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FAQs about Astrology, and about astrology with
Mary Kate Jordan
What's so important about understanding
your birth chart?
It's a tool for navigating your life according to your unique
personal relationship with eternal spiritual principles. The chart
is the map, and the astrologer reads the map. You're the one living
the life the map describes. As far as Mary Kate's concerned, she's
the expert at reading the map and you're the final authority on the
validity of her readings for your life as you experience it.
The stuff in my birth chart happened a long
time ago. What does it matter now?
You were given a relationship with your body the very same long
amount of time ago, too. Isn't that still useful? The birth chart
marks the astrological significance of the first breath you took,
and that happened at a specific place and time. An astrology reading
includes reading the current transits: how the locations of the sun,
moon and the other stuff in your birth chart are highlighted
according to where the sun, moon and other stuff is located in the
here and now.
It's like having the only copy of a classic movie that you love, and
also having the benefit of updated highlights that help you gain
more understanding about the film. That way you get more out of it,
and have more fun with the comedy parts, every time you see it.
The sun, the moon, all the planets and
asteroids and things in my birth chart. Can they really have any
influence in my life?
Several responses here, all in the form of questions.
(1) Doesn't the moon influence the tides? Aren't electronics
influenced by sunspot cycles?
(2) What if it's not about the physical influence of one physical
body on another?
Consider the (unstylish but good for the analogy) fuzzy cardigan
sweater.
Imagine how it feels when you gently rub your cheek against the
sleeve.
Now imagine that you gently rub that fuzzy fabric on your sweetie's
cheek, or your grandchild's.
It isn't you who receives that delicious tickle. But doesn't it have
an influence on your day?
It's the same with the material in your birth chart. It doesn't have
to be physically in your neighborhood to have an impact.
Won't an astrologer have power over me if I
let him or her read my chart?
Any individual in a helping profession has power, simply by that
fact alone. Any individual in a helping profession has a
responsibility to be as self-aware as possible, so that that power
is not abused.
As astrologers, we have a special responsibility to refuse to turn
our ability to read the symbols in a birth chart into a power trip.
The language that the client doesn't understand is not the important
thing. The astrologer should not be the focus of attention for the
reading. The most important focus of an astrology reading is the
client.
Keep this in mind: Even the best astrologer isn't always accurate in
every interpretation. Even, or especially, the best is always
learning. Even the worst astrologer hits things right on target
sometimes. The client has to be discriminating.
If your session with an astrologer leaves you feeling more
frightened, less empowered, or more needy than when you went into
the appointment, call and ask the questions that feel unresolved
from the session. And if your astrologer is offended, or tells you
you couldn't possibly understand what he or she knows, or tries to
tell you that it must be you who's mistaken, run, do not walk, to
the nearest exit. Ask for help from a health care professional you
trust if what the astrologer said keeps playing like the chorus of a
bad song in your mind. And let others know about your experience;
don't keep it a secret.
Does my chart tell an astrologer how I have
to be, or what my fate is, because of where things were when I was
born?
The information given in a birth chart never, never, never compels
anybody to do anything. What's given is patterns: of least
resistance, of strength, of weakness; opportunities for giving and
receiving, for growth and change. The chart may tell you you're
facing a time of great challenge, and even outline ways you might
habitually respond to it. But it never interferes with free will.
Even in circumstances of loss or grief where you are nose to nose
with things far beyond your personality's control, the chart won't
dictate what responses you have to make as you navigate through that
time. Those are always up to you.
How does Mary Kate work as an astrologer?
First, Mary Kate works within a framework that honors the
interrelationship of body, heart, mind and spirit.
Next she bows in gratitude to the technology that allows her to run
your birth information into the best computer program she knows, one
she's been using in various configurations of its product
development for more than 25 years.
That done, she meets with you, either by phone or face-to-face. Her
office is nestled away in the scenic Berkshire Hills of western
Massachusetts.
She sees your reading itself as dialogue. She translates the symbols
in a chart into useful English, seamlessly integrating that
information with the current transits, or "astrological weather
patterns". Your description of what brought you to the appointment,
your additional questions and comments make up the other side of the
dialogue. And, often, there are moments of warm shared laughter.
That's how she does what she does. But what
do her clients say about her work?
Here's what some of her clients say:
"You made astrology make sense to me for the first time." - SB,
Cleveland OH
"When you use one of your word pictures to anchor something that's
in my chart into my mind and I don't get it the first time, you come
at it from another angle until I do. Thank you for making me really
believe there are no stupid questions. I can't wait til my next
appointment!!"
- WT, Monterey, MA
"How you explained what was going on in my chart created a context
for better understanding my experiences, for making peace with my
life." -LB, Van Nuys CA
"The way you tell a story to communicate what you see in my chart,
you unlock my own inner wisdom. The whomps upside the head I get
from you in our astrology sessions always help me navigate my life
with more authority." -LS, Pittsfield MA
I'm currently in therapy. Should I come for
a reading or will that interfere with my process?
It's a question you and your therapist should discuss before you
make your decision. Great numbers of mental health professionals
find it helpful to have their clients visit a reputable astrologer
to explore their experiences through the lens of their birth charts.
The reading can create epiphanies of its own which can then be
explored in therapy, or support a breakthrough time in ongoing
therapy.
Some therapists who are also trained in astrology like to have
access to a client's birth chart themselves. Other therapists have
an astrologer on retainer. At the other end of the spectrum, there
are therapists who disagree. Some find the whole idea of astrology
as they understand it threatening to the therapeutic process and
relationship.
Mary Kate is experienced in working together with therapists to
benefit their clients. Often she works with the client directly and
then the client takes the material to therapy. At other times, with
the permission of the client, she and the therapist consult about
the birth chart material, which the therapist and client then
address in the context of the ongoing therapy. (This is usually the
case when the therapist and Mary Kate have already established a
working relationship.) If you and your therapist have any questions
about the process, feel free to contact her.
Does Mary Kate use astrology exclusively in
her practice?
Mary Kate has found the combination of astrology and other
complementary healing arts so powerful that she trained as a
hypnotherapist with a specialty in
Depth Hypnosis. In her practice, she is comfortable using
astrology and Depth Hypnosis independent of each other, or as
complementary power tools, depending on the client's needs and
interests. She has been a second-degree Reiki practitioner since
1981 and also holds certificates in Advanced Shamanic Studies and
Integrated Energy Medicine.
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