized I didn't want the career I had. And so, I answered the core, little pun for you there. And I started a business around the only thing that I knew I was interested in, which at the time was wedding and event planning. And of course, like, I think maybe yourself, you can tell me, but I have a feeling because I think so many other beautiful people who start businesses will just feel me when they say, the moment I started my business, it's like, everything turned into Technicolor. It's like my world burst open. I immersed myself into learning. And that was just like, like, the angels, like, what is this? Because, you know, you don't, when you don't know what you don't know. And the beautiful thing about businesses, you have to learn and you have to grow. And I just love that I'm a little bit addicted to it, you know, it is in my charts, I see how to manage it. But that really was the turning point, initially, and unconscious of answering your questions.

So, to kind of skip forward a little bit. I tried this wedding event planning business, and I completely burnt myself out, which I think we have in common. And then early 2018, I had a very major transit happening in my chart, which I didn't know at the time, which was Pluto coming through. And any time Pluto touches anything in your chart, it's really about burning everything to the ground that does not serve you so that you can kind of be the phoenix rising from the flames. And that is what my life felt like, I even shaved all my hair off because I was like Who even am I, I felt like I was just starting again. Everything in my life, in the best of ways, just felt like it had to go. And so, in terms of a career, I closed down that business because it wasn't serving me because it led me to burnout, and started trying and experimenting things. Which of course we can get into more. But I just kept trying things and kept trying things kept trying things and felt like I was coming up short.

And so finally one day, I just was so lucky to just find myself in an event about astrology. And I kind of gotten into spiritual stuff, which you do, I think through self-development, you can find yourself through those spiritual doorways. You know, I'm thinking of Joe Dispenza. He's a great doorway and those type of people, and I thought, you know what? Astrology I actually was like, oh, astrology, astrology. Who wants this? First. That was my first reaction. When um, it kind of came into my life. But then I had this moment, I was like, Oh, my goodness. I mean, first of all, one, get back in your box. Like, let's, let's maybe give something a go that I haven't tried. Maybe the problem is, everything that I'm doing doesn't feel like it's working. All these things I'm trying doesn't feel like it's leading me to my calling. How about I try something different. So, a bit of humility. And also, like I said, try something different. But then also, having this moment of, oh, you know, as a kid, I was always that girl who picked up the magazines to look at astrology. I was always interested when I came across things of astrology. Why didn't I pursue that? And I searched my body for the answer. And I was shocked to realize, I never pursued astrology or looked into spiritual life, because I was worried what other people would think, you know, particularly when I grew up in the 90s. It was very, you know, hippie cliche. You're in a box, and you're this weird thing if you do anything like that.

And so, blessedly, we're now in a beautiful world, where we're like, oh, there's so much more to it. And we're all embracing it. And so, funnily enough, as I started learning about astrology, I was like, holy, wow, I'm seeing things that are just answering all the questions I've had. And so, because burnout has been something like I've really been burnt out really significantly, not well. I took time out at the beginning of 2020. To be like, No work, no projects, nothing, like my husband and I agreed. I really need to literally spend every day getting well and because intellectually, I knew I needed to have something to just enjoy. I said, just for the fun of it just for play, I'm going to learn about astrology, I'm going to just spend my time learning and playing with astrology. And funnily enough, I, in that moment, I came across what I call my satin strategy. We all have a strategy to find out career, and play is my strategy. And so, I kind of like stumbled in to it that way. So, I'm gonna stop now, because as you can tell one question, you're gonna get 15 minutes, you're gonna get 15 minutes.

Shivani Gupta (11:15)

Gorgeous and I love the trials and tribulations that you share, because not many people's path is a linear, you know, it's from A to B, but a lot of people don't want to talk about it. So, I just think I love what you also shared there, Amanda, about the fact that, you know, sometimes we worry about that judgment of what other people will think, including family. And if I go down this path, what does that mean? When I talk about challenges, Amanda, one of the things I'm always interested in is, do you have a process? Like what are some of the challenges that you have, like a process or a system or a ritual that you have, when you face issues and challenges coming away?

