Ever since I picked up my mother’s copy of Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs at the age of 11, I’ve been reading about or studying astrology. I’ve tired of many interests over time, but my passion for astrology abides. I still read dozens of columns, buy books and compare and contrast astrologers’ ideas about how every transit, eclipse and grand T-square will affect my life.
For some, astrology is a tool for prognostication — let’s face it, we all want to know the future. For others, it’s merely entertainment. But, I’ve come to see it as a fascinating framing device through which to view the world. Much like Thomas Aquinas used the framework of Christianity to structure his thoughts, astrologers use the zodiac, with its particular cast of mythological characters and arcane symbols and language, to create a cosmic order to our world.
The best modern astrologers describe the human condition and environs with depth and, when we’re lucky, lyricism. They let us know that the fault is never in our stars, but in our inherent tendencies to make particular choices. Even within the constraints of monthly, or even daily, horoscopes, their insights can shine a light on essential truths. All of which makes astrologers our most unsung philosophers, writers and sometimes, therapists.
So, who are these modern practitioners of an art that has been around since the 3rd millennium BC? “The Stargazers,” an interview series with working astrologers, is your chance to find out all the whos, wheres and what-signs-they-are (though I doubt most will tell). You will find that they are a diverse group, with different specialties, modalities and voices.
The authority of astrology has waxed and waned over the centuries. You may not believe in it. You don’t need to. Because, when astrologers get it right, it doesn’t matter how they got there. Their wisdom can still elevate your perspective — and that’s why they remain relevant. Or, as Oscar Wilde wrote: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Read the interviews here, starting with astrologer, April Elliott Kent.