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The Designed Life

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Rating
★★★★★
5
from
4 reviews
This podcast has
116 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
Hollis M. M.
Explicit
No
Date created
2023/11/02
Latest episode
2026/10/23
Average duration
64 min.
Release period
9 days

Description

I'm a designer, astrologer and life coach who's always seeking for deeper understanding, meaning, and beauty – and I love doing it with other like-minded friends. I created The Designed Life to help you ask the bigger questions, explore the unexamined nooks and crannies of your own habits, behaviors and choices, and inevitably start aligning your daily decisions to create a more empowered and fulfilling life. In every episode you'll find stories, resources, and contemplations, from me and other entrepreneurs, curated to help you gracefully navigate a life that comes with no guide book.

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Check latest episodes from The Designed Life podcast


Scorpio Season 2026
2026/10/23
Read the transcript for this episode on Substack Scorpio season invites us into a profound period of emotional processing, cathartic release, and transformation. With Venus and Mercury retrograde, a Taurus Full Moon, a Scorpio New Moon, and a powerful conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and the South Node in Leo, this season asks us to look beneath the surface, confront the narratives we've been carrying, and recognize what we're ready to release. This is a season for slowing down, listening to the body, and allowing ourselves the space to process what is changing. Rather than forcing clarity or productivity, we're invited to rest, seek support, reconnect with community, and trust that release is part of the process of creating life anew. Scorpio season asks us to acknowledge what has run its course, make space for what needs to be processed, and remember that clearing is not an end in itself. It is part of how we restore our vitality, reconnect with what matters, and create the conditions for new life. Wishing you an easeful, releasing kind of Scorpio season. Mentioned: Join the monthly New Moon Ceremonies at Intuitively Wild in High Falls, NY.Sign up for the waitlist for the 2027 Cosmic Calendar, featuring the year's major transits, solar-season planning tools, and quarterly check-ins.Subscribe to the Substack for $8/month to support the podcast and access additional content. Connect with me: Life CoachingWebsiteEmailInstagramSubstackThreads
Eps 069: The Practice of Suspending Disbelief
2026/10/16
What if the things you believe to be true about yourself, your life, and what’s possible for you aren’t the whole story? In this episode I explore the process (and practice) of learning to question the limiting beliefs, narratives, and assumptions that can keep us confined to familiar patterns, even when we’re ready to step into something new. I draw from my own experiences and coaching methodology to unpack why this practice is so important when navigating change, working through conflict, or creating a new version of your life. I explore the process through the lens of the body and nervous system, our relationship to time and pressure of productivity, and through personal reflection and self-inquiry. Additionally, I share two practical ways to begin incorporating this practice into your everyday life. Whether you’re navigating a relationship transition, reimagining your career, questioning your sense of timing, or simply feeling confined by the story you’ve been telling yourself, this episode is an invitation to loosen your grip on what you think you know and make room for what else might be possible. Connect with me: Life CoachingWebsiteEmailInstagramSubstackThreads
Eps 068: Mediumship & Building a Soul-Led Business w. Nicole Pope
2026/10/02
In this episode, I’m joined by Nicole for a conversation about what happens when we stop forcing ourselves into the paths we think we’re supposed to follow, and start allowing something deeper to lead. We dive into Nicole’s mediumship work: how she works with clients’ future selves, spirit guides, soul contracts, ancestral patterns, and other spiritual frameworks. We talk about the moment when a calling finds you, rather than the other way around, and what it means to build a business around intuition and surrender. Finally, we discuss resistance – both the resistance we experience internally and the resistance other people may have to the work we’re doing – and the importance of trusting that not every person needs to receive the same message or follow the same path. Join us for a robust conversation about following your own intuition as a path for building your most successful life and business. You can find Nicole via: Her WebsiteHer InstagramHer Podcast
Eps 067: Finding Clarity on The Other Side of Conflict
2026/09/25
Over the course of the summer, I found myself navigating a bit of an identity crisis in my work. I had reached a point where astrology, as I had been practicing and teaching it, felt like it was holding me back from the deeper, more integrated work I wanted to offer. Rather than blowing everything up, I decided to step back, live the questions, and give myself the space to discover what was actually calling me forward. In this episode, I'm sharing what feels like the final update in this series (both other episodes linked below) from the uncertainty of not knowing to the clarity I've found on the other side of the conflict. I explore how my experiences with design, yoga, coaching, astrology, somatics, creativity, and self-expression have come together to reveal a much clearer direction for my work. What I discovered is that the conflict itself was the catalyst. The very questions I was wrestling with helped me recognize a framework I had been developing through years of personal experience, education, experimentation, and working with clients. If you're currently navigating a transition, questioning your direction, or feeling the tension between who you've been and who you're becoming, this episode is an invitation to stay with the questions and trust what they might reveal. Mentioned: Eps 058: Life Update - Crossing a ThresholdEps 062: Living the Questions & Experimenting w. Identity in Your WorkGiana Cerasia Connect with me: ⁠Life Coaching⁠ // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠ //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠ //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website
