Would you ask an astrologer to choose your next home?
. . . or pick your holiday destination! Meet the women using high-tech ‘astrological maps’ to do just that
WHEN Angela Kane, from London, was hunting for a holiday home in Ireland five years ago, she didn’t consult Zoopla or the usual array of property websites in search of the best deal or most up-and-coming area.
Instead, she visited an astrologer and asked for his help in finding the perfect home. He drew her a personalised astrological map, covered in criss- crossing multi-coloured lines showing the most auspicious areas for her house hunt.
Never mind structural surveys or pricegrowth estimates, this map, she reckoned, was the single most effective way to guarantee investing in the perfect property where she will, one day, happily see out her retirement.
Angela, 45, an assistant, is only one of a growing number of professional women turning to a little-known branch of stargazing, called astro-mapping, not just to take the guesswork out of househunting, but also to plot the co-ordinates of every aspect of their life.
Astro-mapping purports to use the latest computer programs, which can track the paths of the planets around the Earth to tell you exactly which countries, cities and even postcodes will be luckiest for you.
Having narrowed her choice to three properties 30 miles apart, an analysis of Angela’s birth chart singled out the property closest to an intersection of her Moon lines — associated with nurturing and emotional support — and her Venus lines (linked to emotional happiness).
‘Financially, it was a huge decision — I was ploughing all my life savings into it — but it was also a huge emotional investment, so I wanted reassurance I was getting it right,’ says Angela.
‘I haven’t had a single building problem since I bought it, and the tranquillity and peace of mind I feel here, compared with everywhere else I have ever lived, are unique. I feel certain I have made the perfect choice.’
Of course, most people have experienced the sensation of feeling more at home in some parts of the world than in others. But could the reason really be found in the stars?
The division of the heavens into 12 signs of the zodiac can be traced back to the 7th century. But sophisticated computer software means modern-day astrologers claim they are learning more about the influence of the planets on our lives all the time.
Indeed, they claim that our personal star chart can reveal far more than whether we are going to have a good or bad day — pinpointing where on Earth life will be easier or more challenging.
Astrology author Marcus Mason practises astro-mapping from his base in Saltash, Cornwall, and draws up personalised maps for clients all over the world, with prices starting at £140.
rEqUESTS range from couples who want advice on which country to emigrate to, to those who just want to choose the most auspicious venue for a wedding or landmark birthday party.
Marcus says: ‘It’s like having a map of your star-life superimposed onto one of the Earth, which shows where you can reach your potential.’
Much like traditional astrology, astromapping involves identifying the unique positions of the planets, Sun and Moon in the sky at the moment of our birth.
Your personal chart is formed by tracking lines down from the location of each of these heavenly bodies onto a map, and drawing another set of lines, radiating out from your birthplace to the points where the planets were rising and setting at that moment, to create a complex, interlocking web.
As each planet has its own personality, experts claim you will feel the corresponding emotional pull of their power in spots which fall on their planetary line — with the effects felt about 25 miles either side.
Marcus says: ‘Places close to your Venus lines might be better for romance, emotional health and relationships,
while those close to your Mercury lines are more positive for mental health and communication.
‘Jupiter is known as the bringer of luck, happiness, abundance and wealth, so people who visit places near their personal Jupiter lines know they will have an easier, more relaxing time.
‘If you are on the look-out for an adventure holiday or a place where you can reach your goals, parts of the Earth near your Mars lines will be the spots to head for. But you may also need to careful because those regions carry a higher risk of accidents and conflicts.’
When Mairead Armstrong is choosing where to go on holiday, she always consults her chart before TripAdvisor. Mairead, who is single and lives in London’s West End, says: ‘ I have always studied astrology, and I first saw how useful it was when I was planning a trip to Rio to spend time with my brother, about 15 years ago.
‘Family and friends were begging me not to go, saying it was far too dangerous. But, on my chart, running through that part of South America I could see a Venus line, which is the planet of harmony and good relationships.
‘ That’s exactly what I experienced — everywhere we went people were welcoming and I didn’t have a single problem.
‘On another occasion a few years later, however, I went on a last- minute getaway to Madeira without checking my chart first. In the space of a few days, I narrowly missed having a car crash, and when I challenged a man in the street about the way he was treating his animals, he became aggressive and nearly attacked me. ‘When I got home, I checked my chart to find that my Mars lines (associated with aggression) and Saturn lines (linked with challenging situations) crossed over the island, so it all made sense.’
Mairead now won’t go on a major trip without checking the planetary influences of her destination first: ‘In a few months, I will visit Qatar for work, which has another of my Venus lines running through it. But I won’t be stopping off at Dubai, which has Saturn, Pluto and Uranus influences close by, as that could indicate I’ll get caught up in volatile situations.’
When a number of positive or negative lines cross, they form hotspots — either to visit or to avoid. For Mairead, one such spot is Iceland. The fact that no less than eight of her lines cross there means she feels continually drawn to the country — indeed she has been back five times in the past 20 years.
She first visited it on a stop-over to the U.S., before she was aware it was a place of personal astrological significance. ‘As soon as I stepped off the plane, I felt a complete sense of well-being. I even cut short my trip to America to spend more time there on the return journey.
‘When I consulted my chart after I got back, I saw so many lines were running through it,’ adds Mairead.
Some women are so convinced astro-mapping works that they have moved thousands of miles across the world. When Britishborn Miranda Dickenson reached the end of a five-year university course in counselling in Colorado, USA, she was in a dilemma about where to start her new career.
‘I’d initially moved to the U.S. as an office manager, but after training to be a psychotherapist I knew I could set up my practice anywhere in the world. The choice was overwhelming, so when a friend mentioned she’d seen an astrocartographer, I decided it couldn’t hurt to ask his advice.
‘He told me the influence of the planet Pluto suggested I should move on from Colorado. He then gave me the choice of two places — Genoa in Italy, or Perthshire in Scotland. I had family already in Scotland so I found an idyllic cottage right in the middle of a valley and took the plunge.
‘I felt at home right away. People were open and friendly and welcomed me into the community, and my psychotherapy practice is flourishing. I’m certain my chart helped me make the right choice.’
PROFESSOR Chris French, Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmith’s University, London — which attempts to explain paranormal and related beliefs — is more doubtful.
He says: ‘People turn to a system like this when they may be feeling their lives are out of their control. Even if the sense of control astromapping gives is an illusion, they will still find it psychologically comforting, and that it takes the anxiety out of stressful decisions such as moving house.
‘As a sceptic I have no doubt that this system has no validity whatsoever, but that doesn’t mean it can’t perform a useful psychological function for those who do believe in it.’
Marcus Mason, however, insists astro-mapping is steadily gaining popularity precisely because users can easily test if it works for them.
‘It can help people get out of a rut,’ he says. ‘I have had clients who were having endless financial problems and frustrations and who, I discovered, were living on their Saturn lines. By moving to live on a Jupiter line, they found their financial issues were more likely to resolve themselves.
‘Others, who discovered they were living on their Chiron lines — an asteroid linked with the need to heal wounds from past lives — found themselves dealing with ongoing medical issues for many years. Moving away from these lines allowed things to get better.’
Mairead insists the accuracy of astro-mapping has been borne out by her many trips around the world: ‘In visiting more than 50 countries, it has never let me down,’ she says.
‘In a world full of choices, it’s a good way to help make some better decisions.’