What Makes Me A Good Stylist Also Makes Me A Good Astrologer by Satori
“Beauty is whatever gives joy.”
–Edna St. Vincent Millay
I was thinking about this at one in the morning as I was cutting my bangs in the bathroom with the nail scissors (which, let’s face it, is NEVER a good idea). Whatever idiocy I might perform on my own head I would never take such ridiculous risks with a client, unless they expressly asked me to. Of course, I have yet to have anyone say, “Oh please, Satori, won’t you blearily hack on my bangs with hedge trimmers in the middle of the night after lying around on the couch for hours watching old movies and gorging on Hostess mini-doughnuts?” I have, however, had someone say, “Yes, I’m totally serious, I want a mullet, a BLACK mullet, with purple streaks.” Did I give it to them? Yes, I did. And they were absolutely pleased. To be honest, they were right, and it looked smashing.
I get new hair clients regularly, not because I’m actively searching for them or offer discounts. I get new clients because they see my clients’ hair and love it, or they see my clients’ hair and think I must have mad skilz, yo. I also get clients because I work in a lovely salon with a good reputation. I figure all that must have something to do with people booking me here. Many people have read something I wrote which prompts them to think I am the person for the job. Others give me a try because Elsa runs a top-notch shop and they’d like to have some variety without a lot of risk.
My way of working, in the salon and as an astrologer, is to listen carefully to what the client wishes to achieve and use my skills to deliver it. I don’t do perms and I don’t do horary; not that there’s anything wrong with either of those, but they’re outside my area of interest and expertise. My hair clients like me because I listen to what they actually want and need and find a way to make it happen or tell them up front what the limitations are. I can’t turn short, dark hair into long blonde hair, and I can’t tell someone how to make their Scorpio lover into a Libra. But tell me what is the drive behind your wishes and I’m sure I can help you achieve something that will satisfy AND is possible in this space-time continuum. The major difference I can see here is that a good astrology consultation lasts far longer than a good haircut.
Please send me good “bangs cut in the dead of night with nail scissors” vibes, or a hat.
What do you look for in a professional, astrologer, stylist or of any sort? Can you figure the astrology of your preference?
28 Responses to “What Makes Me A Good Stylist Also Makes Me A Good Astrologer by Satori”
wouldn’t it be great if people were open to who you actually are, not who they THINK you are?
My stylist is a Capricorn & she takes her job very seriously. She asks me more questions than I even think to ask her & she always has a few nifty ideas on how I can manage the problems specific to my hair type.
What I look for in an Astrologer isn’t all that dissimilar. Someone thoughtful, thorough, open & genuine. & THIS, Ms. Satori with the crazy bangs, is exactly what I found in you, when you helped me out recently. Put simply? I could feel the empathy & honest interest =)
Haha, I’ve done the night bangs too. I had to make a personal rule. I am not allowed to have bangs anymore.
I’m so there with the beauty rules. it’s like feeding a mogwai after midnight! I think I was in a sugar/sloth haze. most chemicals affect me the opposite of normal people.
Jilly, my great aunt once shaved hers off to pencil them in and they NEVER GREW BACK. that’s like the beauty equivalent of “and in the morning they found a HOOK grasping the car door handle.”
I like the term “night bangs,” another cautionary horror tale, like “beware the night bangs.”
my stylist has the same first name as satori, oddly enough. when a friend recommended her, i knew it must be a sign 
i’m still getting used to paying someone to cut my hair, though. i used to just let it grow, and hack off my own split ends. (er, i am that there aries gurl, yes…)
I need someone with the Pisces telepathy for sure. I have a hard enough time figuring out what’s in my head let alone trying to explain it to someone else;-)
Oh and I think this is my fav Satori post;-) There’s something about your writing Satori that just hits the spot. The funny/wit/sarcasm makes my brain tickle;-) hahahha
I think pretty much I just want someone who will listen to what I want. As far as haircuts, there are times that I know exactly what I want and other times I’m looking for a change and am open to suggestions.
As far as an astrologer, I have been very lucky. I have only had 3 consultations. At ages 18, 25 and 48. I can still hear the words of wisdom from my last astrologer (who very sadly died of cancer).
All 3 were great, but this last woman really saw me and did not sugarcoat anything. So, I guess in an astrologer I’m looking for someone who will be truthful and takes time to see me as a person.
In a stylist, I look for someone with a lot of experience dealing with thick, heavy, slippery, hair, and who has very sharp scissors. I’m half Native American, and if they blanch upon running their hands through my hair, I know I need a different stylist. I’m incapable of making my hair do anything at all, so I depend 100% on my stylist to give me a cut that my hair will cooperate with.
In an astrologer, I look for a no-bullshit approach with very clear language. I’ve got Aries Mercury. I’m not going to “get” a lot of nuances or hints. (Just ask my Pisces Merc husband!) I’ve also got a loaded 8th house, so I don’t want to hear any fluffy-bunny bright-side nonsense. I want the gods’ honest truth, and I have no use for anyone who won’t give it.
Funny is ok though. I appreciate funny, so long as it’s not being employed to cover something.
Which is why I’ve read Elsa semi-religiously for years. lol
ok, this might be weird, but..
