Many people have asked me how I got started in astrology, so I thought it would be a good story to tell. I was lucky as a child to spend a lot of time with my two great aunts. One of my aunts, the eccentric one, had an interest in eastern philosophies and astrology. There were astrology symbols around the house that caught my eye as a very young child. In fact, this aunt had her chart done in 1927 by the famous astrologer, Evangeline Adams. I am fortunate to have that chart in my possession today. So astrology was almost genetic to me.
The image with this article is a little painting I did for my aunt when I was 4 or 5 years old. I called it The Sky and it showed my view of the heavens at that time in my life. Obviously I was as obsessed with the sky then as I am now.
Since I went to Catholic schools growing up, I secretly studied it on my own. I remember putting the little Dell Horoscope monthly magazine in my hymnal in school. If the nuns knew, they would have had my head. The funny thing is that Dell Horoscope and the hymnal were exactly the same size so if a nun walked by, I could shut the book. In my young mind, they seemed to work together perfectly.
This was of course before astrology was very popular and definitely pre-computer. Eventually I discovered the old astrology book, the A-Z Delineator, which is full of terrible looking equations and symbols. Somehow I figured out how to calculate a chart by hand and started doing astrology charts as a teenager. I kept this obsession mostly to myself, realizing most people just wouldn’t understand. Astrology was the only thing I was really interested in . . . and it still is.
Then a turning point happened that propelled me into becoming a professional astrologer. I met my astrology teacher, the esteemed Carl Payne Tobey and here is how it happened. I went to a psychic conference in Phoenix where I attended a talk about the different astrology ordinances and the legalities of getting a business license. The speaker suggested we all check out the laws where we live, since they are city-wide and specific to each city. So when I returned to Tucson, I went downtown and found the ordinance on astrology. It was a fascinating story that led me to Carl.
The ordinance is called a “Fortune Telling Ordinance”, which is still named that to this day. This is the listing from the actual ordinance, which includes, ”astrology, palmistry, phrenology, fortunetelling (either of the past, present or future), clairvoyance, clairaudience, crystal gazing, hypnotism, mediumship, prophesy, augury, divination, magic or necromancy”.
It seems that there were some questionable gypsies who came through Tucson, so the city created an ordinance to protect the citizens. To practice any of these arts, a business license was required and the fee was $2,400 per year. Depending on the type of business, most licenses cost about $50. - $200. This is where Carl Payne Tobey entered the picture. He made a proposal to the Tucson city council and had the fee reduced to $300 per year, which is still in effect today. That change was made in 1961.
After I found that he was involved, I looked in the phone book and found a listing for Carl Payne Tobey and called him. Of course, I had no idea of what an influential and important astrologer he was at that time. My love of astrology and serendipity led me to him and it totally changed my life as a young, eager and budding astrologer.
Our first meeting lasted about 4 hours and after that he took me under his wing as my mentor. He was about 60 years old at the time and was at a perfect phase in his life to have an energetic astrologer help him with every day projects. I had already started interpreting astrology charts, so I was at a perfect level to help him and learn at the same time. My early twenties were spent visiting Carl several afternoons each week. Looking back, those were some of my most precious memories in my life. I’m getting teary now just thinking about it. I was such a lucky young astrologer.
After Carl passed away, I immersed myself in doing charts for my clients. At the end of my 20s I was hired at Canyon Ranch Health Resort as their astrologer, where I worked for 32 years.
Now I’ve written 5 books, lecture internationally, teach at Kepler College and have interpreted over 50,000 charts. I’m sure Carl is looking down at me now with a big smile on his face.