Mystic Mag talks with Mary Beth Wollenschlaeger, a fascinating individual who possesses a unique blend of talents as a certified HeartMathTM mentor and ardent astrologer. Mary Beth’s journey has led her to explore the profound connection between the heart’s intelligence and the cosmic patterns that shape our lives. As a certified HeartMathTM mentor, she has honed her skills in guiding individuals towards emotional balance and resilience. Simultaneously, her expertise as an astrologer allows her to tap into the celestial energies, unraveling the mysteries of the stars and their impact on our personal destinies. Today, we have the privilege of diving into Mary Beth’s expansive knowledge, exploring the intersections between heart coherence, astrology, and personal transformation. Get ready to be captivated by this enlightening conversation with Mary Beth Wollenschlaeger.
How do you combine HeartMath practices and astrology in your work, and how do they complement each other?
HeartMath, or heart harmonizing, skills provide us with tools to develop a coherency practice. In other words, a practice to use in all areas of life, to help us approach all of life – the joys and the challenges – from a place of trusting our own intelligence and guidance. We are said to be coherent when we experience energy renewing emotions, such as joy, love or kindness. When we are coherent, we think more clearly because the pathway of information flowing from the heart to the brain is clear – the heart and brain are working harmoniously and in sync with each other. When we experience energy draining emotions like anger, sadness or fear we are incoherent and our brain does not function well because the pathway between the heart and the brain has become clouded. When we are coherent, we have greater access to our heart’s unlimited, quantum intelligence and we look at things from a more spacious point of view, with less judgment. Additionally, we radiate coherency to others – whether they are conscious of it or not.
Astrology explains the energies in the Cosmos and how these energies may impact our world, both personally and collectively. Being aware of these energies and how they may impact you and those around you, may help you make more conscious choices. One of the many benefits of practicing heart harmonizing skills includes being able to respond, rather then react.
Astrology and heart harmonizing skills work together to provide real tools for real life, by helping us feel more in charge of our life, rather than being overwhelmed by it. Astrology provides guidance and inspiration from the Cosmos. Our hearts’ intelligence directs and helps us work with those energies by making conscious choices.
What type of services do you offer?
At Love Your Life in Sync, we provide one-on-one mentoring and small group classes sharing heart harmonizing skills to help you build a coherency practice. Having a coherency practice means you are aware of your thoughts and feelings – specifically which are energy draining and which are energy renewing – and you have learned how to manage them by stopping energy drains and replacing them with renewing energy. Most people are surprised to learn this is even possible!
We also offer astrology readings and teach an introductory class in astrology. Astrology is a life-long learning path. Starting to attune to it can enhance our lives in a way that helps us feel more connected with nature and the stars. It provides an organic way to connect with life.
Additionally, we host a Zoom monthly energy call. On this call, we begin with a heart harmonizing meditation and then sharing about the current astrological energies. We end thecall with a live Tarot reading that all can participate in, if they choose. The Tarot reading answers key questions associated with the theme of the monthly call. You can sign up for this free call on our website www.loveyourlifeinsync.com or catch the replay on our Love Your Life in Sync YouTube channel.
How do you use HeartMath and astrology to help individuals develop greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence?
With heart harmonizing practices, we become more attuned to our inner wisdom and then we can address what is really going on inside of us – and address it from a place of self-compassion, rather than self-judgment.
Astrology opens us up to new understandings about ourselves by showing us how things work in the Cosmos and then relate to our personal life. Learning where we have Gemini (The Twins/doubles) in our chart indicates where we may do certain things twice or make different choices, numerous times. Seeing that in the stars and then experiencing it in your own life can give you a sense of awe, a feeling of connection with something beyond your limited view of yourself. And then you may say, “Oh, that makes so much sense” and your view of you and your world may expand.
How do you stay up to date on the latest research and trends in HeartMath and astrology, and how do you incorporate that knowledge into your work with clients?
