In The Bruja's Corner: Samylda from @SamyldaReads

Spirituality, wellness, the occult, astrology...etc. They all are different forms of how we look at the world we live in and understand the experiences we have. For Samylda, astrology has been her tool of choice in breaking down the coincidences and major events of her life- which in 22 years, hasn't been short of action, lessons and blessings.

When I first got obsessed with astrology, it was mainly because it explained me in a way I couldn't explain myself. With this in mind, it was fascinating to hear from someone that has literally made birth chart reading a language in explaining the world around us- and the one inside all of us.

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Tell me a little about yourself:

My name is Samylda, S-A-M-Y-L-D-A. My name doesn’t have a meaning, it’s made up by my mom.

Really?

Yeah, it doesn’t have any meaning, but I am in the process of thinking of what I would like to give the meaning of my name.

That is so cool. I’ve never heard of a name with no meaning!

I know, like everyone has a name with a meaning that derives from something, and mine, I gotta make my own meaning. I think that in itself is the journey, I’m just going to make my own meaning.

What do you specialize in when it comes to spiritual work and all that?

I’m an astrologer, I consider myself a traditional astrologer. I study traditional astrology in that it’s the basis of my practice, however I am very open to all other forms of astrology and different calculation styles, as well as modern astrology. I don’t like to close myself off from any realms of thought or any techniques just so that way I am still open to the different ways I can interpret things. Astrology in its nature is just so multifaceted that it feels like it wouldn’t make sense for me to close myself off from other schools of thought on the subject.

How’d you end up getting into astrology?

This will be my second and a half year…I was formally introduced to astrology by a friend who actually has the same sun, moon and Venus sign as me, which is so interesting now; I’m like, oh my God, my twin! They came and introduced me; you know… a reflection of my own energies to this thing that would then take off. So now, looking back at it, I’m like, I have to figure out how that happened.

But I was introduced to Café Astrology, which you know, I’m sure many of us started out there or have crossed that path at some point. For me, that was the first introduction I had to sun signs, moon signs, I didn’t know anything about the planets- nothing! So, I was reading through it and once I got to Scorpio moon passage, I was like, what the heck??

You were like, oh my God, that’s me?

Like oh, wait, doublecheck! How did y'all know that? Where did you get that information from? The whole Scorpio moon archetype, it made since of my reaction, I was like dang…Nobody gets it- so how did this computer screen get it?

So, at that point, I’m like- I need to know how you guys came up with this, I need to know where this is coming from. Because, really, there’s no way you should be able to explain my experiences like that, especially with what I was going through at the time. Divine timing is what it really was: I found astrology and astrology found me. It just resonated with what I was going through- how could you verbalize that like that?

I went right into it after that, trying to find out what the planets and symbols meant; I wasn’t introduced to circle charts until like a year from my first studies. I had to study on my own, the meaning behind all those symbols and numbers- from there, I worked backwards to put everything together to give a meaning to everything I saw.

How would you describe that learning experience? Was it kind of like a religious thing for you, or was it like a spiritual, learning type of moment?

It was an experience that gradually grew for me. Just the timing of my very life experience up until this point has been divine timing, and now I see astrology as my tool in which it randomly came to me and I didn’t realize how the story would play out until later on, I could look back and say oh, that was introduced to me at that point in my life because of this subsequent event.

At the time when astrology was first introduced to me, I was taking this course at my school. I ended up becoming a TA for the course, eventually a teacher coordinator to help other TA’s in the course. It was an environmental science course, but it’s not your typical environmental science class. I remember joining the class and thinking, oh this is my hippy weirdo class.

And now, I have so much appreciation for the class, because…the thought process of my professor was like, he noticed his students were miserable. They’re being given test and exams on the earth’s environment and nobody is connecting to the material. And so, the question for guiding the class was how can you connect people to an environment they know nothing about?

I ended up realizing through the journey of my course, I was introduced to the concept of duality- to question our thought processes and what we thought we knew. He’d ask us super simple questions, but it was so we would think in different perspectives. The class was all about reflecting. Looking back at my whole journey, now I’m like, this class is inherently spiritual. I would go into training for my TA’s, doing our activities with meditations in between; we had shadow work-like activities- now I realize what it really was teaching me!

