How I Prepare for an Astrology Reading
Have you ever wondered what an astrologer really does? It’s probably not what you think. Whether you’re an aspiring astrologer or just shopping for one, here’s a behind-the-scenes peek.
What I do can basically be broken down into two categories: a natal consult, or a timing consult. The type of consult someone books really changes my workflow. If someone books a natal consult, I'm basically just looking at one chart—the birth chart and what that has to say about the person's life. If someone books a timing consult, I'm looking at their birth chart plus how the current astrology is activating or “turning on” their birth chart.
Chart Gazing
No matter what type of consult I'm preparing for, I like to start my prep session with a little something I call chart gazing. It's exactly what it sounds like. I pull the chart up on my computer, grab a little scrap paper, and stare at the chart. I don't try to engage it from a cognitive perspective yet, but rather from a visual and intuitive perspective. Now, I need to do a whole other blog on balancing intuition and technique in an astrology consult, but in terms of prep, I like to start with a soft gaze. Chart gazing allows me to answer questions like:
What does this chart feel like to me?
What captures my eye?
Where does the energy in this chart flow naturally?
And then, of course, I’ll see what the client asked for and how that overlaps with what's catching my eye. Beginning with chart gazing really gets me into a different headspace, which actually helps me prepare for a consult in a much more efficient way.
Work the Workflow
I've been consulting for about a decade now, and so I actually have a written workflow for each type of consult. I have a natal workflow that I work through step by step, and I have a timing workflow that I work through step by step. It's taken me a few years to compile and tweak these workflows, but it was worth it. I’m a Virgo with an Aquarius Moon, so systems like this really work for me and help me feel at peace.
Chart At-A-Glance
Another thing I create for my repeat client files is a document that I call a Chart At-A-Glance. This breaks the client's chart into its most important pieces in an easy-to-read format. The Chart At-A-Glance is a great way to remind myself of all the unique parts of a client’s chart really quickly. This saves me tons of time for repeat customers!
Sleep on It
What I love about the way I prepare is that I start with intuitive softness, I move into structure, and then I end with softness again. It’s a structure sandwich. So after I've gathered all of the astrological bits and pieces through my workflow, I’ll take a break. I'll sleep on it. I typically prepare one to two days before I see a client. And then, about an hour before I see the client, I pull out my notes, and I put my soft-gaze goggles on again. This time, instead of typing, I’ll grab a pen and make additional interpretive notes based on the hard data that I gathered the day before. This is when the magic really comes through.
There's a big difference between gathering the astrological facts and interpreting those facts for the client in front of me. Gathering the facts is easy. Interpreting is the hard work—this is what a client is paying for. If you’re an aspiring astrologer first starting out, I really encourage you to interpret before you sit down with a client. Otherwise, you may get tongue-tied, spew jargon, or not know what to say.
These days, I can interpret on demand, but I still like to do some interpretation work beforehand. So, I’ll gather the astrological facts, I'll sleep on the facts, and the next day before I see my client, I’ll allow some interpretation to stream through. I almost always do this handwritten because I feel it allows me to dip into the intuitive, creative side of my thinking.
Case Notes
And then I see my client and the rest is history. Just kidding! That’s not where it ends for me. Most of my client relationships are long-term, so I keep a case notes file for each. After a session ends, I’ll take three to five minutes and make a voice note about what we chatted about, what their questions were, and what I need to discuss next time. Case notes not only help me remember my client’s lives, but they help me see larger astrological patterns over time—AKA it makes me better at my job.
Making it Natural
When I was first starting out, I would prepare for a client for so many hours. It was unbelievable! If you’re an aspiring astrologer, that's normal. Trust me—you’ll get faster. In my opinion, being an astrologer is a job that’ll always challenge you cognitively, emotionally, and intuitively. I don't necessarily think it gets “easier”, but it does get more natural.
You may not feel like it now, but when you prepare, you're creating a backlog of information that you’ll eventually be able to pull from very easily while in the consulting chair. If you feel like you're overpreparing or you're just doing too much, try to trust that you’re not wasting anything. You're not efforting for nothing. You're putting in the reps. You’re building up a glossary for yourself, and the more you write it out, or speak it out, the bigger that glossary will become, and the easier it’ll be for you to access it. Eventually, you won't have to do as much work ahead of time.
Now, I'm always going to prepare for my clients. That's just part of my work ethic. I wish I could just show up cold—maybe when I'm 80 or something. But for now, I'm at the point where I prepare for a comfortable amount of time. It doesn't feel overwhelming, but it does help me feel settled, connected to the client and ready for the session.
If you’re searching for astrological insight and would like me to give this type of love and attention to your chart, come see me for a one-on-one consultation.