okay, i have no where else to address this question , so I am putting it here, and I hope I don't violate any rules 🙂
so , basically, I am still a beginner. And i know you are all on different levels and most are senior to me. So firstly, I honour the divinity in you. Namaste.
my question is this. What defines an astrologer? When can i call myself an astrologer? Do i need to learn all of the courses on this platform first? or do i need some kind of diploma or degree in astrology?
thank you for your time. Love and eternal blessings to you.
First, you come from the future to me (it’s still July 10 where I live :p). I don’t believe you need a certification to “be” an astrologer. Some astrologers certify people and that justifies them charging an insane amount of money for their teachings (I’ve seen up to $5k!). A certificate will not make you a good astrologer. All we have is our desire to learn and the integrity to read/teach. I don’t call myself an astrologer, I say I do/practice astrology instead. Simply because it’s such a vast domain that I keep learning. On that note, I think it’s best to specialize and study that specialization deeply (for example compatibility, psychology or Jaimini, …) rather than trying to learn as many things as possible. Easier said than done, and am sure some people disagree. Am still trying to define it myself though am getting more clear.
I would recommend not to skip the basics, really understanding the planets, houses for example is important. It frees space for intuition.
So in a nutshell: forget about certification (unless of course you really connect with a teacher that offers a certification but I wouldn’t choose because it’s certifying), master the basics and narrow it down (at least at first so that you and your client knows what to expect), and then offer a few free/donation-based consults until you feel confortable charging.
Hope this helps,
Mona
Interesting question. I think this is one of those ones that could take one deeper within oneself. Maybe the questioning should start with what one understands an astrologer to be and hence what one might be happy providing.
A person’s personality always defines what they do, so we cannot separate the person from the career they choose to follow. One might feel the need to have an official document to feel comfortable giving readings, while another might feel comfortable starting off without any acknowledgement. One might feel comfortable charging a lot of money, while someone else might be happy doing free readings. Someone might want to know everything about everything to feel comfortable offering advice, and someone else might learn as they progress.
The question at the end is, what drives us and what fires that fire within us? What is it that we are happy with and happy doing? Whatever it is, it is the path for every individual. Not just in astrology, but anything in life.
The journey starts and ends with accepting who we are. What we do is an expression of who we are. It doesn’t matter “what we do”, “what matters” is what we do.
