DRAW DOWN THE STARS
ASTROLOGY FOR
CREATIVE ALCHEMY
Use the ancient wisdom of astrology to guide your creative process - from start to finish.
What would it feel like to be confident, connected & fearless at every stage of the creative process?
You want to make the work you you’ve always dreamed of, but you’re not sure where to start.
Maybe you write poems sporadically, or make sketches you’re always meaning to turn into something bigger, but you doubt yourself, wondering if you have anything unique to add to the cultural conversation.
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Perhaps you’re already a working artist, but for whatever reason, you feel disconnected from your work. Focusing on your own work feels more complex & less organic than ever in the age of information overload & social media self-promotion.
Maybe you love the dreaming and improvising phase of creation, but struggle to edit your projects to a state of completion. There are heaps of unfinished pieces taking up space in your desk drawer either literally or mentally, making it harder to move forward. You’re looking for the focused and supportive atmosphere of an MFA class or workshop, but don’t necessarily want to tie yourself down to one medium, or commit to the expense of a degree right now.
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How would it feel, instead, to stay connected to your creativity at every stage of the process? To feel as though your artistic work is where you get to be your most raw and real self? To refine your creations so that you can share your work with confidence? And most of all, to know that you have a rich resource of creativity you can draw on again and again, to guide you every step of the way?
This is possible for you, and I know it is – because I’ve been there too.
It’s time to anchor yourself in the magical processes of creation itself. All you have to do is reach out and connect to the ancient guidance encoded in the stars.
Astrology is a language which clarifies those messages and connects to our deepest, truest selves.
This class takes the mythological meanings and messages carried by the outer planets (Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn) – and the rogue comet Chiron – as a complete roadmap for the creative process.
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WHAT
ONE:
visioning & clearing with JUPITER
Meet Jupiter, planet of visionaries, adventurers and pilgrims. Jupiter is the perfect guide with which to dream big and get clear.
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Discover the expansive mythology of Jupiter through poems, breathwork and manifestos
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Define your creative visions
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Identify and clear the nagging thoughts which block us from unleashing our full creativity
THREE:
dreaming under NEPTUNE
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Invite flow & surrender by connecting with the planet of glamour, trance, addiction & mysticism
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Read the Romantics, some offbeat Beats & think about film
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Enter the watery domain with a guided group journey + automatic writing
FIVE:
editing & refining with SATURN
In week five, we'll examine how the Great Malefic can hone your writing and editing skills. We'll read Celan, Beckett & other masters of spare brilliance.
We'll investigate how Saturn can help you find the essence of your work & commit to the long game. We'll engage in practices which connect you to the essence of your work.
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TWO:
eccentric genius with URANUS
Uranus, the planet of genius, eccentricity, the unexpected, queerness & revolution will teach us to reckon with impulse and surprise ourselves:​
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Discuss avant-garde literature & performance art
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Welcome the innovative & unexpected
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Learn practices & techniques to disrupt habitual choices
FOUR:
trauma & survival through PLUTO
With sensitivity & awareness we'll delve into the often-maligned underworld of Pluto. In astrology Pluto is the carrier of trauma, symbol of power, & agent of transformation.
We’ll look at writing which unflinchingly confronts oppression & trauma. We'll work with shadow material in our bodies & psyches, & use writing as a tool for catharsis.
SIX:
the artist as healer with
CHIRON
We'll finish with a look at Chiron, an asteroid known as the 'wounded healer'. Chiron offers invaluable clues & support for our creative fulfilment.
We will share some of our work (not compulsory, but encouraged), & close with a group practice of celebration & integration.
PLUS! ARTISTIC ALCHEMY 1:1
In addition to the group classes, a select number of one-to-one Artistic Alchemy sessions are available.
This is where we can go deep with your work & your birth chart to uncover what’s longing to be expressed & addressed in your creative life right now!
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"My session with Francesca was so helpful. It gave me outside confirmation of what I'd been intuitively feeling, so now I have a lot more confidence in pursuing my path."
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- Tina Wallace, writer
TESTIMONIALS
Francesca holds space in a very gentle yet strong way. I feel like a real writer: I've started to trust that I can write.
Francesca has also shown me there are so many ways to be a writer or creator, and all the different ways of expressing my ideas.
I really loved how Francesca let us approach our own & the writing of others in this intuitive embodied way. Situating these experiences in relation to astrological knowledge opens up a rich resource and understanding for writing.
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Francesca is a great teacher – their trauma-educated knowledge, empathy, and spontaneous openness make it very easy to feel accepted and safe.
NICOLA
POET & ARTIST
If you are in the midst of shaping your artistic practice, at whatever level, I would unhesitatingly recommend this course.
Despite having little prior knowledge of astrology, I found the weekly readings and exercises to be incredibly revealing and empowering. This course is unique, distinctive, & so well curated that the insights of the materials each week are unfailingly revelatory.