I am a member of the HeartMath® Certified Professionals Community, which provides on- going, inter-active training and connection with other Certified Professionals in the community, as well as access to the leaders and scientists of HeartMath. This connection provides brilliant support for staying up-to-date on the latest from HeartMath, which I then can share with clients. For example, when we feel a sense of urgency that causes us to say “I don’t have enough time”, something happens in our brains and in our thinking, that actually causes us to be less available to the present moment – the result is we really do have less time! The antidote for “I don’t have enough time” is a feeling of gratitude because time expands when we feel gratitude. A feeling of gratitude is regularly activated with the practice of heart harmonizing skills.
For astrology, I am always taking classes, listening to podcasts and reading books. Some of my current favorite astrologers to listen to include Molly McCord, Yasmin Boland and Bracha Goldsmith. Molly approaches astrology intuitively and compassionately, Yasmin connects deeply with the moon and Bracha connects with other-worldly beings. I love to listen to all 3 and see how each one highlights something different about the current energies and then tune into my own intuition and see what resonates. I also spend time in meditation and with the Tarot to reflect on how the stars are affecting me personally by noticing what is playing out in my life and what I am learning from these experiences. This gives me insight into what is appropriate to share with others, particularly for the monthly energy call. The monthly energy call always has a theme that comes to me through meditation, prayer and reflection.
In your opinion, what are some common misconceptions people have about HeartMath and astrology, and how do you address them?
One misconception I had about the benefits of practicing HeartMath skills was that I thought
they sounded too good to be true. The HeartMath Institute claims to help people reduce and avoid stress while experiencing increased satisfaction, peace and self-security by “adding heart” to daily activities. I was aware of the HeartMath Institute for many years and enjoyed practicing the techniques, but I did them haphazardly and inconsistently. I never appreciated the potential for change they provide when practiced regularly. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I took the time to learn more about the HeartMath Institute and HeartMath skills. I also discovered those claims are backed by 30 years of scientific research! Our heart rate patterns, which can be scientifically measured, indicate the difference between coherency and incoherency. A coherent heart rate pattern looks smooth and flowing, like a sine way. An incoherent pattern looks erratic, like a lightning bolt. I then decided I needed to become a certified HeartMath® Mentor. I share this story with everyone because the skills, which are intentionally simple, and said benefits that come from practicing, can seem “too good to be true”. I have found the claims to be true and
life changing. However, it requires more than learning the skills, it requires PRACTICING them regularly. That is why I feel developing a coherency practice is so important. It’s not a “one and done” type of thing, and when you are working with the heart, there is unlimited potential for learning and finding ways to bring these practices into your life. When you experience the changes that come from softening your heart, your connections with others change, and your life changes. You may say with greater frequency and authenticity, “I love my life.”
I think some people still associate astrology with the horoscopes they once read in the daily newspaper. Those horoscopes were not necessarily wrong, but they only focused on your Sun sign. Astrology includes much more than your Sun sign because we have all the planets, not just the Sun, in our birth chart. The planets are always moving and making connections to where they were when we were born, which is what is reflected in our birth chart. Understanding that may be helpful to realize we are more than our Sun sign. I like to share that at one point, astrology and astronomy were not separate and that both have been around for thousands of years. I don’t try to convince anyone. I just wait until they are curious enough to ask, “So, what does a Lunar eclipse mean?”
How do you envision the future of HeartMath and astrology, and how do you see them evolving in the coming years?
There is so much computers can do now and will do in the future for us. However, there is one thing artificial intelligence will never have – the intelligence of the human heart. I believe learning how to access the intelligence of the human heart is essential for the future of our conscious evolution on this planet. Learning and practicing HeartMath skills is a key resource for accessing our heart’s quantum intelligence.
I think astrology is also helping us to evolve by helping us connect with something larger than ourselves and our limited human minds. The way we interpret the energies of the planets is changing. Both Mars and Saturn have been labeled “malefic” planets. Sounds like something to avoid, yes? The truth is, we all have all the planets in the sky in our astrology birth charts. There is no avoiding Mars or Saturn, but to paraphrase Albert Einstein, the most important decision we will ever make is whether we believe the Universe is for us or against us. I believe the former. How then, could any of the planets be against us? When I meditate, I get a strong sense that 5D astrology is coming into our consciousness. I do not know what that means…yet. And I’m willing to bet, it includes taking a non-malefic view of Mars and Saturn. The mind may be limited; the heart is not.
