Four Moons Astrology- Donna Woodwell, Austin, Texas

An Interview with Astrologer Donna Woodwell

Interviewer: Why did you start studying astrology?

Donna: No one was more surprised than I that I would study astrology. Like most people, the only thing I knew about astrology was from reading the daily horoscopes in the newspaper. The predictions were sometimes humorous, but bore little resemblance to my daily life. Astrology, I thought, was a silly notion for silly people.

Then one day while in graduate school, I spent a rainy morning wandering the stacks of a used bookstore. A book on how to cast a natal chart caught my eye. I picked it up, casually flipping through the pages. It gave instructions on how to calculate where the Sun, Moon and planets appeared in the sky at the time of one’s birth, as well as simple interpretations for what those positions might signify. It sounded like an amusing way to spend otherwise dreary afternoon, so, on a whim, I bought the book.

Interviewer: So what happened next?

Donna: Once I got back to my apartment, I made myself a cup of tea and settled down at my desk with my new book and some graph paper. In an hour or so I’d constructed a rudimentary birth chart, listing the positions of the planets. After than, I sat back and began looking up the interpretations for each planet, looking forward to a good laugh.

Instead, what I found astounded me.

Everything I read sounded exactly like me. My analytical intellect and insatiable curiosity, my discomfort with my emotions, even my slightly rebellious streak, were all spelled out in black and white. I sat at my desk, stunned. I couldn’t see how it was possible that the positions of the planets – just distant specs of light millions and billions of miles away from the Earth – could have any affect on my life, let alone describe me so accurately.

I speculated that perhaps I was simply projecting my understanding of myself into the interpretations, merely hearing what I wanted to hear. So in true Mercury-in-Virgo fashion, I went back to the bookstore. I bought several more astrology “cookbooks,” read the interpretations, and found the same astonishing results. Soon I’d amassed a pile of books. I copied the interpretations for my planets from all of them into my computer. I had more than 80 pages of single-spaced text before I conceded that perhaps there was something to this astrology thing.

Interviewer : Wow, that’s a lot of information. So you were hooked?

Donna: Oh yes. Over the years, studying my chart helped me navigate the waters of my own psyche. Through astrology I grew into an understanding that the unique constellation of energies reflected in my personality was simply the way I was, and nothing of which to be ashamed. I found creative ways to address challenging psychological issues, learning to untie my neurotic knots. More than anything, astrology provided a language for me to “read” the narrative threads of my life, weaving a tapestry of past, present and future to form a compelling tale that gave my existence meaning and purpose.

Interviewer : So, what made you start Four Moons Astrology?

Donna: Well, as my friends and family learned of my astrological “hobby,” they began to give me their birth data. At first, doing readings for others was little more than a party trick. But, as I learned more about astrology, my readings became more in-depth; sometimes I would spend two or three hours with someone reflecting on his or her chart. Eventually, even Internet acquaintances began asking for astrological insights.

And so, Four Moons Astrology was born. The more I work with others to explore their astrological mythology, the more in awe I am at both the incredible diversity and deep interconnectedness of human experience. If each of us is the Hero of our own Journey, astrology can provide a map of the labyrinthine paths we travel. Without it, my adventure wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

Interviewer: Do you have any thoughts about how astrology “works”?

Donna: To me, observing the movements of the planets is like looking at the face of a cosmic clock. From the moment we are born, the clock starts ticking. With the help of computer astrology software, we can tell what this “clock” reads on any day of life, past, present or future. At certain times we may feel motivated, at others withdrawn. But this doesn’t mean that our life is “determined” by the stars, any more than it is determined by the clock on the wall.

A birth chart provides a symbolic representation of our potential as a human being. It gives clues about our talents and our challenges, our likes and dislikes. How we develop this potential through the choices we make creates our character. The choices that we have made in the past — our “karma” — shape the choices we will make today – our “free will.”

So, through the study of astrology, rather than marching inexorably and unconsciously toward our “fate,” we can become greater masters of it. Astrology helps us perceive an overview of the flow of our lives, to view the choices we have made more objectively. By raising our consciousness in this way, we are able to “surf with the cosmic tides” and make better, more constructive choices. We shape our choices, and thus, alter our destiny.

Interviewer : How do you prepare for one of your astrology consultations?

Donna: I see myself as a companion to those seeking to explore their own potential through the mirror of astrology. I don’t tell people what choices to make, rather I help them to see the choices they have made — and will make — more clearly.

The questions I ask myself when first looking at a birth chart include: What journey is this soul is on? What is s/he trying to learn in this incarnation? What tools did s/he select for her/himself to learn these lessons? What are some of the challenges s/he has created to overcome? In essence, I look to a chart to catch glimpses of the “blueprint” for the soul’s journey in this lifetime.

To me all of the planets, signs, houses and aspects used in astrology are symbolic representations, or “flavors,” of psychic energy. Within the flavor “spectrum” of a particular placement, a person has free will to choose how to manifest these energies in their lives. Consequently, I don’t view challenging aspects as a forecast for gloom-and-doom, but rather an opportunity to learn valuable life lessons. Not every tragedy is avoidable, but if one steps into the Flow of life, all lessons need not be painful.

I employ a similar philosophy for astrological forecasting. The current astrological weather can affect us in three ways – by bringing our life themes to our conscious awareness, by evoking psychological and emotional issues, and by manifesting events in physical reality. Astrology illuminates the timing of the soul’s unfolding; life themes often emerge in our lives like clockwork. However, due to the choices made by ourselves and others, psychological and physical manifestations of planetary energies are far less certain. Consequently, when forecasting I focus primarily on questions on which we are called to reflect during periods of astrological transition, with the goal of bringing more meaning to the events of our daily lives.

A reading, however, is just the beginning of the conversation. It’s meant to start a process of personal reflection and consideration. If, after listening to a reading and reviewing the accompanying reports, clients have questions on certain topics, or find that there are areas they would like to delve into more deeply, I always encourage them to contact me so we can continue the dialog.