president’s report a turning point · the career astrologer the newsletter for professional...
TRANSCRIPT
THE CAREER ASTROLOGER The Newsletter for Professional Astrology
Volume 19 � Number 1 � Winter 2010
BY BOBMULLIGAN
2009has been a turning point yearfor OPA. Transiting Pluto hasfinished crossing our Ascen-
dant; we have been transformed. And now, we are inthe midst of a revitalizing process which is the outgrowth of this fundamental shiftwithin the organization. Many people in OPA have discussed the meaning of thistransition, and the conversations have been lively.However, it is important to remember our 1st house Moon is at 4 degrees ofCapricorn; we will have Pluto very nearly Conjunct our natal Moon all through2010. Deep changes will obviously continue. Remember the Moon rules our Sev-enth house. For those of you who follow the astrology of OPA’s developmental steps will notethat in our first meeting chart we had a 10th house Uranus at 2 degrees and 33minutes of Capricorn. This placement has just received his last Conjunction withTransiting Pluto. We have “stirred the pot” so to speak, and now we have real trans-forming change upon us.Certain years in our history stand out as truly important: 1989 our founding,2000 our incorporation as a separate organization, 2002 our first retreat, and now
2010 will be the beginning of our processof certifying professional astrologers. Thisaction by OPA will give birth to otherthings. New procedures will stream forthfrom this activity.We all agree that good astrology has thepower to raise consciousness on theplanet; further, good astrology is depend-ent on good astrologers. OPA’s missionhas always been to present a better astrol-ogy to the world; each of us in our ownway (through our practice) help people,organizations, and governing bodies. Asan organization, we have always encour-aged anything that would improve thelives of practicing professional astrologers.And now we have an opportunity to takethe next step. We are fulfilling our destiny.There are
1
[CONTINUED ON PAGE 6]
P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O R T
O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
In This IssuePresident’s Report ......................1
Take A Chance!............................1
A Note for Consulting Astrologers ..............3
OPA Member, Robert Blaschke..3
OPA Workshops ..........................4
Link Roundup..............................5
A Turning Point
Take aChance!BY JUNEMORROW
Sometimes you just have to gowith your gut. The road for meto being
on a Chicagoradio stationis a very longone.Jake Hart-ford is a radiopersonalitywho I havebeen listeningto for a longtime. Hisradio show,Awake With Jake, used to start at 5a.m. on Saturday mornings. I hadenjoyed Jake’s sense of humor onother shows and time slots. So,crazy me, decided to listen to one ofhis 5 a.m. on a Saturday shows.Ever since that first show, I’ve beengetting up early on just about everySaturday [CONTINUED ON PAGE 2]
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 1
is dedicated to promoting excellence for astrologer. Incorporated on October 4, 2000 at 1:45 pm EDT inTallahassee, Florida, OPA providesmembers with tools to establish orimprove their astrological practice. Membership is open to aspiring andcurrent astrologer. Benefits include
subscription to the Career Astrologer andE-news, and members registration fees at
OPA retreats and conferences. Annual dues are $60.00.
