The seeds of SAPPHO School of Astrology were planted in the living room of my partner Dan’s and my Uptown Minneapolis apartment back in 2017.
I was two years into my professional practice as an evolutionary astrologer, following the 3-year, in-person, evolutionary astrology apprenticeship program near San Diego, California with Steven Forrest.
I felt ready to begin facilitating others in the study of astrology, and I felt clear that I wanted to do this within an intimate, small group setting in my home – and with womxn.
So, I began offering 6-week evolutionary astrology series, each series focusing on a different celestial body. Venus, planet of values, creativity, love and connection, was our first 6-week focus.
From 2017 until my partner, Dan, and I moved to the Bay Area (California) in the summer of 2019, two groups of 8 womxn gathered on Monday and Thursday nights in our Minneapolis home. We sat in circle around altars of candlelight and sacred stones, oracle cards, flowers...invoking the energies of each celestial body we were exploring.
We dove deeply into the teachings of evolutionary astrology with the study of our birth charts at the center.
Each week, we shared from our depths and wholeheartedly listened to one another.
At the end of each 6-week planetary chapter, we held a ritual where we would each embody the focal planetary energy in a way that was unique to our interpretation. Sometimes it was through sharing of music, story, poetry, artwork, costume, gift-giving...
Through this process, our learning expanded beyond the intellectual and became a felt-sense understanding and integration of the astrological energies.
As you might imagine, over the course of these years in immersive study and self-discovery together, lasting bonds formed, many of which are thriving to this day.
Some of the womxn have gone on to become professional astrologers!
One 6-week chapter in our journey included a deep dive into Asteroid Sappho (Asteroid #80).
This asteroid is named after the female poet born around 630 BC in Ancient Greece. Sappho was a champion of womxn who devoted her life to creating womxn-centered community and education. She opened an academy of fine arts specifically for womxn, which was radical for the times. Sappho was a wild creative and one who was unafraid to claim her queerness and dance at the edges of society.
I have long admired Sappho and felt a kinship with her values and her poetry. She intentionally wrote her poems in a way that lay people could understand and relate with, which was completely counterculture for that moment in history.
Preceding the 6-week series on Asteroid Sappho, I discovered that this asteroid has a prominent placement in my birth chart, connected to my Sun and Mercury, my Moon and my karmic past (the South Node of the Moon).
It was then that SAPPHO School of Astrology dropped into my consciousness. I purchased the website domain immediately, though, I sensed it would be a few years before I would officially birth my version of a Sapphic academy into the world!
I told myself I wanted to have 10 years of professional astrological experience under my belt before doing so. That decade-line was crossed in spring of 2025.
However, it was not long after purchasing the domain name that I realized SAPPHO School of Astrology is actually already happening! It is already LIVE! Here we are, an ever-growing community of womxn studying the craft of astrology together.
The womxn-centered, astrological learning has only continued...mostly online since my move to CA and the pandemic.
I am holding the dream of a resurgence of living room series, in-person immersions and retreats to come in 2027 onward!
BUT FIRST, I AM SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE A BRAND NEW 8-WEEK INTRODUCTION TO EVOLUTIONARY ASTROLOGY SERIES BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER 2026:
Thursdays, September 10–October 29, 2026
(September 10 is a New Moon in Virgo!)
4:30-6:30pm Pacific Time via ZOOM
Live attendance is not required, as a replay will be sent out following each session.
This Introduction to Evolutionary Astrology 8-Week Series is an opportunity to learn the essence of all the moving parts:
SIGNS
HOUSES
PLANETS
ANGLES
NODES OF THE MOON
...all through an evolutionary astrological lens, interwoven with Jessa’s unique trauma-sensitive, feminist, systemic approach.
In these 8 weeks, you will receive the foundational building blocks to solidly support your understanding of evolutionary astrology and your ability to apply it to your own and other birth charts.
This series is a phenomenal place to start if you are a beginner student of astrology. No astrological experience is necessary.
This series also offers a rich learning ground and nuanced perspectives for those of you who are already deep into your astrological study or are practicing astrologers.
