What brought you to astrology?
This is probably way more than you’ll want to know, but it is the way it was: It began when I was living in San Francisco in 1973. My then husband, Dan, was singing support roles with San Francisco Opera and leads with the touring company, and I was very active as an artist, exhibiting my paintings in 3 galleries & selling a lot of them. Our eldest daughter (of two) was in a neighborhood nursery school half days. There was a fund raiser raffle at the school and Dan won an astrology reading donated by Darlene, the astrologer mother of one of the other kids. She came to our home to do the reading and I sat in. I remember being fairly impressed by how much she said about Dan that was accurate, but I didn’t think much more about it at the time.
Dan went out and bought a basic astrology book, and took it along when we went to Central City, Colorado that summer for the opera festival where he was to sing the baritone lead in an opera. When I met Mark, the man who was to sing the basso lead, I felt what could only be described as a psychic shock of recognition, as if I’d known him forever, but the initial time I saw him it was onstage dressed as an old man, like father image. It was very confusing and troubling. Ohe the last day of the week-long festival, I accidentally met him on the street of the little town, and he stood there for 5 minutes and read me like he knew me better than I knew myself. Then he said the connection between us was from a past life, and that when I went back to San Francisco, I should study astrology and all would become clear.
I read the astrology book on the drive back home, and after we were there, I called Darlene and said I’d also like to have a reading. She asked me for my birthdata and said to come on over to her apartment & we’d talk. I arrived, she opened the door and said, “WHAT on earth happened to you earlier this month when you were away?” She went on to say that there had been a total eclipse conjunct my natal Moon with other aspects strong to my chart; that it was indication of a life-changing event. So, I said, “I think you’d better teach me how to do these charts.” So, for several months after that, she taught me some basics of astrology and how to calculate charts…with logarithms. ( I am practically math phobic, had taken only the required math courses in high school (algebra & geometry), majored in art in college and had never heard of a logarithm, so by this you know that I was really determined to learn astrology.)
Some months later I got up the courage to write to Mark in New York and ask him for his birth data so I could perhaps better understand the connection. He sent it to me, and added the Uranian planets, saying that the man who’d taught him had used them. I didn’t understand them, but of the basic planets, my Sun was exactly conjunct his Ascendant and everything in his chart aspected something in mine very closely. One other strange thing happened late that year. We hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for members of the cast of an opera who were away from their homes. One of the singers, Carl, was a psychic from New York. When I was cleaning up after dinner, I realized that Carl had begun reading palms, so when I finished in the kitchen, I went into the living room, stuck out my hand and said “My turn.” At this point, nobody there knew I was studying astrology except Dan. There was no visible evidence of it. My paintings were hung in every room, and that I was an artist was well known. Carl studied my hands for a few moments and said that although I was an artist and would remain so, there was a another career ahead that would become more signficant, something to do with the metaphysical. Had I studied anything in that? I said, “Well, I’ve studied a little astrology.” He said, “That’s it. You will become internationally known as an astrologer.” I laughed. It sounded so very unbelieveable then.
A few years later when we had moved east (to Connecticut) so that Dan could center his career out of New York, I met Mark again. He said that his teacher of astrology had been Charles Emerson (a very well-known Uranian astrologer who was prominent in NCGR). Mark told me to attend the NCGR conference to be held in New York soon, and that I would probably find Charles at the registrstion desk and I should introduce myself to him and tell him, “Mark told me to study with you.” So for at least a couple of years after that, I traveled into New York weekly to take classes with Charles, and it was he, of course, who got me involved with NCGR. Nobody ever told me that Uranian astrology was an advanced technique. I learned it first, and then basic astrology later.
Why do you practice astrology? What makes it juicy for you?
I haven’t ever thought of it by that adjective… juicy? Mmmmmm. I don’t really have a specific reason why. I guess I was just supposed to. I’ve done a lot of consultations in the past, but not so many since I reacquired ACS. I had to put a temporary suspension on my consulting practice because the demands of the business took all my time and then some. I have had good feedback on consulting, but it is not my most favored thing to do, especially since I first became involved with Astro. Since then I like most to write about astrology, research it for writing, and I like publishing—setting up books for production, designing layout and covers, making them look good. I like looking at charts, often mundane charts, to figure out what’s going on.
What is your specialty or focus?
Uranian, of course, although I do less of it these days, and more often just look at basic charts on the fly, mostly as needed for my business, an upcoming lecture gig, or just because I’m curious about something. I have most recently found an almost equally strong focus out of my interest in the lunar phase cycle, which resulted in Moon Tides, Soul Passages, the book that I personally consider to be my best writing. It combines astrology with my interest in Goddess spirituality, and includes software and art—a few of my paintings, and of daughter Molly’s.
Is there a planet, sign or aspect you’ve been exploring lately that represents an archetype or energy which feels important to you right now?
