ASTROLOGY
"Astrology speaks the language of energetic cycles."
- Peta Morton
Your natal chart provides a snapshot of the skies at the precise moment you took your first breath. It is a vital, dynamic, living map that describes the quality of the life force energy available to us at any given time, and the kind of terrain and conditions that we may encounter.
An astrological consultation can provide rich insight across all areas of our lives, helping us to become consciously aware of our habitual patterns of thinking and behaviour, and the ways in which we typically respond to emotional triggers. It can show us our strengths so that we may amplify them, and highlight potential pitfalls, as well as suggesting a range of possible solutions. It can help us to improve our relationships with others and provide us with options, choices, inspiration, and food for thought so that we can make better decisions. Above all, it can instil us with a deeper sense of purpose and help us to establish the conditions in which we thrive.
I think of a birth chart in much the way that a gardener might view the instructions on the back of a packet of seeds. Just as some plants do best when planted in full sun in well-drained soil, others prefer to plunge their toes into damp, boggy earth or enjoy the dappled shade of a tree. We are little different. There are specific conditions under which each of us flourishes. Ultimately, we can plant those seeds wherever and whenever we choose, but our choices will influence the extent to which seeds germinate at all, and whether seedlings struggle or grow into strong and healthy plants that give their fruits and blooms freely.
“Astrological forces present us not with answers but with questions. The answers we give are our own.”
- Steven Forrest
Whereas the natal chart describes the unique potentials of an individual, a transit chart tells us about the ‘astrological weather’ we might encounter and gives a sense of the kind of energetic corridors we may pass through at given moments in our lives. A transit reading can give us a sense of how long certain conditions may last and how we might work with the natural cycles rather than against them. If we know it’s going to rain, then we can dress accordingly, decide to go out and dance naked, or choose not to go out at all, and curl up by the fire reading a book instead. We can be better prepared. A solar return chart, calculated for the exact moment the Sun returns to its natal position (within a day or two of the actual birth time) can give us an overview of the themes for the year ahead, and suggest where we may best focus our energies.
To get the best from your consultation it’s necessary to provide an accurate date, time and place of birth. If this isn’t available you can still benefit greatly from a reading, but the information available will be simplified and some astrological analysis techniques will not be possible. Check your birth certificate, and where possible ask family members what they remember about your birth, so as to obtain the most accurate time possible. Was it was pitch black outside or first thing in the morning? Perhaps they remember a glorious sunset, or that they were in the middle of eating their tea or driving to work. You may also use a birth time rectification service.
influences
Astrology is a wonderful tool with which to navigate many life challenges. My particular focus is on better understanding the ways in which our habitual thoughts and emotions, our ancestral and cultural heritage, our environment, the greater collective, and the rhythms and cycles of life overlap and interact with our health and our sense of well-being. I began my studies with David Charles Rowan, who holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology and whose unique approach combines astrology with Modern Applied Psychology, and then followed some introductory courses with evolutionary astrologer Steven Forrest. I hold a diploma with distinction in Medical Astrology and Herbalism, which I continue to study today with internationally acclaimed astrologer Judith Hill and Master herbalist Matthew Wood, and am currently studying ethnomedicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine) with the CEDRE. Although I don't practice these disciplines in a professional context, they have very much informed my thinking. I also hold a Bach Flower Remedies diploma with distinction.
I have been influenced by thinkers, scholars, writers, and teachers such as Jane Ridder-Patrick, Howard Sasportas, Chris Brennan (who hosts the excellent Astrology Podcast), Kelly Surtees, Nick Campion, Richard Tarnas, George J McCormack, and Lynn Bell.