The Real World: Woo Edition
What happens when our planet stops being polite, and starts getting real?
I’ve been making fun of LinkedIn for as long as it’s existed, often referring to it as the “sadder, suburban Match.com”.
But LinkedIn has gotten so much worse in the last few years, degrading alongside the job market, general employee sentiment and, if we’re being honest, civilization as a whole. Social media in general has become a “place” filled with forced smiles, inauthentically positive comments, and a non-stop push to put a happy spin on everything, regardless of how upsetting or actually negative— including layoffs and long-term unemployment!
You can tell that LinkedIn users are terrified of telling the truth. Of letting the mask slip. Of communicating the reality of their situation for fear that this honesty will make them pathologically (and permanently) unappealing to potential employers or clients or friends.
You know. Comply or get sent into exile. Kind of like in a cult;)
So, when I came across the video above, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Finally, someone has exposed just how forced and strange and downright cult-y LinkedIn— and the broader workplace culture and social media landscape— has become.
But, outside of laughing at the false profundities we encounter when scrolling, what does this strange shift really mean for us in practical terms?
My take? Some people are doubling down on performative obedience and relentless, saccharin positivity because they don’t think they have any other options in a contracting job market marred by “right-sizing” and unprecedented levels of churn and disruption.
But they do have options. We all do. It’s just a matter of navigating through the prisons of the mind which, unfortunately, are totally reinforced by a system that only benefits from you staying in your little box.
The first step to breaking out of the box? You’ve gotta get real.
And, luckily, we have a multitude of Woo energies bombarding us with metaphysical truth serum to help serve as our cosmic bug-out bag:
Wood Dragon + Wood Snake + Pluto in Aquarius
The planets are literally conspiring to bust you out of the metaphorical clink, and there’s never been a better time to lean into authenticity, reality, and get yourself aligned with your higher self— and your soul’s purpose— in this lifetime:
Wood Dragon Year- 2024
As we’ve already written about on Substack (see link below), the Year of the Wood Dragon brings revolutions, moltings, and massive transformational change. And, as Game of Thrones famously asserted, “A dragon is not a slave.”
So, it’s a bad year to hold onto jobs, professions, relationships, paradigms or beliefs that no longer serve us— especially if we’re doubling down out of submissive fear. I mean, a dragon wouldn’t do that, so neither should we in the year of this magical, mythical animal!
Besides: Wood Dragon years have a bad habit of setting our individual and collective illusions on fire, forcing us to face facts, accept objective reality, and reconfigure ourselves and our lives to fit to the next epoch in human history— even if it’s really, really weird.
The good news? In Wood Dragon Years, fortune favors the bold! So it’s a great time to start to not just get real about what’s not working in your life, but to also start building out a bold, innovative plan of action for the future!
Check out this post for all of the details on the Wood Dragon’s influence over 2024 so far:
Wood Snake Year- 2025
And, just when we hit maximum change fatigue from the Wood Dragon’s transformative undulations, the influence of the coming Wood Snake energy is already being felt— hitting us with a double dose of the energetic, personal growth-minded wood element into the Lunar New Year in January 2025.
So, what does this mean in practical terms? Well, in addition to all of the insights we shared here on Substack (link below), the executive summary is: the energetic push to shed old conventions and embrace the innovative, authentic and new is only going to continue— so best to start getting really real really fast:
Pluto in Aquarius
From a Western Astrology perspective, Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008 and only changes signs every 13-30 years, so its move to Aquarius is a big astrological deal. Any time Pluto changes signs, it brings a big shift in the collective energy. Pluto will be in Aquarius during the following time frames:
March 23, 2023 - June 11, 2023
January 20, 2024 - September 1, 2024
November 19, 2024 - March 8, 2043
August 31, 2043 - January 19, 2044
The last time we had this particular celestial configuration? The American and French Revolutions, baby! So, change (and revolution) are very much in the air. The question is: will you embrace it, or continue to white-knuckle the receding materialistic Saturnalia that has dominated our reality for the last several generations?
You can read more about this astrological phenomenon in our post from last year, here:
So, here’s the long and short of it: literally everything Woo is converging right at this particular moment on this particular planet to destroy our illusions, force necessary change, get us involved in the revolution, and position us to embrace personal and collective transformation. We went into detail about what’s driving this from an elemental perspective in this recent Substack post, here:
And, while all of this change and authenticity can be pretty exhausting and overwhelming, there is good news! Here at TOTEM, I’ve created two programs that support individuals seeking a way out of their proverbial prisons and into their authentic self, an ideal posture for the current deluge of change-making energy:
TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching
I do tailored, one-on-one Spiritual Transformation Coaching work with clients that want to go deeper: into their soul’s journey, their life’s purpose, and specific Woo-based modalities that sync up with their inherent psychic abilities. You can learn more about the logistics and value proposition of the program in detail here:
And I think my client Britney B. (who has a way with words) did a pretty good job of breaking down what the TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching Program is like from a client perspective:
“Like most of us, I’m a real person with real life responsibilities, but have been interested in exploring the world of “woo”. As I started to learn more and explore this space, I found myself facing a two-fold issue: one- this world is rife with toxic positivity, and a misaligned focus and direction on what is beneficial and real for the real world. Two- I do not have a full weekend, or back to back 8 hour days to dedicate to a coaching or training session.