I’ve been interested in the cardinal T-square of Saturn-Uranus-Pluto that figured into the July 1 Grand Cross Solar Eclipse. That occurred at the time an innocently prescribed antibiotic for a mild infection triggered such a violent allergic reaction that landed me in the hospital for 3 days. The eclipse was conjunct my natal Moon, so I’d already had it in Grand Cross with the transiting T-square for awhile. The eclipse appears to have just accented it, like a “trigger transit.”
Are there any additional comments you’d like to make about your lecture/workshop?
Just that I hope a lot of you will come—and find something of value for your own work in having come!
From your unique perspective, how do you see what’s come forth recently with regards to the current astrological weather (e.g. Cardinal Cross)?
Following is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Astro’s July newsletter on the July 1 eclipse, the part about national issues. (You are welcome to opt in to receive our free monthly newsletter—just let me know—or read it from a home page link on www.astrocom.com.)
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The chart illustration shows the eclipse located for Washington, DC, which in mundane astrology would be the way we read it for what it might mean for the United States. You can clearly see the red aspect lines across the center of the chart defining the grand cross of Sun-Moon in House 1 opposite Pluto in 7, and square Uranus in 10 and Saturn in 4. The grand cross configuration is one of great tension, reflecting some challenge that demands attention and action. Yes, it can be a “bad” time, but dealing with it can’t be avoided. When the challenge is successfully handled, there can be very positive results. The blue lines show connections between the planets that are cooperating in nature, areas that can guide the path toward a beneficial resolution. Jupiter in Taurus in House 11 looks to be in a good place for that.
In a mundane (world) chart, House 1 and the Moon represents we, the people, our conditions and reactions. The ruler of House 1 is Mercury, which is in House 2, which in turn, is ruled by the Moon. This practically screams the ECONOMY, a big issue for everyone these days. The Sun represents the President, and he is also seen as the 10th House, along with the party in power and national prestige. The ruler of House 10, Neptune, is then also representative of President, etc. Conjunct the 10th House cusp, but in House 9, Neptune is retrograde, which suggests being at sea, not really knowing what to do. Neptune is square Mars (action, industry, leadership)in House 12 (secrets, spies, prisons, hospitals). In short, it appears that the President and his party are feeling stymied, without any clear direction as to what to do. They’d like to please everyone, but hard choices have to be made.
Mercury in House 2 rules House 1, the people, and House 4 is the interests of the people as opposed to government, their living conditions, real estate values, natural resources and the party out of power. But Mercury is in the latest degree of its sign of any of the planets, as if at the end of any patience, not knowing what to do. Congress (House 11) has gone home for recess and is hopefully getting an earful from constituents that it is time to stop posturing from their opposing sides and sit down together to work out a compromise so that progress is possible. Jupiter in House 11 could be taken to represent workable solutions. A positive resolution of this eclipse grand cross requires that everyone concerned be more willing to look at all sides (and this includes the media). It is not about winning; it must somehow become win-win, or we ALL lose. Resolution of the tension of the grand cross can come through compromise.
Cancer is the Sun sign of our country, and as I write this article and format this July newsletter, it is the morning of July 4, the day we celebrate our independence—a proud nation of independent people willing to come together and work for shared ideals and values. Later I will go out with my family for the annual fireworks display. Let’s get out among other people and reflect on the best things we have, including our freedoms that so many others in our world still lack. With those fireworks, I’ll be sending a strong mental/spiritual message to our leaders that they come back from recess and get down to serious business in working together to find and support practical solutions. I wish I could have gotten this newletter out in time to suggest you all do the same. But our representatives, presumably, read their mail, so consider writing.
Meanwhile, each of us can do whatever we can to help as we see need within our own communities. Saturn demands responsibilty, Uranus change, and Pluto is the power to transform. Each of us, if we can work within this, can grow in strength in the process. Also, here are a few more personal thoughts about the Grand Cross from an exchange I had recently with a friend who was dealing with another type reflection of this transit to her chart. Some of the things I said to her, I am also thinking about myself in the aftermath of my recent brief hospitalization as a result of a very violent and bizarre allergic reaction to a prescribed antibiotic. I don’t remember the details of what I said, but it involved asking oneself some questions, and this is the gist of it:
The Grand Cross is… a cross, so one might imagine feeling impaled on it. There’s tension felt from four different directions and none of them want to budge. Still, somehow the tension has to be released. Moon is emotion, so emotions are likely involved. It’s worthwhile to think about what EACH “arm” of this cross means personally, and then how we might initiate some changes that will ease the tension. For example, we can ask ourselves some questions: for Moon, maybe: Am I repressing emotionally? Taking on too much? Holding onto emotional baggage I’d do well to release? For the t-square planets, our questions might be: Where am I restricting myself? Limiting myself? Am I taking on more responsibility than I really should? Or, am I avoiding responsibility? What do I need to feel free? Creative? To what or to whom am I ceding power over me? Are there changes I really ought to make that I am avoiding because of all the things I feel I must do or be? If we resolve some of these things, we can think back on the Grand Cross as having been a good thing.
