🎙️77. Deepening Connections and Trust: Team Building with Astrology and Human Design

podcast

Jun 14

the spiritual 9-5 podcast transcript

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Episode Published on June 14, 2024

Transcript

Intro to the Intro

You may have noticed, or maybe not, that our episodes were dropping weekly for quite a while now, but that they have dropped off a bit.

We've had some scheduling, rescheduling shuffles, and I've also shifted into what is called Summer Marie. Summer Marie is a more relaxed, easygoing, weather-enjoying, life-soaking, Marie who tends to withdraw from forcing the work and who tends to lean into enjoying the season.

I say this because there is a season where I would push to get episodes out and to finalize working cycles and launches regardless of circumstance, and that season is not this season.

Summer, for me, is a restorative season of play and ease and philosophical marinating, poetry writing, basking in the sun, and surfing. A lot.

So to honor this, The Spiritual 9 to 5 podcast is shifting into a bi-weekly, or every other week release cycle, so that I can marinate and not be a bottleneck to my team. And what that means is, for the rest of this summer, you can expect an episode to drop every other week instead of weekly. We have most of the summer's episodes recorded, so unless something unforeseen comes into play, we shouldn't miss a drop.

And if you didn't know, this summer our series is focused on demystifying and bringing the Woo Woo to the workplace.

So I'm dropping an episode today, in kind of an odd time for the usual drops, and then there'll be another episode that drops very shortly after this one. From then on out will be every other week.

So, thank you for your patience, and don't forget to follow, rate, and share this show.

Intro music 🎶

I believe that working can be one of the most spiritual paths that we walk. Whether that work is turning your passion into a business, or sitting behind a desk for 8 hours a day, or anywhere beyond and in between. And yet we often take the way in which we show up to work for granted, even though it's where we spend the majority of our time.

Here on The Spiritual 9–5 podcast, we talk about that. We talk about entrepreneurship. We talk about the 9-to-5. We talk about what it's like to be multi-passionate and talented and inspired and also utterly demotivated. We are here to support you in your work, whether your work is sacred to you or just something that you do to get by.

We are here to help you see and know yourself a little bit deeper, and to inspire you to show up no matter what it is that you find. I'm your host, Marie Groover. And like you, I am as multi-passionate as they come. I'm the founder of two businesses that are here to bring the soul back into the office. I, too, work a 9-to-5 in corporate tech. I'm a surfer, a writer, a philosopher-artist, if you will, and I'm so excited to bring you this episode today.

If you haven't, please leave the show a 5-star rating, and if this episode resonates, consider saving it and sharing it with someone you think it would resonate with, too.

Intro music fades 🎶

A few months ago, I was working with an executive coaching client. We were reviewing her Astrology and her Human Design charts together, and I was checking to see what was resonating with her.

Most everything was hitting, as these systems often tend to, and she said to me, “Marie, this is so cool. Do you ever do this for corporate teams?”

I said, well, no, mostly because I'm not really sure if teams would be into this kind of thing, but also because I'm a Projector, so I suppose that in a way, I've been waiting for the invitation. She said, “Well, this is your invitation. Would you want to come do this with my team?”

So without a sales page, without marketing content, or any documents to make either of these offerings official, of course I said yes! Because how freaking fun?!

And this wasn't my first request for something a little weird, or a little “Woo Woo,” or different, or unconventional for a team, and as time has revealed, it wouldn't be my last.

So today, I want to talk about bringing meaning-making systems, such as Astrology and Human Design, what that looks like, why it can be so sneakily impactful, and to share a bit about both systems at a high level. And by bringing meaning-making systems, I mean bringing meaning-making systems to the workplace.

I want to talk about why these systems are so cool, and different, and impactful, and inspiring for many teams. Most importantly, I want to share what I'm learning from the actual experience of delivering these modalities to corporate workspaces for team building and for people development. Because again, just how cool, how different, how unconventional, and personally, how unexpected?!