Rachel’s modalities and approach meet anyone and everyone where they are. The coaching program far exceeded my expectations, and was curated and custom-tailored for me and what we uncovered along the way. I came out of this program with a deeper understanding of myself, any gifts and/or potential gifts, tools to continue to grow spiritually, and a business path (which was not an initial intention to uncover).
Rachel is the real deal that can work with everyday people who haven’t seen spirits since they were kids, but want to safely explore the world of “woo” without being lied to, gaslit or bombed with toxic positivity. If you’re thinking about working with her, I highly recommend it! Any modalities or services she offers would very likely provide you some benefit if you’ve found your way here.”
In other words? The program is a real accelerator and incubator for all things Woo— and for all those feeling the strain of white-knuckling the buckling “reality” of the material world. I work my ass off to make sure that everything we uncover in our supernatural experimentation gets rooted in the practical and sustainable, arming you with a spiritual practice that actually delivers value in measurable, meaningful ways.
I have one spot left for this program starting in January 2025, and am meeting with interested folks to discuss it through October and November (note: not in December).
If this is something that sparks your curiosity or tickles your interest, please book a free consultation with me ASAP to discuss here: https://calendly.com/rachel-1061/totem-spiritual-transformation-coaching-consultation
Spaces get taken on a “first come, first serve” basis, and there are no wait lists. That said, spots open up as current clients complete their programs, so just stay in touch via email here: rachel@totemreadings.com
TOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring
I won’t beat a dead horse by reviewing all of the details all over again— as I’ve already written about this mentoring program in the Substack posts below— but I do want to flag why the “why” is so very, very crucial right now.
Here's the Executive Summary of the “why”: With all of the churn and compression in the economy and the job market, I really do believe that a so-called “side hustle” can actually serve as our hedge against the market— if not a bonafide bug-out bag to escape when the time comes!
And whether your potential side business is fully Woo (i.e. professional psychic, astrologer, tarot card reader, Reiki practitioner, etc.) or just Woo-adjacent (soul-inspired photography, spiritual podcast, life coaching business, etc.), here’s the bottom line: your business is going to have significant aberrations, nuances and needs relative to those of, say, a big box retailer or corporate professional services firm.
It’s apples and oranges, if you get my drift.
And that’s what TOTEM’s Business of Woo Mentoring Program is really all about: identifying your gifts and talents, defining and productizing them using grown-up tools, and then brick-by-brick building up your toolkit and your business infrastructure in a no-bullshit, value-add way.
I think my client Laura expertly summed up the value she got while committing to this program earlier this year:
“I don't think I would have been able to achieve so much with my small business if it wasn't for [Rachel’s] encouragement and weekly meetings. Rachel is a cool person full of knowledge and wonder who made me feel confident and highlighted the strengths I had inside of me that I didn't know existed.”
Audrey from Austin shared her experience with TOTEM from a recent mentoring collaboration, saying:
“It is so validating to finally meet someone who is deeply spiritual but won’t bypass or gaslight and is not, as Rachel says, another one of those crystal hippy people. Rachel is no bullshit and refreshingly honest about the reality of running a spiritual business in this wild, wild world.
I started the coaching program with a little seed of a business idea. Rachel helped me nurture and till the soil so that idea could bud into a very real offering. She helped me clarify what I have to offer and my unique value proposition. Since Rachel comes from a corporate background and runs a successful spiritual business today, her insight into the realities of running a business is invaluable. Most importantly, she genuinely caresand loves what she does, which is inspiring and motivating.”
In other words? We can actually work together to make your thing a very, very real thing that pays off in more ways than one.
I have two spots left for this Business of Woo Mentoring Program starting in January 2025, so if you want to learn more or possibly secure your spot please book a free consultation with me asap via this link: https://calendly.com/rachel-1061/business-of-woo-free-consultation
Because this is all one-on-one work, once a spot’s booked, it’s gone— but it will become available again as other folks complete their program. I won’t be offering any free mentoring consultations in December, as I am planning on disappearing to another, parallel dimension for approximately four weeks.
And if we don’t end up working together, please just remember: there’s no job special or important or crucial enough to warrant you engaging in the collective humiliation ritual on LinkedIn. You don’t actually have to celebrate your lay off or your unemployment benefits running out. You can get pissed about stuff like that— it’s totally natural!
Besides, change is here, and it’s not leaving anytime soon. When living in a time of transformation and revolution like this one, it’s important to recognize the shifts and make adjustments accordingly— or else we end up like those Japanese soldiers living on out islands for decades after WW2, utterly unaware that the war was over and they could just go home!
The Years of the Wood Dragon and Wood Snake both support shifts towards authenticity and meritocracy, and are therefore 100% at odds with anything pretend or performative.
And, with Pluto heading towards the sign of Aquarius for a good, long while, it’s a great time to embrace your inner revolutionary or Woo Woo weirdo. I mean, there is a reason we all decided to come here for this precise moment in time on planet earth, and I highly doubt it was to master Roth IRAs or carpooling with the kids.
I’m incredibly grateful for the coaching and mentoring work that I get to do here at TOTEM— it’s always interesting, inspiring and deeply educational. Looking forward to digging deeper with some of you in the New Year!
-Rachel