In episode 143 of the podcast astrologer Kelly Surtees joins the show to help answer some questions that were submitted by listeners of the podcast over the past few days.
The questions discussed in this episode include things like “how do you know when you are ready to become a professional astrologer?”, “why are certain houses often treated as more important than others?”, and “what are some good astrology books for newbies?”
Below you will find the episode notes, with each of the questions we covered in this episode, followed by links to stream or download the recording of the discussion.
This episode is available in both an audio and/or video versions, and you can find links to both recordings below.
News and Announcements
- Chris has a new workshop recording available for purchase, titled Timing Peaks in Your Love Life: Zodiacal Releasing from the Lot of Eros.
- Kelly recently launched a new monthly astrology video forecast service called Stellar Insights Monthly.
- Kelly is also presenting a webinar on February 24 titled Your Progressed Venus – Timing Trends in Love and Life.
Questions Answered in This Episode
Here is an outline of some of the questions from listeners that we discussed in this episode. The indented questions are ones that we answered from other listeners that seemed to be on the same topic as the one listed above.
- When did you know you were ready to start practicing astrology professionally? (Charging people other than friends & families charts) And what jobs did you both have in the meantime while learning astrology ?
- What do you ask clients prior to a session (or at the start of the session) in order to set appropriate expectations? (Sometimes, clients comes with the idea that astrologers are like psychics.)
- Why does there seem to be more attention given to the Ascendant and Midheaven than the Descendant and Nadir? Do you consider all four points equally important?
- Do you or Kelly have a preferred order that you refer to the houses as you delineate a natal chart? For example, do you go sequentially or do you prefer to go in order of related areas of life such as 2nd, 6th, then 10th and so on?
- The strange concept that the 12th house is hidden and cadent when actually the Sun rises into 12th, lights up the sky. There is nothing hidden about the 12th houses. Whereas the 6th sinks below the horizon and definitely hides planets and the Sun. Why is that???
- Advice to make the most out of the United Astrology Conference (UAC) this year.
- What are some good first books for the baby astrology enthusiast? I want to take classes in the future (can’t right now), and so I’m looking to do something productive in the meantime!
- Answer: see Chris’ video on this: Top 6 Astrology Books for Beginners
- (This is more of a list for total beginners, and some of the recommendations may not be as suitable for intermediate students)
- I am writing from São Paulo, Brazil, and would like to know if you think it is possible to delineate a “school of thought” based on the several authors who have written about astrology since the XXth century. Would it make sense to put in the same category the books written by, say, Liz Greene and Stephen Arroyo? How the student of astrology can have a more focused understanding of the matter by knowing which authors follow a certain method?
- Answer: see Chris’ video on this: Top 6 Astrology Books for Beginners
- It seems to me that after one learns their astrology lessons, what separates a great astrologist from one who is only technically correct is the ability to intuitively incorporate all the elements of a chart making it another entity entirely that then is conveyed to the client. A combination of synergy and synchronicity in action. In your experience is this a natural gift or can it be learned?
- What program would you recommend most for a Mac? Since Solar Fire isn’t compatible.
Watch the Video Version of this Episode
Here is the video version of this Q&A episode:
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 143 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:35:06 — 43.9MB)
Great tip about how to get in the habit of charging for readings ! Also, very confirming to hear you both started out writing reports and then quit because it is impractical (the time!). I did a hand full like this and no more – not worth it. And about “intuitive ” readings – astrology is a craft – no one becomes great in anything without learning the craft first,. Learning the scales and the classics before improv, learning the craft of directing film before going out on limb artistically, or any with any art. It takes years. That is what I tell myself – astrology takes years too – that is the fun of it, and LOTS of charts. Great encouragement to jump in where you are and get started, but to actually know something too..
Great questions! To the first two: Before I first started giving readings, I had had the good fortune of being able to create peer learning situations, where students would gather to read each others’ charts. I think there is much value in peer learning/teaching cohorts, to gain practice and exchange views whether one is taking a formal course of study, or is more self-taught. I motivated attendance with some free beers and noshes (benefit of running a student org – a tiny bit of funding), but by and large, people really enjoyed the socializing as well as having several different people look at their chart and vice versa. It was a great experience (perhaps holding many of these gatherings at a brewery and restaurant called “Jupiter” was helpful?)
But I’ve noticed differences among clients that make me wonder if my empathic/Neptunian nature is at play…namely, some readings just take FOREVER, and I feel I am struggling to say things of meaning and value (even though I have an intake questionnaire) because the person has no real interest, or no particular interest. Just kind of looky-lou. Whereas other people, who are very motivated and curious to engage a conversation with the cosmos…I have to be careful not to run over time on the natal chart and reserve time for transits and at the end of 90 minutes, I feel like I have barely touched anything. The only distinguishing feature in these cases has been those who are clearly motivated versus those who are somewhat indifferent.
I have been track Zodiacal Releasing from the Lot of Eros by using http://nataltransits.com/timelord.html developed by you, Jenn Zahrt and Kent Bye. Replacing the Lot of Spirit with the Lot of Eros and converting birth times into UTC. I began dating someone this January who is somewhat in sync with me due to the fact that both of us have the Lot of Fortune and Lot of Eros in Mutable signs. Both of us are releasing from the Lot of Eros at level 2 now and neither of us have since 2012/13. Cheers to the end of this long dry spell and big appreciation for your work!