Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracey Rogers.
Tracey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Wow – that’s a question. I would have to say that my “story” is a series of random yet fortunate events that gets better as I get older. I don’t even know where to begin.
I’m originally from Philadelphia, the youngest of three. My parents were never married, and, I have a strong relationship with both (I often refer to my dad as my “spirit,” and my mom as my, “heart.”) I had a pretty good childhood growing up; I don’t remember wanting for much. That’s not to say I had everything – I had what I needed and always felt cared for, loved, secure, and protected. It also helped that I came from a pretty strong and loyal family lineage.
One of the many things my parents got right with me was that they always indulged my creativity and curiosities. I was interested in everything – astrology, wrestling (WWE and GLOW. Remember GLOW? “Glamorous Ladies Of Wrestling!”), writing, playing the piano, bible study, cheerleading, and so much more. I was an active kid with a healthy imagination, and my parents indulged it all.
We left philly when I was nine years old and moved to the suburb of Norristown. I attended private/catholic schools that were predominately white up until high school, which did have an effect on my identity as a black woman when I was a young adult. In fact, by the time I got to high school, I had a difficult time fitting in. Black kids thought I was “too white,” and I didn’t want to lose what was left of my, “black card,” by hanging with the white kids. This led to college being terrifying (lol!), but I managed.
My high school years were the best – college, not so much. What kept me thriving in high school were sports, namely cheerleading. I loved it. It was one of those “curiosities” that “stuck” from my childhood. I even won an athletic scholarship to cheer at Temple University, which I did for a couple of years – it was amazing! The biggest highlight was cheering at Madison Square Garden in NYC for the NCAA Men’s Division Basketball Final Four tournament.
Aside from cheerleading, however, college was a tough time. I refer to those years as my, “dark years,” having to navigate the brutal murder of my first love, and desperately trying to find myself. My time studying abroad at Temple’s campus in Rome, Italy, was a turning point and game changer, however. I rediscovered my faith during that time, made some amazing friends, and found/reclaimed pieces of me that had been lost.
I graduated from Temple University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and worked on a number of political campaigns after college – Joe Lieberman’s presidential campaign out of New Hampshire and Rod Blagojevich’s gubernatorial campaign in Illinois (yup, the governor who went to jail!), to name a few.
Campaign life eventually brought me to the DMV to run a city council race, and when that ended, I was hired to work for John Kerry in Detroit, Michigan during his 2004 presidential bid. Unfortunately, I was so burnt out and quite turned off by politics by that point. So, I decided to stay in the DMV (and would for the next 16 years!).
I went on to get my master’s degree in international education with a focus on Arab Studies and Islamic Culture. The rediscovery of my faith in Rome piqued my interests in other religions and spiritual faiths. Upon graduating, I landed an amazing job with a non-profit in DC managing an international high school exchange program funded by the US Department of State. During my tenure, I mentored many youth and traveled the world – the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, South America, and beyond. I met great people and chosen family with whom I’m still connected today, and was (still am) very grateful for every minute of the experience.
About four years in, however, I was itching for the “next thing,” anticipating that I would remain in the field of international education/development. Little did I know I would be going in an entirely new direction – astrology.
As mentioned, I was always interested in learning astrology growing up, regularly absorbing some aspects of it since I was a kid. I was so fascinated that I even wanted to name all my children after Greek gods – Demeter, Juno, Persephone – archetypes from classical myth that influenced the interpretations of the planets and constellations above.
I also come from a line of spiritualists on my dad’s side. There were other readers (tarot, astrology, etc.) and seers who taught me well. You could say it runs in my veins – I was surrounded by esoteric beliefs, mindsets, and awareness.
While figuring out my next career move, I decided to try some new hobbies and get back to what never failed me – indulging curiosity. I tried rollerblading, which was a disaster that landed me in the ER on a full moon. I began visiting local settings and neighboring cities to explore new terrain. I also started writing a blog called, “Randomness of Rudy,” which would later become the name of my YouTube channel. I blogged about random things – thoughts and topics that inspired me – and used it as a platform for expression.
I would send this blog to my friends and have wonderful conversations around the content. Then one day, for the first time, I decided to write horoscopes as a blog. Specifically, I wrote about the transit of Mars through the sign of Leo (a transit that will be in effect by the time this piece gets published!). When I wrote this particular blog, three things happened: a) something took over as if divine energy intervened and wrote the horoscopes for me. b) I was shocked by how good they turned out and how easy it was to write them (there is a process to horoscope writing that many people don’t realize). c) I thoroughly enjoyed it!
When I sent this blog to my friends, I got a lot of feedback, specifically from folks wanting astrology readings. I even had a friend encourage me to only blog about astrology going forward. So, I did just that and began giving astrology readings. I knew so much and began applying what I had learned over the years; turned out, I had a gift. Eventually, things started to develop and unfold in ways I couldn’t have imagined on my own.
About a year into this new “hobby,” a friend of mine was invited to an event being hosted by nationally syndicated talk radio host Russ Parr of the, “Russ Parr Morning Show” (I listened to Russ growing up in Philadelphia!). My friend invited me as her plus-one, and when we arrived at the VIP happy hour, Russ was there.
Expecting nothing to come of it, I approached him and offered to come on his show if he needed an astrologer. He gave me his card, told me to email him, and said he would, “see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises.” That was on a Tuesday. I emailed him the next day on Wednesday, and was on his show by Friday of that week (forever grateful to him for the opportunity). I did the Russ Parr show about every other week for a little over a year and began to build a client base. Then, things started developing more quickly.
