Episode 16 - Lena Papadopoulos Talks Truth and Purpose

Wondering if your soul's purpose and life's purpose align?

Dive into taboo topics of self-discovery and empowerment with @LenaPopop on our latest episode.

Here’s what we talked about:

🌿 Exploring Taboos in Personal Growth: The conversation delves into uncomfortable areas of personal growth, discussing resistance, hidden aspects, and societal conditioning that often hinder self-discovery and empowerment.

🌿 Differentiating Soul and Life Paths: Lena discusses the distinction between soul purpose and life purpose, emphasizing how these interconnected paths are influenced by free will and offer opportunities for growth and evolution.

🌿 Integration of Astrology and Personal Development: Lena's approach integrates astrology with personal development, focusing on understanding the soul's intentions, confronting fears, and embracing discomfort as crucial steps towards empowerment and authenticity.

Guest Bio:

Lena Papadopoulos is a life purpose and leadership coach helping heart-centered, mission-driven visionaries and changemakers unlock their power, purpose, and potential so they can live their truth, share their gifts, and make a positive impact in the world.

Website: https://www.lenapapadopoulos.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lena_papadopoulos

Show Notes:

Marissa: Hey sisters. Welcome to episode 16 of the Rooted Feminine Podcast. I'm excited about our guest today, Lena Papadopoulos. She introduces a familiar spiritual tool in a new way: astrology. Lena's perspective on astrology and how she uses it with her clients is different than what I'm used to and probably what you're used to as well. If you use astrology as a tool on your feminine journey, today's episode is going to be eye-opening for you, just as it was for me.

And spoiler alert, Lena will be one of the presenters on my upcoming Sacred Living Summit. This event is truly special. I'm thrilled to bring it to life for you. Starting on October 2nd, I'm gathering close to 30 of the sacred women I've met on my journey. Some are dear friends, and others, like Lena, are new friends, but all are wise women. The Sacred Living Summit aims to provide everyday tips to make life more sacred. How do we maintain our sacredness in the grocery store? In the doctor's office? If we have a disagreement with our partner, how do we approach it from a sacred perspective rather than an ego-driven one? When our child has trouble at school and we're called to the principal's office, how do we remain sacred even in those everyday moments? How do we infuse magic into our daily lives? You'll hear from Lena in this episode, but if you want more of her insights on living sacredly every day, register for the audio summit at rootedfeminine.com/sacred.

Now, let's dive into the interview with Lena..

Hey sisters. Welcome to our next episode of Rooted Feminine. I'm here with Lena Papadopoulos, and she's about to share a wealth of wisdom with us. We'll be discussing purpose and frameworks. So if you're someone who appreciates step-by-step guidance and clarity on what to do, it sounds like Lena has some valuable insights for us today.

Lena, could you give us a brief introduction about yourself, what you do, how you serve, and perhaps your purpose? We'll dive into our conversation after that.

Lena: Thank you so much for having me. I am Lena, a purpose and leadership coach. I also use astrology as a tool in my work, but I don't identify as an astrologer just because it's not my primary focus. It is, however, foundational to the ways in which I serve. I help people uncover their purpose, which is often about uncovering their truth. My mission in the world is to support people in returning to the truth of who they are, embracing, celebrating, and expressing that truth. I love to help people become clear on their unique gifts or superpowers, their essence that they have to contribute. My work centers around that, helping people navigate the things that disconnect them from their true essence.

Marissa: I love that. The first thread I want to pull is this idea of astrology being a tool that you use, but not necessarily identifying as an astrologer. Many listeners will resonate with that. Like, some may practice meditation, but not call themselves mystics. How do you feel using astrology without adopting the label?

Lena: I use astrology in a specific, focused way. It's part of my soul sessions, which is a two-part offer. The first part is the birth chart consultation. I approach the chart through the lens of evolutionary astrology, which believes our souls are on a journey of evolutionary development. My readings focus on the core evolutionary intention of the soul, looking at past life experiences and patterns coming through in this life. We also look at trauma signatures from past lives. The intention is to understand the past and see how it's still part of the present. My goal is to bring awareness and clarity so people can make more conscious decisions. I use astrology to reveal specific things, and my coaching is focused on moving through that and navigating it together.

Marissa: I think many start their spiritual journey looking for answers outside. Predictive astrology can sometimes make us look for power outside of ourselves. But what I hear from you is a way to source power from within.

Lena: Even as someone who loves astrology, I don't look at what's currently happening in the sky. Our charts are so complex, and current events in the sky can affect us differently. I prefer to focus on the past because it's already happened. I process it in a way that empowers me to shape my future. Astrology, when done right, points to possibilities. By understanding patterns and cycles, you can work with yourself to guide the future.