Libra Season 2026
2026/09/17
This Libra season can potentially defined as the deep work of letting go. We begin with the equinox and an invitation to pause, recalibrate, and take stock of what feels balanced – and what doesn’t. But this season is also the beginning of a much deeper process. With Venus preparing to retrograde through Scorpio and Libra, followed by Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, we’re entering a period of heightened vulnerability, relationship reckoning, difficult conversations, and profound internal change. In this episode, we explore what it means to resource yourself before entering a season that may leave you feeling exposed, tender, or raw – and how to find the internal anchors that help you remain connected to your values and sense of self when the external world feels uncertain. At the heart of the episode is an invitation to become more comfortable with conflict and discomfort, to look beneath the surface of our relationships and values, and to recognize that sometimes letting go is what creates the space for something new to emerge. Follow along with the edited transcript In this episode, we explore:‍ The equinox and finding balanceLibra energy, relationships, social harmony, values, beauty, and justiceThe Aries full moon 3ºMars entering LeoMercury entering ScorpioDifficult conversations, power dynamics, and the tension between the individual and the collectiveThe Libra new moon 10ºVenus retrograde in ScorpioGrief, absence, loss, and learning to find ourselves in the voidHow conflict can become a catalyst for deeper connectionThe relationship between global social change and our individual relationships Connect with me: Life Coaching // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website
Eps 066: The Wedding Recap! On Ritual, Identity, Community, and Commitment w. Jess Ellen
2026/09/04
Jess and I are back! This time with a slightly different kind of conversation: a reflection on getting married in the same summer and everything that came with our experiences. From navigating family dynamics and other people's expectations to receiving unexpected amounts of love and support, both Jess and I found that getting married became a powerful process of release, integration, creativity, and transformation. We share the behind the scenes stories of our unconventional and very intentional wedding experiences, including week-long celebrations, vision boards, astrology, community, private vows, chosen family, and the small personal details that made each celebration feel uniquely like us. This conversation is ultimately about more than weddings. It's about the value of ritual in modern life, consciously crossing thresholds, creating experiences that reflect who you really are, and allowing yourself to be changed by the moments you choose to celebrate. This episode is an invitation to get curious about the rituals and experiences that help us mark who we've been, and who we're becoming. In this episode, we explore: Why getting married ended up being a much bigger emotional experience than either of us expectedNavigating other people's expectations and projections around weddingsLetting go of responsibility for other people's emotional experiencesThe surprising vulnerability of bringing different communities and family members togetherHow friendship and chosen family can support us through major life transitionsReceiving love, affection, and celebration – and why that can be unexpectedly emotionalHow being celebrated can change the way you see yourselfThe importance of asking what feels good rather than following tradition automaticallyWhy ritual and threshold-crossing still matterWeddings as a creative act and expression of a shared lifeThe astrology behind our celebrationsThe subtle psychological shift from being two individuals to becoming a unitWhy commitment can create an unexpected sense of freedom and spaciousnessIntegrating after a major life event and navigating the post-celebration comedownWhat we would tell anyone planning an unconventional or deeply personal wedding Connect with Jess via her: Website⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠Podcast⁠ Connect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings⁠⁠⁠⁠Life CoachingDesign Services⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SubstackInstagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website
Eps 065: 10 Years As An Entrepreneur – Lessons, Money, Astrological Timing and Designing A Life You Love
2026/08/28
I’m approaching 10 years of working for myself, and for the first time I’m looking back at the full arc of my entrepreneurial journey – not just the revenue numbers, but the lessons, relationships, risks, failures, pivots, personal growth, and unexpected opportunities that shaped the business I have today. In this episode, I walk through my business year by year, from starting my own design business in 2016 at age 27, through opening and eventually leaving a yoga studio, navigating the intensity of my Saturn return, becoming a life coach and astrologer, paying off significant debt, buying a house, experiencing some of my highest-earning years, and then navigating the contraction and financial uncertainty that followed. I’m also sharing the parts of entrepreneurship that don’t always make it into the success stories: fluctuating income, debt, changing relationships with clients and collaborators, the ways our lifestyles can take time to catch up with our income, and what it feels like to realize that you business (and your life) can change direction more than once. And, of course, I’m bringing astrology into the conversation. Looking back at the last 10 years through my own chart has given me a fascinating way to understand the rhythms of expansion, contraction, identity shifts, financial lessons, creativity, and career development that have shaped my work. Entrepreneurship isn’t a straight line. This is the first in a few posts where I take the time to look back at the data of my own life and recognize how much I’ve actually learned – in hopes that it offers you insight and support in return. Connect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life Coaching // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website
