Backstage Beauty: More Edge, Less Establishment

The month of my session marked exactly a year since stylist-turned-esthetician Raquel Medina-Cleghorn opened the NY-based skin studio with business partner Erika Dunn, whom she met during her time as a lead esthetician at veteran Joanna Czech’s NY studio. I had heard rumors about Medina-Cleghorn's studio, and Willy Chavarria, Paloma Elsesser, and Emily Ratajkowski’s go-to esthetician, whom Simone Rocha visited ahead of the 2023 Met Gala. She recommended Monica, especially because of the "Astro-Analysis" that came along with her client-tailored sessions. When booking, Monica’s only available date was my birthday, a coincidence that felt somewhat like a brush with fate.

The session began with a consultation addressing my specific skin needs — dehydration and tightness. Despite my sensitive, acne-prone skin, and reluctance to let anyone touch my face, knowing Monica had experienced acne herself made the session more reassuring. The New York native has been into skincare as long as astrology, finding her passion for both in high school. We started with an exfoliating treatment, followed by a deep tissue lymphatic drainage massage, LED therapy, extractions, and a microcurrent massage. Throughout the session, she pointed out key placements in my natal chart, reading me better than any of those websites ever had. I left the facial feeling ready for 26. Read below. 

This session originally took place on March 11, 2024 and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Monica David — No allergies, right?

No, but my skin barely absorbs anything. That’s been a problem recently. Maybe I don’t drink as much water as I used to.

Are you exfoliating?

No, actually not really. I used to always exfoliate with an AHA or BHA. I’ve just gotten super lazy.

That’s probably it. This layer of dead skin on the surface is always piling up so your skin won’t absorb the product as well. Exfoliation is super important for that reason.

That makes sense, maybe I’ll start exfoliating again.

I can guarantee that you’re going to notice it gets better. So have you ever had a chart reading before?

Never by someone else.

Birth chart report from Co-Star

The computer-generated ones are pretty good, honestly. The readings I do are mini, not as in-depth as you would get with someone that can sit down with you for a few hours. I’ll go over the meat and potatoes of your chart.

I’ll start off by noting that there are two intense aspects between two planets — your moon aspecting Pluto. The moon represents our emotions, what brings us security and comfort, and also the relationship to the mother. Pluto is obsessive and intense. What I see here is a very deep wound in your family life and probably most closely associated with your mom in some way. My boyfriend has a similar, almost identical aspect, and he actually lost his mom to cancer. Can you confirm?

Yes, but my mom is still alive.

It could be generational trauma as well. It can mean that she's experienced a lot of loss in her life, therefore she is the way she is. Do you know about Chiron?

Not too much.

It’s an asteroid that represents our deepest wound. It's nicknamed the Wounded Healer. For you, it’s in your fourth house, which is really the base of the chart: it brings us security and builds our emotional responses because it represents your roots and your home — reflecting that wound in your family life. Would you consider yourself an emotional person?

Yes. I’d say that I’ve become more attuned to my emotions recently.

Your first house, the house of self, represents your physicality and how you’re perceived by people, especially their first reaction to you. People call it the mask. Your ascendant is Leo, even though in truth you're a Pisces, people are going to notice you: you’re going to light up a room like the sun. However, having your moon in your first house — your moon sign being Virgo — is going to deeply influence your overall self.

In your case, your true core is your moon sign, Virgo: it’s what brings you comfort, the emotional part of you — how you feel nurtured and how you nurture others. People with moon in the first house wear their heart on their sleeve. People can sense how you feel, it’s hard to hide even if you try.

I’d say that’s true.

Your sun is in your eighth house, which I personally like. The eighth is all about transformation through intense experiences regarding intimacy, sex, and loss. And money as well — other people's money. With sun in the eighth, you’re someone that likes to explore the depths of yourself. Intimacy is important. You don't like anything superficial. You want to connect and merge with another person on a much deeper level. A closer look at the eighth house would suggest that you may have an interest in taboo subjects or anything related to the occult. You may sometimes struggle with the emotional upheaval bubbling under the surface due to your Chiron, but it’ll also act as a positive aspect for healing and healing others.

Moon opposing Jupiter in the eighth house also suggests someone overly indulgent, quite emotional. The work you do is very creative and artistic, although you may be a bit picky and critical of it.

That tracks! I feel like I’m constantly changing through my relationships, especially romantic ones. Going through cycles of rebirth.

That’s exactly it. You’ll constantly experience metaphorical deaths and rebirths in this lifetime.

Wait I love that by the way. 

Yeah, lymphatic drainage is the best; you can actually feel the fluid leaving your face, the muscles tightening — everything feels lifted.

So, your north node is in your second house, which is related to our possessions, like the money we earn. You want to gain a sense of security in this life through your earnings and possessions. It will give you a sense of self-worth. While the eighth house is very deep and intimate, and other people’s money, the second is strictly material possessions. Okay now let’s put you under the red light.

What can you tell me about my romantic life?

So Jupiter — Pisces is naturally ruled by Jupiter — is in your eighth house, which means that you’ll benefit from exploring your shadow self. You’ll know yourself better, you’ll come to terms with it and know how to harness it. Jupiter brings good fortune, it's the planet of abundance. It being in the house of other people’s money, you might marry someone with an inheritance or [REDACTED].

Okay, I’m going to do extractions now — I’ll get this little one by your lip over here. So are you seeing anyone now?

No. I like someone. We talk often. It seems mutual but he lives in [REDACTED].

Oh that’s far. How old are you?

26.

Your transits right now are actually very favorable for a relationship at this moment because you have Venus and Mars transiting in your seventh house, which is the ultimate partnership house. It's like marriage partner. It's also good for business too, because it's your business partner, one-to-one relationships, contractual relationships. So it's literally either the person you're going to marry or the person you're opening a business with. So this could be a favorable time for you at work with someone that you work with, but it's also very favorable for creating a new relationship.

I feel like that could make sense.

There's potential for it right now simply because of what's going on in the sky. This is a favorable time for a new union. It doesn't ever mean that it's going to for sure happen, but it's more likely. Yeah. Okay. You have Jupiter in your 10th. This is going to be until 2025. This is great for your career, essentially abundance in your career, your status, how higher-ups see you. All of that stuff is looking really good for a little while. So this is a good time for you to make moves in your work and be seen in a very positive light, if that makes sense. Yeah. Feel renewed in optimism about your professional life. Very good for working with the public, stepping into the spotlight.

Good to know. I'll have to keep an eye out!

You’re also coming up on your Saturn return soon. Your Mercury, Mars and Saturn are in your ninth house, which represents expansion, foreign travel, higher education, different cultures, your morals and belief systems. When you get your Saturn return, it’ll be in this house. With these placements, you’re likely a great communicator. You may enjoy the process of learning and even teaching.

That all resonates. I want to move out of New York at some point and could definitely see myself being a teacher.