So first of all, Astrology and Human Design are not the same thing. I know I'm talking about both systems in this episode, but I should say that they are two respective systems or methodologies that give us meaning, that shed some light on who we are as individuals, and how we can fit into a system, and how we can navigate our lives with more ease and awareness, and honestly, so much more.

Astrology is one of the oldest systems, if not the oldest science for humankind. I'm not going to dive too deep into Astrology today, because in the next two episodes, we have two very experienced astrologers who join us with quite different methodologies, and philosophies, and ways of working.

And then in the next couple of episodes, they bring such depth and experience that, to be honest, I don't want to take away from. So, what I will share in a few moments is how Astrology has affected me personally, and what my experience has been in introducing it into the workplace, both as someone working in the corporate world, AKA someone who has experienced an Astrology working session at work, and as someone who now delivers these workshops and sessions for other teams and individuals in the corporate space via my business.

And then we'll switch gears a little bit, and we'll talk Human Design, which we will dive a little bit more deeply into by way of introduction. So we'll talk about the types, how they might show up at work, how you can find your own Human Design, how to use it in the workplace, and how to work with it yourself, etc. etc.

But first, the reason that I'm talking about both of these systems in one episode is because I have somewhat recently begun delivering team building workshops using these modalities as our guide.

And even though they are very different systems or methodologies, there are similarities and important contrasts to pull from in terms of how these work as team building or people development experiences.

What I've learned in my very small sample size of experience is that when I or someone from my team shows up to deliver a Human Design or Astrology workshop, it is infinitely more light and fun and engaging and impactful and meaningful than when we deliver on literally any other workshop. Mmm…with the exception of Office Energetics, the corporate people love Office Energetics, but we will save that one for another episode as well.

And by the way, the origin of my work in the corporate space focused on team building and people development is rooted in coaching. Let me say that a little bit more clearly. The origin of my work in the corporate space is rooted in coaching. So, the core offerings and philosophy of my business is rooted in fusing mindset and somatic coaching to be precise or to be particular.

What that means is that my workshops are designed to activate individuals into self-leadership with integrity so that they can execute better, show up better, be happier, and more fulfilled. Ultimately, because these results mean business results for a company, for a team, or an organization.

So like ROI, efficiencies, productivity, etc. And those are not the reasons that I do this, by the way, but those reasons like ROI, efficiencies, productivity, etc., tend to be why people buy my work. But I do this work because my personal life mission is to inspire people to touch the wisdom of their soul.

I want people to know themselves at a core level because that level of self-knowing is unshakable. When we tap into our inner knowing, when we get to know who we really are at our core and what we are made of, we move through the world with confidence, grace, steadiness, freedom, fulfillment, joy, kindness.

It feels good, but it's also good for everyone around us.

The world becomes a better place when we start with ourselves, and not starting by bettering ourselves, but simply by recognizing ourselves. And it turns out that not only is this good for us in the world, but it's good for business too – in terms of healthy culture, true versus superficial productivity, authentic leadership versus performance, and ultimately the bottom line. Because who would have thought that genuinely happy and fulfilled humans are also more productive humans who contribute more meaningfully to their jobs?

Listen, in life, there are no shortcuts. So performance and personality only gets you so far. And people who perform only get your business so far too.

I digress.

Let me get back to my point, which is that: when I deliver a workshop on Astrology or Human Design or Office Energetics, these more Woo Woo, or mystical, or lighthearted methodologies, it's always received so positively. Which strengthens the impact and leads to much more guaranteed results. Much more quickly as well, results that materialize more quickly or more rapidly.

When I show up to say, deliver a workshop on limiting beliefs or mindset for a team, which is the origin of my business offerings to the corporate world, by the way, the person who hires me is often not even in the room. So that means that the manager or leader or HR rep totally gets down with my work and is excited to bring deep coaching principles to a team of folks, and they absolutely see the connection between the work I bring and whatever problem they're trying to solve or optimize for, and it feels in alignment in the very least for the manager or the HR rep or the leader. And at the very same time, the team of folks who are on the receiving end may or may not give any fucks at all about the work.