As a participant in this 8-week introductory series, you will receive a 20% discount for any individual readings and/or mentorship sessions you schedule with me during the months of September, October and November 2026.
SERIES REGISTRATION OPENS JULY 12, 2026, which is a Mercury Cazimi! :)
Open to all womxn and genderqueer folks.
Please be in touch if you have questions about the series or want to let me know you’re planning to participate!
Introduction to Evolutionary Astrology:
8-Week Series with Jessa
In participants’ words…from past astrological series, immersions and readings:
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"Thank you for organizing these amazing series! I appreciate your compassion, astrological expertise and skillful communication. I am very grateful to be part of the group, so much intimacy and learning about astrology."
–Sher D.
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“I thank you from the heart of my heart for facilitating such a powerful group experience of healing. You are a deeply gifted astrologer, group facilitator, and teacher (among many other things!), and I learn so much from you every time I'm with you, on so many different levels! I am feeling more drawn to facilitate group and community work--although I'm not exactly sure what form this will take or what this will look like--and being in this series with you was such a gift, not only for the transformative personal and group healing it catalyzed, but also for the gift of teaching such attuned, joyful, balanced, confident group leadership. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
–Ellie
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"Thanks so much for the work you do. You are a blessing in my life. I feel very safe working with you. I appreciate how you hold the group, the experience you bring as an astrologer and a healer. Thank you very much, I appreciate you!"
–Dana M.
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"There’s so much I could say about the truly transformational nature of Jessa’s planetary astrological series, but what keeps standing out is the joy that comes from the experience of engaging in self-inquiry within the context of community. Often our spiritual paths can feel so personal and, at times, a bit lonely. Yet, Jessa’s series allowed me the opportunity to find greater clarity about my own path within the embrace of a circle of women. Such an embrace allowed for an upsurge of acceptance and love. It allowed for strength to face life’s challenges and move toward the greatest gifts I can manifest in this lifetime. To have a community recognize and lift up those gifts is truly a magical feeling."
–Shoshana R.
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“I was just sharing with my brother about the Lilith Immersion and what a beautiful space you held energetically. I felt so free to show up exactly where I am, and this isn’t easy to come by in a group workshop setting. I’m reflecting on how safe and loving and inviting this group felt to me. Truly a matriarchal community feel. Such a beautiful experience of shared feelings and experiences. Thank you for sharing your gifts and for offering the experience to me and others of feeling truly part of a matriarchal group/community.”
–Paula B.
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“In Jessa’s astrological series circles and the retreats that she offers, Jessa creates a safe container for women to be held and heard. And, also for each of us to learn how to hold that space for the other women in the group so each woman can be heard without anyone interjecting opinions or giving advice. It is a valuable learning experience that gives us the tools we need in our circles of friends and family and the greater community. Typically, you begin a circle as strangers but very quickly become so much more than friends. We laugh and cry together and share intimacies that we may have never shared with anyone else, knowing it is held in the utmost confidence, without judgment. This is true healing. Jessa is a master at creating space to explore our vulnerability. There are no words to describe what I’ve received from being a part of these women’s circles. The experience is truly magical. We need more of these circles to heal ourselves and heal the world. The bonus is you get to learn about astrology, ritual and a bunch of other really cool things, but the main thing is you learn about yourself!"
–Gini L.
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“If you are looking for an astrologer who is consistently compassionate, thoroughly inspired, courageously honest, and deeply sensitive to everyone she encounters, Jessa Walters is the one you’ve been seeking.”
–Andrea Grace
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"Thank you so much Jessa. I love your readings and find them so helpful and inspiring. What an incredible gift you have to be able to navigate this complex and mysterious body of wisdom and communicate it in such a clear, captivating and supportive way."
–Samantha de Siena
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"Wow, it is so amazing to be with you in your portal of enthusiasm for what the cosmos is reflecting for us!!! I can’t thank you enough…you gave me an injection of aliveness and inspiration. I love your wisdom and way."
–Jade Sherer