Amanda Vodic (11:52)

I mean, right now, 100%, I go to my astrology chart, and I actually work with a pendulum. So that helps me connect into my energetic body and I, I connect into my highest self. And so, I'm always asking questions now from inside me. And, and I go within, and my astrology chart helps me go within. And so, my process now is actually to think about, okay, what is the theme of the issue that I'm dealing with right now? Is it related to a person is it related to, you know, an emotion or something, and most of the time, I can go straight to the point in my chart that talks about that emotion, and that part of me. And the beautiful thing about astrology is it basically shows us how to raise our vibration, raise our level of being, and it literally spells out what are the low vibrational elements of this part of your chart and what the high vibration is, and then I can see then how to change it.

And I was just thinking of an example. Like, often when, if I feel like anger, I go straight to Mars and straight to Pluto. And I'm like, this has something to do with that placement of my chart. And very, very quickly, I resolve it. And I use my pendulum to help me get an energetic yes or no. So, I wanted to just explain that to people who are listening, because I actually have had in the past trouble connecting into my intuition, because it's so deep down in my chart and who I am, that the pendulum is like a shortcut. It's brilliant. So yeah, that's part of the process that I use when I meet a challenge. But I think the main thing that I do is, I always look at how I'm contributing and where I'm not the problem, but where I need to step up or take responsibility. Because at the end of the day, if there's a challenge that I'm facing, it's not about the outside situation, or the other person involved. It's actually about what am I going to do? And I get to choose. And so, I use my chart, particularly in this process with my pendulum to help me get my answers so that I can take action and take responsibility.

Shivani Gupta (14:16)

That's amazing. So, because, you know, some people don't walk the talk, as they say, but when you've got those challenges, you actually use your skills and your intuition that you would tell other people to guide to so that's, that's awesome. What about future aspirations? What are some of the things when you log in, you know, that future might be 12 months, some people are going five years, some people might be going 50 years, when you look at your future aspirations, Amanda what are some of the things that really excite you that you want to you know, implement, or do or look forward to?

Amanda Vodic (14:51)

Well, I'm definitely having more conversations like this. If you can't tell, I love to talk. I love to talk. I love storytelling. And in fact, communication is part of what I'm here to master. And so that's really been such a gift to understand about myself through learning astrology, and developing my channel of astrology is that a huge part of what I'm here to do is simply share my story and share stories. Because in communicating and connecting in that way and sharing our stories, we heal each other. And it's feels too simple to an extent to hop onto a podcast, like this and just connect and talk. But we know how powerful it is when we hear ourselves in somebody else's story, and you feel less alone, and you can hear how they solved it, or all that kind of thing. And so yeah, aspiration is definitely to further my podcast channel astrology. Based on how I have understood how to build my business, which is what my chart has shown me, which we can talk more about. But I've understood that play is very important for me. And so, when it's come to my podcast, rather than it be this purely, like structured serious, like I've got a plan, which used to be what I used to do, I've come to it now with a very playful, let's experiment, let's just get enjoy the process, which is so important, isn't it, just enjoying the process?

Shivani Gupta (16:26)

Oh, it’s so important.

Amanda Vodic (16:29)

And I really am excited about where it could go. And where I see it going. I mean, I would love to just get be at a point where I could sit on the podcast and just basically do readings for people, and like, work through things with people. And so, the wider world can understand not just what channeled astrology is because like you mentioned, it's a bit different, because I'm a medium, and I bring that through. But yeah, we can heal through that real time. Aha. You know. So that's the big one. I think you're right, that's going to take more than 12 months. But, yeah.

Shivani Gupta (17:13)

That might be a lifelong one. Absolutely. And yeah, so beautifully put in. Like, each of us have different philosophies that we live by sometimes the leadership philosophies, like is there certain beliefs or philosophies you go, that's kind of who I try and be or rock up to be or aspire to be? So, you know, do you have some of those in terms of that you live by?