OPA BOARD
PRESIDENTBob Mulligan239-261-2840
VICE PRESIDENT/CONFERENCECOORDINATOR
Alexandra Karacostasalexandrakaracostas@
yahoo.com
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARYJune Morrow847-864-1063
SECRETARY Sheila McGinty216-407-5698
TREASURERAlice Kashuba954-894-8685
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS & PROJECTS
Arlan Wise508-645-9292
COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTORKatrina Peters239-369-7833
WEBMASTERRon Akanowicz
E-NEWS DIRECTORDvora Weil818-591-9175
THE CAREER ASTROLOGER EDITORTwink McKenney203-267-4986
Take a Chance!CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
2 O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
to listen to Jake’s show. That had beengoing on for many years. How many? Idon’t exactly know, perhaps 10 years.One day in 2008, I was reading a col-umn by Robert Feeder, at that time aChicago Sun-Times reporter, that wasreporting that Jake Hartford was -suddenly - off the air!! I was as-tounded and immediatelyemailed my support to Jake.Then, it seemed like the nextday but I don’t know if it was, Iread in Mr. Feeder’s columnthat Jake and his show would beon another radio station,WCPT-AM inChicago. I was ec-static. Plus, it wasgoing to start at 7 a.m.on Saturdays insteadof 5 a.m. WOW! Icould sleep in on Sat-urdays now!One Saturday morn-ing, as I was listeningto Jake and workingon a Natal chart for aclient, Jake mentionedhaving a resident chef,a resident attorney anda resident doctor, etc.These were peoplewho called into theshow regularly. As Iwas listening to thelist of resident author-ities, I thought ‘WhatJake needs now is aresident Astrologer.’So figuring I hadnothing to lose, Iemailed him that heneeded an Astrologerand that I would bewilling to be his resi-dent Astrologer. Igave him a little of my background asan Astrologer.Six weeks later, I received an emailfrom Jake Hartford saying “I’m willingto try this if your game.” I was over-joyed at first and then I got nervous. My first time on Jake’s show was Feb-ruary 28, 2009 at 8 a.m.(for those who
would like to chart it, I was on the phonein Evanston, IL, Jake was on the radio inChicago, IL). I had prepared diligentlyfor all the signs of the Zodiac, any possi-
ble questions, etc. Then the sur-prise came.When I goton the air,instead ofaskingaboutsigns orwhateveranyonewould askabout Astrol-
ogy, Jakestarted throwing
birthdates at me! I wasworking from the seat ofmy pants! Thank good-ness I knew where all theplanets were and had mytrusty Ephemeris.I did well, according toJake. He said the trick toradio was to be able tochange in mid-stream.I’ve been appearing onAwake with Jake aboutevery 2 to 3 weeks eversince. I love it and am ableto ‘promote’ Astrologypositively.I had a teacher oncemany years ago who, as hewas holding anEphemeris, said, ‘One day,all you’ll need is thisbook.’ It does help having30 years experience, too.I want to publicly thankJake Hartford for allowingme the honor to be on hisradio show, Awake With
Jake. May he and his family have un-ceasing blessings and all the good in life.The moral of the story is to go withyour gut, your little voice, your hunch. Itwill not steer you in the wrong direction.
June Morrow is a consulting Astrologerin Evanston, Illinois, She also serves asOPA’s Membership Secretary.
As I was listening
to the list of
resident
authorities,
I thought
“What Jake needs
now is a resident
Astrologer.”
June's Knight, Jake Hartford
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 2
3O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
In the early days of my work as a con-sulting astrologer, I imagined that as-trological information was what
people really wanted from me. I spentthe majority of my time with clientstalking, usually having much to say andhopefully sharing something that wouldtouch them in a meaningful way. I pas-sionately wanted to deliver insight. Attimes this made the consultation moreabout my needs rather than theirs,hopefully not obviously!Over the course oftime I realized that Ialso was getting paidto listen. Of course,asking thoughtfuland relevant ques-tions is essential to aconsulting astrologer.But, I found that cre-ating space for clientsto speak and be heardwas probably the sin-gle most importantfactor between a“successful” sessionand a mediocre one.Clients come to uswith questions andthe desire for direc-tion in their lives.They rely upon ourastrological knowl-edge and interpreta-tion. But looking at ahoroscope does notreveal who the person really is in pres-ent time. We can observe patterns, pre-dispositions and determine where anindividual is within particular cycles intheir life. After all, as an astrologer, tim-ing is everything! It is about the whereand when, but not about the how. The“how” is determined by the client’sunique circumstances, which we dis-cover through listening.There is much to this “listening”process. Self-empowerment authorStephen Covey’s fifth habit of highlysuccessful people is, “seek first to under-stand, then to be understood.” At the
