He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night Amos 5:8
About ME
Hi. I'm JB, but you can call me Jeremy!
I have been a spiritual seeker since my teens, when I started meditating. I was lucky to have been brought up Theravada Buddhist, in an environment where talking about astrology, tarot, etc, was never considered weird or unusual.
I have always had a very rich inner landscape, and when I became obsessed by musicians like Michael Jackson, Björk and Kate Bush as a child, their music gave me a sense of belonging, validation and escape that I was craving. In my early twenties I experienced various spiritual glimpses and energetic openings, but I also fell into addiction, which I now think was part and parcel of my search for something bigger than my everyday experience.
When I was 24 I stopped drinking, and shortly afterwards fulfilled my dream of going to Art college. In 2015, as I was about to graduate, I started to teach myself astrology. I also read the works of Eckhart Tolle, which was my entrée into the world of nonduality. It was thanks to his writings that I also began to see the deep beauty of mystical Christianity. I started to attend nonduality events in London, particularly Roger Linden’s weekly meeting, and devoured the works of teachers like Nisargadatta Maharaj. A powerful glimpse in 2017 led to a stark, hermit-like three years of nondual seeking. When this relaxed, in May 2020, my body soon made it very clear that it had been neglected during that time, and that is how I eventually found somatic enquiry and the work of Scott Kiloby and Dan McLintock. It is only through persistent somatic trauma work that I have been able to find the deepest physical and mental peace I have known.
I live in the Middle East, the birthplace of Western astrology.
Other things about me! I have been an aviation geek since day dot; I love old school house and techno; I love languages and I have BA degrees in Classics and Fine Art.
Astrology
I love patterns. Whenever I have studied a language, analysed a text, drawn someone's portrait, or pulled up their chart, the driving enthusiasm has been to discern the underlying structure, and extract forms and shapes that I perceive. Astrology is the only language I know that allows me to marry my love of the analytical with the intuitive. When I prepare a chart, I make a ritual of it, starting with the fundaments, e.g. elements and modes, and working up to ever greater detail.
As part of this process glyphs, angles and degrees slowly become animated and turn into a dynamic, complex psychological portrait, with all the tensions, contradictions and talents inherent in any human being. It is important to state that while there is a lot I can see from a chart, there is also a lot I cannot. If we were to look at a chart with no time or date we would have no idea when the person lived, which gender they were, or what their socio-economic circumstances were. This is something that really excites me about astrology: we are working with a core blend of energies, stripped of the trappings of the outside world. While these trappings are to be celebrated and enjoyed, this language allows us to head straight to the vibrational heart of the matter. This does mean, however, that my sessions will not simply be a case of my telling you who you are; rather it will be a dialogue in which I ask questions that help me pinpoint how exactly the chart has played out in your journey thus far.
I see the chart as your celestial "User's Manual." My job is to remind you of who you inherently are, what you are capable of , where you truly shine, some of which may have been blurred or muddied by societal, familial, cultural or generational conditioning. My training is both in Psychological Astrology and Evolutionary Astrology, which sees you as a multi-lifetime soul, and I draw on both traditions in my work.
somatic enquiry
'Soma' means body in Ancient Greek. An enquiry is a request, an investigation. What we are doing here is welcoming physical sensations, easy or difficult, to the table. We bring them into conversation and ask them, sometimes for the first time ever, what they need to say.
One of the most humbling things about doing my own somatic work has been to see that much of my spiritual seeking was unconsciously driven by repressed emotions, in particular anger. Early on I took on the persona of 'nice, spiritual, easygoing Jeremy.' What was really going on underneath was a mortal fear of anger and rage, and what would happen if I let them out. In spirituality I found the perfect hiding place: here after all was a place where it was rewarded to be eternally calm and peaceful, and where you could even hear people say that 'anger is ego.' Because I had stemmed the flow of perfectly natural expressions of energy, such as fear, sadness, anger, and even joy, by the time I stopped drinking and was asked what I wanted in my life I had no idea. I didn’t know what I liked, what I needed, or that I was even allowed to have needs. It has taken me until doing this work deeply to get in touch with that. On the spiritual path I have fallen into many of the potholes that await us, especially those of us with a propensity towards intellectualising, conceptualising, in short: bypassing. Nonduality was the cherry on the cake for me: now I knew there was ‘no me’ and ‘no past’ I didn’t have to deal with trauma and terrifying emotions!
I have come to learn that not only does the body not lie, but it is also the most faithful repository of all that has ever happened on an emotional level. It will not be bypassed! It can be painful to realise that material you were convinced you had worked through was still very much alive in your bones and muscles. But as they say in certain circles, the only way out is through, and my experience with this work is that once we follow where the body is asking us to go, the effects are very deep and long-lasting.
what to expect
I am not a trained psychotherapist; merely someone who has been walking the path for a couple of years, and continues to do so. All of our work together is a collaboration. I am not here to do the inner work for you. You must accept responsibility for your suffering, and for the path out of it.
I especially want to emphasise that my astrology work is not fortune-telling. Rather, I wish to guide you more and more into the drivers' seat.
At the same time, I think of myself as your friendly guide, who has benefitted from certain techniques and modalities himself, and is thus excited to share them with you so that you can flourish.
SERVICES
Astrology: Natal Chart Consultation, 1hr 15mins $149
A great place to start. Discover the core evolutionary intention written in your chart. We shall also look at the major transits affecting you now.
Astrology: Year Ahead (ideally around your birthday), 1hr 15mins $149
Perfect if you have already had a natal chart reading and would like to find out where the planetary weather is guiding you over the coming year. A combination of solar return and transits.
Somatic Enquiry (KI) Session, 1hr 15mins $149
PACKAGES: These can be used for either astrology consultations or somatic enquiry sessions, or a combination of both.
4 Sessions $449
8 Sessions $799
12 Sessions $1199
For all of my services, if we haven’t yet met, please feel free to get in touch first and schedule a free 25min clarity call, where we can get to know each other and I can answer any questions you may have about my offerings.
TESTIMONIALS
"My sessions with JB have always helped me on multiple levels. I love the guidance and clarity he provides but I also love how healing the sessions are. There is something very therapeutic in these interactions. His energy is very gentle, loving and non-judgemental. It's a moment where I know I will feel safe and energised."
Salika, France
"My Astrology sessions with JB are always a wonderful and enlightening experience. He is so incredibly intuitive and insightful, and so sensitive to the subtleties and nuances. He is a profound well of wisdom and knowledge. JB creates a beautifully safe and sacred container for his work, and I trust him implicitly with the deepest and most profound questions and wonderings I encounter on my Journey."
Snow, UK
"JB is very caring and intuitive, and his readings are clear and to the point. He is a very honest professional and he gives me an unbiased view of on what the right way forward is for me. He was accurate in telling me how the planets are affect my past, present and future. It was easy to understand and really made sense. Outstanding as always."
Indra, UK
"My reading with JB was nothing short of magical! It felt so aligned and resonated deeply. At the time, the reading gave me great insight into what to be aware of in the coming year, and listening to the recording now my mind is blown by how accurate it was! I can't wait for my next reading with him."
Nathalie, Germany
CONTACT
polus dum sidera pascet [while heaven feeds the stars] Virgil
Sessions are carried out over zoom. For initial astrology consultations you will also be provided with a digital copy of your birth chart. Please request if you would like me to record the session. I work to Cairo time.
Follow me on Instagram: @jbshawastrology
N.B. For astrology please provide date, exact time and place of birth.