COMMON QUESTIONS
How did you get involved with astrology?
People always ask this question. I usually say that astrology found me. I have an inquisitive Gemini Moon and have always been an avid reader. I would spend hours in the library randomly selecting books to discover new interests. One summer afternoon in my early teens, I picked up a big purple astrology book. I read the book, constructed charts for myself and my family members, and could not believe the accuracy. Astrology helped me understand my parents and friends…but more importantly, myself! Can you imagine how this gift of understanding changed my entire adolescent experience? Astrology gave me a framework within which I could begin to accept myself. I could see the astrological influences that shaped my life. From there, I attended courses and studied with some of the most renowned teachers in the world.
What is astrology?
Astrology is the study of the correlation between astronomical happenings and events on Earth, in a corporation, the government, a country, or in your personal life. I'm sure you have read your horoscope at some point in your life, right? Those are primarily written for your Sun sign, your sign. Your chart contains so much because, let's face it, you're complex! An astrological chart, or natal chart, can show all of those complexities. We can advance the chart to identify trends and events in your life over time and show your process of evolution. It is not technically a science, though there are scientific aspects and case studies that have proven its effectiveness over time.
Does astrology predict the future?
There are varying ideas about this. I believe that YOU determine your future and that astrology can give you insight and map out certain possibilities. Ultimately, your choices, thoughts, and decisions empower you to create the life you want. There are certain lessons you are here to learn and "sacred contracts" you are here to fulfill. However, you do get to determine your future. Lucky you!!
So, in that respect, I, as an astrologer, do not predict your future. I can offer guidance about the timing of events and help synthesize for you the elements in place in your chart. I can also help determine the best days for a wedding, the start of a business, or even a music tour to mark that event with the best possible influences.
I consider my work more of a consulting or coaching practice. I work with you in your life, offering strategies to determine pathways to reach your desired objectives. Sometimes, this process involves examining relationships that aren't working for you. Sometimes, it involves discussing the best times to make a change.
How does astrology work?
Every thing, idea, thought, number, shape, and musical note carries a vibrational frequency or energy. Vibrational alignments create harmony or dissonance. This system of vibration through mathematical relationships points to our connection to the cosmos, the earth, and other people through a sophisticated network that reverberates in our cells and connective tissues. This connection is mysterious and Divine.
When we astrologers look at the macrocosm of the cosmos, as represented in the horoscope or chart, we can see a symbolic representation of where harmony and discord lie in the individual (or microcosm). The birth chart is a map of the macrocosm at the moment of one's birth. It focuses on the individual (or business or country) as the center with the planets, Sun, Moon, and even some asteroids, in different houses and signs at the time of birth. That birth chart is unique and rare. That chart represents the static condition of an individual’s life. As the chart progresses, certain relationships with the planets in the heavens today show trends, events, and cycles.
Cycles repeat themselves, and we can study previous cycles to determine a range of potentialities for the present and future.
What does it mean to be professionally certified? Is it important?
A few organizations provide professional certification for astrologers, and I highly recommend seeing professionally accredited astrologers. The process is very thorough. It consists of very disciplined study and passing an exam (through the American Federation of Astrologers, or AFA, where I received my certification). Other organizations, like ISAR, OPA, and NCGR, offer comparable testing and certification processes. The exams cover counseling techniques, math and science of chart construction, a thorough knowledge of astrological symbols, ethical standards in professional practice, and much more. A governing body of professionals grades the exam and determines whether or not an individual passes. Certification lends credibility to the field of astrology and lets you know you are working with someone who is highly trained and skilled in the science and art of chart reading.