Because again, the people who attend the workshops are not always, or typically they're not the people who hire me. In my experience, when you bring team building in the form of coaching and development to a team or group of people in corporate, there's almost always a little bit of resistance and a little or a lot of performance and posturing.

Why is that?

Because personal development is vulnerable. Because many people who thrive and perform highly in Corporate America have learned how to play the game. Many people who have learned to survive in Corporate America have learned how to get by under the radar or by going through the motions. Many, many people in Corporate America have almost split personalities or ways of being. So there's a work persona, and then there's a home or normal persona, a more relaxed persona.

Coaching, most especially my coaching work for which I used to operate under the title “Integrated Success Coach,” inherently invites the individual to come into wholeness, aka to marry the work and the home self; to marry the split parts of self. Which, sometimes we're split between work and home, but sometimes we have, I'll use myself for example, work Marie, yoga teacher Marie, yoga practitioner Marie, surfer Marie, home Marie, daughter Marie, granddaughter Marie…there's so many different variations or flavors of who I might be. And when those variations or flavors are totally split and they're not integrated, then we don't always feel happy or whole or safe to express and to be and to move through the world.

And when you experience coaching in the workplace, particularly my style of coaching, which again is integrated coaching or integrative coaching, coaching based on integrity, bringing all parts of self out. It means that you have to look at those parts. Which means again, vulnerability, risk exposure in a group setting. Which often does not feel safe depending on the work environment or culture of a team.

Now, I do have techniques for managing this, of course. This is what I do for a living. And this is the work that my business is rooted in, but, I will still candidly say that when I come in to deliver a workshop on limiting beliefs or using somatics to go from IQ to EQ, the quality of the experience of that workshop and thus the results vary. It's dependent on the willingness and readiness of the participants to show up fully and receive.

And I've definitely had to manage a wide variety of willingness levels for people to show up and actually engage and receive. The truth is though, that when one person is not willing, it absolutely detracts from everyone else, and it dismantles psychological safety in the group.

Sometimes, the workshops are absolutely incredible and instantly impactful for everyone in the room. Usually these are the workshops with either high, high level leaders and teams, or teams who are more junior. I don't know why that is, but this is just what I've experienced: executive level teams, VP level and above, workshops tend to hit it. Everyone feels so good and inspired and energized. Folks are ready to lean in.

And then the same thing is true with teams who are a bit more junior, newer folks to the company, newer folks in career also seem to really get down with and connect with the work and it's so impactful.

And then you have middle layered teams, managers, folks that are looking to break into leadership, but maybe are not quite there yet. Sometimes there's a little bit more resistance. It could be a little bit harder. And so again, the absolute incredibility of a workshop is not always going to be the case and it is completely dependent on who shows up. Well, I wouldn't say completely dependent because like I said, I do have some techniques for managing this. However, I've definitely delivered a limiting beliefs workshop that has fallen flat. I've definitely delivered a mindfulness workshop that has fallen flat. I've definitely delivered a somatic workshop that has fallen flat.

And that isn't to say that not everyone in the room got something out of it, because there are always people who take gems away from the work, but that it could have been better, right?

And again, it's dependent on who's present. It's dependent on how guarded the team is. It's dependent on what the culture is of the team or the organization, how performative the team is, what type of posturing is happening there. If folks feel safe enough to be vulnerable or to share or to actually look at the parts of themselves that maybe we haven't looked at for years and years.

So anyways, compare that with bringing Astrology or Human Design or even Office Energetics into the workplace as a team building or people development experience. Holy mother freaking cannoli, y'all. It is so different in such a beautiful way.

The first time I delivered one of the more Woo Woo workshops, I ended the workshop just thinking, “Wow, I have found the sweet spot!”

Because bringing Astrology or Human Design or even Office Energetics, it's light, it's fun. It's not cheesy or corny like so many team building activities are, but it's engaging. Like everyone engages! People are curious. People ask a lot of questions. The workshops offer a lot of insight that can be taken at will, versus forced as right or correct or optimal.

