Astrology - defined as the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world - is not new news. The stars and the moon are as old as time, but what seems apparent is the current generation’s new found infatuation with how it affects our daily life. Whether one subscribes to the concept or not, the trend is fascinating. With apps like Co-star dominating social media and platforms like Spotify rolling out astrological sign based playlisting - astrology is big business in 2019.
MOXI artist Misty Mtn couldn’t help but notice, and the theme found its way into their debut EP in upcoming single “Silver” on its way April 24. “We wanted to explore the idea of ‘Mercury in Retrograde’ affecting your daily life or accounting for your behavior based on your astrological sign,” says the band. The outcome produced a dreamy and evocative track with the lyrics ‘blame it on the moon’ detailing the song’s chorus. To complete the illustration, the band partnered with Mikey Graef who provided the photograph featured in the song’s artwork - an unaltered shot of the moon in nature.
And so it only felt right to take the theme one step further and enlist our good friend Alice Bell for her professional expertise on the subject matter.
You may recognize Alice Bell from her previous work as a MOXI MAG contributing writer. Alice formerly worked at VOGUE Magazine in the editorial department as a fashion editor, but in recent months has transitioned career paths to become a full-time astrologist. She now runs her own business, and business is booming.
Alice was recently featured in Refinery 29 and has been working non stop to fill online orders for astrology readings purchased through her site https://stalkalice.com/ where she also sells ADORABLE astro inspired merch.
With Misty Mtn’s “Silver” single release party just around the corner and Alice’s astrology business buzzing about town, the stars aligned for a cosmic collaboration among friends.
On Wednesday, Alice will join Misty Mtn for the “Silver” release party where she will offer astrology readings for guests before the band’s performance. And with a special gift from our partners at HOMESICK candles to cap the night, it will truly be a celestial affair.
Just a few days out from the evert, we have the distinct pleasure of shedding the spotlight on Alice, because let’s face it, she is SHINING.
She’s a master of her craft and unbelievably knowledgeable. We took advantage of her expertise to pick her brain. Check it out below and be sure to follow her @stalkalice. And if you’d like to attend the private event in New York on April 24, message us ... we know the door guy;)
If you had to explain astrology to someone who knew NOTHING about it in three sentences, what would you tell them?
Everyone comes into this life for a reason with certain personality traits and challenges that they must work with. Astrology is a reflection of all of this. Your astrology chart is a tool that helps guide you in the right life direction.
For an astrology enthusiast, what is one new thing you can tell them they may NOT know?
Though you may identify with your specific “sign,” everyone is actually made up of all of the signs. And each of these signs influences how you approach a certain area of your life.
Can you walk us through a chart reading?
I can walk you through mine. I always start with a person’s sun sign because it’s the zodiac sign they mostly identify with and the one they look to when they read their horoscope. I’m an Aquarius Sun. Aquarians like to promote change in life, they’re always feeling the need to switch up how things are done. They also make great group leaders but they have a certain air of detachment. It may appear that they have a lot of friends, but only a few of these people are actually close to them.
In addition to the Sun, the Moon and Rising signs are just as important. The Moon sign tells about a person’s basic emotional nature. I have a Pisces Moon, which makes me more sensitive. I also pick up on the emotions of other people easily and can feel what they feel. So if I hear that someone is going through a breakup, even if it’s not someone close to me, I get sad too. Because I feel the energy of the environment around me so much, I often have to retreat and be alone. Being out for too long drains me.
Your Rising Sign influences how you come across to other people and also your appearance. I have Leo Rising, so I appear to be more confident than I actually am. I’m actually very self conscious and constantly worried about what others think of me - this is a Leo trait too because they’re more self obsessed.
Then there are all of the other planets in a person’s chart that must be looked at as well and the houses these planets fall into. There are 12 houses in every person’s chart and 10 planets. The planets are the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. Wherever these fall show what area of life the planet influences.
For example, I have Neptune in the 6th house. The 6th house is all about your daily routine, working for other people, and your health. Neptune is a planet that blurs everything - it’s more dreamlike. So having it in the house of work causes some problems. When I had a 9-5 job I would often show up late, and it’s always been hard for me to maintain a strict schedule.
A more positive example would be Jupiter in my 3rd house. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, optimism and good fortune. The 3rd house is the house of communication. So this gives me writing abilities and I’m always reading and researching on my own time. My mind never shuts off.
What is your sign and how do you correlate your identity to its attributes?
As I mentioned before, I’m an Aquarius. I feel like I relate to most of the Aquarius characteristics, but there are some that feel a little off. I definitely like change and I have a very erratic approach to my daily life. Every day has to be different or I get easily bored. I’ve also always been kind of weird and have never followed trends. A classic Aquarius trait is to do the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing. However, people often say that Aquarius is emotionally detached but that is not true at all for me. So in some ways I relate to my Moon sign of Pisces more.
What's the hardest part of starting your business been?
Putting up boundaries. I have to force myself to take days off. In the first month after I quit my job I felt like I always had to be working, but I quickly burned out and realized rest was more important than making $100 more. Also standing up for myself has been hard. A lot of the time I’m chasing payments from brands or having to ask to be paid more for a project. I used to be scared of upsetting people, but I’m learning that my services are worth a certain price.
It seems millennials have recently become OBSESSED with astrology, what would attribute this trend to?
I think what’s so popular about astrology and what initially drew me towards it is that it helps with emotions. And now that the stigma surrounding mental health is gone, people are more open to talking about their inner selves. Astrology correlates with this and helps to explain certain personality challenges people have. It helps knowing that there’s a reason behind things.
Do you think the intrigue with astrology will last?
Yes. It has changed my entire perspective on life and is so helpful for learning more about yourself. I hate when people call it a trend, because it’s already been around for thousands of years and I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon.
Do you feel that religion/spirituality and astrology can mesh or do they contradict one another?
Astrology is all about believing in the universe. We all come from the universe and that’s where we all return to. The reincarnation aspects of astrology might contradict some religious beliefs, but in the end they’re both about trusting in something or someone that is higher than yourself.
Are you a fan of apps like Co-star or do you feel that they oversimplify a reading?
I’m personally not a fan of Co-star, because I find it to be too vague. I know people who love it, but as an astrologer I can already get specifics on my own chart, so I don’t really need to read a daily horoscope.
Can the Instagram black out be blamed on retrograde?
Yes, that was 100% Mercury Retrograde in full effect.
Tell us about your merch? It's AMAZING. My favorite is the "beware the Scorpio Man" tote.
I launched merch on my website a couple months ago just as a fun, affordable gift idea. There’s a mug, phone case, sweatshirt and tote bag for each sign. The sayings on the products are more sarcastic/sassy, so they’re good if you have no idea what to get someone but you know their sign.
What's next for STALK?
Right now I’m pretty focused on doing more brand events and writing articles for various publications. I do have an astrology podcast in the works, which hopefully will be launching within the next couple of months. And then further down the line, I would love to write an astrology related book.