Amanda Vodic (17:37)

Yeah, definitely. I mean, the biggest one for me is, is ensuring everyone I am involved with feel seen and heard. So, I'm not gonna lie. I'm like, oh, I really want to ask you some questions. But I know that that's not what this is about. You know that you know, that part of you. That's like, oh, my friend, I'm not asking her any questions, but it's okay. She feels, I know, you feel seen and heard, because you get to do this all day. But that's definitely one of the things that I feel really important in, in demonstrating to people and doing as part of my philosophy, I think it's so important that everyone gets a place in the world where they feel seen, heard for just who they are. So that's something that I bring into my work. And as a philosophy.

The other thing that I've heard other people say, and I just like this pump, when I hear it is this understanding right now that it's not about anybody else, it's about us taking accountability and personal responsibility for our own selves, and our own vibration, and our own consciousness, because we are all connected into each other. And I remember that when I'm feeling like, I'm a bit self-indulgent, this hour and a half I've spent thinking about myself and dealing with my stuff, but it's like, no, this is good. Because when I, when I deal with my energetic alignment, and my vibration and my consciousness and raise my consciousness, then the world feels that regardless of what I say, I'll do. And I think that's the biggest thing for all of us, like, that I've really come to understand is, the world knows now, who we are energetically. And we can show up any which way we want, and try and be something or try and show something, but energetically, we can all understand where all at because we're all so the veil is so thin now. And so that's a philosophy that I keep in mind that that I have to really be, you know, I call it energetic hygiene, you know, it's my little term, really be mindful of my energy and work on cleaning it up, not just for myself, but for everyone else. And if we all do this, you know, we're all helping each other. So that's one of the philosophies definitely. I keep front and center.

Shivani Gupta (20:01)

That's great. The thinning of the veil, the veil of safety and I love that. Amanda, what about your own life when you're giving so much of who you are out to people, whether you're podcasting or doing sessions with people or readings for people? What are some of the things you do to manage your own wellness, you know, sometimes people look at wellness mentally, emotionally, spiritually, of course energetically, all of the above. So, you know, some people do daily things some people don't and you annual recharge, what are some of the things you do to manage your wellbeing and wellness.

Amanda Vodic (20:37)

I feel like my whole life is a retreat, because I just treat every day like I'm on retreat, you know, I start, you know, when you start with a journal, that kind of thing, but specifically to help manage my energy, I very much into what I call energetic hygiene practices.

So, like, before we got on this call, I cleaned my energy field in ways that I've learned, like, I've learned that you can visualize things connect like little, like a tree connecting to your energetic, you know, chords, or whatever you want. And I clear my energetic sphere. And I also create, like shields of protection. So, I do a lot of visualization with the energy around me, because I know that it's not just me that I'm connecting into, because I've experienced it through the mediumship is that there's, there's an unseen world that we're all connected in, that we're all starting to understand. And so, I very much on a daily basis, recognize that my energy is not just being spent in the physical, it's being connected in and you know, spent on these unseen planes as well. And so, I do a lot of things of visualizing cleaning up my energy, like, I visualize a sieve around my body at the end of the day, and I call my energy back from all the experiences I've had that day. So, anybody I've contacted, anything I've done to call my energy back, so it's not stuck there. And that's been really powerful.

So, things like that, that I've been learning as we do when we you know, connect them with different types of spiritual teachers, you take what works and leave what doesn't. The other thing in a practical bit more of a practical sense is I work with the sample of the moon as my calendar rather than the you know, I think the words Gregorian I'm not quite sure if that's the right word, you know, monthly, January, February, March, blah, blah, blah. And I don't work on Mondays, other than conversations with beautiful people like you, because it's not work. But like Mondays, we even my husband, he's so beautiful, like, we know, Mondays a moon day, Monday is a very low, like gentle, intuitive, flowy energy, it's not a go, go, don't go day for me. And, you know, particularly because I've experienced burnout, it doesn't feel I don't want to use that word, actually. So, I'm not gonna say it feels right to recognize that It's okay for me to take a Monday off if I intuitively know that my energy is very soft and gentle. And it's not about creating something out in the world. And so yeah, Mondays, Mondays, no work on Mondays. It’s been beautiful.