Virgo Season 2026
2026/08/21
After the expansion, visibility, and self-expression of Leo season, Virgo asks us to gather everything we’ve experienced and make sense of it - to come back down to earth. It’s a season of refinement, discernment, organization, and practical action, but also a season for noticing the extraordinary richness contained in the smallest, most mundane details of our lives. This Virgo season may not be the loudest or most globally dramatic stretch of the year, but it offers something we haven't had much of lately: the opportunity to come back into the details of our actual lives. To ask what needs to be adjusted. What needs to be tended to. What needs to be released. What needs to be rewritten. What needs to become more authentic. And perhaps most importantly: what can we create when we stop trying to make everything perfect and start paying attention to what is actually alive? Ultimately, this is a season of course correction. A season for refining what isn’t working, breaking free from perfectionism and self-criticism, tending to what needs care, and getting more intentional about the person we are becoming—and the relationships, communities, and systems we want to participate in creating. In this episode, we explore: The Virgo–Pisces axis and the relationship between intuition and understandingMercury entering VirgoThe final North Node Pisces eclipse in this seriesVenus entering her pre-retrograde shadowJupiter trine Saturn and values-based actionMars square Saturn and the frustration of having to slow down or tend to something before moving forwardThe Virgo New Moon and rewriting relationship narrativesUranus retrograde and becoming more authentic in social spacesChiron returning to Aries and revisiting wounds around identity and leadershipEnding Virgo season with clearer communication, creativity, and big ideas Mentioned: Uranus in Gemini article
Eps 064: Reconnecting with the Plant World w. Amelia Andrade
2026/08/14
What if developing a relationship with the natural world could be less about learning everything there is to know about plants and more about slowing down enough to notice what is already around you? In this conversation, I’m joined by folk herbalist Amelia, who describes herself as someone who “nourishes the sacred and wild relationship between people and plants.” We talk about her journey from the corporate travel industry into herbalism, the dandelion that became one of her first plant allies, and what it means to relate to plants not simply as resources we consume, but as teachers, guides, companions, and members of our larger ecological community. Our conversation ultimately is about the responsibility that comes with returning to relationship with plants: understanding ecological impact, sustainability, harvesting and sourcing practices, and the ways colonialism has disrupted and erased plant traditions and the cultural knowledge held by the people who have stewarded them. We end by considering a simple but powerful practice: becoming more curious about where the plants we eat and work with actually come from. Find Amelia on her: InstagramWild Wisdom ProgramConnect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life CoachingThreadsWebsiteMentioned: The Apprenticeship by Giana Cerasia
Eps 063: Which Astrological House System To Use w. Jess Ellen
2026/08/07
I'm joined once again by my friend and fellow astrologer, Jess Ellen, to tackle one of the most common questions we receive from students and clients: Which house system should I use? Together we explore the philosophy behind astrological house systems, how they developed, why different astrologers practice with different systems, and how both of us have expanded our own perspectives by working with charts through different lenses. Rather than trying to convince you that one system is objectively better than another, we invite you into a more curious relationship with your own chart, and with astrology itself. We also discuss how different house systems can reveal different layers of meaning, how astrology evolves alongside us throughout our lives, and why trusting your own lived experience is just as important as understanding astrological technique. Whether you're brand new to astrology or have been studying for years, this episode will help you approach house systems with greater clarity, curiosity, and confidence. This is Part 2 of Episode 57: Introduction to the Astrological Houses. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, we recommend starting there before diving into this conversation. Connect with Jess via her: WebsiteInstagramThreadsPodcast
Eps 062: Living the Questions & Experimenting w. Identity in Your Work
2026/08/05
What happens when you've built a successful business, but realize the version of yourself that built it isn't quite the version that's meant to carry it into the next decade? In this second business update, I'm sharing where I've landed after stepping back from much of my astrology content, loosening my creative structures, and spending the last several months living inside questions rather than rushing toward answers. This episode explores the tension between discipline and freedom, expertise and curiosity, identity and evolution. I reflect on how we can hold onto what is true about ourselves while allowing the ways we express those truths to evolve over time. I also share what I'm currently experimenting with in my own business, why I've intentionally slowed down before making any major changes, and how I'm learning to trust friction, uncertainty, and creative silence as necessary parts of the process. Download your free Identity Evolution workbook here.