These workshops are a way to offer self-awareness practice without even a hint of threat psychologically. There's no need to perform when it comes to these workshops and usually people join them with such a light heart. Almost like a joking tone, which makes it so fun because everyone's guard goes down.

Like knowing that you're going into a workshop, like Astrology or Human Design, and knowing that you don't have to take it seriously, it releases a sort of pressure again to perform or to be a certain way for almost everyone in the room.

It releases the pressure to be right, to be the good student archetype, or the best performer archetype, or whatever. Whatever archetypes show up in these standard situations, and it allows people to relax and enjoy themselves and to genuinely enjoy learning about their team.

And then, because the work is always so uncanny, and by the work I mean, because the Astrology reading or the Human Design reading is always so uncanny, people get excited and inspired! And again, they engage and people soak it in, in a way that I've not experienced when delivering a mindset or beliefs or somatic training. So Astrology, Human Design, Office Energetics, these more Woo Woo experiences at work, it's really cool. It's really, really cool to say the very least.

One more thing that I'll say about these experiences, in conjunction, is that when I deliver an Astrology or Human Design workshop with a team, I always invite them to take what serves and leave what doesn't.

I actually do this for every single workshop that I deliver by the way, but for whatever reason, it's easier to listen to that, to receive that, to take that seriously when you're in an Astrology or Human Design or even Office Energetic setting, because you're automatically again, light about it. We're not taking it as seriously as we would say a leadership development training specifically, where there could be perceived right and wrong.

And so again, when I'm bringing Astrology or Human Design to work, I always offer the invitation to leave what doesn't serve and to speak up when things don't resonate. And I never speak to anything that shows up in someone's chart as fact. But rather anything that I see in someone's chart, I speak to it as an invitation into self-inquiry, or as a question.

I ask a lot, does this resonate? How does this land with you? Do you find this to be relatable or true for you?

And I'll ask the rest of the team as well. And it's so fun when people get to see aspects of themselves mirrored back to them or confirmed or validated from people that they see and work with, but maybe don't know on such intimate levels.

And, by the way, the reason that I come with questions and invitations rather than coming with fact, is because I simply will never pretend to know more or to be able to see more about someone than they can see for themself.

And the reason being that I think this is so impactful, by the way, is because self awareness is a practice, and that the tool for reflection, it doesn't really matter.

So whether it's Astrology or Human Design, or even a tarot reading for your team, or Office Energetics, or something much more conventional, like a limiting belief workshop or a mindset coaching seminar or a mindfulness practice or somatics at work, none of these tools matter.

But what matters is that the individuals attending get to practice looking at themselves openly. And practice asking questions of themselves that maybe we don't do on a regular basis.

So my childhood best friend, who will be on the podcast later this summer, her name is Andrea. Her family is super Woo Woo. Growing up with her, and as someone who frequented their house on almost a daily basis from the time that I was 11 years old until now, there were always talks about ghosts, and spirits, and angels, and even fortune telling.

Now, my home was pretty conservative Christian. My mom is Korean. My dad is from Southwestern Pennsylvania. He was a Marine. My family is very conservative and Christian and godly, we could say. And growing up in that way, there was definitely not talk about ghosts or spirits. A tarot card reading was considered devil worship from my dad's perspective.

And to be fair, we have since somewhat alleviated this concern of his, but my point is that my household growing up was different. My childhood experience was different.

Now, going to Andrea's house, Andrea's mom used to read our cards all the time. Read our cards, by the way, for anyone who is curious, means read our tarot cards, pull tarot cards on our behalf. And personally, I think it was one of the most genius parenting moves of all time because she didn't read to tell us what was going on in our own lives. I mean, of course, she wanted to know what was going on in our lives – she's a parent – and we all wanted to know what was going on in our own lives, we were teenagers. We didn't know what was happening, right?

