by Alison | Oct 30, 2019 | Blog
“So just what is an astrology chart reading? And how does it apply to me?”
“I know what a coach does but have no idea what an astrologer does.”
“Do the stars really dictate to me what I should do or be …”
I seem to have found my mission for ‘now’ and that is to take some astrological myths, particularly around what an astrology chart reading actually is, and bust them completely out of the water!
In no particular order …
Do the stars really dictate to me what I should do or be …
Nothing is fated or destined. We have free choice and free will at all times. What is truly amazing about this universe in which we live is that we are offered extra energies to make use of if we wish. And, in addition to our normal senses, we also have intuition. So we are able to be so much more than we realise!
For an example – the Moon exerts a powerful force which helps gravity and our tides. You may well feel more (or less) tired at certain times of lunar activity and even dream differently. But it is entirely your choice if you wish to tap into the extra insights or possibilities. And the same goes for the other planets when they are making aspects in the sky and to your natal chart.
We all have free choice and free will.
We can be so much more by working with the planetary flow.
I know what a coach does but have no idea what an astrologer does …
A coach will offer you ways of expanding, or growing into, what you do and who you are. They may give you exercises or prompts especially if we think, for a moment, of a sports coach. There will be an end result that you are aiming for.
Similarly a mentor will nudge you along a chosen path to help you get to your destination.
An astrologer will, before anything else happens, ask you for your time, date and place of birth. Or the same details for a significant date of setting up a business of a wedding date etc.
At every moment the stars and planets are unfolding their patterns in the sky in a ‘completely unique to that moment’ way. There will never be a repeat of a pattern in the Universe. With the birthing details a chart, or map, is drawn up to give a snapshot of the pattern that existed (or will exist) for that moment in space and time.
And then the astrologer begins to unlock that chart. To unfold the mysteries, possibilities and potentials that are held within because that knowledge offers purpose and strength to our every decision and choice. The chart holds the keys to the best possible choices, decisions, potential and core purpose of each individual or event.
Your birth chart will offer you great possibilities and potentials.
The chart of your business will show how it can develop and good energetic times for growth.
So just what is an astrology chart reading? And how does it apply to me?
During an astrology chart reading you can expect to be ‘walked’ around the chart. Each part of the chart will be explained to you so that the positions of each sign of the zodiac and planet (or star) becomes clear. In the initial look at the chart often a brief summary will be given before a more in depth interpretation is carried out for the area you are particularly interested in.
By looking at your birth (or natal) chart we can begin to uncover a rich tapestry of your own unique potentials and then see how you can bring them to the surface (or not … remember you have choices). And the stars above us right now also have a part to play in this mystery of life. They are creating patterns that make patterns with our natal chart. And so some aspects are accentuated at a moment in time!
And also…
Say, for instance, that you are planning a launch of a business offer or a special event. A chart will be drawn up and considered. Is the Moon giving maximum visibility for that moment in time? Or maybe there are some better dates/times. The planet Mercury has great communication skills and so, especially for a launch, it is useful to see where in the sky that planetary body is and what influence is available!
A chart is a map of the stars for a moment in time & space from our perspective on Earth.
The stars are always changing and unfolding their wonderful patterns of energy.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this. Do not hesitate to contact me for more details! And please read my blog 5 Ways to Astrology right now for ideas of how you can start to see how working in flow with the stars and the moon is so helpful!
As always, with love, from Alison
PS I have a free Facebook Group Walking your Talk ready and waiting for you to join!
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by Alison | Oct 17, 2019 | Blog
A glimpse of behind the scenes with me!
This is me in consultation at a Mind, Body & Spirit Fair a couple of years ago. But a lot went on behind the scenes to get me to that particular seat, opposite a client, discussing her birth chart and projected planetary transits.
I am a Leo Sun. I never felt like a Leo Lion was supposed to be. No roaring for me and you would usually find me in a corner of the playground hoping break time would be over quickly and that I wouldn’t have to speak to anyone. I decided at quite a young age that astrology was not for me. I just was not a Leo lion! And then, a lot of years later, I learnt how to read the symbolism of tarot and decided to give astrology a chance. What a life changing decision. My chart was duly drawn up and read for me by a leading (at the time) astrologer. Well …
Light bulb moment! So much suddenly made sense. My Leo Sun is in a particular position in the sky inspiring me to help others shine. And as to all of my other planets – it was as if someone had suddenly given me a manual to understand me!
And, ever since then, my respect for astrology has grown along with reading, writing and experiencing it!
Back to our behind the scenes glimpse and these are a few of the ‘myths’ I hear …
“But surely It’s all on computer …”
I learnt astrology before computer programs were the norm. And there are still courses out there that teach astrology using paper, pens, tables of houses and ephemeris. Drawing up a chart is an amazing thing to do and, even though I use a computer for the basic birth chart calculations now, I find so many more insights when I sit and draw it by hand. So I will often copy a chart from my screen and draw the planets, stars, asteroids and planetary movements. It becomes a work of art, my craft, and truly fitting for the honour of interpreting a chart for someone.