Leo Season 2026
2026/07/17
Leo is fixed fire: generous, life-giving, creative, and deeply connected to purpose. At its healthiest, it reminds us that true leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room or seeking recognition. It's about bringing warmth to others, acting from integrity, and having the courage to be seen as we truly are. But this Leo season is about much more than personal confidence. As Jupiter moves through Leo, the lunar nodes shift into the Leo–Aquarius axis, Mercury stations direct, and we begin entering eclipse territory, a new collective storyline starts to unfold around leadership, visibility, power, and our responsibility to one another. Questions around who we trust, how we contribute, and what kind of future we're helping create become increasingly difficult to ignore. This season asks us to move beyond performative leadership and toward authentic participation. It reminds us that the antidote to fear isn't certainty—it's meaningful action. Whether that's caring for your local community, protecting what you love, expressing yourself more honestly, or taking one small step toward the future you want to live in, Leo reminds us that courage is built through practice. Between the Aquarius Full Moon, the shifting eclipse axis, Jupiter's expansion through Leo, and a series of powerful outer-planet aspects, this season becomes a bridge between personal authenticity and collective responsibility. It's an invitation to ask not only Who am I becoming? but also How do I want to lead? and What am I here to contribute? In this episode, we explore: Leo Season themesJupiter in Leo and a new chapter of leadershipAuthenticity versus performanceMercury stationing directThe Aquarius Full MoonThe lunar nodes entering Leo and AquariusThe beginning of a new eclipse storylineLeadership, power, and collective responsibilityCreative expression and purposeful visibilityWhy small acts of courage are the antidote to fearCommunity, reciprocity, and shared liberationWhat Leo season is asking of us personally and collectively Timestamps: 00:08:54 The Astrology of Leo Season: 00:10:51 Week 1 (July 22–25) 00:23:04 Week 2 (July 26–August 1) 00:23:50 Full Moon in Aquarius (6°) 00:39:00 Week 3 (August 2–8) 00:53:00 Week 4 (August 9–15) 00:58:30 Leo New Moon Eclipse 01:07:00 The Larger Collective Story: a New Era of Leadership Mentioned: Introduction to the Astrological Houses articleUnity Consciousness podcast episode
Eps 061: The Astrology of The US and The Future That Lies Ahead w. Clarissa Dolphin
2026/07/10
In this conversation that I'm so thrilled to have had, I'm joined by astrologer, writer, and educator Clarissa Dolphin for a wide-ranging exploration of astrology's role in understanding the collective moment we're living through. We trace Clarissa's remarkable journey into astrology – from growing up immersed in spiritual practices and pop astrology to building a thriving practice rooted in research, harmonic astrology, and cultural observation – and expand into a much larger conversation about entrepreneurship, social media, technology, and the profound societal shifts unfolding around us. We explore what it means to practice astrology in an era of rapid change. How do we talk honestly about difficult transits without slipping into fear? What responsibility do astrologers have when interpreting collective events? And how do we stay grounded, connected, and hopeful as we navigate a world that often feels increasingly uncertain? This conversation is equal parts philosophical, practical, and deeply human. If you've been wondering how to orient yourself amidst the sweeping changes of our time, I think you'll find both comfort and inspiration here. In this episode, we explore: Clarissa's lifelong relationship with astrology and the lineage that shaped her practiceHow harmonic astrology transformed her understanding of the birth chartBuilding an astrology business from the ground up and the realities of entrepreneurshipWhy social media isn't the business engine many of us were led to believe it isUranus in Gemini and the future of technology, communication, and our relationship with social mediaWhat happens to our minds—and our nervous systems—when we're constantly onlineThe fine line between honest forecasting and fear-based astrologyThe difference between natal astrology and mundane (collective) astrologyThe upcoming Mars-Uranus-Pluto configurations and why they mark the beginning of a much larger storyCommunity, innovation, and collective action in times of disruptionClarissa's upcoming What the F** USA: The Astrology Behind the Madness* podcast series and why these conversations matter now You can find Clarissa: On her websiteOn her InstagramOn Threads Connect with me: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Astrology Readings // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Life Coaching // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads //⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website