It’s just crazy that all of these things I learned while teaching and working under this course and obviously practicing it myself so I could properly grade my students on their journey, at the end I was really training myself the skills I would need now as an astrologer- all this happening while I’m still learning astrology.

I also had a near death experience, about a year ago. After coming out of that, it was like the experience pushed me over the edge. I was able to see astrology from a completely different lens. You know like…Life! Not only can I interpret this experience, but I can read this. I had a realization that I was clairsentient and clairvoyant- it all tied into what I was learning and what I would eventually do with astrology.

With that realization of your different talents, as well as the transition towards owning up those talents and coming into your own, what was that like for the support system around you? Like me personally, I had a lot of people question me about my interest in tarot reading and spirituality. I got not necessarily backlash, but a lot of weird looks and doubt.

At first, two years ago, when I jumped into astrology it was more like ‘hey this is cool’. I minored in psychology and neuroscience- I’ve always had this interest and desire to just understand. Now I realize I was always looking for ways to better understand life. But back then, it was just fun learning astrology and recognizing, I can read this energy, I can understand you in a different way. It was cool to connect with others in that way- CoStar was popping, everyone was kind of into it so at first it was fun.

It was only until after my accident where it became like an overdrive. Now I’m also healing myself, going through my own problems- double vision, concussion. I felt a mental lag, almost like as if my mind was doing a software update while still trying to function, study school. It was hard for me to describe to other people what I was understanding. Like, I don’t think anyone can understand or get what I’m going through or experiencing. There were very few people that could relate to me at that point.

In a way, I don’t think the recovery process was a bad experience. I needed time to get my thoughts together and process what I was physically processing.

That’s a really interesting experience. Was it scary, going through that phase?

It wasn’t scary, it was just confusing- but I wasn’t confused. I was just beginning to understand what it meant to have an awakening. I’m sure many of us experience a period of time where it’s like you’re questioning yourself, your thought patterns…for me personally, because it was after my accident, I knew I had a concussion. So, I had the physical reason for my ‘lagging’ and being confused, even though I wasn’t confused. I got an assessment from a cognitive behavior therapist and sis was like, why are you here and I was like, I don’t know sis. My tests came out fine, so it was a weird in-between of not knowing my reality but being able to see it all.

That’s interesting; it feels like a part of you was catching up to what you already knew and what were experiencing.

Exactly.

So, you mentioned something cool before, about how astrology is like a tool for you. Can you break that down for me- how do you use it as a tool? What purpose does it serve for you?

One of the biggest things in my journey is even coming to that understanding of what you just asked. I had my foundations first in astrology before realizing I was clairsentient and clairvoyant. It was after the accident that I realized I have been dreaming of my death- of my accident, about a year and a half before it even took place. To be able to see things- premonitions and prophecies and being able to feel it through physical pain and healing, when coupled with astro, now it becomes ok: I can track this. I can see these transits; I can see the patterns in my life and for others- I can explain this energy. I can see it all match up; they are not separate of each other but integrated. One of them, obviously astro, I had to learn that skill; that’s why I say it’s my tool, but it’s my main tool.

Some people do tarot, some people don’t need anything. From my journey and my understanding, astro has always been my tool.

Take me through the process of a birth chart reading.

When I do a birth chart reading…I used to prep for an hour. Sometimes I still do- as a Virgo sun, it just feels right to me!

Now I use crystals in my readings as well, so I’m able to do all the technicalities of reading a birth chart, looking at their placements and their houses, planetary rulers and aspects- while also channeling the energies I pick up while reading their chart. I can pick up on experiences the person has had. That’s what’s cool about a birth chart; whatever I’m picking up on, I can see it: moon is opposition sun, the ascendant is squared to Saturn…

What’s something you notice a lot in your readings?

I remember someone recently was tweeting about having a certain type of client- I’d have to go back and do all the data from my past clients, but I’ve noticed that there’s synchronicities in when I’ll receive clients. That is actually indicative of certain transits! When Saturn and Jupiter went into Aquarius for the Grand Conjunction, a week later I had like all Aquarius risings and one Leo rising- the opposite of Aquarius. Both equally impacted by the conjunction, but just in different aspects, so I was like, ok, I see what’s going on here! All the Aquarius placements are wondering what’s going on.

