ansesa writes on Astrological Consulting:

How do you “brush off” (in lack of better words) the negative impression that the person who came to the reading leaves on you?

anesa - that’s a good question. 15 years ago I suffered mightily when a session went poorly but almost never have this problem anymore.

I cope by always, always doing my very best work. Every time I pick up the phone, I do the absolute best I can and after that if someone is unhappy, I am still able to let it go. But I have been at this a long time and my style and my work are out here so consequently people have a good idea what to expect when they consult with me. At this point I think I have about 95% satisfaction which is better than I would expect of myself considering I routinely work with people in difficult or painful situations and it’s rare I get to tell them their problem is clearing out in a month.

Anyone else have input?

The other day I was talking to Claire-France Perez and she told me she has had to tell clients who are unhappy with her forecast. “I can tell you what the planets say and it costs this much. Now if you want me to tell you what you want to hear, I can do that too but I am going to charge you a lot more!”

I snorted and I was thinking about this today. I once had a guy hire me, he was an astrologer and he told me specifically that he wanted to know what I thought of certain things. Astrology things this is. I told him that would be fine and he told me he looked forward to talking to me.
Continue reading Astrology Consulting… “If You Can’t Deal With My Mercury, You Sure As Hell Can’t Deal With My Mars”

Michele with another provocative question on the wrong birth data piece:

“You didn’t go to school to learn to read charts, did you? what are the traits that make a person good at it?”

Michele - I started studying with my sister when I was 8 years old (she was 10). I went to a few classes, seminars or workshops, 20 years later when I finally got to town but other than that I have essentially no formal training at all.

As to what makes a good astrologer, I have no idea.  I think I am an excellent consulting astrologer due my ability to communicate and my extensive experience. I can definitely tune you up but I can’t read a horary chart to save my life.  I can’t elect a date for a wedding, predict the weather, the stock market or the price of gold so depending on what you’re in the market for I may be good as they come or absolutely worthless.

What makes a good astrologer?

Submit your own open question

The graphic is from today’s Post Secret blog. It caught my eye as it is brilliant illustration of what I mean to be talking about around here and I’ll explain.

First we have, Kate, an intellectual woman who cannot get a man. Kate blames everyone under the Sun for her plight. Kate can’t get a date because men are stupid and oh yeah… so are women, especially if they are Mexican.

Now contrast that to the gal who sent this card. Who do you think it most likely to solve their dilemma.  The gal waving the weapon or the gal who admits to her fears and insecurities?  I’d say the second gal is halfway home and here is the astrology:

The intellect is associated with the air element and while you can certainly nurture a person’s mind it does not speak to these deeper (primal) drives and needs that all people have.  I think that Pluto in Capricorn is going to make people far more aware of this and it explains why the highly educated man or woman gravitates towards someone like me as a consulting astrologer.

The plea is this: “Get me out of my head before it’s too late.”

So who thinks what, hmm?

I have two clients who are close friends. I have worked with both of them multiple times, they are both writers and they write me and what kills me is the strange synergy that has developed and envelops the three of us.

In both cases these women write to me, often extensively and once they do, they frequently are able to move ahead and heal themselves. I never meant for this to happen. and either did they but still this has constellated and I have become in affect, their Dam troll.

Continue reading Elsa P: Astrologer And Dam Troll

Speaking of wasting another person’s energy it just occurred to me that people who waste my energy invariably waste their own. I guess we could call these people “sinks”.

My first husband, a mega Scorpio and an electrical engineer introduced me to the concept of “sink” and “source” when it comes to energy about 20 years ago. He explained there was only so much juice coming from a socket in the wall.

“There’s enough to light up a Christmas tree,” he said. “But if you keep plugging things into that source, the lights on the tree are going to dim.”

I took this in at the time and have kept a close eye out for “sinks” ever since because I want to be a brightly lit tree not something bled out by leeches. And sometimes I get contacted by someone like this (a sink) who wants a consultation.

This is rare by the way. These days with the blog and all, virtually everyone who contacts me knows exactly what they are looking for but on occasion I get a time waster. A time waster is someone who wants to go tra la la around every issue. They say, “That’s interesting” a lot and stay way, way aloof and detached and you know what I think?

I think, why don’t you go masturbate or something?

Ha ha ha.

Or sit in therapy for the next 12 years, and waste someone else’s time?

And I don’t think this is cold. It is just not my style to take someone’s money and get nothing done. If you come to me the tumor is coming out. It’s very simple. If you don’t want your tumor out, then stay away from the surgeon!

Do you respect a person’s time? What about your own? Do you think these things are connected?

Hans writes on Timing In Astrology And A Visit To The Cemetery In Italy regarding the timing of transits:

“It rarely works for me, for transits. There were a few exceptions, like my Saturn return and when Uranus trampled all over my Sun in 7, but aside from that, I just don’t see it.”

Hans - That is interesting. I can always see it in someone else’s life. It is generally obvious to me but it’s very difficult to try to point things out to people. It’s as if they think I am trying to trick them into believing astrology or crystal balls or whatever else when I do. People wind up feeling unnerved as if I am shifty in some way and it’s just not worth it to bother. It may also be rude. Continue reading Astrology, Ethics, Timing Of Transits And Counseling Skills

I forgot in the middle of my boasting and point making I forgot to say my main boast! I am going to do what I am going to do in a 30 minute consultation, just because I can.

This is a public service announcement for astrologers and the people who hire them:

There is nothing I like better than dealing with the brilliant and I had a client like this, yesterday. Now I do phone consultations, 30 min or an hour. And it may be surprising but 30 minutes is frequently plenty because I am a very focused person who doesn’t mince words. You know. You put your money down, I am going to deliver. There is no question about it.

So for the person on the other end of the phone… well, there is only go to be so much they can absorb. And I can sense this. So sometimes the 2nd half hour of an hour consultation is mostly repetitive because the client is already saturated.

Now other times and hour is perfect. It just depends on what information is being exchanged. But back to yesterday’s gal and her brilliance.

I worked with her open-ended. I wasn’t sure how long it would take… and it took a half hour. I was satisfied on my end. I felt I was concise and effective and gave a solid reading. Then this morning she emailed.

She said she was very satisfied, but that she would like to pay me for an hour. But here’s the thing…

She wanted to do the next 30 minutes in two weeks, after she’d had time to assimilate. How smart is that? It’s smart! I have been doing consultations for 15 years and no one has thought of this yet. And it’s so perfect. Because I’ll tell you what happens.

You get off the phone with an astrologer, and it’s generally very concentrated. It sure as hell is, if you consult with me. So three days later something seeps in. Eureka! That’s what she meant! And maybe you have a question. Or maybe you would like some clarification around some point.

Well too bad! You can’t have it. Your time is up unless you schedule another consultation which is this big commitment.

And I think this probably happens nearly 100% of the time. A few days after the fact, clients are left wishing they could get one more bit. So I love what this woman has come up with, enough to take the time to write this blog and tell others…

Want to get the most from your astrology consultation? Ask your astrologer to hit you with their best shot. Then go be with it for a week or two. Then come back with a progress report and ask them to hit you again. Two punches like that and you’ll probably change your life.