Q. Do you use astrology to work out the best times for your workshop and the like? If so, how do you go about it?

A. Absolutely. This is a fabulous way of using the same tools that have been used for centuries to choose the best moments for any great event, wedding, coronations, holidays, even battles (Hitler for instance was a serious occultist and used astrologers all through the war years. Poor guys, I wonder how many survived him? Nancy Reagan also used astrology to counsel President Reagan’s timing of certain decisions. Imagine the furore if the American religious right had of found out about that one!)...click 'Read More' to continue... 
 
Ready to Heal? 20/12/2011
 
Q. I’ve come to realise that I may be called a “healer”, but am struggling with this because of fluctuations in my own health and state of mind. Am I meant to be practicing now or stepping back from getting too involved?

A. From the point of view of your natal chart you are indeed a healer, with a prominent Chiron, Pallas Athena in House of career and the South Node in House of health and healing. Great credentials! But it is not yet time for you to launch fully into this work and there are important hurdles to be faced, ones that are part of it very healer’s journey. The best are often the most wounded ones and being able to separate one's own wounding from that of others is absolutely crucial. 

Many natural healers launch into their work soon after they discover the gifts, naturally so but without adequate preparation this can set them up for eventual burnout. Particularly people with strong Chirons, part of their own wounding has to do with the psychic absorption of other people's pain in their early years. This very openness goes hand in hand with healing gifts but if this tendency is not made conscious and worked on, then they tend to also absorb their client's wounding on top of their own. This further perpetuates this original wounding and become a subtle form of self-abuse. It also sets are some unhealthy dependencies with their clients...click 'Read More' to continue...
 
Critics at Work 09/11/2011
 
Q. My biggest area of limitation and absolute frustration (to the point where I have a very violent temper) is work where I feel that my individuality and sense of power and potential is crushed by idiotic authority figures in the work place. 

A. Initially your work involves accepting that the crushing, idiotic authority figure is within yourself. This inner tyrant is the source of so many of the other frustrations you mentioned in your letter and is a composite of much that you already know, i.e. parental influences, negative conditioning from very wounded and essentially powerless individuals who used control and negation to keep you in line...click 'Read More' to continue... 
 
Suicidal 10/10/2011
 
Q. I’m reaching out before the end of the line, trying to put myself together again and defeat the demons that want to drive me into a telegraph pole or agree to a permanent sleep. I don’t want less than body, mind and soul? Why is it so difficult to find my spiritual path?

A. Firstly, I’m not going to attempt to minimise the strength of the “demons” you’re facing. 

On one hand you do have a very difficult chart (Saturn in Scorpio squaring Moon conjunct Pluto, Venus conjunct Uranus square Neptune, Lilith conjunct Chiron conjunct Ascendant, Mars oppositions etc) and there’s no doubt this is tough shit to face. But you also have a gifted chart, not just because of the obvious (Sun/Moon conjunct Jupiter, Saturn conjunct North Node at the top of a kite involving Mercury and Chiron, a Grand trine between Mars, Venus and Saturn) but because of the tough stuff! 

And the tough stuff can and should be worked with, not to defeat the demons (an impossibility, you can’t destroy any part of self, however destructive it appears to act) but to transform them; not to block the pain with drugs but to embrace it and pass through it; not to implode your rage but to own it as part of your power... click 'Read More' to continue...
 
 
Q. You write about creating healthy relationship but this is seems so far from my own experience that I truly wonder what that would look like for me or how to get there!?

Continued from 'Preparation for Healthy Relationship - Part 1'

Continuing our discussion from last month, there are some other perspectives from astropsychology about relationships, all of which dovetail with many other traditional and alternative points of view.

