We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Lopez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.
Kimberly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
In 2020, I was working for a tax company. It was still the early days of the pandemic. We had just returned to work in the office in May after working from home for two months after the lockdown started. My job was already incredibly stressful, essentially a bulk of my day was spent just being yelled at by our clients while the higher-ups pushed us to drag out their cases to siphon as many fees as possible from people who were already struggling. The job felt like an ethical mismatch once I understood what was expected of us as the months working there rolled by. And once COVID hit, the environment felt much more hostile. On top of that, I was on edge being back in the office so early, with next to no precautions being taken to prevent any of us from contracting and spreading COVID.
My situation at work was taking its toll, and I felt immense guilt about the feelings I was having. This job was an answered prayer less than a year prior. I had been freelancing for three years, but I was influenced by the well-intentioned advice from loved ones who kept trying to push me towards a more “stable” socially acceptable option. Being true to my nature, I bought candles, wrote intentions, and meditated on the job I wanted. I had a few criteria I was looking for: a short commute ideally where I didn’t have to get on the freeway (I do live in Southern California after all), a flexible schedule, and of course a certain pay rate. With this job, all of those were fulfilled. Plus, I also had my own cubicle for the first time that I could decorate all cute. But here I was, only nine months later, and I was incredibly unhappy and overwhelmed with this desire to quit. It felt ungrateful to have these thoughts, but they were too strong to ignore.
The climate in the office was worsening. I was being reprimanded for following a manager’s orders, but when it didn’t pan out how they planned, I was the one being thrown under the bus. I had shared with some of my closest friends and family that I didn’t think I could keep pushing through. I was dealing with heart palpitations and insomnia, all things I didn’t have a history of. I had never dealt with any sort of anxiety disorder before, so to have these physical manifestations of stress and anxiety daily, I couldn’t ignore what my body was trying to tell me.
One day, I was sitting through a conference call in my cubicle and completely zoned out of the discussion. It had already been a few weeks that I had been trying to suppress the feelings of needing to quit, but they were growing. As I sat through that call, I said a little prayer in my head, “God, Universe, whoever. If I should quit my job, if you’ll support me if I do this, let me see a hawk on my walk at break. Please! Show me this sign, and I know I should leave.” The call ended, and I went to go walk on my break.
For the first ten minutes or so, I completely forgot about my request. I was about a third of the way through my normal route when I suddenly remembered my meeting time prayer. Right away, I started to look up at the sky, frantically searching for a sign of any bird, let alone a Hawk. Normally, I’d see tons of birds circling overhead, but this day? The skies were empty. I felt a wave of disappointment settle in. As I was getting ready to head back, the parking lot I was in was lined with trees, making the sky a lot less visible. My head slumped as the sadness set in. Maybe this was my sign that I needed to endure the hell I was in and stay put. At this moment I looked up in front of me, and what did I see? No feathered friend flying in the sky, no. It was Hawk, sitting atop the post of a chain link fence, less than ten feet away from me.
I let out an audible gasp! I was in such shock I froze in place. There was no one else around. No cars between myself and my new friend. I couldn’t believe it. I had seen hawks before flying overhead and maybe perched atop an electrical post in the distance, but never this close. Hawk sat there majestically unbothered. They remained calm as I slowly walked closer to it. It didn’t budge, it felt like they were inviting me to get a closer look. I pulled out my phone, hands trembling, as I tried to take pictures. After getting about a dozen or so, I stood there, in both disbelief and admiration. My prayer, my question, had been answered in this undeniable way. At that moment, I was basking in this incredibly rare chance to be in communion with this animal, aware of how beautiful this moment was on so many levels. It was time that I had to head back from break, I thanked my dear Hawk friend, and they didn’t fly away until I started to leave. Driving home how much I felt like they were there for me. As I walked back, I sent my best friend a breathless video message of what had just happened. I had to share this surreal encounter.
Believe it or not, I didn’t just quit right then and there, though I did feel pretty hyped up to do so. I felt that I needed just a bit more confirmation. Soon after my Hawk visitation, I booked a card reading with someone who I had been familiar with in my online community, and who seemed to garner a lot of trust with her clients. I asked, “What is the energy around me quitting my job before having another lined up?” Before she started to pull the cards, she lovingly gave me a bit of a disclaimer from herself. She advised against it, encouraging me to work on getting another position lined up before I did it. After that quick precaution, she pulled the first card and it said “YES.” That was the only word on the card.