The best advice I give to anyone who really wants to understand astrology (a life long process I can tell you!) is to watch it unfold. After initially learning I very quickly began reading charts 1-1, at camps and at festivals all over the country. I have given workshops and talks over the years and added in learning from talking to people. Curiosity is probably one of the best traits to have as an astrologer!
A computer will, very quickly, give you a chart and even offer generic interpretations.
It is up to the astrologer however to
a) check a chart is correct
b) look at it as a whole and not just individual planets etc
c) offer interpretations
d) apply planetary transits from the past to begin to make sense for the now and future trends.
“I had my chart done years ago – no need to get it done again”
The stars, planets, our earth and the Universe are constantly moving around and changing their patterns. And so a unique pattern of the stars in the sky is available for every birth. It may be that you wish to know more about the birth of yourself, the start of a business, a purchase you are about to make or the launch of a book or course. All of those ‘births’ will have a chart available for the moment. And that natal chart will remain the same. It is the blue-print and map of all potentials and possibilities.
However the stars move constantly and send out ripples of energy towards us here on planet earth. And we can choose whether to be in flow with those energies … or not!
Your/the birth chart remains the same. But the planetary energies and influences change giving more opportunities for growth and … well … choices!
And, as if looking at planetary transits (the patterns made) isn’t a big enough deal … We can learn so much about ourselves by seeing what happened during a previous and similar pattern made and so be prepared for what is to come.
“Can you tell my future”
Astrology is not predictive for detail and no astrologer will be able to offer a fortune telling service! What we are able to do is to show the planetary movements ahead and give an idea for general trends or great uses for the energy. As an example. Ben asks when he will meet the love of his life. Now he obviously (!) is asking about romantic relationship love and when that will appear. We may well be able to see a beautiful Venus & Moon aspect lingering in his birth chart relationship area and perhaps even a strong Uranian new beginning highlighted. However there may also be some other aspects which lead us to offer that Ben may well meet someone or – and this is the crucial part – make changes which lead him towards someone or something truly great.
Planetary energy is there for us to make the best possible choices and decisions as we walk on this planet of ours. And that is where astrology opens so many doors for us.
“So how do you do it?”
Behind the scenes and my ‘tools of trade’ are:
almost 30 years of reading charts, studying, giving talks and workshops, working professionally AND of course using astrology daily for myself!
my own daily practices of watching the stars unfold their amazing stories;
100 year + 50 year + individual yearly ephemeris (see photo above);
pens and pencils for writing my notes down and re-creating the charts;
an excellent computer program called Time Passages from astrograph.com which has basic through to professional packages and has brilliant customer service.
I hope this has helped you and please do contact me with any questions you may have.
As always, with love, from Alison x
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by Alison | Sep 12, 2019 | Blog
5 ways to astrology right now!
Is “5 ways to astrology right now!” a surprising title? Well I’d like to invite you to just read on and think about putting some simple actions in place. It may, just as it did for me, open up a curiousity and awareness of this amazing Universe in which we live.
Astrology really is very easy as we are all natural astrologers because it’s in our psyche! We have it inbuilt within us all to look at the stars and use what we see for time-keeping and navigation. For example our ancestors watched the patterns and cycles of the moon and the sun to gauge the time passing, seasons, festival times. And also sailors navigated by the stars. Structures were built to measure and keep aware of the sunrise at significant times of the year. We know that the lunar cycles affect our oceans and tides. And, as we are made up of a large percentage of water, It is not such a great leap of logic to understand the connection between the moon and our own bodies … and then maybe the other planets have affects too!
So how about those 5 ways …
Would you like to experiment with 5 ways to experience astrology right now?
- Find out the phase of the Moon by going outside and looking. The lunar cycle begins with a sliver of silver at new moon and from then the light grows (waxes) towards the full moon. After fullness the light lessens (wanes) towards the dark of the moon and then new again. A cycle that we know takes place.
- Look at the moon at night and marvel at the sense of mystery and awe that has placed that moon in the universe for us. It’s a connection with our ancestors and with each other.
- Find out the sign of the zodiac that the sun is currently in. Every month the sun enters the next sign of the zodiac, always moving and making different patterns in the sky with the other stars and planets.
- Consider how that sign relates to your own birth (star) sign. As an example a Leo Sun sign will have Aquarius opposite. There is a treasure trove of understanding as we consider our own Sun sign and then where the Sun is in the sky right now.
- Look at the sky at night and ponder on the other planets out there … and maybe life!
