PODCAST · education
The Designed Life
by Hollis M. M.
I'm a designer, astrologer and life coach who's always seeking for deeper understanding, meaning, and beauty – and I love doing it with other like-minded friends. I created The Designed Life to help you ask the bigger questions, explore the unexamined nooks and crannies of your own habits, behaviors and choices, and inevitably start aligning your daily decisions to create a more empowered and fulfilling life. In every episode you'll find stories, resources, and contemplations, from me and other entrepreneurs, curated to help you gracefully navigate a life that comes with no guide book.
Episodes
-
Eps 069: The Practice of Suspending Disbelief
What if the things you believe to be true about yourself, your life, and what’s possible for you aren’t the whole story? In this episode I explore the process (and practice) of learning to question the limiting beliefs, narratives, and assumptions that can keep us confined to familiar patterns,...
-
Eps 068: Mediumship & Building a Soul-Led Business w. Nicole Pope
In this episode, I’m joined by Nicole for a conversation about what happens when we stop forcing ourselves into the paths we think we’re supposed to follow, and start allowing something deeper to lead. We dive into Nicole’s mediumship work: how she works with clients’ future selves, spirit…
more -
Eps 067: Finding Clarity on The Other Side of Conflict
Over the course of the summer, I found myself navigating a bit of an identity crisis in my work. I had reached a point where astrology, as I had been practicing and teaching it, felt like it was holding me back from the deeper, more integrated work I wanted to offer. Rather than blowing…
more -
Libra Season 2026
This Libra season can potentially defined as the deep work of letting go. We begin with the equinox and an invitation to pause, recalibrate, and take stock of what feels balanced – and what doesn’t. But this season is also the beginning of a much deeper process. With Venus preparing to retrograde...
-
Eps 066: The Wedding Recap! On Ritual, Identity, Community, and Commitment w. Jess Ellen
Jess and I are back! This time with a slightly different kind of conversation: a reflection on getting married in the same summer and everything that came with our experiences. From navigating family dynamics and other people's expectations to receiving unexpected amounts of love and support…
more -
Eps 065: 10 Years As An Entrepreneur – Lessons, Money, Astrological Timing and Designing A Life You Love
I’m approaching 10 years of working for myself, and for the first time I’m looking back at the full arc of my entrepreneurial journey – not just the revenue numbers, but the lessons, relationships, risks, failures, pivots, personal growth, and unexpected opportunities that shaped the business I...
-
Virgo Season 2026
After the expansion, visibility, and self-expression of Leo season, Virgo asks us to gather everything we’ve experienced and make sense of it - to come back down to earth. It’s a season of refinement, discernment, organization, and practical action, but also a season for noticing the…
more -
Eps 064: Reconnecting with the Plant World w. Amelia Andrade
What if developing a relationship with the natural world could be less about learning everything there is to know about plants and more about slowing down enough to notice what is already around you? In this conversation, I’m joined by folk herbalist Amelia, who describes herself as someone who...
-
Eps 063: Which Astrological House System To Use w. Jess Ellen
I'm joined once again by my friend and fellow astrologer, Jess Ellen, to tackle one of the most common questions we receive from students and clients: Which house system should I use? Together we explore the philosophy behind astrological house systems, how they developed, why different…
more -
Eps 062: Living the Questions & Experimenting w. Identity in Your Work
What happens when you've built a successful business, but realize the version of yourself that built it isn't quite the version that's meant to carry it into the next decade? In this second business update, I'm sharing where I've landed after stepping back from much of my astrology content,...
-
Leo Season 2026
Leo is fixed fire: generous, life-giving, creative, and deeply connected to purpose. At its healthiest, it reminds us that true leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room or seeking recognition. It's about bringing warmth to others, acting from integrity, and having the courage to...