Fourthly, own your projections, own your 7th House. This house and the Descendent in our charts (the opposite point to our Ascendant) represents long-term, committed relationship in our lives and on the quality of energies we attract and invite into our world from these significant others. These are however as much part of our charts and our inner self as any other part of the wheel, but are less than conscious in us initially and we get magnetized to individuals that resonate with what appears missing in ourselves. If I have Taurus on the Descendent I will automatically get attracted to women who may or may not have Taurus strong in their charts but are strong, earthy, sensual individuals. All well and good but if I don’t claim and re-own this quality of my own nature, then I’m going to need them to not just fulfil that role in my life but to make me feel OK and a bit more whole. This obviously sets up excessive neediness in a relationship and rips me off in terms of claiming my own wholeness...click 'Read More' to continue...
 
 
Q. You write about creating healthy relationship but this is seems so far from my own experience that I truly wonder what that would look like for me or how to get there!?

A. From an astropsychology perspective there are a number of processes that must be worked on within to prepare the way for the possibility of creating or attracting a healthier form of bond with someone else. These are all obviously ideals but keeping the notion that we are all works in progress, in general and in relationship, gives us permission not to attempt unrealistic perfection and allows us to be more lovingly human. Another helpful attitude is that in relationships, like parenthood, expect to stuff up along the way as a necessary part of the journey...click 'Read More' to continue...
 
 
Q. I have a number of male friends who are in varying degrees of inner turmoil and some are either recently separated or juggling joint custody of their kids. Are there some astrological events that go with the so-called “mid-life crisis”?

A. In my early years of practice I was very influenced by the very solid work of Robert Hand who wrote, amongst many others, the classic “Plants in Transit”. He spoke of the midlife transits, primarily Uranus opposition Uranus, Neptune square Neptune, Pluto square Pluto and Saturn opposite Saturn, all of which came around the 38-42 year mark, at least for those born in the 1950’s. For later generations, these are much more spread out, due to the varying movement of these great outer planets (which is perhaps why some, particularly men, feel that 35-55 is one continuing midlife crises!)...click 'Read More' to continue...
 
 
Q. I am engaged to a man who absolutely adores me but I fear that I will break his heart. Our different upbringings have caused our lifestyles to clash; I find his way of life aggravates me rather than stimulates. I know I have impulsively fallen in love with him but I’m fighting to become my true self and to make a right decision.

A. Firstly, it’s important to point out that going to an astrologer or any other consultant around such a decision is both a time honoured, and a tricky thing to do, especially if we’re wanting someone to tell us what to do. An astrologer in his or her integrity will give you the best of information to be able to make your own decision. A chart can’t replace the wisdom of your heart but if you’re not certain of what your heart is saying, then maybe that’s strong enough reason not to go ahead, at least for the time being...click 'Read More' to continue...
 
 
Q. My small son had a very bad accident this year, with horrific external wounds which fortunately should heal in time. I'm having a hard time dealing with that as I blame myself and the other person involved. Everyone keeps telling me it was an accident but I can't accept this.

A. We can look at this "every parent's nightmare" through both karmic and psychological lenses, which for me are intricately intertwined, one without the other being incomplete. Firstly, your son's chart has combinations which do represent the likelihood of him attracting such an event, Sun opposition Saturn, Mars conjunct Pluto and Chiron in Scorpio, conjunct the Nadir (I.C.), to name some of them. It describes an individual with a complex mix of great power, wounding and rage, much of which was directly activated at the time of the accident. It does seem so incongruous to describe an innocent, little boy in such terms but this does illuminate some of his primary life issues both as a soul and a person. The accident is part of what we can call the Necessary Wound, part of a complex of experiences (although not necessarily the same)...click 'Read More' to continue...
 
 
Q. What is the significance of having a child on the same birthday and what do her challenges and differences mean to me and to her. I feel that we are the same person. She was born last year and has a rare genetic disorder which has slowed her development and I feel that she is still on another plane spiritually but physically very here.

A. This is a vast question, so I can only touch on some of the themes here. Having the same birthday will definitely have you sharing significant patterns, abilities and feeling processes, especially in Pisces. In a number of places in your charts, there are many parallels; you both have fire Moons, Sun/Plutos, Venus in Aries, even opposite Ascendants, all reinforcing your commonality...click 'Read More' to continue...