When I first began studying astrology, I was desperate to find someone to talk to about it. At the time, astro.com was a godsend for me. I would spend hours a day on the website, using the point and click charts to try to absorb as much as I could.

It was 6 months of studying (obsessively in isolation) before I went to my first local astrology meeting at SFAA. The speaker was Rob Hand and the topic was How to Handle Your Difficult Chart Combinations.

When I entered the meeting (late) I was given a raffle ticket to have a chance for my chart to be used as an example chart in the workshop. I sat in the the only empty seat in the room in the back next to Jeffery Brock, who would later become my first astrology teacher.

For those who don’t know who Rob Hand is let me just say he is probably one of the most brilliant and foremost living astrologers period. He is beyond famous, he is a living legend astrologically. (Niche stardom creates a peculiar approachability that I have found delightful upon meeting many of my astrology idols)

Anyway, when it came time to pick the winner out of the hat for who would have their chart read by Rob Hand(for free) I prayed harder and more fervently than I had ever prayed for a win. I remember praying, if its true and i really do have jupiter somewhere in my chart, please dear god let me win this.

When they read my ticket number off, I jumped for joy literally out of my seat and said “Its me, Its me! I Won!” and I ran down to the front of the room to the stage where Rob Hand was.

Envision the game show The Price is Right, that’s a very similar vibe). The entire room (composed mainly of old ladies) all erupted in shared joy as well. It was and still is the best win of my life to date.

That was my first astrology reading, and I have to say, in all honesty every reading to follow was subpar. It’s why I don’t get many readings. I think a far better use of my astrological dollar is to take astrology classes. And in this modern age of online learning being so accessible, I have been able to take amazing classes with a large number of amazing astrologers right from home.

Although, in my early days, I did take many classes in real life with my first teacher Jeffery, and those basic real life classes were amazing. I took Jeffery’s same basic astrology class 3 times, not because I wasn’t comfortable with the basics (signs, planets and houses), but because I was fascinated by them.

You could study basic astrology for the rest of your life as an advanced professional and learn something new every day. Thats’ been my experience as well, I am always learning more about the planets, signs and houses, and I never feel like my knowledge of these concepts will be exhausted.

There is so much depth to astrology; after all, the whole solar system fits into those archetypes somehow, and that’s a lot of unpacking to do.

If you are a new student to astrology WELCOME! This is the most fascinating study on the planet. My advice to any new student is the same that Jeffery gave to me the day he met me. Sure up your foundational knowledge first. Learn the ABCs. The ABCs of Astrology are: The Planets, The Signs and The Houses.

People often tell me they are interested in learning astrology but it is too overwhelming for them and they fear it’s beyond their ability to ever really understand. This is rarely true. If someone has a very strong interest in astrology, the first requirement for learning it has already been met.