Hi, I’m Pete Shanel. I’m a filmmaker and astrologer.
Astrology gave me a new lens on my life when I was at a crossroads—I was pushing ahead in my chosen creative field. I was career-focused, but spinning my wheels. Then covid hit, and the avenues for work I had immediately dried up. I felt adrift, without a sense of who I was or what I was doing with my life. I didn’t have a map for what might come next. Like a lighting bolt from above (thank you, Uranus), astrology landed in my lap through several podcasts, countless books, and in person and online courses. Astrology helped me to know, and later accept, myself and to find a connection to the rhythms and cycles of the universe.
What started as an interest become an obsession and then a calling. I could see how the knowledge I’d gained could help other people and impact their lives in a meaningful way. It’s an intimate exchange to read someone’s chart and I take the responsibility seriously and aim to create a safe container to explore deeper themes in the person’s life.
Formally, I received a certificate in Advanced Applied Archetypal Astrology from Pacifica College and I’ve trained with numerous teachers, including Elizabeth Nelson, Ph.D, Susan Hopkinson and Lawrence Hillman.
As a filmmaker, my films have screened at festivals across the U.S and online platforms, including DOCNYC, Brooklyn Film Festival and others. My first feature, Here Comes The Night, premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival and was distributed on Hulu. I have an MFA from the American Film Institute’s Directing Program and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College. You can also find me on Substack where I write about the intersection of culture, movies and astrology.