New York, New York

A Home Built From Freedom

“Sometimes the greatest act of love is giving yourself permission to begin again.”
—Brianna Wiest

If you’ve ever been to New York City, then you know—the energy is its own kind of magic. It doesn’t just meet you where you are, it dares you to become who you’re meant to be. That’s exactly what it did for me.

I moved to New York when I was 21. At the time, I was managing for Starbucks—an anchor job that made it easy to relocate and transfer stores. My stepdad had accepted a position in the city, and my mom moved with him. I flew out to visit shortly after they settled in. And before the plane even touched down, I felt it in my bones: This is what I need. I have to be a part of this.

From an astrocartography perspective, New York City is surprisingly neutral for me. No major planetary lines or angle crossings. No pushes or pulls. Just a clear, open space—energetically blank, and in the best way possible.

That neutrality gave me freedom. And I needed it.

Because for the first time in my life, I got to make choices for me—not for my family, not from a place of survival or trauma, not as a caretaker. Just… me.

I didn’t know it then, but I was reclaiming something I didn’t even know had been taken from me. After years of holding emotional weight that wasn’t mine, New York gave me space to breathe. To be anonymous. To walk through Harlem in the late afternoon, headphones in, sun on my skin, and feel like my life was finally my own.

My relationship with my mom was complicated, and the fact that New York didn’t carry any heavy energetic influence probably helped us rebuild something more grounded. There was no cosmic interference. We got to be two people, simply sharing space in one of the most vibrant cities on Earth.

I transferred stores and worked with Starbucks for another 8–10 months before making a huge leap: I quit to go back to school full-time. In New York, I had the space and support to prioritize my education, my goals, and my selfhood. I started building community. I went to class, explored the city, lived out those big romanticized early-twenties moments—only it was real, and it was mine.

New York City is still the place that has felt most like home. Not because it was easy, but because it was mine.

In Santa Clarita, I had to grow up fast—caretaking, surviving, keeping it together for everyone else. But in New York? I got to become someone entirely on my own terms. I got to ask myself what I wanted. And for the first time, I had the freedom—and the energetic neutrality—to actually listen.

That’s the magic of a neutral zone in astrocartography. Sometimes, we don’t need transformation or upheaval. We just need room. And New York gave me that.

It gave me me.

Curious how your own journey might be written in the stars? Whether you’re navigating a big move, a career transition, or simply want deeper insight into the energies shaping your path, I’m here to help. Reach out to explore your unique astrocartography map and uncover what the universe has in store for you. Let’s discover your story together.