-
Eps 061: The Astrology of The US and The Future That Lies Ahead w. Clarissa Dolphin
In this conversation that I'm so thrilled to have had, I'm joined by astrologer, writer, and educator Clarissa Dolphin for a wide-ranging exploration of astrology's role in understanding the collective moment we're living through. We trace Clarissa's remarkable journey into astrology – from…
more -
Eps 060: The Addicting Trap of Social Media + Why I'm Back on Instagram After 11 Months Away
Last summer, I stepped away from Instagram. At the time, it felt like a necessary experiment, and an opportunity to understand who I was, how I created, and how I connected with people outside of a platform that had been part of my daily life for over a decade. What began as a response to…
more -
Cancer Season 2026
Cancer season begins in the body. After the movement, insights, and connection of Gemini season, Cancer invites us to slow down enough to feel what everything we've gathered actually means. This is a season of nourishment, intuition, emotional intelligence, and learning to trust the subtle…
more -
Eps 059: Recovery & Self-Trust w. Sage Rountree
What happens when yoga becomes less about pushing harder and more about learning to rest? In this conversation, I sit down with yoga teacher, author, endurance coach, and educator Sage Rountree to explore the deeper purpose of yoga beyond the poses. Together we discuss recovery as a radical...
-
Eps 058: Life Update - Crossing a Threshold
In this semi-impromptu and transparent episode, I reflect on a season of transformation that's unfolding in my creative life, relationship to astrology, business, identity, and upcoming marriage. Speaking not as a coach or astrologer but simply as a human in transition, I explore what it means to...
-
Gemini Season 2026
Gemini season begins in the mind. After the grounding and embodiment of Taurus, this is where things begin to move again — ideas multiply, conversations quicken, curiosity returns. Gemini is mutable air: curious, connective, restless, and alive with possibility. It gathers information, follows...
-
Eps 57: Introduction to the astrological houses
The houses are one of the most essential parts of astrology, but they're also often one of the most confusing. In this Astrology 101 episode, I break down the 12 houses in simple, accessible language so you can better understand what you’re actually looking at when you pull up your chart. We...
-
Eps 056: Tangible Liberation w. Giana Cerasia
My conversation with Giana explores the deeply personal nature of systems change – revealing how true transformation begins within. Giana shares her journey from navigating unsafe early environments to working across education, government, and corporate systems, ultimately arriving at a powerful...
-
Eps 055: How I plan my time using astrology
Astrology is a phenomenal tool for helping a person piece together and define who they are. It’s a system that can explain what shape of the universe we’re embodying while in this lifetime – and I love it for that. But astrology is also a timing tool, one that helps us understand when certain...
-
Taurus Season 2026
Taurus season begins in the body. After the fire and initiation of Aries, this is where we slow down and ask: how do we make this real? How do we take what’s been sparked and build it into something sustainable? Taurus is fixed earth – steady, grounded, and devoted to what feels nourishing and...
-
Eps 054: Exercising visibility & creative joy w. Sarah Kleist
I’m so happy to have my new online friend turned IRL friend Sarah Kleist on the podcast today! Sarah is an actor, designer, web designer, and multi-passionate creative, and in our convo we explore what it really means to be a multi-hyphenate in today’s online entrepreneurial world. From holding...
-
Eps 053: How to work with the astrological energy of Q2 2026
Q2 of 2026 feels like the season where what we’ve been planting begins to show us what’s actually growing. In this episode, I walk through the astrology of April, May, and June – moving through Aries, Taurus, and Gemini –and explore what this quarter asks of us collectively: clearer action…
more -
Aries Season 2026
After weeks of intense astrological build-up, the Spring Equinox opens the door to a new astrological year, and this one feels unmistakably different. With the Sun entering Aries and immediately activating Saturn and Neptune in Aries for the first time, we’re stepping into the seeding of an...
-
Eps 052: Original thinking & new world building w. Chelsea Riffe
I’m so excited to share this conversation with cultural philosopher, strategist, and fascinating human, Chelsea Riffe ✨ This episode is a deep dive into curiosity, original thinking, and what it means to develop your own philosophy in a world that constantly tells us what and how to think. We…
more -
Eps 051: How to Synthesize your Big 3 – Rising, Sun & Moon
The meaning of what's come to be known as your "Big Three" is a bit illusive, so in tihs episode, I break down how to synthesize your Rising, Sun, and Moon in your natal chart as an entry point to deeper self-understanding. Rather than reducing astrology to personality stereotypes, I reframes…
more -
Lunar Series · March 2026: Virgo Lunar Eclipse & Pisces New Moon
March is a powerful month, and much of that power comes from the lunations. This month activates the Pisces–Virgo axis, illuminating the ongoing eclipse dialogue between intuition, belief, imagination, and surrender (Pisces) and discernment, embodiment, systems, and practical care (Virgo). This...