I thought about it and it would take the same elements for me to choose a hairstylist as it would for an astrologer. I to think about it because I’m Libra and making decisions is tedious work for me, so I’m satisfied to have found an answer where I can say..yeah! That’s the ticket.
I’m really funny about who I let touch my hair. It isn’t precious and I’m not prim, I just don’t like certain people touching me. I don’t want a hairdresser who is going to gossip or dig into my personal information and then share it with the next client just for rapport. I live in a small..small..small town. So my hairdresser could very well be dating my ex or have kids that are in the same grade as mine..that kind of thing. I have to feel as if I trust the person and as if they are …. good? As in a good person. By that I mean, positive, sensitive, caring. I don’t want to sit in a stylist chair and absorb negative energy and have my neck and shoulders so tightened up from tension after being forced to listen to a million stories about who is sleeping with who or who lost their job..ACK! And the atmosphere in the shop is important too!
I’ll break it down. My current hairstylist is also a customer of mine at my fitness business. I went to her the first time because she seemed warm in class and I thought her support and participation in my business definitely deserved my support in return. I wasn’t concerned about how she would cut my hair. I was more concerned about the building she worked in. It is a small block building that from the outside looks like..well..not much. But the minute I walked in to the place, I knew this would be it for me. The whole inside had been elegantly re-deocrated from the thick old fashioned looking trim and crown moulding to the big beautiful warmed Italian tile floors. Each station had a different antique dresser used for the mirror and styling utensils instead of the wall of mirrors usually found in larger places. The lighting is warm with lamps instead of colder flourescent ceiling lighting. There are REAL plants and they even have a little water feature 
Libra liiiikes! Just walking in the place put me at ease. She didn’t talk my ear off, and joyfully told me about her life instead of poking and prodding into mine. End result, I got to know her better and experience the warmth from her that I had already sensed with her in my class at a greater depth. I left with that warmth and my hair..oh yeah..it was the best cut I’ve ever had.
Bottom line, I’m not going to a clinical cold place with negative people who use BS as a business tactic to have something personal done (whether it be my chart or my hair).
I don’t let anyone touch my hair. I do it myself. Before I learned how only my mum or grandma cut my hair, but I usually stole the scissors from them and started hacking at myself. I want to go to school, but I’ll still be the only one touching my hair.
I guess I’m the same way with astrology. I want to do it myself. Figure it out. Wrap my head around it. Know the whys and wherefores without taking it on blind faith from someone else. But like beauty school, I want to talk to people and share common experience and learn.
I have an extremely difficult time forming questions. That’s the other part of the problem.
I look for people who will not judge me. I’m good enough at doing it myself, don’t need to pay others to do it. I look for warmth and empathy and skill! I want to be heard, seen and have my needs and preferences considered. Not just blown off in favor of the “professional opinion.”
Yeah, I guess it’s pretty much the same for me. Except I’m pickier about astrologers.
Please tell us about the photo that goes with this post! Love!
someone posted a link to a hair blog. I saw this and thought, “that could be me in another life!”
I just booked my first cut in 19 months, the first cut in a new country. Checking the Facebook page for my soon-to-be stylist (after the booking), I found that she was born the same year as me, with a Sun sign the same as my Rising. I felt reassured by recognizing her profile quote as being from a movie I adore. I instantly recalled this post, so now I’m off to look at our synastry to keep the optimism flowing!
(… because if I end up with a mullet, I’m taking it all off.)
My new stylist’s Sun is conjunct my Asc and widely opposite my Venus, and her Venus-Jupiter conjunction is opposite my natal Venus by <1 degree (and also conjunct my Asc). Her Mercury is conjunct my Jupiter. So … I'm hoping these are good indicators. Venus is my chart ruler.
On the other hand, her Venus-Jupiter is inconjunct my Sun-Pluto, while her Mars-Saturn conjunction is tightly square my Mars. In two days time, I'll have some experience to throw up against this and maybe I'll learn something.
Get A Consultation
Schedule a consultation by phone
Schedule a consultation by email
Read what clients have said about usThanks, we look forward to working with you! :-) - Elsa P
Order a Report
Order a Transit Report
Order a Solar Return Report
Order a Relationship Composite Report
Order both relationship reports, save 10%
Order a Lunar Return ReportHeads Up from Elsa P!
Sign up below to get my free weekly email newsletter covering the astrology of the next week. I send this email out every Thursday.
Recent Blog Comments
- debdeb: Amazing.
- daisy: I have a jupiter sun and a saturn moon. I have mastered bullet #...
- Kashmiri: "Once you have your problem scaled, Saturn comes in to have you ...
- Kenji: I find that I persevere with my first house Saturn, and make use...
- music4am: You're very welcome Elsa, Angie
- mistyoga: I'd say Sun. You are absolutely Authentic.
- Cyress723: I am just coming out of the worst 5 years of my life, I was help...
Recent Board Posts
Someone who I think will listen to ~me~ and not the idea they think I will be. I remembering once telling a hairdresser what I did for a leaving (he asked) and he said “Oh, you don’t like like a _________.”
That’s what I usually get. I want not that! He also put most of my highlights UNDERNEATH which made me so angry. Can I not be your opinion? Can I actually be trusted to know myself? Because I do.