I began renting office space to give readings part-time (first, in Silver Spring, MD, then, in Alexandria, VA). With the support of my colleagues at my “real job,” I was able to gradually cut back my hours as I began to build my astrology practice, and would soon go down to part-time there. I got certified as a life coach to supplement my work as an astrologer. Finally, after almost 10 years of managing the high school exchange program, I left my position and began focusing on my astrology and life coach practice full-time. That was in 2015.
It was around the same time that I also became more active in social justice movements – namely the Movement for Black Lives, Women’s Empowerment, and Palestinian Rights. I had been organizing since my political days in college and would go on to lead teach-ins on white supremacy, direct actions, travel to Palestine as part of a witness delegation, and receive the coveted Charles P. Monroe Award for Civil Rights by the Arlington, VA chapter of the NAACP.
Needless to say, my time in the DMV was prosperous and rewarding. And, it was a chapter that reached an end in 2019; I decided to move back home to Philadelphia right before shut down in 2020. By the grace of god, my business continued to flourish as a consulting astrologer, certified life coach, and, at that point, a DEI professional. This remains true in 2023; I find myself at a place in life in my early 40s where I feel very content, happy, purposeful, and proud of how I’ve lived and what I’ve achieved to date. My next chapter will involve a husband and family – so mote it be – and I look forward to how that storyline unfolds!
That’s why I say my story has been a series of random yet fortunate events that gets juicier as I evolve and mature. The working title of my memoir would be something like, “my extraordinary ordinary life.” Life for me has been pretty simple, for the most part, with out-of-this-world thrills, plot twists, and turns peppered throughout. I’m extremely blessed and overwhelmed with gratitude for the life I get to live in this incarnation. Thanks so much for this space to tell my story!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, I would say that, yes, this journey has been mostly a smooth road; roads tend to be smooth when you’re on the right one! That’s not to say there weren’t challenges and obstacles along the way. But for whatever reason, be it a firm faith, good upbringing, or personality traits/attributes, I’ve always lived from a place of wonder (and wander), which has always landed me on solid ground.
Yes, I’ve been influenced by my peers, my family, society, other viewpoints, and opinions. But I’ve always had the courage to go in the direction reflective of my truth, even when it was scary, unpopular, and meant I had to sit through uncertainty. I’ve never been a “five-year planner.” I’m not super ambitious as much as I am just that curious, and I could never “settle” for anything less than what feeds my soul.
I’ve got a passionate spirit, in other words, that keeps me pursuing whatever piques my interest, and I’ve always been this way – a true hustler in that regard. I genuinely believe that this is what has inspired the adventure that has been/currently is my life.
I would also add that my experience building my astrology practice taught me a major life lesson that may very well be my life’s mantra, and that is to always be in flow. I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going while building my practice because I had never done anything like it before. I had anchors in place (family, steady income, friends, etc.), and a ton of support. But I still had to take leaps of faith and trust an unfolding process – a process that was natural and organic, but still required me to do my part.
I remember a family friend once said that what we call “luck” is really just preparation + opportunity. I was putting in the work to prepare and take advantage of new opportunities because I was motivated, excited, and, turned out, a gifted astrologer. But the higher power in my life that I call, “God” literally did the rest. There is no way in hell I could have imagined or envisioned this path all on my own.
And so, I try to live my life in flow. There is so much I still do not know about what I am supposed to be doing, and I have very little control of anything aside from what I actually can control, e.g., how I respond to life, how I show up in life, my thoughts and mindset, etc. I’m intentional with where I put my energy – if there’s force, that isn’t it. When it flows, I go there.
I’m grateful to have learned this at a pretty early age. Again, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t terrified as hell, and of course, there have been plenty of times when I tried to make things happen with sheer will and little reward. But my lived experience has taught me that everything meant for you comes with ease. I initiate with action and intention (not force), and then open to receive. That’s my practice.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a consulting astrologer, a certified life coach, and a DEI professional. I give astrology readings (one-on-one, in group settings, and at events), do life coaching, consult on DEI practices in the workplace, write baby astrology books, and lead astrology/coaching group programs, salons, and seminars.
What sets me apart from other astrologers is that I write baby astrology books and draw astrological birth charts by hand! Writing baby books is my favorite thing – imagine having an instruction manual on how to navigate your child’s needs, how they communicate, where they thrive, and where they feel challenged by learning about their full astrological make-up beyond just the Sun sign. These are lifelong unique treasures that tell the story of a child’s personality by capturing how the stars and planets above were aligned at their moment of birth.
I’d like your readers to know that I have been practicing astrology professionally for over 10 years, with lifelong experience. I have been featured as a contributing astrologer in publications like Orpah Winfrey Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, brides.com, the Washington Post, etc., and on nationally syndicated TV Shows including Newsy TV and CBS Sunday Morning.
My readings are life-inspiring, accurate, and no-nonsense! I give it to you straight, in other words. If that’s not convincing enough, then check my Yelp reviews. I’m an expert in my field and good at what I do. As a black astrologer, I’m proud to represent my community.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have so many! Going to my dad’s family reunions was always a highlight. He was the youngest of nine and I have a lot of cousins! I also always enjoyed spending time doing different activities with my big sisters, my mom, and my grandparents (travel, holidays, trips to the mall, etc.). I have a small and large family on my mom and dad’s side, respectively, and so really got the best of both worlds.
I also enjoyed bike riding when I was little, exploring the creek in our backyard in the burbs, wearing the same pair of jeans every day after school, and playing in the dirt (I was the “mudpie queen.”) I liked going to bible study, while cheerleading from a young age will always be memorable, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: traceylrogers.com and babyastrologybooks.com
- Instagram: @trae2u, @baby_astrology_and_books, @astrozenjournals
- Facebook: @TLRAstrologerandLifeCoach
- Linkedin: @TraceyRogers
- Twitter: @RofRtrae2u
- Youtube: @RandomnessofRudy
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tracey-l-rogers-arlington
