Inspiring Conversations with Stephanie Dusing of Ascending Astrology

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Dusing.

Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love of astrology started early in my life. Ever since I was little I was so excited to open the newspaper and read my horoscope. Then later as a teen I got to read my horoscope in my Seventeen magazine. I would ask everyone when their birthday was and I cataloged my friends by their zodiac signs. I always had questions about the patterns I noticed. Why did I always attract other fire signs? Why did certain zodiac signs and I never get along? That began my interest in astrology. I wanted to know the “whys”. I would casually study astrological events for most of my life, just as a hobby. I was fascinated with the correlation between the locations of the planets and the things happening in the world.

In 2022 I hosted a spiritual ladies only event. A friend of mine asked if while we were all together if I could read everyone’s birth chart. I thought it sounded like a really fun activity for the party, so I sat with each of my friends and we went over their birth charts. Some laughed, some cried and some were blown away with the amount of information in their charts. At the time I was just a stay at home mom preoccupied with raising my children. The ladies from the party were so inspired and in awe of the readings that they came to me and said, ” you know you could really do this professionally”. That thought stuck in my head until I got the push I needed from my friends and my husband to just go for it. So, in September of 2022 I started my brand Ascending Astrology. After I developed my brand I started doing in-person metaphysical events and taking virtual clients.

Later in 2023 I joined a spiritual collaboration with my friend Shelley Hughes owner of Purple Shadow Creations. Ascending Astrology and Purple Shadow Creations became Ascending Shadows. It was then that I started to expand my reading options to include Oracle Card Readings, Rune Readings and creating spiritual based products.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When it comes to challenges in business the road has been very bumpy. I have had the hardest and the most amazing of times doing what I do. Choosing a metaphysical career comes with its fair share of struggles. Stepping into a field that some people find meaningful, while others think it belongs next to Bigfoot or Atlantis comes with a long list of challenges. I have had to learn to hold my own sense of purpose while navigating skepticism, jokes and unsolicited debates. The thing that has kept me going is the very real and strong impact that sharing my knowledge has had on my clients.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a Hellenistic Astrologer. Hellenistic Astrology is the root system of Western Astrology. This information came to the world between 200 BCE and 600 BCE. Influenced by Egyptian, Greek, and Babylonian astrologos or “star-gazers”. The core idea is very simple. The sky at birth is like a symbolic map of fate and potential. Not “fate as in “you are doomed”, but fate as in the ancient concept of “heimarmene”, meaning the unfolding of a life according to cosmic patterns. The planets were seen as living forces or divine intelligences that shaped the conditions of life.

I use this information to map out a clients personality, psychology, and times of challenge and success. Psychology in astrology is my biggest focus. Over the years I have realized that what I do the most is use a clients birth chart as an assistant to counsel them through difficult times and to help them heal old wounds. I take the information in their birth chart and teach them how to re-work maladaptive thought processes and how to break free of negative patterns.

The thing that I am most proud of is when a client sits down with me, without having to say anything, they are truly seen. Many people struggle to describe their inner world. Astrology gives me the language for things that feel vague or confusing. Having someone’s birth chart in front of me is like having back stage passes to their internal sphere. The best thing I can do for a client is to see them, offer them a deeper sense of self-awareness and help them organize their own experience into a story that makes sense.

All astrologers are different. There are many branches of astrology, each with its own focus and specialty. What sets me apart from other astrologers is not just the branch of astrology that I study, but also the things that I see in someone’s birth chart. Every astrologer has placements that their eyes gravitate too. All the information anyone needs is available in the birth chart. What stands out to me the most is a clients emotional landscape, their inner workings and their mental health. I am also very honest and forthcoming with all of the findings in an analysis. There is a real emotional component to what I do. People often arrive at a reading during transitions, grief, burnout, career pivots and identity crises. Holding a steady, non-judgmental space for reflection is not trivial work. Even if the symbolic framework is metaphysical, the listening is very real.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The advise that I would give to someone looking to start a career in astrology is that astrology is a forever study. You never stop studying or learning. That being said, you have to love it and feel it to make this career path work for you. Analyze your own birth chart, analyze your friends and family members, practice reading charts constantly.

Learn how to communicate clearly and responsibly. Clients are not coming for technical jargon; they are coming for meaning. Translating complex symbolism into language that is grounded, compassionate and practical is a core skill. You have to have ethical restraint. A grounded astrologer or reader knows where the line is when giving out information. Astrologers do not replace therapy, medicine or legal counsel. This is especially important when a client comes to you with heavy topics. We are spiritual guides and assistants. Encourage reflection, not dependency. That boundary keeps the practice humane and responsible.

I knew when I started on this path that if I wanted to have clients, I needed to market myself. It wasn’t until I started that I realized how awkward and “icky” self-promotion felt. Marketing myself still feels a bit uncomfortable. The discomfort fades with repetition, but it is still there. I wish someone had sat me down at the start and told me that self-promotion is more about education and storytelling.

Pricing:

• Astrology Readings $55 – $200
• Oracle Card Readings $38 – $50
• Cord Cutting Rituals $60

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ascendingshadows.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascendingastrology333/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085834143150