But when she would read for us, what it did was it opened space for us to reflect, to share candidly, to ask questions, and to learn about ourselves, and to think for ourselves, and to discern for ourselves what was showing up within us.

It allowed us from a very young age to see varying perspectives, and archetypes, and vantage points for our own experiences. It allowed us to release identity in some ways, because when you pull a tarot card and there's an archetype associated with that card, you get to ask yourself, “How is this archetype showing up in my life?” “How is this story showing up in my life?” “Where does this resonate?”

Because these Woo Woo tools and methodologies, again, depending on philosophy, but my personal philosophy is that they're not here to necessarily predict the future or tell us factual information, but rather they're here to be a mirror to us, for us, so that we can look at them and reflect and say, “Huh, how does this archetype apply to my life?” “How does this story apply to my life?”

And in doing that, we have to have, and practice self-awareness.

And self-awareness is, in fact, a practice.

This is extremely valuable, most especially in a world where we've been conditioned to accept what other people believe, to accept not just what other people believe in general, but what other people believe and think about themselves, what other people believe and think about us.

To accept what other people believe is right or wrong, what other people believe about work, about how we ought to be living, about what it means to be happy, about how we ought to be contributing to the world.

So, to be able to stop and reflect and generate deeper awareness and discernment for the self is not only the foundation of good self and good other leadership, but it's a foundation for compassion, and empathy, and acceptance, and love, and also positive change and growth.

These are qualities that I would argue are missing from many corporate workplaces. Not even to mention self-awareness as a practice. I don't know about you, but I don't want to work for a leader who's not conscious. I don't want to work for a leader who's not aware. I don't want to do business with a company who is led by someone who's unconscious or unaware.

Like, think about the state of our planet and how big of a contribution businesses and big corporations make to the world that we live in. And think about how absolutely paramount it is that the people working for and leading these companies are doing their jobs with awareness and consciousness.

So, what I want to say is that bringing a tool like Astrology or Human Design or even tarot into your workplace, is a very unassuming and therefore highly effective activator for individuals and teams.

Now, there are some slight differences between Human Design versus Astrology. Well, there are a lot of fundamental differences…but speaking about delivery experiences, they are slightly different experiences, and this is the lens for which I would like to share:

I think that because Astrology is so well known in a pop culture kind of way, there are a lot of predetermined ideas about what it is. And that's okay. That means that people often actually get really excited about the workshop. A lot of teams who bring me in to do Astrology, they're like, everyone's really excited about the Astrology.

And sometimes people have misrepresented views on what Astrology is, and that's okay, too. So therefore, when it comes to Astrology in particular, I ask that the person hiring me seek buy-in from every single individual who will attend. That also means that education, around what Astrology is and is not, is important. And it also means being able to tell people what to expect in the workshop prior to showing up for it.

It means making sure that everyone knows that this is not a religious thing, and that it's absolutely not an anti-religious thing. That this is really just for fun. And by this, I mean Astrology. By bringing a tool like Astrology into the workplace is really just for fun, and for connection, and for an unconventional experience and take on personal insights.

And it's an unconventional experience that will also open everyone up on the team to greater connection and insight to each other. But truthfully, it ain't that deep. And it doesn't have to be.

And still, we want everyone to feel comfortable, and not everyone feels comfortable with bringing Astrology into the workplace, because sometimes it feels a bit too far-reaching, too mystical, too Woo, too fortune-tellery, even though Astrology is absolutely not that. In the very least, the Astrology that I, through my business and my team, bring into the corporate workplace, it's absolutely not that.

But I think it's still important to note. Some people don't necessarily feel comfortable with it.

So getting that buy-in is super, super crucial.

I've told this story before, but years ago, I had the great pleasure of hosting an Astrology Happy Hour for one of the chief of staff offices that I worked within at Microsoft. My boss would be there, our team would be there, the VP that we supported would be there. And I was not the facilitator or the resident astrologer.

