An Acupuncturist AND a Pharmacist?

The crash of June 2008 marked a pivotal moment in my life, both financially and emotionally. At the time, I was balancing a steady acupuncture practice and life as a single mom of three boys. When the economy collapsed, so did much of my business, and I knew I needed a more stable, economy-proof career. Child support would end in a few years, and I couldn’t risk instability. I turned to my pre-med Biology degree and asked myself how to create a sustainable future.

Medical school was too long and demanding for a single mom, but pharmacy seemed like a practical choice. It offered stability, used my scientific background, and complemented my work as an acupuncturist, especially as I often worked with patients combining pharmaceuticals and herbs. Pharmacy school became the logical route to support myself and my children.

The theme of “support” runs deeply through my life, not just vocationally, but relationally as well. My mother, who has always been financially supported through her marriages and partnerships, provided the imprint of relying on external support. On the other hand, my dad, who has struggled financially through his vocations, rarely modeled successful self-sufficiency. In my first marriage, I was fully financially supported by my husband. I had the opportunity to stay home with my children while eventually completing my Biology degree, yet the support stopped at finances. Emotional support, creative support, or even intellectual support only existed if my ideas aligned with his. Though I had the security of financial stability, I felt profoundly alone, unable to express my true self or step into my truest nature, yet eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to be the 24/7 mother during my children’s early years. This was truly a gift.

In 2000, when I became a single mom, I carried some financial support into the next chapter of my life, but now the weight of vocational independence was mine to bear. Over the next ten years, I learned to follow my heart and listen and takes steps through my inner truth. When I met my second husband in 2009, the support dynamic shifted again. He offered spiritual support and provided a home for me during pharmacy school, but the pendulum had swung. By the time of our divorce in 2015, I was carrying a full financial weight, again without emotional support. Since then, this past decade has been about finding stability within myself, balancing the masculine and feminine energies of internal and external support, and redefining what support means to me, including opening and experiencing the idea of being a Universally supported human being living through my heart and sharing my gifts in my most authentic way.

This tension between external support and self-sufficiency shaped my journey on the Oregon coast. Moving to Coos Bay in October of 2016, I sought healing and survival, drawn to the ocean’s negative ions and grounding presence. Over the next seven years, I worked tirelessly to prove I could stand on my own. My children, thankfully, have all inherited their father’s steadfast work ethic and drive, while seemingly following their hearts and passions as they move through their careers. Yet, for me, compromise (the shadow of the 14th Gene Key) loomed. By early 2019, I was juggling five part-time roles, some acupuncture, some pharmacy, some as favors to others with the high demand of healthcare workers on the coast, none of which offered full stability or benefits. Eventually, I consolidated into a full-time hospital position, but even that came with compromises managing two vocations within a system that was not aligned with either.

These years taught me how to stabilize myself financially and emotionally, but they also left little room for balance in other areas of life. Healthy partnerships and companionship took a back seat to vocation and survival. The self-sufficiency I achieved came at a cost, with little space to nurture relational intimacy or collaboration.

Now, in November 2024, the current Taurus full moon energizing my 10th house of career, Saturn stationing and moving direct in my 8th house of transformation, and the contemplation of the 14th Gene Key—all of these astrological influences are helping me see this cycle more clearly. The Gene Key 14, connected to my Purpose in the Venus Sequence, speaks to the shadow of compromise, and this has been a recurring theme in my journey.

This reflection has deepened my commitment to exploring the Gene Keys Venus Sequence, with the focus on relationships. My Purpose—the first sphere of the Venus Sequence—reveals how deeply compromise and support are intertwined in my life. As I work to release the dross of external authorities and rest in this newfound awareness, I sense the spaciousness I need to create my new world. From this space of clarity and rest, I may finally have the ability and openness to welcome another into my life.

Being back in Colorado, living near my mom and youngest son, feels like the beginning of a new chapter. As 2025 approaches, I feel drawn toward simplicity, focusing on TCM (acupuncture, herbal medicine, feng shui, & astrology) the Gene Keys, and Human Design, while continuing as an integrative pharmacist—on my terms. I see myself continuing to provide evidence-based therapies and recommendations through my private practice, using the knowledge and experience I’ve gained in helping patients manage their medications, supplements, and more without compromising my own health, well-being, or integrity.

The theme of support is evolving in my life. Pharmacy gave me financial stability when I needed it most, while acupuncture has always brought me back to my authentic self and a natural extension of my abilities to assist patients in remembering and facilitating their innate healing mechanisms. These years of relentless vocation have allowed me to stabilize the masculine and feminine within myself. I now feel ready to create a more balanced and bounteous life, one where I honor both my inner truth and the external support I invite into my life.

The ocean, my constant companion, now in my memory and heart, reminds me of this balance. Its vastness teaches me to flow—steady, boundless, and unyielding in purpose. I’ve come full circle, not to return to where I began, but to spiral upwards and step into a more integrated, authentic, and abundant version of myself. Through rest, simplicity, and connection, I am creating a new definition of support—one that holds space for my independence, my authentic vocation, and the possibility of a healthy, reciprocal relationship.