Astrology as a Business
or maybe I was running out of material; in fact, this is a
sure sign of an amateur—the dependence on
astrological jargon as a means of communication within
the reading situation.
In the classroom, sure (and I have taught thousands of
students over the years) that is where jargon has its
place. In the reading: not appropriate. The client has no
idea as to what astrological phrases and lingo mean. It
may sound impressive, but the best astrologers I know
do not use it. What do we do?
We concentrate on what the astro-jargon is pointing to.
For example, we don't say: "You have a grand trine in
your chart." Instead, we say" You have the ability to get
the big picture, to see the forest AND the trees." Or
perhaps we first tell them about the forest and the trees
and THEN tell them that they have a grand trine. That is
the idea.
The point of a reading is to assist the client, using
astrology as a lens or a filter—not as a feature. When
we use excessive jargon, we only cloud the lens, and
confuse the mind of the client with words they cannot
yet understand. We are the astrologer, and we are
supposed to know what a grand trine means, and it is
that meaning we want to communicate to our client.
Another suggestion: Many clients come in with a
smattering of astrology in mind, and they want to ask
you things like "What does my Venus Conjunct Mars
mean?" Again, this kind of question belongs in an
astrology class and not at a reading. If you start to
answer such questions in a reading, you are opening up
a can of worms. Before you know it, the client will be
directing the reading, fueled by what little they do know,
and the general course of the reading will be aborted.
Do this at your own peril.