very least, allow for the experience ofbeing unconditionally present togetherwith the client. As Yogi Berra said, “Youcan observe much by watching”. There isa definite learning curve to listening well.It requires lots and lots of practice, muchof it personally difficult. Yet it is a prac-tice well worth the initial discomfort.It is also important to affirm the posi-tive in a client’s life, to highlight theirgifts. As Galway Kinnel writes, “to re-teach a thing its loveliness”. My experi-
ence is that most of usare predisposed to focuson our shortcomings. Asan astrologer, part of myjob in helping my clientis to honor and ac-knowledge their essen-tial goodness. This I dothrough interactive re-flection with the client,refining the affirmativein reframing their pic-ture. This process cre-ates the opportunity toreconsider a given inter-pretation and shed lighton alternate perspectivesthat are more construc-tive for the client. To conclude, simplyimparting astrologicalknowledge and infor-mation is not enough ifwe truly want to make adifference in someone’s
life. Our ability to listen, create spacein our interactions with clients, andmirror the positive, are vital skills tobeing better astrologers and allies tothose we serve.At the next OPA Retreat in Asilomar,CA this October, Giselle Terry andRichard Smoot will be offering an In-tensive designed to enhance empathy,compassion and listening skills. Anyonewho plans to do client work will surelybenefit from this excellent track. This isjust one of the many exceptional pro-grams OPA will be offering next year.Space is limited, so sign up now!
There is much tothis “listening”
process!
Noted astrologer and OPA
Member, Robert Blaschke,
needs our prayers.
He is battling cancer and has
recently had a set back.
Please e-mail him at
with your thoughts, good
wishes and appreciation for all
he does for our craft.
A Note for Consulting AstrologersBY ALEXANDRA KARACOSTAS
Robert’s books are available on his website
earthwalkastrology.com
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 3
4 O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
OPA has such a wealth of ma-terial about the nuts andbolts of being a professional
astrologer, In order to make some ofthis information available, the OPAboard has decided to hold one-dayworkshops in different locations tobring the information toyou, our members, and toother astrologers who areinterested in learningwhat we have to teach.This material has beengathered through theyears, from conferences,retreats, and Career As-trologer articles. It is use-ful and informative.We plan to start withfour one-day workshops.The first locations will beHartford, Ct., Asheville,NC. Naples, Fl., and LosAngeles, Ca. The meet-ings will run from 9 amuntil 4:30 pm. There willbe an hour break forlunch. The morning will be a teachingunit, covering topics relevant for theprofessional, or the aspiring profes-sional, astrologer including how to getand keep clients, how to handle money,and discussing different consulting
styles. There will be a class on the newtechnologies to help you stay up to dateon how to use them in your practice. The afternoon will be used for peergroup work. All attendees will partici-pate in this group work and be able toexperience how valuable it is.
The cost willbe $75 andeach participantwill receive a$100 coupongood for use fortuition at thenext OPA re-treat. We real-ize that thecurrent eco-nomic situationis inhibitingmany from at-tending confer-ences, so we aretrying tostreamline costsand by elimi-nating the need
for travel expenses and hotel fees bybringing the material to you. Tell yourfriends and come for the day. Dates and locations will be an-nounced on the OPA website and inthe E-news.
Coming soon to a location near you…Coming soon to a location near you…
OPA Workshops!
The first
locations will be
Hartford,Ashville,
Naples & LA
There is a workshop
scheduled for
June 12, 2010 at
Wesleyan Universityin Middletown, CT.
Please contact
Arlan Wise
[email protected] more information.
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
7
OPA will have a table at the NCGRConference in Boston -February 2010. If youcan help out please e-mail Katrina [email protected]
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 4
5O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
BY RON AKANOWICZ
Ioften send Bob and the OPA board members links to interesting articles that Ithink could help them in their business. As someone who spends the better partof his day in front of the computer I come across a lot of different kinds of
websites and resources. Bob recently asked me to share some of these with you soI'd like to introduce my first "link roundup." As aspiring and full-time astrologerswe need to wear a variety of hats in order to build our businesses, from writer tomarketer to bookkeeper. I hope you'll find some of these useful.
