The Top 2 Fears in an Astrological Consultation from a Client’s Perspective

© April 2010 by Fabienne Lopez

Recently I had a very interesting conversation with B. Like many people, from time to time, he reads his sun sign horoscope (or more precisely his wife does it for him), but he still maintains a healthy skepticism about astrology and its true potential. The other day he was asking me about astrology and how it worked. We talked and I answered his questions and shared with him how I view astrology and my astrological consultations.

B. Fabi, You know I am not a big believer of astrology.

Me. Yes, I know. It is very common. A lot of people don’t know what to expect from astrology. They think it’s like reading their generic horoscope in the newspaper. On the contrary, a consultation with an astrologer is really tailored to you personally, since it is based on your date, time and place of birth. No two people have the same chart, even twins!

B. Really? I didn’t know that! But I’m still afraid of what the astrologer is going to tell me and that I will have no free will to change the events predicted by the astrologer.

Me. I hear you. I understand fear. I’ve had to face quite a few fears over the years, and it is never an easy thing. It’s painful, scary. You get triggered, stressed out, anxious. And that I respect. I totally accept not wanting to see an astrologer if it means having to face those fears. In general, I’ve only faced my fears when pushed and shoved. True to form, most clients only see an astrologer when they are facing some sort of crisis and have to face their fears if they want to make sense of what is happening to them.

B. That’s true. I don’t want to feel like I have no choice.

Me. I hear you. What if, instead of bestowing no free will, the chart could actually bring you peace of mind?

B. How so? 

Me. By letting you know that whatever is happening in your life is part of a life cycle. We all go through the same experiences in life, joy and sorrow, birth and death, beginnings and endings. It kind of takes the worry out of life, the worry that you could be heading in the wrong direction, doesn’t it? Perhaps the only free will we have, as human beings, is in how we react to these events, or in how we arrange our life around these events with the insight gained from tools, like astrology.

B. I hadn’t thought about that. But, how can I trust what the astrologer is telling me about future events? I still don’t like to feel at the mercy of stars and planets, of some cosmic power that I can’t control or influence.

Me. B., you are giving the astrologer and the consultation way more power than I have. And I won’t point out how much power and control of your life you are giving away with this attitude. Being responsible for one’s life seems, at worst of times, like an unbearable burden. With this attitude, you are also placing too much emphasis on the powers of prediction of the astrologer, exaggerating my capabilities as a professional.

B. Really? (Being sarcastic)

Me. Yep! (Being even more sarcastic). I work with my clients to strengthen their ability to direct their lives and author their own futures. My goal is to help my client to develop equanimity from fear, — a peace of mind that comes from understanding the current challenges they face in their evolution and personal growth.

B. So astrology is not some infallible cosmic truth?

Me. No, it’s not. It is just a language used and interpreted by human beings who even with the best intentions may make some blunders. I am appalled sometimes at the damage that can be done by astrologers who are free with “predictions” and sow seeds of doubt and fear in their clients.

B. Like what? Telling me when I am going to die?

Me. Something like that. It can happen. You have to understand that the model for astrological consultation is very power-driven: the astrologer has the knowledge, the skills, the techniques, and the client has nothing but fear, problems, and dependency on the astrologer. There is a great imbalance in there.

B. I agree. It can be very intimidating to have somebody tells us when we are going to die, or that we’re stuck with our challenges in our charts with no possibility of ever overcoming them.

Me.  Personally, I always look at ways to empower my client. I not only try to assuage these fears, I also approach the consultation with a practical problem-solving emphasis. During the consultation, I work with the client to answer five questions (thanks to Donna Cunningham).

1. 1. What is the problem?
2. 2. What is your contribution to the problem?
3. 3. What strengths do you bring in dealing with the situation?
4. 4. What are your options?
5. 5. Where can you turn for help?

B. Can a consultation change my life?

Me. Well, the consultation, in itself, probably not; but it sure can help you to understand your life better. You can certainly give too much power over to an astrological consultation. To get a sense of direction on how your life is unfolding, you can go to an astrologer and ask eternal questions like: “When am I going to fall in love, get married, or what should I do when I grow up?” You might go to see an astrologer to get straight answers, ready-made solutions, a road map to follow, no questions asked and assume no responsibility for your choices. A lot of clients want a deterministic path so that when a crisis happens they have no way to change it. A very limiting belief but a very convenient one for them.

Or you can have another attitude which is know what is ahead, to plan and prepare, to be proactive as opposed to reactive. This way a consultation can give you a sense of awareness in which direction your life is evolving and allows you take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. I use my chart and my transits this way all the time, as a means of anticipating life’s changes. It allows us to better prepare for the future.

B. Maybe I’m ready for a consultation BEFORE things get stressful. So, what’s it like when we sit down together?”

Me. Pretty relaxed. I do not want people to be afraid of consulting an astrologer. I try to make it an exchange where you give me feedback on what I am telling you. If you want, from there we discuss strategies on how to better deal with the unfolding of events, based on your chart strengths,. It is really a partnership, a cooperation between client and astrologer to get the maximum results.

Me. So, ready for a reading?

B. Sure, how do I set one up?

Me. Just call me with your birth data (time, place and date of birth).

B. I am ready!

Me. If you are like B. and want to get a head start on your year, give me a call 415-648-1932, or email me at Fabienne@astro-brasil.com

Talk to you soon!

Credits: Photos from Flickr Creative Commons