-
Solar Series: Pisces Season 2026
Welcome Pisces season! Pisces season of 2026 is a PACKED season, friends! As a continuation of Aquarius season, we also have the continuation of eclipses, the official culmination of the Saturn-Neptune conjunction, a Mercury retrograde in Pisces, and Jupiter stationing direct. This season is…
more -
Eps 050: Capacity to hold both despair & delight w. Kayleigh Martin
Today I’m sharing an intimate, embodied conversation I had with somatic life coach Kayleigh Martin about connection, integration, and staying human in polarized times. What begins as a reflection on instant relational depth expands into a rich dialogue on somatics, trauma, lineage, power, and the...
-
Eps 049: Cultivating Safety
What creates safety?Safety is defined as: the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury. But what are the components that actually create a sense of safety in a person’s life? And how do we continue to create it in the midst of world that is constantly…
more -
Lunar Series · February 2026: Leo Full Moon & Aquarius Solar Eclipse
February is a powerful month – perhaps THE MOST powerful month of the year, and part of that power comes from the lunations. This month activates the Leo–Aquarius axis, spotlighting the tension and dialogue between individual identity, leadership, and self-expression (Leo) and collective...
-
Solar Series: Aquarius Season 2026
Welcome Aquarius season! Aquarius season of 2026 is framed as one of the most intense energetic hotspots of the year, marked by collective upheaval, systemic change, and powerful moments of unity and care. This is a season where disruption and innovation coexist—where old ways of thinking…
more -
Eps 048: Embodying Leisure Ethic w. Xanthe Appleyard
This week I chat with the content queen herself Xanthe Appleyard! Our conversation explores what it means to lead, create, and build sustainably – from a foundation of pleasure and self-trust. Xanthe shares the organic evolution of her “leisure ethic” – a values-based framework rooted in…
more -
Eps 047: How to work with the astrological energy of Q1 2026
In this new style of episode I'm sharing an overarching view of the astrological energetics of Q1 so that you can approach the first three months of the year with an broad sense of how the energy will flow. For each month I also share a creative practice, somatic practice, and meditation or...
-
Eps 046: 2026 horoscopes for your rising sign
*Time stamps are available below so you can jump ahead to your sign.* 2026 is a pivotal year that piggy backs on so much of the change that was seeded in 2025. For all of us we’re going to be experiencing a ramping up in our communication, a willful desire to be wholly our weird, wild…
more -
Lunar Series · January 2026: Cancer Full Moon & Capricorn New Moon
January offers us a chance to balance our relationships to our bodies and felt experience with our work and our desire to turn ideas into reality. The Full Moon in Cancer 13º on January 3rd is very concerned with our relationship to our felt experience. There’s an opportunities to look back on…
more -
Solar Series: Capricorn Season 2026
Welcome Winter and Capricorn season! This season is here to help us get deliberate and purposeful with our energy, our ambitions, and what how we plan to work with 2026. We wrap up the end of the year and we start the year with a sense of the familiar. There’s a pull towards the past – past ways…
more -
Eps 045: Being motivated by the essence of your brand w. Ylani Estwick
Brand strategist and wonderfully inspiring Ylani Estwick joins me today for a conversation about building from an intuitive and heart-center vision, and cultivating motivation by leaning in to your purpose. Ylani shares her journey of transitioning from a decade-long copywriting career into a…
more -
Eps 044: How I'm prepping for 2026 + what I'm learning now
One of my goals for 2026 is to live more in alignment with my energetic cycles and rhythms, and to detach from the linearity we so often prescribe to. So if that is my goal, this December is my introduction to actually living into that belief and way of being. In this episode I discuss some of…
more -
Lunar Series · December 2025: Gemini Full Moon & Sagittarius New Moon
We've almost reached the end of 2025 friends! A year that's truly felt like 20 in 1, but are we really that excited to get into the wildness that will be 2026? The lunations of the month are right on theme with the rest of the energy that surrounds them. The Full Moon in Gemini on December 4th is...