Eps 060: The Addicting Trap of Social Media + Why I'm Back on Instagram After 11 Months Away
2026/06/26
Last summer, I stepped away from Instagram. At the time, it felt like a necessary experiment, and an opportunity to understand who I was, how I created, and how I connected with people outside of a platform that had been part of my daily life for over a decade. What began as a response to creative exhaustion and ethical questions about social media quickly became a much deeper exploration of community, attention, identity, and the subtle ways these platforms shape our inner worlds. This episode is a reflection on what I learned by stepping away, why I decided to come back, and how I'm approaching social media differently moving forward. It's a conversation about creativity, consumerism, belonging, self-expression, and the very human desire to be seen and understood. Most of all, it's an invitation to consider your own relationship with social media and whether the ways you're showing up online are truly aligned with the life you're trying to build offline. In this episode, we explore: Why I left Instagram for nearly a yearThe ethical questions that initially motivated my departureWhat happened to my community, business, and relationships while I was awayAlternative spaces for connection and meaningful conversationThe impact of visual stimulation on creativity and attentionSocial media, influence, and consumer cultureThe pressure to be visible onlineCreative expression versus content creationWhy your business may not need social media as much as you thinkThe desire to be seen, known, and understoodBuilding a private inner life in a public worldHow I'm approaching social media moving forwardHow some parts of life become more meaningful when they're allowed to remain private.Mentioned Social Life by Xanthe AppleyardSupernova by Chelsea RiffeThe Apprenticeship with Gianna
Cancer Season 2026
2026/06/19
Cancer season begins in the body. After the movement, insights, and connection of Gemini season, Cancer invites us to slow down enough to feel what everything we've gathered actually means. This is a season of nourishment, intuition, emotional intelligence, and learning to trust the subtle language of the body. It's about recognizing what helps us feel safe, supported, and resourced—and building deeper relationships with those foundations. But this Cancer season arrives during a particularly intense stretch of astrology. As Mercury stations retrograde, Mars enters Gemini, Jupiter moves into Leo, and several major outer-planet alignments reshape the collective landscape, many of us may find ourselves navigating periods of uncertainty, disruption, mental overstimulation, and emotional tenderness. This season asks us to pay close attention to our needs, our reserves, and the practices that help us remain grounded when life feels unpredictable. Between the Capricorn Full Moon, the Cancer New Moon, Mercury Retrograde, Mars conjunct Uranus, and Jupiter's entrance into Leo, this season becomes a lesson in both surrender and stewardship. It reminds us that resilience isn't built by pushing harder; it’s cultivated through care, replenishment, and a willingness to honor our humanity in the midst of change. In this episode, we explore: Cancer Season themesThe Summer Solstice as a midpoint of the yearListening to the wisdom of the bodyMercury Retrograde in CancerMars entering GeminiThe Capricorn Full MoonJupiter entering LeoMars conjunct UranusChiron in Taurus and resource-based healingVenus in VirgoThe Cancer New MoonEmotional resilience, nourishment, and self-trustMajor outer planet alignments shaping the second half of 202600:00:20 Cancer Season 2026 Overview 00:04:12 What Cancer Energy Teaches Us 00:11:06 Week 1 (June 21–27) 00:17:09 Week 2 (June 28–July 4) 00:23:47 Full Moon in Capricorn 00:31:54 Jupiter Enters Leo 00:38:14 Mars Conjunct Uranus 00:44:19 Week 3 (July 5–11) 00:57:49 Venus Trine Chiron 01:01:15 Week 4 (July 12- 18) 01:03:10 New Moon in Cancer 01:07:05 Major Outer Planet Alignments & The Bigger Collective Story

Podcast reviews

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5 out of 5
4 reviews
★★★★★
LJ7891 2026/04/24
Thoughtful, wise, joyful
Look forward to episodes so much especially the astro. Hollis’s way of explaining feels so grounded and holistic, without ignoring tough realities. Sh...
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