With this second confirmation, I felt I had my answer. That week I put in my two-week notice. I had no other position lined up, and no real concrete plan on what my next steps were. I just knew that if I was going to figure any of that out, I needed to leave first. I wouldn’t be able to let any new possibilities ruminate if I was still in a place that stifling. I know in my core had I not made the decision I did, had I not taken that risk that everyone was advising against, even if I had gotten another job before quitting, The Astral Priory would not have existed. There would have been no room for me to usher it in. And I knew then that I was to welcome something in, even if I didn’t know what that was.
Kimberly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I founded The Astral Priory back in 2021. I started delving deeper into more non-religious spirituality in 2013/2014. I grew up as a Mexican-American Catholic and spent the first 13 years of my education attending Catholic school. When I was young I seriously considered becoming a Nun. Drawn to the idea of living a life of spiritual contemplation, however, I didn’t feel beholden to upholding the doctrine. When I allowed myself to start exploring different facets of spirituality outside religion, I was exposed to new perspectives and sets of knowledge that weren’t rooted in shame or demonization. Alternative modalities helped me get through difficult times in my life, especially towards the end of my 20s and early 30s.
In 2017, the Akashic Records somehow crossed my path. I had never heard of it before, but I booked my first session and was blown away. The question-and-answer format was familiar, but the feedback I was receiving was eerily on point. I felt like this reader had been watching my life, a person that was a stranger to me. They informed me that they may have not been watching me, but the Akashic Records were. I would gift myself this reading yearly for my birthday, and in 2019 I decided to take an Akashic 101 course with a now dear friend and mentor, Leah Garza of Crystals of Altamira. It was the first time I had dipped my toe into directly working with a modality, rather than just being on the receiving end of a reading. I loved it, but there was also a big part of me that was saying, “Who do you think you are thinking you can cut out the middle man?” I felt I hadn’t yet earned that privilege.
It wasn’t until I quit my job the following year at the tax company, that I decided to participate in more classes that centered on being more active in accessing my spiritual guides and gifts. You also have to remember that this was still the midst of year one of the pandemic. Everything was being held on Zoom and there was an abundance of classes and workshops being held online. I took several with another now mentor of mine, Jasmin aka Esoteric Esa, who after working with me during several of her classes, was the one who encouraged me to take a leap of faith in offering Akashic readings myself as we needed more Latinas in these spaces. Self-doubt crept its ugly face back in, and I wrestled with that possibility for a bit. Again feeling, “Who am I to do this? Am I ready to hold that space for other people?” The answer was, “Yes.”
When I launched The Astral Priory, I started by offering general Akashic Records readings. Eventually, I included limited-time readings at different times of the year that focused on parental relationships and love. Those are some of my most popular offerings. In 2022, I introduced a really special service called Ancestor Altar Art. It is a mix of consulting your Records to get some insight into a particular ancestor, then taking that knowledge and creating art with it. I have always been a creative and artistic person, and this was a way I could merge my passions. I have created some powerful artwork to honor my grandparents and great-grandmother. It is my way of venerating them, a way to have a Dia de Muertos altar up year-round. Recently, this offering has moved to only being available during the fall months, so it will make its return next year!
The work that I’m most passionate about is Dream Tending. Dream Tending is a method of working with dreams cultivated in the vein of Jungian principles and rooted in depth psychology. My entire life I’ve experienced very vivid dreams, often dark and disturbing. Memories I have from childhood I’m not quite sure are memories, or if they’re memories of dreams. Working with numerous therapists, healers, psychics, and readers, any time I brought up dreams that I felt had significant messages for me, no one knew what to do with them. Aside from giving me a few cursory image interpretations, I hadn’t encountered anyone who knew how to open up dreams.
It was while taking a year-long course called Living Systems, that I was introduced to Dream Tending. This work felt immediately resonant to me. Since that moment, I’ve received two certifications in Dream Tending over the last two years. My goal when working with people’s dreams is not to focus on “what does this all mean?!” We take the time to allow the images to open up, the messages to unfold, and a relationship to build with Dream. Approaching Dream with the intent of letting the journey unfurl, and making space to partake in deep imagination. I truly feel that my relationship with working with the Akashic Records, allows me to open up to forge a greater communion with the dream realm.
