My name is Thea Lizardo. I’m an Astrologer, growth-hacker, a mystic, moon-child and cosmic seafarer.
I blend Astrology, Jungian Psychology and Mysticism as rudders to assist people to navigate the cosmic tides and anchor them to a deeper understanding of themselves and their connection to the planet as a path to environmental awareness and greater social change.
Corporate roots in marketing, advertising, digital media, retail and technology in Singapore and the Philippines. In my past life, I helped corporations transform their businesses through frameworks and growth hacks that enable digitization and ecommerce. From startups and digital transformation to radical personal transformation, from performance marketing and retail to embodiment and social change. My mantra as inspired by Gandhi is "be the change you wish to see, the collective starts with I”
I founded ma-ta in 2018, a brainchild of a dream I had after my first trip to Sagada. The night I arrived from the trip I saw Conservation International’s Nature is Speaking Campaign, specifically Julia Roberts’ voice over to Mother Nature. That night, I dreamt of Mother Willow waking me up and asking me to help her.
"mata" means “to awaken" in Ilonggo. I was born in Bacolod but raised and grew up in Manila. Ilonggo is my first language.
That big aha moment of finding a name after the dream, worthy to mention that it was also my Saturn Return (which is a big maturation stage in Astrology, a time when Saturn returns to the sign he is at the time you were born) I felt a need nudge as though I was called to “save” Mother Nature! That week, I filed my resignation and sent an email to Conservation International, buried myself in ideation and strategy for mata.
It was to be a marketplace for sustainable and artisanal goods, a platform to spark awareness and build collaborative movements towards love and compassion. With funding from Angel Investors, we were to build an eCommerce Management System to help small businesses manage their inventories and orders and a directory for NGOs and conservationists to improve communication, donations and knowledge exchange.
Neck deep in tech and conservation work, the harsh realities of data, the dark web, infra and budget - rather the lack thereof (especially for NGOs) rendered me hateful, frustrated, though burning with passion still to “save the world”, I was infuriated by the lack of empathy and awareness of the majority, the power, greed and control held by the minority. It wasn’t a loving and compassionate path anymore.
Fast forward to today, mata’s ethos remain the same but instead of propagating through tech and marketing I pivoted to Astrology and Mysticism. Quoting Rumi Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world, today I am wise so I am changing myself.
How long have you been practicing your craft?
I’ve always felt myself straddling between paradoxes. Provincial - City Life, Nature - Concrete, Topside and the Underworld. Writing this may seem like such a cliche but I feel like I’ve been “practicing” for this my whole life. Being in the province our go to doctors are the Albolaryos or medicine woman. In college I was invited to participate in the Philippine chapter of the Religious Science of Man Center. There I learned about the many different thesis of world religions, energy work, universal laws (intro to Sacred Geometry, Law of Energy), meditation, yoga, mediumship and many occult modalities. I gravitated towards Astrology and have been in serious mentorship and study for four years now. My diploma courses in Psychology started last year.
What’s your daily self-care ritual like?
Before I got married, I would wake up to greet the sun with asanas and mantras (specifically for Jupiter and Saturn). At present, its the Sunset that calls to my practice. Have mostly been honoring endings and the amount of presence I give at every given moment of the day. My daily non-negotiables though are bath salts and slathering moon charged body oils. I cleanse and charge myself every time I bathe, I charge in the morning and cleanse in the evening. I like citrus and olive infused oils during the day to charge my body, my container and protect my auric field as I slather the oils with self loving strokes.
What products/items have you been using for your daily rituals?
I love Rella’s Aphrodite Ritual Body Oil as my daily night cap. I take a couple of drops warmed in a small container, infuse it with a gratitude prayer and massage this all over my body after a warm cleansing bath to close the day. Lighting candles, drinking teas from herbs in my garden, cacao and diffusing oils are also part of my daily ritual. I’m quite sensitive to “senses” so I love making my environment clean, tidy, aesthetically pleasing with ambient lo-fi Jazz beats or classical melodies (depending on my mood) but definitely music, candles, oils and water. Incorporating all the elements, ritualising and making every day menial tasks as sacred as possible.
Whats you sacred space like?
Before my marriage, my room is my sacred space, with my altar for my daily meditation and asanas. As I opened up to more esoteric and mystical practices it became more important to contract my auric field and control when, how and where I expand it. So I am honing my body to become my sacred space. I still keep my altar with my favorite crystals and rocks I collect from my travels - mostly to charge my physical body. I keep crystals beside me always, the crystal depends on my intention for that moment. I also extend the sacredness across the house. Honouring the cardinal directions with their favorite elements. In Feng Shui North likes Fire, East - Air, West - Water, South - Earth. So I hang Chimes, place Salt Lamps, Black Tourmaline (my favorite protective stone)
What do you do to calm yourself on a stressful day?
I'm loving Ninma’s Botanical Sprays for quick recharges, HerAwakening’s grounded blend really help me center, Kalikhasan’s Ulap Body Oil is also a favorite. On relatively stressful days, Herbal Smokes and extra tab of Ceremonial Grade Cacao (from Maya Cacao) mixed with Ashwagandha, Damask Rose & Radiant Heart tinctures from Ninma with Bhakti and Kirtan. Shiva is a go to, as the One who dissolves and awakens. Ganapati or Ganesh is also a go to. Listening to and singing with Snatam Kaur even for just 10 minutes does wonders to lift my soul. Sitting in reverence to the divine within and without always puts things in perspective for me. On extra extra extra days, I love simmering in a bath with salts, rose petals, peppermint and lavender oils, candles lit around the bathroom, airpods on to the sermons of my favorite teacher - Alan Watts and just soak until my fingers are wrinkly.
The most ideal answer is to take a dip in the ocean or a quick trip to the mountains, but alas - urban living.
Follow Thea on Instagram at @thealizardo
and mataphilippines at @mataphilippines