How to Choose a Good Astrologer

While astrology predictions provide detailed, specific and actionable insights into one's life, the one challenge for someone seeking such a reading, is finding a competent astrologer to hire. The internet has however, massively opened up the market and you can not only avail the services of, ‘an astrologer near you’, but you also have a selection of the vast array of those available online.

A successful astrologer combines technical expertise with empathy, intuition and professionalism. These are a few tips to assess if the astrologer you are considering, possesses such qualities:

1. Experience Counts: While there is no intention to prejudice prospective clients against aspiring astrologers, but in astrology, practice really does make perfect. The more charts an astrologer has had an opportunity to study, the better will be their interpretations.
2. Ask a Friend: Recommendation from someone with previous experience of hiring a particular astrologer is a great way to decide whom to seek a consultation with.
3. Read Reviews: Similarly, testimonials or reviews from previous clients to gauge their experiences and the astrologer's reliability can also be of great value. The only point to consider is that each person’s chart, situation and level of expectation is different.
4. Examine their Approach: Astrology comes in many different varieties, each with its own set of advantages and methodologies. Check that the methods and philosophy involved align with your expectations and comfort level.
5. Credentials Also Count: Formal training or certifications in astrology, as well as membership in reputable astrological organisations are definitely advantageous.

The Characteristics of a Great Astrologer

There may be some overlap between the skills that a good astrologer should possess and their professional characteristics. However, there is also a clear distinction between the two. We’ll take a look at the skills part further on. As in the case of any consultant from whom a client would consider seeking professional advice, in the case of astrologers too, there are some basic characteristics that a competent practitioner should possess. These are some important characteristics, listed in no particular order:

1. A calm, collected demeanour. In many cases a querent is seeking astrological advice about a complicated or vexing real life situation. An astrologer who is themselves in a distressed state of mind is of no use to anyone. A competent astrologer is someone who is patient and ready to absorb all the information being provided to them.
2. Attentive and organised. Most real life situations are nuanced and require an attention to finer detail. A genuine astrologer will make mental and maybe even physical notes of the points relevant to their prediction. They will also segregate important information and disregard less important details. A good astrologist is likely to have many clients, however they are obligated to provide each client with their undivided attention.
3. Focussed on the immediate objective. Astrology offers an array of possibilities, from advice to predictions, to planning, remedies and more. It is for the astrologer to identify what the querent’s primary objective is and proceed from there. If the querent is say, seeking a prediction, then that is what needs to be dealt with first and not skipping ahead to say, remedies or a possible courses of action.
4. Interpersonal and nonjudgemental. Matters that are of a personal nature require sensitive handling and discretion. Passing judgement on your client’s personal choices doesn’t serve any useful purpose. Therefore a professional astrologer should offer guidance without being sidetracked by their own personal opinions. There is also an element of client confidentiality that an astrologer needs to respect. No matter how juicy the matter at hand, a client’s privacy and a respect for sensitive information, should never be overlooked.
5. Ethical and professional. Integrity is a quality that we should all strive for. However, a professional consultation is a situation that involves an asymmetry of information. That is, the professional presumably knows more about the subject than the client and hence there is a potential for exploitation. This could take the form of compelling a client to consider multiple follow up consultations or remedial actions. Now, there will often be situations where follow up consultations or actions will genuinely be required. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the client to apply their good sense and assess the situation objectively. The point is, follow up action should be the querent’s prerogative and not at the astrologer’s insistence.
6. Instills confidence. Dovetailing in from the previous point is the ability of an astrologer to allay apprehensions. This does not mean that he or she should sugar coat their responses, but an astrological chart usually possesses both positive and negative characteristics. Hence the astrologist should strive to present a complete picture and avoid scaremongering, by focusing mainy on the negative.
7. Conveys clear and concise information. As explained above, astrology has multiple aspects and provides a multitude of options. Hence, sifting through this and focusing on only the most relevant information, is not always the easiest thing to do. However over time, an experienced astrologer will become accustomed to disregarding the less important information and tailoring their predictions to focus on the query posed. Similarly, a good astrologer will avoid filibustering or overwhelming a querent with intricate technical detail.

What Skills Should an Expert Astrologer Possess?

• In-Depth Knowledge of Astrology Systems

To say that a good astrologer should have an in-depth knowledge of astrology would be to state the obvious. But, astrology is a vast subject that comes in many flavours. It would thus be preferable for an astrologist to have a primary mastery in one form of astrology and additional knowledge of other forms or other disciplines. These different forms of astrology should preferably not be divergent such as say, Vedic and Chinese, but more complementary forms such as Vedic and KP astrology. Also, within these forms the astrologist should be familiar with different methods such as natal and horary astrology. Good complementary disciplines to also have knowledge of, would ideally be numerology or Tarot, as these are closely related to astrology.

