4. An 88-Year-Old Bestie & the Real Rhythms of Life in Italy

Cycles that repeat, friendships that heal, and what life in Italy is really teaching me.A new little Series inside WMTI - Learning to Local: Episode 1When we moved to Italy, I thought I’d be sharing about my big adventures here every week. Instead, this past year has looked very different — quieter, slower, more internal. As it turns out, that makes sense: I’ve been living through my 12th house profection year, a season in astrology that’s all about retreat, reflection, and preparing for what comes next.In this episode, I share a bit about how that cycle has shaped my life here in Florence — from pausing travel to finding unexpected community in our neighborhood, to the gift of a deep friendship with my 88‑year‑old bestie, Giovanna. What started as 'we moved to Italy, now what? ' has really become 'we live in Italy, now what?' And for me, the answer has been: pay attention.This is the first episode of the new series I’m calling Learning to Local — snapshots of the hidden, everyday moments that shift how we see ourselves and the season we’re in.If you’ve ever felt like you “should” be doing more but life is asking you to go inward, or if you’re curious about how astrology can frame the season you’re in, I think you’ll find something here. A presto :)xolaura---- ----- ----- ----And in case you're curious now about what I mentioned in the episode, here's a super brief, cheat-sheet style recap of the12 Profection Years with Ages and Themes:1st house: ages 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 — self, body, identity, beginnings2nd house: ages 1, 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85 — money, resources, self-worth3rd house: ages 2, 14, 26, 38, 50, 62, 74, 86 — communication, siblings, local life4th house: ages 3, 15, 27, 39, 51, 63, 75, 87 — home, family, roots5th house: ages 4, 16, 28, 40, 52, 64, 76, 88 — creativity, pleasure, romance6th house: ages 5, 17, 29, 41, 53, 65, 77, 89 — daily work, health, routines7th house: ages 6, 18, 30, 42, 54, 66, 78, 90 — relationships, partnerships8th house: ages 7, 19, 31, 43, 55, 67, 79, 91 — shared resources, intimacy, transformation9th house: ages 8, 20, 32, 44, 56, 68, 80, 92 — travel, study, beliefs, expansion10th house: ages 9, 21, 33, 45, 57, 69, 81, 93 — career, reputation, public role11th house: ages 10, 22, 34, 46, 58, 70, 82, 94 — friendships, groups, hopes12th house: ages 11, 23, 35, 47, 59, 71, 83, 95 — rest, retreat, hidden mattersp.s. they all go WAY deeper than this, but at least this gives you a start to see what year you're living now :)