WRITINGIf you have a website or even a newsletter then you're writing on a regular basis.As someone who does both I know it can be challenging- from finding inspirationto actually getting it onto the web or out to your mailing list. Here are fewwebsites I enjoy for helping me with my writing.
Write To Done (www.writetodone.com) provides good, simple advice to theblogger (of course his tips apply to most types of writing as well). Check out thisarticle blogging basics: http://writetodone.com/2009/10/15/15-basics-of-insanely-useful-blogwriting/
Copy Blogger (www.copyblogger.com) is about blogging and marketing. Thearticles tend to be short but contain at least a few key points that you can easilyput into practice.
Want more? Check out "The Top Ten Blogs for Writers":http://www.writingwhitepapers.com/blog/2008/09/22/top-10-blogs-for-writers-winners/
WEBSITE
I'd venture to say that most astrologers today have a website. I came across thislist of 101 five-minute fixes to improve your website. It's a lot to digest atonce, so you might want to bookmark this page:http://www.insidecrm.com/features/101-web-site-fixes-031808/Are you thinking about updating your website? Or do you just need an updatedcontact page? Check out Pattern Tap (www.patterntap.com/) to find some designinspiration. It showcases great design ideas and categorizes them into collections
Link Roundup
T I P S F R O M O P A ’ S W E B M A S T E R
for articles, headers,backgrounds,shopping carts, andmuch more. If you have awebsite, do you knowhow well it's doing? Hub Spot(www.hubspot.com) offers a freeassesment called the "Website Grader,"(http://websitegrader.com/) that willmeasure your SEO (search engineoptimization) effectiveness. I did thisfor my website in November of 2008and got a score of 67. After makingsome changes, blogging moreconsistently, and finding ways to createlinks back to my website my score roseto an 87 in about 6 months. Hubspotalso offers articles and free conferencecalls about a variety of contentmarketing topics. Do you have any favorite links you'dlike to share with us? Do you have anyspecific questions about technology orhow to use it to benefit your practice?Send them [email protected] and we'll post them onthe website and in our next CareerAstrologer.
Ron Akanowicz is a Miami-basedastrologer and OPA’s web master. He can be reached at 786-853-1666 [email protected],www.miamiastrology.com
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 5
6 O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
several ongoing projects in theorganization that deserve some specialmention; certification, different levels ofmembership, One Day Workshops, ourwinter board meeting and planningsession for our one day workshop, theOctober Retreat, OPA at the NCGRconference.
CertificationWhy Certification?
We believe that OPA certifiedastrologers will have a positive effect onworld culture. Certification will be amethod for securing that people aroundthe world will have access to astrologythat is useful; people who are ready toappreciate and utilize good astrologywill have access to it. We plan toactively support and promote theastrologers we certify.This process ofcertification will take alittle time to bring tofruition. The details of theprocess will be worked outat the winter boardmeeting in January andclarified at the groupleader’s meeting in June.The requirements will beattendance at a number ofretreats, a number of yearsin practice, and provencompetence in a numberof areas which will begraded by the groupleaders.In order for anastrologer to receive apassing grade and bemoved on for certificationthey will have toparticipant in a number oftraditional peer review groups like theones that we did at our earlier retreat.We will run these as stand alone eventsin the next few years; participants canalso use groups they have been in frompast retreats to satisfy theserequirements.We will have the details of thecertification process up and functioningby our next retreat.We can certify astrologers as
professionals by having our groupleaders pass people who have completedthe three day OPA retreat successfully.Here is a preliminary check list thatgroup leaders will have to certify foreach participant:1. That they can read a chart.