We actually hired one, Meredith, who will be on the pod in just a couple of episodes. And surprisingly, when I was planning this happy hour for our team, no one was apprehensive, which was amazing. I think it's because everyone knew me and trusted me. And in that, I think they trusted that I wouldn't do anything too crazy or weird or inappropriate or make anyone uncomfortable in that type of way.

So most of my team at that time, though they were not familiar with Astrology at all, they all agreed to give me their exact date of birth, their exact time of birth, and their exact location of birth. Which are the inputs required for an Astrology reading, by the way. And I sent all of the info to Meredith and everyone except for our VP, who opted not to get that detailed or share that info with us, received a reading.

But the session, it was such a hit!

So Meredith showed up. She gave us very basic intro to Astrology. Then she went through each attendee and shared their big three, which is your sun sign, your rising sign, your moon sign. She shared some meaning and characteristics behind each person's big three. And then she allowed everyone to ask questions about themselves and their chart.

So, if you are listening to this and you're familiar with Astrology, you'll see that it was pretty high level. It was a pretty high level experience. If you're not familiar with Astrology, this is…it's high level, but it gets pretty deep. It's insightful if you've never looked into these things or had someone share them with you.

And then on top of that, again, we could ask questions. So the information that she shared with each person was so uncanny and relatable that our VP, who again, didn't give us his details, literally called his mom to try to get his exact time of birth because he was feeling major FOMO, listening to everyone get their insights and listening to all of us engage and ask questions.

He was like, “Oh my God, I need this information right now.”

So I know how far we can take Astrology. So at this session, at this working session, I asked some kind of wacky questions to display some vulnerability, but also to open it up for other people to ask wacky questions.

And it worked. And so we asked the craziest questions. We all had such a blast.

We all learned things about each other. We connected way more deeply with each other. We instantly adopted a new vocabulary for which we could talk with each other. Which by the way, is such a pivotal channel for team bonding, and closeness, and trust.

And we had a freaking blast. I know I said that already, but it was so fun! And still, when I connect with that team or when I connect with any member from that team, we still talk about this one shared experience. And you guys, it's been years!

I haven't been on that team in years and I still feel so deeply connected to them. Now imagine how impactful that is for a team!

Which by the way, the majority of that team is still together. I feel like I should say that: the majority of that team is still together. Same chief of staff is working for the same VP. Everyone has kind of up-leveled themselves. But most of that team is still on the team and that team has only grown since.

So, think about that as well, the longevity of a team that's connected and highly performing. I talk to that manager all the time still, and the team is indeed high performing. So, imagine how impactful an experience like this can be.

And I'm not saying that the team is still together and so high performing because of this Astrology session that I brought when I worked there, but because there was a deep connection and trust among folks. And that goes a really long way.

So whether your team is high performing or not, imagine the impact that deepening trust and connection, and deepening self-awareness and other awareness, will have for your team.

It's really big and it's long lasting.

And it's honestly so much more powerful, especially over the long-term than a Myers-Briggs or Discover Insights or even an Enneagram situation is.

Like, do you know your Discover Insights results still? I did Discover Insights (DISC) probably six or seven years ago. I don't remember my results. I don't remember them at all.

I don't remember the results for anyone else on my team either. But if you have ever learned your Astrology, do you know your sun, moon, and rising sign?

Probably.

And if you have a team, do you remember aspects of their charts, too?

Yes, you do because it's personal.

And it's not too personal that it feels weird or cheesy, but it's personal and it's fun. And we tend to remember things better when we can identify with them, when we can connect with them. And bringing something like Astrology or Human Design, which we'll talk about in a second, can do just that.

So, I highly, highly, highly recommend this type of experience. If you're interested, obviously, please reach out. I would love to have a conversation with you and bring this to your team.

But even if not with my company, my business, my work, I highly recommend bringing an astrologer or a Human Design specialist into your team just for the fun of it, because it can get really cool.

And what's also cool is that you, as an individual, and your team can always deepen in this work more and more and more and more.

So for some people who take this workshop, they leave with a whole new system for self-knowledge and reflection and relation with the rest of the team and the world.