Sometimes I’ll notice that on the same day I got like two Pisces rising and they both have their suns intercepted- I think that that’s interesting. My conclusion is that people with similar energies are inclined to even book on the same day or same hour.

Something more personal I’ve noticed in my readings is that my clients are really a reflection of me. I’ll see like synchronicities in their energy, or what’s going on in my life. The messages I have to give to them as I’m interpreting their chart an advising them, is also something that I need to take a mental note of. I’m yelling at you yelling at me.

I don’t know if this is common for a lot of astrologers, but it is for me and I think its reflected in my chart. I have Saturn in the 7th house, I learn most of my lessons from other people, including clients. Even something like this- yeah, you’re interviewing me, but I’m learning things about my own story and your own experience.

Wow. For my own readings and my clients, a lot of first timers, I tend to pick up on usually grief and that lingering feeling of not being able to move on from something properly. What they’re seeking is that confirmation that there’s still something there to get closure on. I’ve never taken the time to sit down and see what my clients usually are looking for from me, on the grand scheme of things.

Sorry, not to be like, reading you-

No, go ahead!

Scorpio rising, having that ability to tap that deep into people, or what’s unhealed within people, or us being like, not afraid to uncover what’s in that dark space… You being so receptive and non-judgmental. Your sun in 4th house, you can make a home- you make a comfortable space for people.

Oh my God, I love that.

It makes sense you would attract people that come to you seeking that. It’s the same with my clients; whatever we have, whatever energy we’ve cultivated, we tend to attract that.

People are always looking for something. I think that the healers or practitioners they go to or are attracted to, there’s something they’re attracted to- beyond the service. Anybody can get a tarot reading- but my clients go to me because there’s something about me that calls out to them.

At least my brand, or what I try to promote in the energy of my readings is that I read for filth, inevitably for growth. It’s my trademark, but I mean it in the sense of like, ok, what is impeding you from your journey? Why are you here? We’re not here on this floating rock for no reason. I tell my clients this all the time. Your purpose can be integrated through your career, but you weren’t born on this floating rock in the middle of the universe to work for Bob for 40 hours a week. In the grand scheme, I think my clients come for this- and I aim to give them a way to getting to that thing, that purpose.

I would like to think the clients I attract are the ones on their way in some way to their path.

When we talk about finding purpose, what does that look like to you? I know there’s a ton of people out here like LLC, Clubhouse, social media- talking about you got to be grinding 24/7, you got to do this, you got to do that…and then there are other people that are like no, we’re here just to exist and enjoy. Where do you fall when it comes to the conversation about the purpose to our lives?

Something astrology has really taught me and I developed in my practice is that we are not separate of our purpose and we never were. We are the living embodiment of our purpose. I am it; you are it, just as is. I’m never not in alignment with it- well, not 100% true, but because it is inherent to our being, to our existence, we have the choice to be aware of that or not. Never separate of, but the choices of who we are and what we do can make us aware of that fact that we are it or in alignment with it. What that looks like for you is going to be different from what that looks like for me.

I feel like in this world, it’s so easy to get sucked up in others’ opinions and paths, because being born one with your purpose was a long time ago. In between when I was born 22 years ago, I’ve been influenced, I’ve been taught and learned a lot, I’ve been conditioned. I feel like it’s easy to get separated from thinking you live with purpose.

I’m in between when it comes to that conversation. I would never tell someone you’re not living in your purpose if you don’t have an LLC or aren’t on Clubhouse, my stance is more of a reminder- wherever you are is where you’re supposed to be, but whatever authentic path you’re trying to pursue but repressing, that’s what I’m looking to get at.

It’s one thing to have a 1-on-1 relationship with clients and it’s another thing to be sharing messages for the collective on like social media, for instance. What is that like, putting out messages for anyone to receive and maybe having to deal with whatever comes with that?

Ooo, I’ve never thought about that- it’s giving Mercury retrograde in Aquarius, let’s re-analyze those relationships and dynamics, I love it. Now that I think about it, it’s definitely different. A friend had asked me, what’s your goal with your astro content? There’s a couple of things I feel like I have to offer: guidance and interpretation on these energies: what does it mean, what’s going on right now, what people are trying to understand. Especially in this age- Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, so many people turning to spirituality. People are looking for answers- especially in the context of 2020 and 2021, like what the hell is going on!