2. They are sensitive to the needs oftheir client.
3. They demonstrate reasonablecounseling skills.
4. They are capable of reaching out tothe community.
5. They show an ability to bevulnerable.
6. They are pro-active.
7. They can develop a plan of action.
We want to certifyastrologers who arecapable of earning aliving as aprofessionalastrologer in acompetent, ethical,and helpful manner.We are interested intraining astrologersto be able to qualifyfor this and to have alist of referrals toplaces where peoplecan get the trainingthat we feel isnecessary.In order for this
certification to beobtainable; we willneed to allow peopleto use past retreatexperiences toqualify, offer peer
group work at the time of our retreats,and give weekend retreat experiencesperiodically at different locations.
Different Levels of Membership
A short time ago, Sandra Leigh Seriosuggested that we have different levelsof membership in OPA. We discussedthis idea; we looked for a way thatdifferent kinds of memberships could
strengthen and validate the importanceof our peer review model which wehave spent the last seven years refining.The board will work on this at ourwinter meeting and the results will takeshape in spring. As a directconsequence of our professionalcertification process we will developdifferent levels of membership.
One Day Workshop
Arlan Wise came up with a great ideaof having one day workshops atdifferent locations around the countryto familiarize other astrologers withOPA’s work and programs.Here is a preliminary outline for thisnew OPA idea
Schedule9 am -1 Teaching- done by 2 or 3 teachers
TOPICS WOULD BE: The nuts andbolts of setting up a practice, includinghow to handle money, consulting styles,and how to get and keep clients
New technology- recording devices,webinars, conference calls classes,websites
12-1Lunch (we will not provide lunch.)
1-4Peer group work
We’ll have 2 or 3 groups, depending onthe ratio between teachers andparticipants.
4-4:30 PMWrap up, questions, feedback
So far we are exploring having theseevents inNaples, Florida; CT/Springfield, MA area; Cleveland,Ohio; Los Angeles, California; andperhaps other places. Arlan suggests weshould have 3-4 a year to begin withand add additional places as we getrolling.We can do our advertising throughlocal astrology groups. Katrina Peters,as outreach coordinator, will have toarrange this. We can use our website,ISAR e-letter, our e-news. We can usethe email list we have from conferences.Money - we will probably charge $75for the day. 10% goes to OPA, any
President’s ReportCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
We all agree that
good astrology has
the power to raise
consciousness on
the planet; further,
good astrology is
dependent on
good astrologers.
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 6
money for expenses to the host, and therest divided between rent for a space ifwe need it, and the speakers. We willhave to spendsome money onwater, tea, andcoffee for theattendees. Thelocal contact, eitheran astrology groupor a person, will bein charge ofcollecting the money.All attendees can receive a $100discount coupon to the next retreat.Arlan is the coordinator person for theone day workshop and she would liketo have a partner. It should be a teameffort so write or phone Arlan if youwould like to [email protected] or 508-645-9292.
Winter Board Meeting & One DayWorkshop Planning Session
Our winter board meeting is plannedforThursday, January 21- Sunday the24th, here at my home in Naples,Florida. This board meeting is criticalfor the continuity of our very ambitious2010 calendar, and we have a very fullagenda. Immediately following our boardmeeting we will have a two dayplanning session for our one dayworkshops. If you would like to beinvolved in planning the content orwould like to be a teacher for the oneday workshop, you are invited to attendthis meeting. This offer is open to anyOPA member who wishes toparticipate. All board members and allgroup leaders should make every effortto attend this meeting since manyfoundational ingredients will be put intoplace at this time. If you have neverbeen involved in an OPA activity, nowis the perfect opportunity to becomeinvolved in a soul satisfying way.This two day meeting will be at myhome Monday January 25th andTuesday the 26th. Call me or email ifyou are interested in being part of theexperience, 239-261-2840. Our upcoming OPA Retreat
(October 20th - 23rd 2010) promises tobe our best event ever. As you know we will be back atAsilomar, where we were for our 2009
retreat. The atmosphere at thisnorthern California coastal park is sosupportive of the type of work we do at
the retreat it seemedlogical to return.Wednesday, thefirst day of theretreat we will all betogether for a time oflearning, exploring,and sharing. Thetopic will be Free
Will and Determinism. MonicaDimino is putting this day togetherand will do an extraordinary job, asalways. There will be talks, panels, andopen discussions involving everyone. Ifyou would like to present something tothis gathering on this topic, call oremail Monica Dimino at 617-923-6424 or email at [email protected] you are not registered for the retreatyet, you can do it through our web sitewww.professional-astrology.org. Whenyou register for the retreat you will besigning up for a specific group andgroup leader. You can change groups upuntil 60 days prior to the retreat. Thegroup leaders have been busy workingto perfect a number of different andvery interesting groups. Three of thesegroups merit special mention; GiseleTerry and Richard Smoot will lead theISAR “Consulting Skills” as one of ourgroups; Maurice Fernandez, theEvolutionary astrologer, will lead agroup called “The Spiritual Dimensionsof the Chart” ; and, Ani Bettati willcome from Argentina to lead our“Beginner’s Group”. Get moreinformation and the schedule from ourwebsite.
