Spiritual orientation – Do you follow any specific practice ? No , it ’ s eclectic .
What ’ s the worst thing and then , the best thing about you ? Taking things personally and being over-sensitive . Wanting to make a personal contribution by offering support and generosity in areas of love , friendship and work .
You never tried … Only a few things … that I will get around to trying one day .
You can ’ t refuse … A chance to laugh , or eat some good chocolate .
What is playtime for you ? Laughing with friends , watching DVDs in bed , reading biographies .
Your Chinese sign ? Water Ox / buffalo ( 1973 ).
Your favorite place on earth ? My home in leafy , green Kent , known as the Garden of England . Places on the east coast of Australia are a close second .
What would you define is an important evolutionary lesson for you in this life ? To follow my own desires , to discover the reasons why I ’ m here on the planet , and to have the courage to pursue these with others .
Your chart : 13 April 1973 , 08:58 , St Pancras , London ( Asc 24 Gemini )
Where do you live and practice ? I live in Bromley , Kent , just outside London .
How long have you been practicing – how did it start ? 25 years . It began with a visit to Tad Mann in August 1989 , and that afternoon I returned home and started teaching myself astrology .
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You seem to be everywhere and be a strong force in so many projects , from writing and publishing books , to organizing conferences , lecturing everywhere , and being guest editor of The Mountain Astrologer , ( I ’ m sure there is more to the list )… how do you keep up and manage ?
I love what I do , so it ’ s a labour of love and rarely feels like ‘ work ’. I ’ m driven to run my school , write , publish , lecture , and take on new challenges . Life is short and I want to pack a few lifetimes into the time I have . I have lots of ideas and goals , and a very basic , direct Aries philosophy : make it happen !
Your Astrology teachers ? I taught myself , but used to go to experiential classes led by Derek Hawkins in London when I was 17 – 18 . Derek died last year so I wrote an obituary and the memories flooded back . Living in London , I ’ ve been blessed to have gone to some amazing seminars given by some truly exceptional astrological talents : Melanie Reinhart , Liz Greene , Sue Tompkins , Darby Costello , Lynn Bell , Deborah Houlding , and others . I dedicated a recent book to these and many more women in astrology .
Your Astrology hero ? Difficult to say – I don ’ t really elevate people as heroes , but I do admire talent and the ability to be yourself . I loved the magic that Linda Goodman introduced me to as a teenage reader of her books . When I got interested in researching , then Lois Rodden was a guiding force and I loved the years of corresponding , sharing data and gossip with her , too .
Three favourite Astrology books ? Lois Rodden ’ s Astro-Data books ( and her superb book ‘ Money ’), Sue Tompkins ’ Aspects in Astrology ( endlessly informative ), and I ’ m proud of my own Getting to the Heart of Your Chart because of the hard work I put in to the profiles and observations .
What made it possible for you to become a full time astrologer ? As a teenager , it was supportive parents who wanted me to be happy ; later , sun sign astrology columns and client work gave me an income .
What is the great thing and the hard thing about being an astrologer ? The magic of our astrological language , as seen every day through clients , people in the news and loved ones . The hard thing is encountering people who are bigoted , ignorant of our subject or closed minded .
What inspires you to be an OPA member ? Having lectured at the NCGR conference in 2013 , I started to meet more Americanbased student and professional astrologers ( and other international ones ). They were very kind and encouraging . I felt it was a good time to reach out beyond the community of astrologers in the UK . I first heard about OPA from Bob Mulligan via his wonderful book Between Astrologers & Clients .
What are your future ambitions in the field of astrology ? Watch this space .
Any advice for those who would like to become professional astrologers ? Follow your heart and follow your chart . Know yourself and know what you do best – then work damn hard to be the best you can be and share your gift with clients . Open your heart to receive them and work to inspire them to follow your own gifts .
I ’ m reminded of a quote by Edith Wharton : “ There are two ways of spreading light : to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it .’” As astrologers , we have both jobs to do – both are equally important . We ’ re the mirror when we ’ re able to reflect to the client their inner drives , talents and then ‘ turn them on ’ to why they ’ re here / why they ’ ve been born . And we ’ re the candle when we personally demonstrate what it is to work in a field like astrology that we love . In doing so we create an energy around us that brings opportunity and advancement , and inspires us and others to ‘ follow our bliss .’
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