Marissa: I had a personal experience with this, like the Lionsgate portal. Before, I would've been looking for that external power, but now I focus on cultivating it within myself. It's about choosing to step into a portal. Your approach to astrology seems like a real-world example of growth on a spiritual path.

Lena: I think it's common to look to these tools for answers. Tuning into what's happening within and being aware of how you can work with it is more empowering than being dependent on it.

Marissa: I can see from our conversation how using astrology in this evolutionary way contributes to the rest of your work. Truth equals purpose. If we're diving into the truth of the past of your chart, what does that unveil? How does that unlock truth, which then unlocks purpose?

Lena: Yeah, so I'm going to tell you a little bit about my Purpose Paradigm Framework. This could lead into the answer to your question. From my perspective, what my work is based on is the Purpose Paradigm Framework. Essentially, we have these three layers of purpose that are interconnected and build off one another. Our core purpose is to return to our truth and self-sovereignty. Our soul's purpose is navigating the challenges from societal expectations, upbringing, and so forth, which have distanced us from our truth. It's about peeling back those layers to reconnect with that truth. Meanwhile, our life's purpose is the expression of that truth – simply being who we are. When we live from an authentically aligned place, we make the world better through our gifts and essence. With Soul Sessions, I focus on the soul's purpose, helping individuals understand their disconnections from truth. And I also have offerings focused on life purpose, which is about expressing our truth in the world.

Marissa: Does one journey need to happen before the other, like discovering soul purpose before living life purpose? Can they happen simultaneously?

Lena: I believe they happen simultaneously. As we navigate, there are components of both paths in our journey. Some people might focus on their life's purpose, trying to figure out their contributions. But as they progress, challenges like self-doubt and fears surface, which then brings them to soul's purpose work. The paths are interwoven and interconnected.

Marissa: As you were speaking, I had this realization. When we feel those magical moments of synchronicity, it's like the soul and life paths are aligning. It's when both truths are recognized simultaneously.

Lena: Exactly.

Marissa: We've discussed societal conditioning and how it blocks our truth, especially how patriarchal conditioning suppresses feminine energy. In your work, do you find components of masculine or feminine energy? How do you guide people through this?

Lena: Often, I look into wounds people might have concerning feminine or masculine energies, which come up during chart readings. These wounds often trace back to relationships with parental figures. For instance, issues related to the mother might manifest as emotional deprivation, influencing one's perception of feminine energy. Whereas issues with the father might be about control, leading to a strained relationship with masculine energy.

Marissa: Do you find these wounds in astrological charts?

Lena: Yes, I typically look at Saturn for father-related energies and the Moon for the mother. Additionally, the fourth and 10th houses can give insights, though interpretations can vary among astrologers.

Marissa: When interpreting charts, do you rely more on analysis or intuition?

Lena: I lean more towards intuition. While astrology has its structures and rules, I incorporate intuitive insights along with those guidelines. Before a reading, I prepare extensively, which I view as the masculine structure. During the session, I allow my intuition, the feminine side, to guide me. Balancing these has been a personal journey for me, and it's about merging the two energies – structure and intuition – harmoniously.

Marissa: I was just going to say, it feels like a parallel process. You went through your own journey of guiding people in these soul sessions and other programs. I think that's really important. I come from a therapist background, having all the education and training to hold space. But as a therapist, you can't share parts of yourself or bring that wisdom into your work. There's a strict line between you and the client. What's beautiful about alternative work, like yours, is that it helps people heal. It's just as valid as therapy, but you can share and let your journey inform your work. It's so important. I love that you shared that. It's a vulnerable moment but offers listeners a chance to connect and realize that growth is important.

Lena: Absolutely. I'm always working on my own soul lessons. It's a lifelong process. I don't believe I'll master it, but as I move through it, I'm better equipped to support others.

Marissa: Well, mastery is a masculine concept. Mastery implies a final point. Femininity is cyclical; it acknowledges we'll return to where we were but with more wisdom. So, we've discussed potential blockers of truth. What happens when your clients have realizations, go through wounding and conditioning, and then feel they've arrived? Is there a defining moment? How does that unfold?

Lena: What I see is people connecting dots they never saw before. They become aware of the root causes of their struggles and patterns. When they understand the root, especially from the soul's perspective, they have numerous realizations. People describe the readings as affirming and validating. They feel more empowered rather than feeling out of control.

Marissa: Then, how do we translate this newfound truth and awareness into their life purpose?