• Honing Skills and Continuous Learning

Perfecting the use of astrology is a never ending process. A good astrologer should strive to learn more and more about the subject and to keep their knowledge updated. This includes following planetary movements, astrological trends and the findings of other reputed experts.

Additionally, astrology, particularly the Vedic kind, requires knowledge of ancient texts and spiritual beliefs as well as the ability to adopt any newer techniques employed in contemporary practice.

• Strong Intuition and Pattern Recognition Abilities

An accomplished astrologer will through both experience and skill, be able to recognise personality patterns and significant past events in a birth chart. The ability to balance logic with intuition when interpreting subtle planetary influences is also an important skill to possess.

• Expertise in Specialised Astrology Branches

It is important for an expert to understand the intricacies of the commonly used branches of astrology such as:

1. Astrology Compatibility: In Vedic astrology this is the matching of horoscopes for marriage/long term relationships. In Western astrology this is known as synastry.
2. Horary Astrology: Forecasts made from a horoscope cast at the time at which the question was asked. This is usually used in the absence of an exact birth time.
3. Medical Astrology: Identifying health issues linked to planetary influences.
4. Financial Astrology: Offering insights into market trends and wealth management.

• Business and Management Skills

If an astrologer aspires to a professional level of service, they must possess the ability to manage their clients and business in a competent manner. Some of the management skills that will be required include:

1. Client Management: Scheduling consultations and managing deadlines.
2. Branding and Outreach: Promoting services through social media and blogs.
3. Adaptability: Offering online consultations and staying relevant in the digital world.

What You Should Expect from an Astrologer

At PowerFortunes, we have often made the point that astrology is a garbage in, garbage out system, meaning that the accuracy of an astrology reading very much depends on the data provided. This data not only refers to the details required to cast a horoscope, that is the time, date and place, but also the accuracy of the information provided.

In order for the seeker of a reading to get the most out of their reading, they need to bear the following points in mind:

Do Your Homework

A client should ideally possess some level of understanding of the basics of astrology and how it works. This will allow them to understand what information may or may not be relevant to the reading. This is however, not to imply that you need to be a scholar of astrological concepts, but just that you will have sufficient enough understanding to address any counter questions your astrologer may pose, in order to provide you with the best advice. This will also allow you to frame your questions more appropriately.

This is not a Drill

It is fine to be sceptical and press for details, but maintain the same level of seriousness that your astrologist does while conducting your reading. A serious reading should not be reduced to a test of astrological concepts. By all means challenge these concepts in an appropriate forum, which an on-going astrology reading is not. Most astrologers will rapidly lose patience and interest in a reading if this is not adhered to and it may end up being a waste of time for all concerned.

It’s not a Test Either

Or at least it shouldn’t be reduced to one. That is, don’t deliberately conceal important information as a test of the astrologer’s skill. Past dates, timings and events are all important details that can help your astrologer identify patterns in your horoscope. Astrology is not an exact science, astrological charts often contain contradictory features. Plotting past events against planetary periods, transits and alignments speeds up the process of latching on to the nature of the chart being analysed. Of course, only provide information that is relevant, a good astrologer will be able to connect the dots themselves. This ties into doing your homework on astrology, as you will then know what information should and may be shouldn’t, be provided.

An Astrological Consultation is not a Tutorial

The primary objective of an astrology reading is to find an answer to a client's questions. Your astrologer will do this by providing you with the conclusion of his or her analysis. They may provide some background information on how they arrived at such conclusions, but explaining the intricate details of how this was achieved is not part of their job description. While it is good to have an interest in astrology and a desire to learn more about the subject, an astrological consultation is not the place to do so.

Be Realistic

Contrary to popular belief, astrology does not actually predict the future. Astrology highlights the possibilty of an event and the nature and timing of that event. How that event actually manifests, is relative to the exact circumstances of the situation. Also, there may not always be a precise answer to every question. There are however, three possible answers to almost every question. These being, ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘I don’t know’ and all three are acceptable, the caveat being that in the case of ‘I don’t know’, there should be a reasonable explanation of why this is so. It is sometimes possible that a prediction can only be accurately made after future alignments, transits and periods unfold. The guiding principle of any astrology reading is that common sense should prevail. That is, if a reading is not clear, stick to this principle.

Final Thoughts

Although seeking out a reliable astrologer might seem a little daunting at first, it really isn’t. Just like finding a good doctor or accountant, it requires some degree of due diligence on the part of the prospective client. It will however, prove to be a richly rewarding experience. Once you identify a reliable expert, they will be on call to guide you through life's constellations.