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For me, it yielded authentic clarity and insight which has continued to spill over into my immediate daily experience, with an abundance to reflect and draw upon whilst moving forward in my writing, composition and spiritual practice.
JON
MUSICIAN & POET
WHO
I’m Francesca Lisette. I have published two books of poetry, performance writing & artistic ephemera, and had my work featured in many journals, magazines and anthologies.
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I am also a professional astrologer since 2015. I work with clients, write about astrology and tarot, and speak at events such as the Barbican's New Suns (2019) and sex+ magazine's queer speed dating!
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I’ve been working with artists, writers and creative people in my astrology practice, and so I have a particular interest in understanding how creativity, intuition and impulse show up astrologically.
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In my own artistic practice I began to seek ways for my writing to feel more connected to my body and values.
I have studied & practised a variety of gentle movement techniques for physical & emotional healing, pain management, performance and pure joy.
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I write so differently after I’ve been moving, doing a ritual or even just spending time in a specific location. I used several of the prompts & processes I teach in this course to write many of the poems in my second book, sub rosa: The Book of Metaphysics.
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I love sharing these practices, ideas & techniques and in combination with my favourite tool, astrology, to help fellow writers and artists connect to their bodies and dive into their creative processes with renewed excitement and alignment.
F.A.Qs + COURSE INFO
When does it start?
The course will run from 7th April – 12th May, 6-8pm London time (GMT +1). Students in any timezone are welcome. We will meet on Wednesdays.
What if I’m not available then?
Don't worry if you miss a class – all sessions will be recorded, & made available to all students within 48 hours. You will need to have Zoom installed on your computer or phone to join the live session. All class materials will be sent at the beginning of each week.
I don’t know much about astrology. Is this class for me?
You don’t need to know much! This class is themed around the mythology and archetypes of the planets, and part of the class will be learning what you need to know in order to understand how they can work creatively. Curiosity and a willingness to explore the idea of astrology are more important than knowledge.
How big will the class be? Is there a chance to work together one-to-one?
This class is designed to be a focused, intense and safe space. Therefore, it is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. There are a limited number of Artistic Alchemy 1:1 sessions available to those signing up at a discounted price, in which I’ll look at your creative work through the lens of your birth chart and give you tailored feedback and advice.
Course participants will also have priority for my one-to-one creative mentorships when these re-open.
Do you offer refunds?
No refunds will be offered for this course, so please be sure the class will be a good fit for you before registering. If you have questions, scroll down to contact me.
I’m looking to work specifically in one medium or genre & focus on technique. Is this class a good fit for me?
This course isn’t intended to focus on specific genres or techniques, or crafting & polishing existing work. It is designed to increase your confidence and trust in your own ideas. This class will connect you to your creative self, encourage experimentation, and help you to establish a regular artistic practice.
What’s the investment?
The cost of the course is £375. There is also the option to include an Artistic Alchemy 1:1 session with me, in which I read your creative work through the lens of your astrological chart, for £525.
Do you offer scholarships?
Unfortunately there are no scholarships for this course, although I’d like to offer them in future.
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How much moving is involved in the course? Will I be able to participate if I am disabled?
None of the exercises we'll do together are obligatory, and they should be extremely adaptable. I strongly recommend that all participants only do what feels good. No pushing!
As I live with chronic pain, I have designed the course to be somatic and gentle in its orientation, and adaptable to the unique body-minds of participants.
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THIS CLASS MIGHT BE FOR YOU IF:
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You’re a writer or artist who uses language in their practice. This course will be heavily oriented towards poetry and hybrid forms, but you are welcome to use this class to write memoir, short story/ flash fiction, genre fiction, text in or from visual work, or film scripts, for example.
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You’re interested in re-evaluating your practice through the lens of embodiment, OR you would like to experience more harmony between your artistic practice and your personal life. Or your political embodiment & the world you express through your work.
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You are looking for an intimate, non-judgemental, trauma-informed & oppression-sensitive space in which to share your work & meet a community of peers.
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You like, love or are intrigued by astrology, and all things spiritual and magical!
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This course appeals to you, but you don’t know why. I’m willing to bet there’s a reason why you’re here, even if you aren’t sure what it is. There’s probably something in this work that is important for the next stage of your journey. Let’s find out what it is!
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THIS CLASS PROBABLY ISN'T FOR YOU IF:​​
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You’re looking for a class focused on one specific form, or with a target of writing a novel. There are lots of classes with that as their goal, but this isn’t one of them.
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You hate astrology/ magic and don’t believe in creative visualisation or embodiment. NOTE: I will not spend time debating the empirical basis of astrology in this course as our main focus is drawing on this body of knowledge to support creative alchemy.
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You aren’t open to sharing your work. At all. Ever.
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You don’t want to participate. This course requires you to do the reading and writing and moving in order to transform!!
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You want a qualification in astrology or in creative writing at the end of the course. This course is primarily aimed at artists wanting to connect more deeply to their work and is not a depth astrology course.
