Meet Lavanga Schlette

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lavanga Schlette. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lavanga below.

Hi Lavanga , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I was able to overcome imposter syndrome once I recognized I had it and where it came from. My natal Sun is in Aries, where it is considered to be exalted. The Sun is part of ourselves that is so bright we can’t really look at it ourselves because we are too close. This is even more intense since mine is so strong. But when others see me, particularly from farther away, my light is easy for others to detect. When I really started listening to others and began believing in what they had to say about me, I slowly began to see things from their perspective. Also, making the connection between what’s going on in my chart and my imposter syndrome turned things around because I began to perceive differently – that it is not a character flaw – but that my bright light is in fact, something to embrace than to turn away from.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Born and raised in Texas, I like to say that my spiritual quest began at 8 years old, when Istarted to question the priests and nuns at my Catholic school. At 15, I began exploring other faith traditions and at 18 came across metaphysics, tarot and astrology. I eventually found my spiritual home in Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a 5,000 year old Bhakti Yoga tradition. I have been a practicing priestess in the tradition since 2005. In 2011 I began offering classes in the Bhagavad Gita, sharing kirtan, and representing my tradition throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area at yoga centers, festivals and honestly, anywhere people would have me! I also currently sit on the advisory board of a local interfaith center.

An Usui Reiki practitioner since 1994, I graduated from Dallas’s first massage school in 1995. I’ve been practicing and teaching massage, Reiki and other holistic eastern bodywork since then. After taking yoga teacher training in 2012, I helped open a local yoga/community center in Dallas offering classes and wellness sessions. I was on the board of the DFW Free Day of Yoga, and co-founded World Bhakti which produced Texas’ first Kirtan & Bhakti Yoga Festival in early 2020.

My interest in yoga, Ayurveda and the philosophy they are based eventually led me to Jyotish, or Vedic Astrology. I am certified by and continue to study with the American Academy of Vedic Arts and Science. What excites me the most about Vedic Astrology is how beautifully and elegantly it ties together everything I have practiced for over 30 years. What I’ve learned about myself and others through Vedic Astrology continues to amaze me in every session. I swear I get more excited about what I see in the chart than the clients does. I’ve also learned what amazing things can be discovered by combining tarot with the astrology…it’s pure magic! Besides the 1:1 sessions, I’ve come to absolutely love doing readings at psychic fairs and parties. I technically began reading tarot professionally in 1987, but more than likely, due to my aforementioned impostor syndrome, in the past few years have I really, really begun to embrace that part of my talent.

In the midst of all this I’ve had a few other hobbies I’ve turned into side gigs, but just for fun. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 40 years and love cooking for others. I’ve catered retreats and workshops, and in particular during the pandemic I began “Hello Kitchari,” where I cooked and sold jars of kitchari (beans/rice/veggie soul food) to help make ends meet. My lifelong interest in arts and crafts led me to creating sacred art called “Hamsa Visions.”

And if you thought I would stop there – hold it a minute! I am super super excited to add more to my “list” – certified Death Doula. I’ll finish this training by the end of 2025 and here, perhaps even more than astrology did, I will be able to synthesize all of my skills and talents in the service of others under this umbrella.

I see other things unfolding for me in 2026 and beyond – Death Doula training for animals, ordained interspiritual minister and published author. I am about to begin working on a book based on journals left to me by my father who passed away in 1993. I have another book inside of me entitled “Fasting with the Moon” connected to a personal spiritual practice based on Ayurveda and Astrology.

On a more personal note, I am a crazy cat lady and currently I live in Dallas, Texas with my husband of three decades and 3 cats.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. The optimism I’ve cultivated in my life is a driving factor. No matter how bad things get, I can find the silver lining, or a way to work around the obstacles. Change is inevitable, and I advise others to embrace this, rather than fear. George Harrison sang “All Things Must Pass,” and this is a good thing more often than not. We might not always see the reasons for things while they are happening, but eventually holding this optimism close to your heart and with some honest reflection, you’ll see how things work out in the long run. I could have saved myself a lot of heartache if I had figured this out earlier in my life.

2. Courage to be myself, no matter what. This can be called “being stubborn,” and it kind of opposite of being optimistic about changes, but it also comes from a deep sense of understanding there are certain things which I am totally black/white about and won’t budge on. Find your core values, and don’t live somebody else’s life, it will serve you well in the long run.

3, It’s never to late to change the course of your life. I was lucky when I was younger that I got to meet some amazing people who lived this principle, and it inspired me no end. Now that I’m in my 50’s I can see it even more clearly. In many ways, things are just beginning for me and it’s so exciting! Not everyone finds their purpose in their early years, nor is everyone MEANT to. Seriously, some things can only unfold for you once you’ve got some experience under your belt.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE collaborations! One of the reasons I’ve been successful in my chosen professions is that I love conversations. The energy created between the exchange of ideas and inspirations is what fuels my passions. It’s also about being real. I may have this laundry list of talents, but it is finite. Some things come super easily for me, other things take a lot of work. If I find someone who naturally has talents I lack and vice versa, then how much more can we accomplish together? I am always coming with creative ideas, but many times I need someone to bounce them off of and we know that to create anything with life you need two opposing forces (male/female for instance) to bring them to life.

I would love to collaborate with people who not only share interests similar to mine, but who might want to learn some of the things I do. I am a teacher at heart, so seeing people take the knowledge I share with them inspires me no end.

I need to work with people who like to take ACTION. I can get stuck in the creative process itself which leads to less energy to get out and DO the work.

I love doing in person collabs as well as virtual ones. I’d love to have someone who wants to collaborate on a YouTube channel or similar. I’d love to have people whom I could do arts and crafts with in person. I know when I’m inspired by someone, I’ll see where it goes without even knowing all the whys beforehand. Take the chance and see where the conversation goes!

You can find out more about me at my website: https://lavanga-latika.com/
Contact me via there, or directly reach out via email: [email protected] or book a discovery call with me: https://calendly.com/lavanga/discoverycall

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