When you do a Discover Insights, the results that you get, your personal analysis is so limited. But when you have an Astrology session with your team, you really just touch the tip of an iceberg. And you offer a tool or a system that is almost infinite in how deep you can go.

And so individuals on the team who resonate with it, can really keep deepening in their knowledge, and you can bring someone back over and over and over again as your team grows.

And so again, just what a cool experience, what an amazing tool to bring.

I'm going to repeat what I said a little bit earlier in that the tool for self-reflection doesn't matter so much. What matters is that practice in self-awareness, that practice in getting to know the self, that practice in other awareness, and that development of empathy and connection that comes automatically with these practices.

Similarly, let's talk about Human Design.

Human Design is such an incredible workshop experience for a team. Like Astrology, Human Design introduces a new shared vocabulary, a system for self and other awareness. It brings insights and it brings good lighthearted connection.

Human Design tends to have the same effect, as in it's received as uncanny as hell. And what I like about Human Design, maybe more so than Astrology when it comes to bringing this type of work or this tool or system into the office, is the shared group experience.

So let me explain this a little bit:

Astrology is very individual, and there may be multiple people on the team with the same sun sign or a team with a lot of the same sign energy, but with different placements. And that's really fun because there is a lot of relation when that happens, but it could happen because there are 12 signs and placements that everyone is entirely different. And so there will, of course, be similarities and ways to draw connection, which we definitely explore.

And anytime I do a team session, regardless of system or methodology, I always offer a team or group analysis. So that's built in.

But the reason I love Human Design when it comes to team building is because Human Design already groups us, and there are only five groups.

And so there's almost always overlap. And Human Design teaches us how these groups work together and create a bigger picture, or strive together for a shared goal toward a shared mission or vision. So the group analysis is almost built in, AKA it's really easy to self-serve when you're bringing Human Design to the workplace.

It's also really easy for people who are not familiar to very quickly understand and pick up the information that I'm putting out.

So, to explain this more, I need to introduce Human Design a little bit.

Human Design is a methodology or system that combines other systems, including Astrology, the Kabbalah, the Chinese I Ching, Vedic philosophy, quantum physics, and the human chakra system.

Some people also say that Myers-Briggs is a piece of this as well. I'll just drop that here in case that resonates. And the way that I like to talk about Human Design is akin to a bee's nest or an ecosystem of sorts.

In a bee's nest, or bee ecosystem, you have worker bees, you have manager bees, you have visionary bees, you have the queen bee. That is in a society, there are roles that we all play and Human Design kind of groups us into these roles. Similarly, if we look at, say, if we compare a corporate workplace with a bee's nest, or bee ecosystem, it's really similar.

You have people who do the work, you have frontline staff, you have managers, you have managers of managers. You have visionary leaders, you have creatives, you have the queen bee or the CEO, the executive team, the queen or king, however we want to call it. And so again, Human Design groups us into a set of roles.

And there are five roles. So in Human Design, you, dear listener, are either a Generator, a Manifesting Generator, a Manifester, a Projector, or a Reflector.

And because Human Design pulls from so many different systems, and even though you know, having five types to fall within seems general as hell, Human Design gets really fucking specific for every individual.

So while there may be three generators on a team, for example, none of them will be exactly the same, their inner authority will be unique. And so many things, so many aspects about them will be revealed to be unique as well.

But, each of them will share a strategy for how they operate and move through life with ease, because they are Generators. And to know this about yourself and to know this about your colleagues is pretty insightful and supportive. It's also extremely validating.

And because we have a high level system to look at before we get deep into the unique characteristics and qualities of each individual, it's really easy to remember. So when I, or my team, delivers a Human Design workshop, we will start with a general introduction to Human Design.

Then we look at the team all up. Then we go around to each individual and we get much more personal and specific. But don't worry, it's not too personal. We don't get weird. We don't get too intimate. But we basically explore character traits, ways of being.