OPA at the NCGR Conference
NCGR Conference in Boston(February 25-28, 2010) is going to be aprime opportunity for us to bookpeople in to the OPA Retreat in thefall. Katrina Peters (our outreachcoordinator) is doing a great job gettingour literature table together for theconference. If you are going to theconference and can help at the table;email or call Katrina Peters at 239-369-7833 or [email protected]. Thetrade show hours are Feb 25th Thurs2-6pm, Feb 26 Fri 8-6pm, Sat 27th 8-6pm, Sun 28th 8-6pm.
Our upcoming retreat promises
to be our best event ever.
Mark Your Calendar
October 20-23, 2010
7O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
Have you stopped by
OPA’s NewWebsite?OPA Webmaster,Ron Akanowicz,has been busy
designing & settingup our new site.
Check it out! AND, ifyou write a
newsletter we canpost a link to sendpotential clients your way.
We welcome your submissionsto The Career Astrologer
Please tell us about your work... what’s new and exciting,
how you are managing duringthese challenging times. Wewould love to hear from you.Deadline for the next issue is
January 15, 2010. Please e-mail articles andphotographs/artwork to Twink McKenney [email protected]
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 7
8 O P A � T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R � W I N T E R 2 0 1 0
We’re headed back to Asilomar on
California’s Monterey Peninsula
October 20-23, 2010
Full track Descriptions & registration at www.professional-astrology.org
Questions? Call OPA Conference Coordinator, Alexandra Karacostas at 530-520-9992
Take Your Astrology Practice to the Next Level!Enhance your professional skills
with the wisdom of our internationally renowned faculty!
OPA’s unique astrological experience – small enough to bond
with your peers, big enough to expand your horizons!
You’ll emerge with a wealth of new strategies, techniques and ideas
that will enrich your practice for the rest of your professional life.
Our faculty includes: Ani Bettati, Arlan Wise, Gary Christen, Monica Dimino,
Susan Falk, Roy Gillett, Dennis Harness, Jacqueline Janes, Rick Levine,
Chris McRae, Bob Mulligan, Glen Perry, Robert Corre. Sandra Leigh Serio,
Gisele Terry, Benjamin Bernstein … and more!
We’re headed back to Asilomar on
California’s Monterey Peninsula
October 20-23, 2010
Full track Descriptions & registration at www.professional-astrology.org
Questions? Call OPA Conference Coordinator, Alexandra Karacostas at 530-520-9992
Learn from our world class faculty.Connect with your peers.
A tranquil retreat cradled by forestsand white sand beaches.
Make new friendships with kindred spirits. Four full days of astrological immersion.
Register Today for Significant
Savings on Tuition
O P A ’ s 7 t h A n n u A l A s t r O l O g y r e t r e A t
Asilomar
CA_Winter_2010:Layout 1 1/6/10 2:27 PM Page 8