This work is so incredibly important, particularly with the current state of the world. Over this past year, there have been many people who have shared with me how the frequency of violent and disturbing images in their dreams has increased substantially. It was not lost on me that while many of us have witnessed genocide happen in Gaza, live-streamed in the palm of our hands, these persistent horrific images have increased our collective trauma. The number of people I’ve seen share on social media that they can’t sleep because the violence replays in their dreams cannot be ignored. I too have noticed how my dreams have been affected, and how often themes of fear and brutality occur. Over the last year, I’ve held two Community Dream Tending sessions for the public to help hold space for us to share these dreams and acknowledge that we aren’t alone in our collective experience of them.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The work I do now was never the work I thought I’d be doing when I was a kid. I didn’t know this was a possibility! Since I was eight years old, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I had a long-time love of Barbies, but my favorite part of Barbies was their wardrobe! Since I couldn’t have this endlessly expansive closet filled with these elaborate dresses and gowns, at least I could live vicariously through my dolls! When I watch movies, my focus is always on the costumes rather than the plot. That’s why my favorite kind of shows and movies to watch are always period pieces. The costumes are so magical; they make something worth watching for me.
I went to school for design and received my Bachelor’s Degree from Cal State Long Beach in Textiles and Clothing (Fashion Design). After I graduated, I completed a program for Collections Management for Costume and Textiles through Long Beach as well. I even did an apprenticeship working in the vault of a famous, hundred-year-old costume house in Burbank. My job was handling and archiving a collection of antique costumes that were worn by the likes of Rudolph Valentino and Lucille Ball. But the epitome of fame for me was being able to touch a costume worn by Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. That was my “I can die happy now” moment.
I had every expectation that the end all for me would be in the fashion industry. For several years after college, I did work in the industry for a few different clothing manufacturers and even in styling. I had it in my head that I wanted to start my own clothing line of vintage-inspired looks. But I felt like something was holding me back. When it came down to it, I wanted to help people. No matter how I tried to rationalize it, I couldn’t make it make sense. Sure, fashion can help people feel good about themselves when they wear something they love. It can help them express their creativity and personality, but it can also be very wasteful. The industry at large is a huge driver of overconsumption that gravely impacts the effects of climate change. A big part of me was hesitant to be a part of that. Interestingly enough, when I started to conceive the plans for The Astral Priory, there was no hesitation or creative blocks. It flowed out so naturally like it had been waiting to be released.
There’s a funny trend going around social media asking, “All of my eldest daughter, neurodivergent, Latinas, what career helping people did you end up in?…” So maybe in reality there was no other option when it came down to it. Perhaps my life circumstances made it so I was destined to move in the direction I did, but you have to find the humor in that. I want to mention that I still do work in costume construction. This is way more hands-on, which is the aspect of fashion I always enjoyed: seeing something taken from an idea and watching it come to life. My favorite time of year is when the Renaissance Faire comes to L.A. It’s the one time I know I’ll be creating something fun and elaborate for myself!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The thing that has been most effective at growing my clientele has been signing up for classes and workshops with other people I trust and admire in my field. I don’t sign up for classes intending to garner new clients, but it inevitably happens when I’m asked to share what I do, or when the person who is holding that space shares how they’re familiar with my work. I truly believe it’s important for people in any field to never stop learning. I believe the more diverse those teachers you have the better. It broadens your perspectives and worldviews, and when your work focuses on helping people, having an expansive perspective is invaluable. It improves your capacity to empathize with those who place their trust in you.
I’m very fortunate to be able to say that most of my clients have found me through word of mouth. I’m always flattered when I ask how someone came across my work, and they tell me someone I admire sent them. There’s truly no greater feeling for me than that. But beyond building clientele, the best part of participating in classes and workshops is that it truly builds community. I’ve met so many wonderful and inspiring people over the years that I would have never met if I hadn’t invested in myself by signing up for all of the classes I have and gently pushing myself to move past my comfort zone. In turn, I have a long list of people at my disposal that I’m always happy to recommend to those in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theastralpriory.com
- Instagram: @theastralpriory
Image Credits
All photos taken by Kimberly Lopez. All artwork created by Kimberly Lopez.