And each person gets the opportunity to ask questions about themselves, or about the team, or how they fit into the team, or might operate in their environment. And then we wrap, by summarizing type and strategy and authority, so that we're all able to come back to a bigger team picture.

Y'all, this workshop is so engaging, so informative, could go so much deeper. We could have a part one, part two, part three. Every single time I've delivered it, we've ended up scheduling more time to go even deeper, and to open it up for questions that we couldn't get to at the customer's request. So it's really cool. And really cool is an understatement.

And I know that I said that I was going to dive deeper into Human Design, but I think that I will actually come back in another episode, maybe an episode that is solely dedicated to Human Design. And use that space to give a bit of an introductory workshop for you, to gain some base knowledge, to connect the dots a bit more on how this might be beneficial for you to explore for yourself or for you to bring to your team. And if you want to bring either of these methodologies to your team, I know I already said this, but holler at your girl, AKA reach out to me.

Our Woo Woo offerings include:

Human Design, Astrology, Office Energetics, which is Feng Shui for your desk or home office or in-work office, which is amazing for hybrid and remote teams, by the way, to create that cohesion between your home office and your work office, or to create that cohesion between your team that's disparate across different time zones in their own homes, across different workstations. We also deliver team tarot readings, and that gets to be really fun. So the tarot readings are newer. They're by request only, because we've only delivered them based on requests, but maybe eventually we'll have a sales page for that, too.

So, if you are interested and open for any of these modalities or something else a little bit weird for your team to help your team grow, connect, have a little fun, cut loose, and still get something really meaningful out of it, you can go to youressentialteam.com or you can go to thecorppsychic.com slash Woo Woo at Work and fill out the form.

Either way, if you fill out a form on either website, I will be in touch directly and we'll schedule time to brainstorm together, to go through any questions that you might have, and to lock in an offering, and team experience that feels really good, and safe, and fun, and effective for you.

Now, those of you listening, if you're not a manager but you're interested in bringing this to your workplace, send this episode to your manager, or to anyone and everyone you know that works in the corporate space, because if you're not doing this, I think you're missing out.

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Thank you so much for listening to the Spiritual 9-5 Podcast. I'm your host, Marie Groover, and I am beyond honored that you are here.

Please follow, save, and rate the show, and if you can, share your favorite episode with a friend. It makes the world of a difference.

Connect with me on LinkedIn. I would love to hear from you what you think about the show or my work, so don't be shy. And I'm always here to connect and support you or your business through coaching, team building, and leadership development. You can find my work in the show notes.

Until next time, big love.

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Shownotes

In this conversation, Marie Groover discusses the impact of bringing meaning-making systems such as astrology and human design into the workplace. She shares her experience of delivering workshops using these modalities and highlights the positive reception and engagement from participants. Marie emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and self-reflection in the workplace and how these practices can lead to deeper connections, trust, and personal growth. She also explains the differences between astrology and human design and the benefits of each system for team building and people development.

Takeaways

Bringing Astrology and Human Design into the workplace can have a positive and impactful effect on teams.
These meaning-making systems provide a lighthearted and engaging way for individuals to gain self-awareness and connect with their colleagues.
Astrology and Human Design workshops offer insights and a shared vocabulary that can deepen team bonds and improve communication.
The practice of self-reflection and self-awareness is essential for personal and professional growth.
Astrology and Human Design workshops can create a safe space for vulnerability and authentic expression in the workplace.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The Invitation to Bring Meaning-Making Systems to Corporate Teams

14:36 The Impact of Astrology Workshops in the Workplace

32:29 Creating a Safe and Engaging Workshop Experience

39:35 The Power of Self-Awareness and Self-Reflection in the Workplace

41:32 Bringing Woo-Woo Modalities to the Workplace: How to Get Started

Book an Astrology or Human Design workshop for your team: https://www.thecorppsychic.com/woowooatwork

Keywords: astrology, human design, meaning-making systems, workplace, team building, self-awareness, self-reflection, connection, trust, personal growth, leadership development, team development

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