Chinese Astrology is a celebrated system used for thousands of years helping guide people towards success through more informed decision making. Here, I will explain what drew me to Chinese Astrology, focused my attention to master the art form, and travel around the world with the artwork I created from my studies. I will be teaching a class on Chinese Astrology at Spectra Art Space (1836 S Broadway, Denver CO), Sat Mar 2 1-3p. We will learn our lunar, month, and hour signs then create a collage of the traits from the reading. Tickets can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/learning-the-chinese-zodiac-tickets-55266053253.

I began by reading Theodora Lau’s the Handbook of Chinese Horoscope. Lau is a gifted teacher and illuminated the truly magical connections between each zodiac sign and their real world equivalent. The synchronicity and beauty of the system combine to create traits that harmonize in cycles of 12 and 4. Each year, month, and hour have specific energies recognized by the system of Chinese Astrology which harmonize with Chinese Medicine and a person’s health. There is an element for every two years beginning with years ending in 0 and 1 are metal, then water, wood, fire, earth for years 8 and 9. My latest series which premiered on tour through Australia in Nov 2018: The Chinese Zodiac Four Element Series takes a deeper look into the elemental nature of the zodiac and the harmonious combinations of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water.

Through my studies, I began to see trends and connections which made my vision clearer and inspired me to begin memorizing Lau’s book. Over several months in the summer and fall of 2017, I memorized Theodora Lau’s Handbook of Chinese Horoscope cover to cover. I practiced the system and used it regularly to memorize what I was learning. Repetition makes it real.

For example: I was born year of the Earth Dragon, associated with the sign of Aries is a powerful and strong visionary made consistent and a pillar of her community by way of the earth element. Next, I was born in the month of the Rabbit associated with the sign of Pisces to be creative, sweet, and ubiquitous. Finally, I was born in the hour of the Dog associated with the sign of Libra and the sign of balance, service, and honesty. Dragon and dog are opposite but when combined they form a bridge between East, Dragon, and West, Dog. Honestly, I dove so deeply into Chinese and Western Astrology to achieve a deeper look as to who I am and the world I create given the decision making abilities of my signs. The system gives me access to the flow we all know is the right way to go.

I am excited to teach “Learning the Chinese Zodiac” class on Mar 2 at Spectra Art Space. This class provides a general comprehension of the 12 sign Chinese Zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each student will receive a reading according to their astrological sign calculated by the birth year and month. Using the information from the reading, we will create collages of the traits of each student’s sign.

As common as astrology may seem, it is a skill and art to read each system. Astrology is part of nearly every culture because people have always sought to bridge the earth and stars. As a young girl, my mother taught me to make tamales and read the stars. Our conversations developed into who we are, strong women and builders who navigated our journey according to our lucky stars. As the ups and downs of the waves of life distracted and confused us, we learned to surf and grow better than our previous selves. Life is meant to be enjoyed. The Chinese Zodiac 4 Elements Series is Grace Noel Art’s latest series inspired by the accessibility and usability of Chinese Astrology to help female entrepreneurs grow their businesses as Grace and her mom did. Thus empowering native chicana women to achieve their dreams and rise above life’s challenges.

The Chinese Zodiac 4 Element Series had its international premier in November 2018. The originals premiered at RAW Ovation and then toured Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne Australia with RAW Australia Oasis for four weeks. Thanks to this series, I completed hundreds of readings for art patrons world wide and have grown to be an international artist with a presence on both coasts of the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The universe is where it all begins, literally and artistically. I am inspired by the stars, and always has been. The stars brought the family together, as I learned astrology from my mom who would talk endlessly about Western and Chinese astrology. At a very young age mom taught me the different constellations and planets looking into the indigo night sky. Mom knew the magic of the stars from constellations, astrology, identifying planets, and the old Chicana folk stories. They all flowed together like the electric yellow Milky Way. The stars have always been a place of magical traditions where anything is truly possible. Space: the final frontier and unknown, gives way to science fiction and stories of heavenly beings. The only other place similar in vastness is the ocean, which has less recorded knowledge than that of space. Similarly, the ocean births beings of light where not thought possible.

The vastness of space is where dreams come true. The stars enchanted me as a child and they still do.

About the Artist:

The vision behind Grace Noel’s artwork is the human connection to something larger than ourselves in our fundamental connection to the universe and stars. The mission of Grace’s Artwork is to express that we are all made of sunshine, sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow, so now it is time to go on a magical journey through the rainbow. Grace is a born and raised native Coloradoan whose family dates back farther than pioneer days. She is the niece of legendary Professor of Colorado History, Tom Noel, Ph.D: Dr. Colorado.

Her first series in 2015 depicted the constellations of the northern hemisphere. These works gave way to the HAWK series 2015-2017: A magical adventure of Hawk and her dogs as they traveled through space and time. In Spring 2018 Grace released:

“We are all made of sunshine. Sunshine makes the plants grow, the water flow, and the wind blow. So now it is time to go, on a magical journey through the rainbow.”

Grace Noel

Now, Grace turns sunshine into star signs with the Chinese Zodiac 4 Elements. Grace has been learning Chinese Astrology alongside western solar astrology her whole life as it was part of regular astrology lessons with mom. This 4 painting series combines the fire, earth, wind, and water groupings of 3 signs (trines) to complete 12 signs. Grace explains she likes Chinese Astrology for its ease of usability, relatability, and depth of inspiration. Anyone who meets Grace knows she is an expert Chinese Astrology and she always wants to know your birth day! “Birthdays are so special and significant, because they make a very special moment in a person’s life,” Grace says, as she explains her interest in astrology.

My vision for this series it to celebrate the magic of life with the Chinese Zodiac 4 Elements. Discover your star sign and and let it shine like the sun.