Lena: I'm developing a program right now, which I'd like to become a next step after the soul sessions. It's called Phoenix Rising, focusing on ten pillars of sovereign leadership. Many of the topics that come up in readings are connected to these pillars. I think it would be powerful for people to experience this in a community, realizing that many share similar themes. The life purpose path is more action-oriented, while the soul purpose is a bit more introspective.

Marissa: I love the distinction you've made between the soul being more feminine and life being more masculine. It's like the yin and yang, where each contains a bit of the other. They complement each other.

Lena: Exactly.

Marissa: On this journey, it doesn't sound like there's a definite end. It's evolutionary. While some believe our paths are "written in the stars," it sounds like there's still room for choice and change. So, is the soul purpose predestined, or does it evolve?

Lena: The potentials might be written in the stars, but the unfolding depends on our free will and the choices we make. Even in astrology, archetypes represent potential possibilities. How they're embodied can differ based on one's awareness and evolution. Many have "skipped steps" in their charts – intentions set in past lives but not reached. Now, they're grappling with them again, but with more personal power since it's a familiar challenge.

Marissa: So, would the goal be to go back and fill that step? Or is it just something that happened and now I'm going forward?

Lena: You can see how it becomes part of the soul's purpose in this life. We actually look to the nodes, the south node and the north node, depending on where this skipped step is happening or what planet it's connected to. Then we look to either the south or the north node to see how to integrate it in this life. Sometimes it integrates through the south node, meaning that people need to repeat experiences and relive particular things. But when the lessons integrate through the north node, that's really how the person is evolving and moving toward the embodiment of new energies and qualities.

Marissa: I'm definitely getting one of these sessions. It's a different take on astrology for me. I used to rely on predictive stuff, but most of the astrology I'm doing now involves looking at the transits to see what I can expect and how I can best prepare. There's a curiosity for me about everything that led me here.

Lena: It's really interesting. I love when you receive confirmation from different tools or modalities that confirm the same thing. I've often found with readings I've given that people engaged in various modalities for self-exploration say that it resonates with other readings they've had. I once did an exchange with a woman who works with the Akashic Records. We both looked at each other's soul purpose, and I could see everything she shared in my chart.

Marissa: Is there anything we haven't discussed that you want to share with the listeners?

Lena: One thing I emphasize is that discussions about soul purpose and life purpose often bring up resistance. Some believe that when you're aligned, everything flows easily. However, I find that there's often tension because when we move toward our soul's intention, we are headed toward the unfamiliar, which is uncomfortable. These familiar patterns, even if they hurt us, feel right. Moving toward the soul's intention can be challenging because it can trigger our insecurities.

Marissa: Do you find that resistance is often fear? Does it trace back to wounding or conditioning? How do you work through it?

Lena: Resistance often roots in fear and protective mechanisms developed over lifetimes. The main desire of the soul, connected to the planet Pluto, is often what people resist the most and are unaware of consciously.

Marissa: I see similarities in your work and mine, especially when exploring feminine energies. Some aspects feel okay while others feel taboo. Yet, it seems the real answers come when clients explore these off-limits areas.

Lena: Exactly.

Marissa: Can you share where people can find you and learn about your offerings?

Lena: I'm most active on Instagram at Lena_Papadopoulos. My website has all my offerings, including Soul Sessions and Phoenix Rising. I also have a Purpose Clarity Intensive, which will soon be a DIY course.

Marissa: By the time this airs, it'll be perfectly timed for listeners to explore your offerings.

Lena: I'm considering including Soul Sessions as an early bird bonus for Phoenix Rising since they complement each other.

Marissa: Thank you for your time and for sharing your insights. My eyes have been opened to a new way of thinking about astrology and the distinction between life path and soul path.

Lena: Yeah, thank you.

Marissa: That was so good. I found myself lit up by that conversation. The wheels in my brain were turning, and she sparked not only intellectual curiosity in me but also some body curiosity, my womb space, getting in touch with my intuition. That was online during this conversation. And I am going to be buying one of those soul sessions for myself because I think there's so much wisdom here. I had never thought about using astrology as an oracle of the past. I've always looked at astrology as an oracle of the present and sometimes an oracle of the future, but this past lens was fascinating to me.

So I hope that you got a lot out of this episode. Again, Lena is going to be one of the presenters at the Sacred Living Summit. If you want to hear more from her and all the other wise women contributing their wisdom to the event, go ahead and register. Save your spot. It's all audio, so you don't have to tune into videos. You can listen at your convenience, whether you're at the gym or on your hikes. You can take all of these wise women on the journey with you. To get your spot for the summit and access all the interviews, register at rootedfeminine.com/sacred. I'll be in your earbuds next week, spending sacred time with you. I'll see you next time here in Temple Space.