Q.
Why does astrology work?
There is no definitive answer to this question, only opinion. You can believe that the planets are literally affecting you here on earth, like the moon affects the tides. You can believe that it's more symbolic--"as above, so below." Whatever you believe is up to you. Astrology is not a religion - it's a language and a system of symbols and it works. Why is a personal answer.
Q.
Why should I get an astrology reading?
Everyone may have a different theory as to why astrology works (or doesn’t work); even amongst astrologers there is a debate about the techniques and premises. Whatever your theory about it, astrology can offer you something useful. If the authenticity of astrology resonates for you, you can find out about your life path, soul history, personality traits and hang-ups, and how to move forward in living a meaningful life from that perspective. If you aren’t so sure about astrology’s authenticity but you listen with an open and curious mind, you can still experience the same thing, because for 1-2 hours, I'm going to talk about you and everything I say can be a leaping off point for your own contemplation, regardless of whether you accept or reject the ideas I’m about to offer or the context in which I offer them.
Q.
What will I experience when I receive a reading?
A reading is just like a long conversation about you. The difference is, I have probably never met you before, so what I 'know' about you is my interpretation of the meaning of the symbols I see in your chart, not from my personal experience of you. The truths I share about you will be for you to evaluate and place in the reality of your life experiences.
While I try to be practical, I am not literal. I don't predict rigid outcomes or offer dooming pronunciations about your character. Your choices are always up to you. Instead, I offer possibilities and suggestions to use the energy of whatever astrological cycles you are currently experiencing in ways that are in your best interest.
Q.
Why should I believe in fate or that planets can influence my behavior?
Maybe you shouldn't. I don't. Astrology is often still seen as a way to put people into categories, telling them what fate will befall them. Many people, with good reason, expect an astrology reading to make outlandish or dooming promises and predictions about their character and future, an approach that is tragically out-of-alignment with modern, individualistic thinking.
I approach an astrology reading as the personal myth of your beginnings and your continued evolution. I look at astrology as a poetic reflection of your psycho-spiritual terrain, not a celestial biography of plot twists.
Q.
What if I don't know my birth time?
Of course, always check your birth certificate for the most accurate source of your birth time - but many birth certificates don't list the birth time! This is less common today than it was 50 years ago but it can still be a problem. If you've simply lost your birth certificate,Vitalchek.com is a good place to order a copy of it. If you have your certificate and there is no time, I can still do some good work without it, or you can look into Chart Rectification. Email me for details about this process.
Q.
Why doesn't my sign accurately describe me?
The short answer is most likely to be that you're not just one sign! Refer to the many resources for learning astrology on this website for a more in-depth answer. There is also the possibility that your birth data is inaccurate, but it's often simply that a shallow, one-sign definition is not enough to sum up a human being!
Q.
Is my astrology chart wrong if I was born premature?
No. Your astrological chart is calculated based on when you took your first breath, not when the doctors say it's time for you to come out.
Q.
What does it mean to be "born on the cusp?" Am I two signs?
To be born on the cusp usually refers to someone being born near the day and/or time that the sun was changing signs, either before or after. However, it's significance is mostly pop astrology hype. The dividing line between the signs is pretty succinct. To be truly a cusp, the actual middle of the sun would have to be right on the dividing sign line. Just because the sun is close to the end of a sign or the beginning of a sign does not make you both signs.
Many people find this a satisfactory explanation to why they may not identify with their sun sign, especially when are not yet aware of the complexity of astrology that is practiced outside of newspaper horoscopes and fortune-tellers.
Q.
Are horoscopes real?
Technically, the word horoscope refers to your entire natal chart, but in popular use it has come to refer to the descriptions of a person, or the experiences that person will have over a day, week, month, or year, according to sign they were born under.
These horoscopes, while some may be eloquently and mindfully written, can be largely ineffective. The predictions made for wide groups of people categorized into 12 signs have to be so watered down that they have just about as much use as a weather report for an entire country. For some, it'll be correct. For most, not so much. Often the best use for them is that of food for thought, or inspiration.
Q.
I've had a reading from someone else. Will your reading be the same?
The short answer is no. Assuming you provide the same birth data, your natal chart should look roughly the same, although the appearance and some small details may be different, such as whether an astrologer chooses one house system over the other or chooses to display asteroids or not.
The interpretation itself will certainly vary. Every interpretation differs from every other, just as the telling of the same story would vary from human to human, even if the baseline facts or plot points are the same. Both have potential to be valuable and ring true in themselves and yet one or both might speak to you for different reasons (just as we might prefer a remake of a movie more than the original, or we might prefer one restaurant's version of a classic dish over another). This variance is not necessarily an illustration of one astrologer's superior skill over another, but is simply because we all order and prioritize our thoughts differently, and express ourselves uniquely.
How do I get a reading from you?
To find out more about how a reading works, read about How to Schedule a Reading.