Shivani Gupta (23:19)

I love that. And so many people dread Monday is a moon day and intuitive, you know, and it's interesting that I was having this conversation with somebody the other day that they said, you know, what do you love about business the most. And I said, it's just the freedom to be able to do what you want with who you want, when you want to. But when we get busier in business, you almost start to move away from easier, like, everything gets taken up. And I'm noticing towards the end of this year, you know, you can look at all your achievements and go great did this did this did this.

But energetically, I know I'm feeling tired, and I need to replenish, but a lot of people aren't speaking to energetically feel tired, even though they've done lots and lots of things this year. So, I think that's beautiful. But you say that you actually don't try and leave by this calendar. And this Monday to Friday and Monday's pump day start on the we've got to get started ahead and get ahead. But you actually take that whatever you can offer as well. And then there'll be people that are listening that go, well, she is fascinating, and they want to find out more about you or they want to work with you. What's the best way, what are some of the best channels that they can find you if you could share a bit about that so people know where to find you at the end of this episode.

Amanda Vodic (24:39)

Thank you yes, very pleased to help people find me because I am very conscious with where I put my energy this conversation, we're having about you know, being mindful of energy and looking after yourself in that way. I'm very conscious of where I put my energy online. So, it is very deliberate is I think what I was trying to get up and so I really enjoy when people find me and interact with you there because I am very deliberate about it. Also, to say you can find me on LinkedIn and you can find me at https://www.amandavodic.com/ and also my podcast channeled astrology with Amanda Vodic. So those are the three places, when you do pop to the website, I have a newsletter list that you can join at the moment to know about the masterclasses that I have coming out, and definitely the email community, I'm feeling really like, Oh, this is going to be juicy and joyful. I'm not quite sure what it's going to look like. But I don't know about you. But the more I've gotten intentional about not spending a huge amount of time online. You know, because I've had to learn how to manage my energy. I've really enjoyed being on people's email lists, because I don’t know, I can just, I don't have to scroll a million things to find people, I can just pop into my you know, promotions folder, and just enjoy the people that I like to enjoy. And it's really ordered and I don't know there's something about it that's that feels good about that. So, I'm experimenting what with what email communities mean. But yeah, also say is, that's where you can find me.

Shivani Gupta (26:21)

That's amazing, too. I'm having a, I have that hates too strong a word. But I have this like, dislike relationship at social times. And just limiting it and somebody gave me a great tip. They said, Well, what would your ideal day be on social? I said 15 minutes a day. And they said, we'll try putting a timer on. So, I've been putting a timer on, which is five minutes, I use three major platforms, five minutes each. And I literally repeat, repeat twice, and 15 minutes, I'm done. I cannot then do that. And I've been doing that for about two months. And I'm amazed at the fact that it's now down to 15 minutes day, and I don't love social and want to see what everybody else is doing either. But it's addictive, right, it started and then it's really hard to stop it. And then I want to know more about you after this call. When we hang up, I just wanted to thank you for your energy. I also want you to thank you to answering your call. You know, I think it's fantastic that you've answered your call but because by doing that you're going to help so many people around the planet to do the same. So, thank you for being on YouTube.

Amanda Vodic (27:26)

Thank you so much for having me. It's been really beautiful. Thank you.

I'm Shivani Gupta. And you've been listening to the Ask Shivani podcast where I'd like to ask some questions. Thank you so much for listening. Please follow Ask Shivani on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. And if you haven't done so, please go to the Apple podcasts and subscribe rate and review this podcast. It would mean a lot. Thank you.