There is an elite group at the top of every profession and the people who perch there like being there, I’m sure. After all, in most cases they’ve worked their whole lives to ascend to this level so you better believe once they are up there they are going to defend their position.

And if you start to climb, at best they will leave you be. You know. If you can figure out how to get up here, then I guess we’ll make some room for you. But it’s far more common for the people on top to vigorously, even viciously defend their territory. They become absolutely cutthroat which is understandable on some level.

But then there is the anomaly. The anomaly stands and reaches down from on top the mountain and gives others a hand up. Unbelievable, huh?

It is unbelievable because this person is twice rare. First, they were able to ascend to the very top of their profession, which distinguishes without a doubt. But when they reach out to elevate and empower the underling who may very well go on to compete with them; well this takes some serious grace.

And it occurs in all fields, though rarely. People team up. They bond together but only with those of equal stature. And when something like this other happens, then you have what you call a “musician’s musician”. You have someone who loves music more than power or prestige and in astrology there is a man like this and his name is, John Townley.

John Townley has some serious credentials. If you want to see them, go look: John Townley’s bio. Besides that, he was the pioneer of the Composite Chart; circa 1973 so really, what else do you need to know? He has been on top of this game for more than 30 years so the first time he and his wife, Susan emailed me to let me know they read and enjoyed my blog, I almost fainted. John Townley reads my blog? I could barely fathom.

I mailed back a quick thank you and commenced to forgetting the whole thing just as quickly as I could. I don’t need John Townley reading my blog, you know? It’s unnerving. It’s intimidating!

But time passed and there were more emails exchanged. And eventually John and Susan linked me from their website and at that I really had to scratch my head. You mean you read my blog, you like my blog, you admit you like my blog and you’re John Townley? I couldn’t believe it.

And I don’t mean to go on and on but think about it. Why in the world would someone like John Townley back someone like me? Am I in the club? Obviously not.

I have to tell you I thought this was very nervy of him. Dude, are you crazy? This is what I was thinking. Thanks, but are you insane? Have you not noticed I’m not safe? Surely you’ve noticed. So why not leave me a guilty pleasure? Everyone else does. But no. Next thing he did was publish this:

Astroblogosphere

And it was so flattering to me I blushed. I just couldn’t function on someone of Townley’s stature acknowledging me in this way. I may be arrogant, but I’m also one of the most humble human beings you could ever meet. And I’m certainly not used to someone reaching down from the top of the mountain and pulling me up. A week later he wrote me about Matrix Software.

Townley works with Matrix and he said he’d talked to them about using some of my writing on their site. He also said they were going to feature me on his recommendation. What? Matrix Software? Win-Star? These names have credibility.

So can you see what John Townley has done for Elsa Panizzon? He has legitimized me. He has made me real, along with the Composite Chart and the Astro-blogosphere… a term he coined. I’m in pretty good company, you think?

Elsa’s profile on Matrix Software by John Townley
John and Susan Townley’s AstroCocktail
Astrology Books by John Townley

Thank you…