-
Solar Series: Sagittarius Season 2025
Welcome Sagittarius season! If last season was all about deepening into your intuition, getting really clear about where you needed to heal, and what needed to be released/integrated – this season is all about reformulating our beliefs around what we want to pursue and how we want to take action…
more -
Eps 043: Destigmatizing menopause, your agency in your own health, and body wisdom w. Monica Monfre
Monica Monfre is a long time friend, teacher, dancer, and BRCA1 positive genetic mutation holder. In this episode we talk through how she navigated the loss of her sister to breast cancer, and how that experience has shaped her life since – inevitably discovering her own predisposition to ovarian...
-
Eps 042: How to work with all the phases of the moon
The phases of the moon have been observed in awe and wonder for centuries. In this episode I discuss each of the 8 main phases, and how they're overlayed onto our days, months, years, eras in life, and even in the stages of our gardens (literal and figurative). This episode also acts as a…
more -
Lunar Series · November 2025: Taurus Full Moon & Scorpio New Moon
Hello November!! These lunations of this month are fortifying and cathartic. The Full Moon in Taurus on November 5th is BEAUTIFUL and deeply fulfilling and rejuvenating and it wants you to RECEIVE. The New Moon in Scorpio on November 20th is conjunct Mercury retrograde and wants us to uncover the...
-
Solar Series: Scorpio Season 2025
Welcome Scorpio season! The witchiest season of the year is here friends, and in these new few weeks ahead we have so much planetary support guiding us into flow, release, cathartic clearing, and deep integration and healing. Bc I'm actually very excited about this season, I start the episode...
-
Eps 041: Blazing a trail for women in business w. Joan Maloney (my mom)
Welcome to a very special episode! My incredible and inspirational mom, Joan Maloney, joins me to share a little of her backstory – the journey it took for her to get from small town book worm, to receptionist/delivery driver, to thriving business woman with a highly successful graphic design...
-
Eps 040: The Pillars of a Designed Life
I’m thrilled to be sharing this episode describing the pillars of what living a Designed Life means - the practices, processes, perspectives, etc. For so many years I’ve been operating with these pillars in my life and they’ve been infused into my work, but only recently did they fully coalesce...
-
Eps 039: Personal update - how I'm using my time while on a two week personal retreat
How often do we carve out time, to then only use it by succumbing to distraction or squandering it with petty little projects? How often do we arrive at a moment of spaciousness only to then not feel capable of immersing ourselves fully into it? In this episode I layout my schedule for the two...
-
Lunar Series · October 2025: Aries Full Moon & Libra New Moon
It may not be eclipse season anymore but these lunations are definitely serving spicy! The Aries Full Moon on October 6th will bring something fiery to the surface that requires your healing and attention. What in your relationships have you potentially be avoiding? Then the New Moon in Libra on...
-
Bonus Eps: Autumn Equinox 2025
Today marks the start of Fall here in the northern hemisphere, and in honor of the energetic pivot point, I'm sharing the audio accompaniment to my Autumn Equinox substack post. You can follow along with the article, and unlock the ritual for the Equinox if you are not a paid subscriber....
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
I'm a designer, astrologer and life coach who's always seeking for deeper understanding, meaning, and beauty – and I love doing it with other like-minded friends. I created The Designed Life to help you ask the bigger questions, explore the unexamined nooks and crannies of your own habits, behaviors and choices, and inevitably start aligning your daily decisions to create a more empowered and fulfilling life. In every episode you'll find stories, resources, and contemplations, from me and other entrepreneurs, curated to help you gracefully navigate a life that comes with no guide book.
HOSTED BY
Hollis M. M.
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Designed Life have?
The Designed Life currently has 115 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Designed Life about?
I'm a designer, astrologer and life coach who's always seeking for deeper understanding, meaning, and beauty – and I love doing it with other like-minded friends. I created The Designed Life to help you ask the bigger questions, explore the unexamined nooks and crannies of your own habits,...
How often does The Designed Life release new episodes?
The Designed Life publishes regularly with 115 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Designed Life?
You can listen to The Designed Life on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Designed Life?
The Designed Life is created and hosted by Hollis M. M..
URL copied to clipboard!