5 ways to astrology right now and to being in wonder at this amazing Universe. This is our home, planet earth, and that makes us a part of the Universe too. We are all connected with the planets and the stars and with each other. Our planet Earth forms the centre of our astrological charts as it is from here that we view, and experience, the planets, stars and asteroids.
Your thoughts
I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you get on with your own astrology. Let me know and, if you are curious to read more blogs, click here!
Would you like to join my new Facebook group Walking your Talk? Just click here and I’ll be really pleased to welcome you in.
As always, with love, from Alison
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by Alison | Sep 5, 2019 | Blog
Astrology in Real Life
‘How to start astrology in 3 steps’ as a title came to me yesterday when life took a very curious turn. I had to issue the following as an apology inside my facebook group!
“Apologies! I posted our Thursday post this morning from my hotel room in Anglesey. I truly thought it was Thursday! The odd thing is that I set up the Wednesday one last night ready for this morning. Interesting that I went to sleep Tuesday and woke up this morning thinking it was Thursday.”
However I needed to look deeper and so turned to my ephemeris to find out what the planets were doing. And I found out that (amongst all of the planetary movements) Mars was exactly conjunct (next to) the Sun and Mercury with Venus just a few degrees away and a Neptune opposition – and all impacting my own ascendant. So illusions coming out of the woodwork. Life speeding up and, given we had just had a New Moon, the planets were definitely nudging me to get a move on with new ideas and broadcasts. Get on with it seemed to be rumbling throughout the Universe!
And, as I was pondering on all of this, I thought about how my own path had brought me to ‘here’.
How I started astrology
I make no secret that a very long time ago I had no time for astrology. My Leo Sun just didn’t seem to shine in the way that ‘it’ was ‘supposed’ to! I withdrew into a creativity that was imagination. And my childhood was very inward. Go forward a few years and I even joined an amateur dramatic society because apparently Leos like the stage … and I did costume design and make-up and prompt – anything behind the scenes and not on stage!
Later, and in my corporate career, I found I was very happy speaking to large audiences if I had a message to share. And from then on there was always a teaching or training role involved in any job I took on.
Eventually, and through a series of encounters, I had my birth chart drawn up and interpreted. What a light bulb moment. Suddenly I could see that the placing of my Sun in Leo absolutely shone when being creatively supporting others to go out into the world. And, the more I learnt about astrology, so the more and more sense it all made.
As my learning began I ate up courses and books and studied. I had already learnt Tarot and symbolism so moving into astrology became as natural for me as breathing. Very quickly, I began working as an astrologer.
Books + the experience of watching the planets = amazing astrological insights!
You see I must have worked with the charts of, probably, hundreds of people now. And followed the transiting planets (as they move around) for myself and many many people. That has led me to know so much … and, also, to know that there is so much more to learn! Huge excitement!!
How to start astrology in 3 steps
How to start astrology and to continue to use it in daily life?
- You already know your Sun (star) sign but can you find out your Moon sign? These days it’s quite easy to find out and you are looking for which sign of the zodiac the Moon was in at your birth.
- For our purposes of starting, and you will get so much information from this (!), the Sun is the outer world and the Moon your inner world. And so the signs of the zodiac relate to your outer and inner worlds. Worth while sitting and pondering and thinking about. Make notes of thoughts and insights that arise.
- And our third ‘task’ for you to do is to find out in which sign of the zodiac the Sun is right now and in which ‘phase’ the Moon is. Remember that the Sun changes Zodiac signs between the 21st and 23rd of the month and so a little investigative work is required to find this information out. As for the Moon – have we just had a New or Full moon perhaps?
Putting it all together
So now you have information about your Sun sign, your Moon sign, where the Sun is now and what the Moon is doing. And this is a basic building block for astrology.
Have a look at the zodiac and see how the Sun in the sky relates to your birth Sun. Is it in the sign of the zodiac opposite to yours for instance? Or next to. By thinking about it and also, as we are working with the outer world, watching what happens you can begin to uncover layers about your Sun sign that maybe you hadn’t realised were there.
And the phase of the Moon? Without complicating matters by going into the signs of the zodiac (although you can if you wish) and just by knowing if the energy is building from the New moon towards Full or decreasing from Full to New we can learn so much about our own inner landscape. Does a Full moon affect your sleep patterns? Are you more creative on a New Moon? Lots of great insights to be had!
And then you can go another step forwards and consider, for example, how a full moon when the Sun is in the sign of … well I’m sure you get the picture. This is finding our gold within and understanding ourselves on another level.
I hope you have enjoyed ‘How to start astrology’ and If this has sparked your interest in astrology, and I hope that it has read more blogs here by clicking the link and scrolling down! please click here to read more!
Please stay in touch as well – I have a free guide to being inspired and just click here to receive it!
