Today we’d like to introduce you to Cara Villarreal.
Hi Cara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story really starts with my tias. Growing up, I was always surrounded by their stories, their wisdom, their ways of caring for family, and those little pieces of cosmic and herbal relationships that stay with you. I didn’t fully understand how meaningful it all was when I was younger, but I knew there was something special about the way they moved through the world.
As I got older, some of my tias started to pass away, and I found myself thinking a lot about what happens to all that wisdom when the people who carried it are gone. Then I became a tia myself, and it was this really beautiful full-circle moment. I realized I wanted to carry their light and their legacy forward in my own way.
That led me deeper into astrology, tarot, plants, herbalism, and ritual. What started as a personal exploration became something I wanted to share with other people. Today, I offer readings and workshops, work with plants, and host Cosmic Tia (Podcast), where I get to have conversations about ancestry, ritual, healing, and the wisdom we inherit and carry forward.
I’m still very much a student, too. A big part of where I am today is learning Curanderismo (traditional holistic healing art practiced in Latin America) from elders, practitioners, and community, and then finding ways to share those teachings with care. For me, the work is really about connection to ourselves, to our ancestors, to the natural world, and to the generations that come after us.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a beautiful journey, even with the detours. There have definitely been seasons of grief, burnout, and having to find my way back to myself.
Grief has been a big teacher for me. It’s taught me to slow down, listen to my body, and make space for what I’m carrying rather than trying to push through it. Learning how to build something that is sustainable emotionally, physically, creatively, and spiritually is a part of the practice that I return to daily.
And I think that’s what makes the journey so beautiful. The detours have taught me just as much as the path itself. They’ve brought me closer to my voice, to my body, to my elders, and to a deeper understanding of what it means to carry something forward without losing myself in the process.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At the heart of everything I do is one question: **How do we build a relationship to the natural world around us, while remembering, nourishing, and tending to our roots?**
I’m an astrologer, tarot reader, herbalist, and the host of *Cosmic Tia* podcast, and my work is really about creating bridges between astrology and everyday life, between plants and ritual, between our bodies and our stories, and between the wisdom of our elders and the generations coming after us.
I offer readings, workshops, and community spaces where people can explore astrology, tarot, plants, ritual, ancestry, grief, and somatic expression. I love taking something that can feel mystical or complicated and bringing it down to earth asking, *How can this actually support you in this season of your life? How can you build a relationship with it?*
I’m especially passionate about celebrating culture and learning from trusted elders and practitioners and creating opportunities for that wisdom to be shared. I see myself as a bridge. I don’t see myself as someone who has all the answers. I’m continually learning, listening, and honoring the people who have taught me while finding ways to carry that knowledge forward.
I’m most proud of creating safe spaces where people feel like they can come as they are. Whether someone is sitting across from me for a tarot reading, attending a workshop, listening to *Cosmic Tia*, or exploring a plant or ritual for the first time, I want them to feel welcomed and empowered to develop their own relationship with their intuition.
What sets my work apart is that it’s deeply rooted in relationship. I’m not interested in spirituality as something separate from real life. I’m interested in how these practices can help us connect to our bodies, our ancestors, our communities, the natural world, and ultimately to ourselves.
And *Cosmic Tia* really embodies that. It’s my way of being a tia in the world, sharing what I’ve learned, staying curious, telling stories, and helping hold the lantern for others.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is connection and making sure that we preserve the wisdom and traditions that connects us to one another.
I care deeply about my relationships, my community, my ancestors, and the people who have poured their wisdom into me. I think so much of what we need is already around us in our stories, in our elders, in our bodies, in nature, in the plants, and in the traditions that have been carried before us.
My tias passing made that really clear to me. It made me understand how precious it is to have someone share their stories, their knowledge, and their way of seeing the world with you. And becoming a tia made me realize that I’m also responsible for what I choose to carry forward.
So what matters to me is being a good ancestor in the making. I want to live in a way that leaves something nourishing behind not necessarily something big or perfect, but stories, resources, relationships, and a sense of belonging that someone else can pick up and continue.
I also care deeply about learning how to do that without abandoning myself. I’ve learned through burnout and grief that being of service doesn’t mean giving everything away. I want my work, my relationships, and my life to be rooted in reciprocity in giving, receiving, resting, listening, and continuing to grow.
Ultimately, I want to help create a world where people feel more connected to themselves, to each other, to the natural world, and to the people who came before them. That feels like a meaningful way to spend my life.
Pricing:
- Sliding Scale Remote Readings Available
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caravillarreal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carastateofmind/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CosmicTia
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mUcMRzYPdawfPRFMn9uQQ?si=c6fbfe72cab84730
