MANDEE SHEELER: RESIDENT ASTROLOGER
The St. Louisan is thrilled to welcome Missouri native, entrepreneur, podcaster, writer, and Astrologer, Mandee Sheeler to our ranks. In addition to her personal exploration, Sheeler has studied under Master Astrologer Rick Levine and with Astrologer and Mind-Body Therapist Cory Nakasue.
Sheeler serves as a regular co-host on The Cosmic Dispatch, an astrology radio show and podcast.
We sat down with Sheeler to learn more about her practice and what she will bring to her monthly reports on thestlouisan.com. You can find all of her writings on the WELLNESS section of our website or be searching for Astrology in the search bar.
Describe your background a bit and what brought you to this work.
SHEELER: I began my career as a professional hairdresser about 12 years ago. I had a wonderful career working in one of the best salons in my city and eventually ended up expanding my business into owning a salon. The owner of my first salon gave me a set of astrological reports created by Adrian Duncan via www.astrowow.com during my time there. When I had my baby, his gift to me was an astrology report for my due date.
I had to completely shut down my business as a result of the pandemic. During my time off of work, I dug into inner work. Astrology was something I used as a way to process things that had happened to me and happened in the world. It helped me understand things from a new perspective.
I dug deeper into Astrology study for my own self-development but soon realized I could offer something that I had been missing—holding space with others. The hardest part of not working during the pandemic was not holding space with my people on a regular basis. I had clients that I went through many life changes with and I missed that presence.
I did end up going back to work after we were allowed to open up but things were so different—I was so different. So, I “retired” from styling two years ago and have dedicated my time to studying and building my astrological tool belt. I am also married, and a mom. I spend my time bouncing back and forth between my astrology practice and homeschooling my son.
How would you describe your philosophy on this work and how it may be different from other practitioners?
Some astrologers and spiritual counselors have questionable ethics, which I’m happy to say is a topic of conversation happening within the astrological community. There are no official governing bodies over astrological practice which comes with a list of pros and cons. Not only are there a lot of scammers, but there are also a lot of well-liked and highly-followed people saying questionable things.
I remember finding a website early on in my studies. This blog post was written about a particular signature that I have in my natal chart and it read “Stay away from guns, likely to die in a sudden accident.” I was shook. I was stressed for weeks and reading this sent me into a spiral that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It has made me highly aware of the words that I use and I try my best to stay grounded and meet people where they are. I take the consulting and counseling part of my work very seriously. I am not alone in this way, but for every grounded practitioner, there are a dozen others that border questionable ethical practices.
Can you share a time when you connected with astrology that really changed the way you thought about it?
During my early learning journey, I stumbled upon a weekly astro-forecast podcast while I was doing my dishes, and that was that. Before that, the breadth of astrology really was not clear to me. I thought of astrology as a very cool tool for self-discovery but in a strictly entertaining way. It wasn’t until I began listening to the weekly Astro Weather that I really began to notice the larger cycles.
Talk a bit about your life aesthetic and general vibe. How do you spend your days when you're not working? What lights you up?
I’m pretty practical in all ways. Ha! I have a lot of earth in my natal chart. I like good food. I’m always prepared for at least six different possibilities. I enjoy serving others. I enjoy being dependable. I’m the friend and mom that carries the massive bag with the first aid kit, snacks, and wet wipes, but I don’t spend a ton of time on my makeup and hair. I love being around my people and spending quality time together. Not just my family, but my extended friend family, too.
I enjoy nature, tea, reading books, wandering around bookstores or metaphysical shops, going to the park, camping, hiking, watching documentaries, playing games, listening to music and podcasts, taking baths and cooking.
If someone's only experience with astrology is reading their horoscope every month in a magazine, what's the first entry point you'd give them?
This is such a great question. It’s important that people know that their sun sign is just one piece of the whole chart. It’s only a fraction of the information required for a full personal reading. Not only do you have your moon sign and rising sign, there is also each of the other planets, as well as conversations happening between all of these planets. The positioning as well as the sign and house of the planets in our chart helps to tell the full story.
Horoscopes are fun and they can be accurate, but they are part of a bigger picture. Let’s look at meme astrology. When people don’t identify with a quick snippet of how their sun sign should be, they tend to be turned off by the idea and aren’t as likely to seek the whole story. Which is completely fair, though unfortunate.
If you regularly read your sun sign horoscope, consider reading your moon and rising signs, too. One of those may resonate more. Maybe you’re more of a lunar person. Or a Mercurial person. Or Venusian…. Saturnian? Remember, there are at least seven planets to consider. Twelve if you are using modern techniques and then countless asteroids and fixed points in space that technically could be considered as well.
If you’re genuinely curious get a reading. Schedule a consultation with an astrologer you feel drawn to. Scheduling a consultation with an astrologer is really the only way to ensure custom guidance if that’s what you’re seeking.
What's important for our readers to either know about you or know before they dive into your readings and prompts?
I want others to know that I am a lifelong learner. I am always seeking ways to refine my skills, expand my knowledge and get other perspectives. I genuinely enjoy sharing space with others and as I learn I hope to help others learn. I don’t have all of the answers, let’s learn and grow together. I enjoy contemplating conflicting points of view and having conversations about personal experiences, relationships, planning for the future and self-development.
Something important to note: I am comfortable not having all the right answers. I am comfortable letting others know when and if we venture into a conversation or topic I don’t know about. With that said, I am also very happy to help find solutions or answers and resume the conversation at a later time.
If you are interested in an astrology consultation or astro-collaboration - the best way to reach Mandee is on her website mandeesheeler.com - or by sending an email to mandee.sheeler@gmail.com.