With love, from Alison x
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by Alison | Aug 6, 2019 | Blog
How do the planets and stars speak to each other?
And how do they speak to me?
September 2015
Picture the scene. A campsite somewhere in North Norfolk with a circle of tents set up. A campfire in the centre had been burning well and now was embers. Seats positioned around the fire ready for occupants to muse on how the planets and stars speak – well it was an astrology camp! Early morning dew on the ground. Sounds of people quietly waking up. Smell of coffee in the air.
The night before. The fire burning brightly. Drumming and chatter. A Virgo new Moon had been visible and we basked in the energy.
And so … back to the morning after the Virgo New Moon night before. A campsite waking up. Queuing for showers and this is when my story really begins.
“How do we talk about astrology more easily, how the planets and stars speak to each other”.
This was the question myself and a friend were pondering. We’d both been astrologers for more than 20 years and lived and breathed the stars. And we both knew just how useful this knowledge is for every day decisions and for making those life changes easily and, probably more crucially, living through change and being great at it. I’d worked with hundreds of people with their birth charts and taught and given talks on the subject. And it still fascinates me just how amazing this Universe of ours is! Back to that early morning …
OK. So we were not accompanied by the squirrel but we were in nature and it’s a great photo to remember that Autumn Virgo new moon …
The whole shower queue were interested in the New Moon and what it meant. Where was Virgo in each of their charts? And where did the New Moon show up in their lives. How to make good use of this ‘newness’. What does it mean … and is there more to the whole ‘planets in the sky’? By the time we’d all been through the showers we had converts and, I have no doubt, they will still be accessing their birth charts and the stars of the moment. Once you know … well … you know!
Our ancestors watched the sky for planetary, and star, movements. The light of the Sun and the Moon helped plans for travel and for planting. The wheel of the year turned and festivals honouring each season were held. To live with the earth and to watch the sky was as natural as our attention these days is to weather forecasts.
A brief version of the Cycle of the Moon!
A new Moon occurs when the Sun and the Moon occupy the same place in the sky. The Moon only has light reflected from the Sun. And so, when they are together, the light is slight and a mere sliver. However the implications for us and for the energy are huge. New beginnings. Fresh start. Great energy now going to build (wax) as the Moon gains reflected sunlight on the journey towards fullness.
Over the next 28/29 days the Moon will travel through each sign of the zodiac. When it is directly opposite the Sun it will be at full ness of light. And, after Full Moon, the light begins to diminish and fade (wane). We see it as a cycle of energy building towards maximum and then lessening towards minimum. And, in the 3 nights before a new moon the energy/light of the moon is at it’s lowest – the dark of the moon. Then the small sliver of silver appears in the sky heralding the new! Beautiful.
In astrology we have terms for the various patterns that the stars and planets make to each other. And those patterns allow the planets and stars to speak to each other. The energies blend in some way or other. It may be a comfortable energy or it may be a challenge. No planet or star is ever operating in a lone way though. And that is the difference between looking at the chart as a whole and looking at individual parts of the chart.
If we apply what we know of the cycle of the Moon to other planets so we begin to hear what the planets and stars have to say to us.
A brief meander through astrological terms
You may hear these terms and, quite simply, this is what they mean.
Conjunct – stars or planets next to each other. This is the moment a seed is planted. The energies are well and truly blended together or melded.
Sextile – stars or planets at 60º from each other. The seed takes root and begins. The energies are close enough to each other to be ‘friendly’ and yet are beginning to show their separate colours.
Square – stars or planets at 90º from each other making a square aspect in the circle of the chart. Striving and working at making something happen and work well. Often there will be a challenge here as the energies want to be themselves again … however this is impossible as they are connected. Squares are interesting!
Trine – stars or planets at 120º from each other making a triangle in the circle of the chart. We enter the realm of aspiration and being motivated for growth and of the energies working together to inspire. Helpful.
Opposition – stars or planets opposite each other. Maximum light and awareness. Opportunities to watch the energies individually from the other point of view. Oppositions are great for understanding why and where we’re off to next!
And now for you
An astrologer will look at the chart of the sky as a whole entity. However that doesn’t stop anyone standing under the Moon at night and marvelling at the amazing Universe with all the possibilities there for us as human beings. And, when you take that moment to stand under the sky, you open the possibility that the planets and stars will speak to you in a mixture of their language and yours!
How do the planets and stars speak to each other? By constantly moving around the Universe creating different patterns with each other and with us.
And how do they speak to me? By giving us all choices, information, light, maybe the odd challenge, opportunities to learn and grow.
We are humans living on the most astonishing and amazing planet in this incredible Universe we call home. If you would like to explore more about astrology please join the free Astrology and Tarot Facebook group here and I have a second free group committed to us exploring our true purpose and expressing it confidently and that is Walking your Talk – join here!
As always, with love, from Alison x
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