For me, especially as a pre-med and wanting to heal and aid, help people understand themselves and their journey just as people are trying to understand their own journey. I want them to feel better about what’s coming, how to use these energies to their advantage and be prepared. That’s my goal.

When I shout out into the void with my posts, I try to be as general as I can be, but I’m aware of what that collective energy is at the same time so that people can relate. It can be difficult sometimes to conceptualize it, but I think I’m doing ok!

So, the spiritual space, on like IG, for instance. I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily competition, but it’s a lot of us in that space. There’s a lot of different perspectives, a lot of different ways to go about it, and sometimes a lot of misinformation gets spread around. Especially as someone with a pre-med background, what’s that like being in a space where a lot of people may be loud but…they’re just not right?

Yeah, that’s a really big thing and I feel like that will continue- it makes me cringe a lot. Super Virgo sun, but it makes me cringe! Again, because so many new people are coming into it, there’s a lot to be learned. Because it is so much of an individual journey at the end of the day, for it to be such a mainstream thing now is so contradicting. It’s a fine line between capitalizing off of spirituality and gaining likes and attention and actually sharing valid and teachable information. I’m noticing a lot of misinformation on Clubhouse, on Tik Tok, I feel like Instagram too is a lot of aesthetic over quality. And I’m not a super avid user of Instagram- I’m on twitter, I’ll be scrolling through twitter, but in terms of Instagram, I’m just kind of one of those people that I don’t care enough. I post my post and go about my business. In my experience, I don’t engage too much with the misinformation- each individual has to be responsible for what they digest and know what’s good information, whats bad information. That can be difficult as beginners but developing that intuition- which is a part of the journey itself- will help you navigate the space.

I agree. I think we all have a responsibility to know what we’re talking about and if we don’t, we should do the research first and then maybe just not speak on it when we don’t know it 100%.

Yeah, especially for bigger platforms, I think I’ve noticed some...a few people, who share that knowledge or take the time to do research, or even just saying you don’t know- that’s all taking accountability. I know you mentioned competition- I know nothing about tarot, don’t ask me about the chariot card, 'I would just refer you to Dani', is what I would say. I think that’s something important we need in the community; collaboration, to lessen the misinformation.

Yeah, I’m a firm believer in saying- that’s not my area. Birth charts, I’ll read them on AstroCafe and that’s cute and all, but don’t ask me about it because I don’t know! Not my thing, I’ll do my research but I’m no expert on it.

Yeah, and it’s interesting because in my field, I’m constantly learning about astro, its never-ending.

Yupp, I just found out about sidereal astrology- and how some of the calculations make your sun sign actually the rising sign. I read a little about it and saw all the math and decided it wasn’t for me.

Yeah, so with sidereal, it’s a different calculation of the zodiac’s progression. Tropical, or western astrology, is associated with the seasons whereas sidereal is calculated on the actual constellations and sun’s movements, the degrees have about a 27-degree difference. For me, it is just another perspective of looking at someone’s birth chart and their energies. There’s a lot of conversation about one is better than the other or one is your soul-

Or more accurate-

I think that’s very incorrect. I can look from the right and it might look triangular and I can look from the left and it looks circular, I can look upside down and it’ll look like a fucking rhombus- you know what I mean? It’s not that the object was any different from where it was, or that one view is better than the next, but that both can exist, and whatever perspective resonates best for you is the perspective you should work with. Whichever one you understand is kind of like the language you can speak. Like religions or different forms of spirituality- one isn’t right and the other isn’t wrong.

So, what’s next for you then?

Oh, girl I don’t know… I think what’s next for me is stepping into this phase of how I want to expand my astro business into a community. I want to start a mailing list, I’m trying to make a community with other spiritualists and astrologers, especially on Clubhouse. Chatting and sharing knowledge and tips, educating and empowering each other, especially in these times, is so important. Finding these spaces is my next stage in this journey.

You can book a birth chart reading at her site, https://www.samyldareads.com or find Samylda on Insta and Twitter @Samyldareads.