Johannesburg - If you believe in the stars, you may be aware that people who are serious about how the planets rule their lives are increasingly shifting to traditional or medieval astrology, a millennia-old star-charting discipline, and away from so-called modern astrology.
In essence, modern or “humanistic” astrology is recognisable by its emphasis on psychological interpretations based on your sun sign (your horoscope), while traditional astrology is an elaborate predictive system that uses the exact date and time of your birth to chart your fate.
It dates back to the Bible’s Old Testament, and later, the Hellenistic Greek era, and is based on the belief that “as above, so below”, which means that the stars mirror the state of affairs here on Earth, that events and your life are fated, and there’s little you can do to change things.
“Traditional astrology is an ancient craft, and it is definitely gaining ground on modern astrology, which is one-dimensional and is widely regarded among astrologers as absolute rubbish,” says Laurie Naughtin, vice-chair of the Astrological Society of SA. “Traditional astrology is far more complex, a study of time and moments of significance, and the deeper you go into it, the better you become as an astrologer.”
Anita Noyes-Smith, a veteran Joburg astrologer, says she changed over to traditional astrology in 2000 after practising modern astrology for 15 years. “I have since gathered a loyal clientele following traditional astrology, including politicians and business executives. I believe it is the most profoundly accurate astrology on the planet,” she says.
To get a sense of how a traditional astrological chart reading unfolds, I got my own done by Kempton Park-based astrologer Warren Calvey, and can confirm that this is indeed an intricate, mathematical analysis that takes a chunk of time and is no easy task to understand.
Based on the exact location, date and time of birth – the more precise you can be, the more accurate your chart – a circular graph is computer-generated, along with a lengthy list of planet icons aligned with degrees (measuring planet configurations to the hour) as well as dates. The astrologer’s expertise is in deciphering this complex data and explaining its meaning to you.
Calvey pointed out on the chart precisely where in time I could expect loss or change based on where the planets are situated by then.
“It’s mathematical, and based on the belief that your whole life is fated, although I believe that, if you’re aware of the patterns to come, you can take steps to avoid or rise above these events,” he says.
Cynicism aside, I was impressed at the basic accuracy of where he pinpointed loss, “issues with children”, career highlights and relationship cycles, although the chart – or his reading of it – seemed to be off-kilter in matters of health.
I spoke to three people who live their life by the stars, traditional astrology style:
JENNA CLIFFORD
JEWELLER
Renowned jeweller Jenna Clifford visits Noyes-Smith twice a year to have her traditional chart read, and swears by its mapping of events in her life. “It’s not hocus pocus,” she says.
“Traditional astrology is a maths-science phenomenon rooted in ancient manuscripts going back to the time of Babylon (around 2000BC).
“Think about it, we are only able to live on Earth because of the sun and the moon, and the energies dispensed because of these relationships.”
Clifford says her chart predicted a recent armed robbery at one of her stores “to within nine hours of it happening”, although she took no extraordinary steps to avoid this.
She concurs with traditional astrology that human fate is subject to the playing out of planetary movements, “but we also have free will to an extent, and we can take avoidance measures”.
Clifford also believes that negative events in a chart are not necessarily bad. “There is always duality in every chart, light and dark, and crises can be opportunities to move forward. That is how I have interpreted and received the events that my chart outlined, and that happened to me in my life,” she says.
Outspoken about gender equality, Clifford believes we are in the age of Aquarius, which astrologers identify as a time of turbulence and resurgence of values like love, integrity and unity. “We live in a patriarchal world, but the time is right for feminine energy to come to the fore,” she says.
BIDDY McCARTHY
PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER
McCarthy, wife of Calvey, runs her own school, teaching children from 2 to 6 years old. She had always been interested in astrology but, when she met Calvey two-and-a-half years ago, she was introduced to traditional astrology and became an ardent follower.
“I refer to my chart at least once a week,” says McCarthy. “A number of events in my life have been accurately predicted, but the one that stands out is when my mother in the UK fell ill last year and I had to fly out at short notice. I can also see when my daughter, 18, is going to enter a stressful phase in her life, and I then try to be more compassionate. You can also gauge when, say, it’s not a good idea to travel or when your electronics are likely to give you trouble.”
McCarthy’s chart shows that her profession is aligned to her home and, indeed, her little school is directly opposite her house. “My profession is a walk across the street. I am meant to work from home. It is clear in my chart.”
Her chart also gives her a “radar” of when she can expect problems with her staff, she says, and she even uses traditional astrology to determine when children in her school hit a “terrible two” tantrum. “When they enrol, I ask parents for their birth times and check their charts to see what’s coming up,” she says.
“It’s a wonderful device for healing during the dark periods because you can see clearly when these are coming and when they will pass,” says McCarthy.
LIATA MONATISA
BANKER
Monatisa studies traditional astrology under Noyes-Smith and has his chart read by her regularly, referring to it for every important occasion in his life, and to “get a sense of what’s to come”.
“I would say it is 85 percent accurate. Using medieval astrology tools, Anita was able to pick up what happened in my past, like when I was about 7 or at school where my aunt was a teacher and she took good care of me. She also saw that I left home when I was about 16 and entered into a completely new environment and life. True, I left home in QwaQwa in the Free State and went to do Grade 11 and 12 at a boarding school in Johannesburg,” he says.
Monatisa says his chart also showed when he got his first job, and that he works for a bank. “Anita also accurately got my character and what kind of person I am, and made predictions that are currently manifesting, like that I will achieve some measure of fame. I sing Indian music and am to perform in concerts, and I can regard this interview as achieving some measure of fame.”
Fate and free will coexist and complement each other, in Monatisa’s opinion, as “problems or difficult situations often happen for us to learn some lessons, and to grow, which we do through choice”. “In my case I meditate and do yoga,” he says.
“Astrology makes me realise that there are higher forces at play and not to blame myself, others or the environment. This helps me accept what is and live in the moment,” he adds.
The Star