Yasmin Boland - Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Your Birth Chart

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, Astley House, 33 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JQ
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Text Yasmin Boland, 2016

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording;
nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third party websites.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-78180-647-0 in print
ISBN 978-1-78180-693-7 in ePub format
ISBN 978-1-78180-694-4 in Kindle format

Interior illustrations: 6 Shutterstock/ORLA;
all other images courtesy of the author

This book is dedicated to my old
astro-colleague and pal,
the late, great Jonathan Cainer.

Contents

Astrology is a secret code to success. Its the most mysterious and enthralling subject Ive ever come across Ive lived and loved astrology for almost 20 years now, and Im still amazed by it.

Astrology is a divination method thats been tried and tested for millennia. Ive used it to decode my own life, and to help other people in one-on-one consultations; Ive also often employed it to help friends going through hard times. Ive lectured on astrology in various parts of the world, had tons of positive live and digital feedback, held countless workshops, and written articles, columns and books about it.

I find it surprising and somewhat infuriating that some of the greatest scientific minds in the world today completely dismiss astrology, without having studied it, or tested it for five minutes, let alone the decades it takes to learn it properly. My first astrology teacher repeatedly told me to Test it! Test it! Test it! and I continue to test astrology every day of my life. The simple fact is: astrology works, and in this book, I will show you how.

The friends I made in high school insist that I was very interested in astrology talking about the stars and signs way back then. I genuinely have no recollection of this, and my only early memory of astrology, from when I was about 12 years old, was reading my horoscope in a British teen magazine for girls called Pink. I lived in Tasmania, Australia, and wondered whether the information it contained was the same for the northern and southern hemispheres (it is).

As far as Im concerned, my journey (in this lifetime) as a stargazer began back in my days as a freelance journalist. A friend who was a serious astrologer was clearing her office of astrology books in preparation for a move, and, knowing I was interested in the subject, she donated several boxes of her favourite titles to me. It was a true treasure trove and straight away I sensed that something big was happening.

Essentially, my friend gifted me with a handpicked collection of the very best astrology books of the previous 100 years or so, written by the most recognized authors. They were worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds, but beyond their material value, I knew instinctively they were going to change my life. When I look back on that gift, I feel it was karmic. That same friend also gave me some simple lessons in how to work out my birth chart and create charts for friends; she also briefed me on making predictions.

I started reading those astrology books, and compared what I found in them with my own chart. Suddenly, I made sense to myself! I think, with the exception of learning how to meditate, it was the most revelatory experience Ive ever had. I believe that we incarnate with the birth chart we do because we have lessons to learn from whats in that birth chart. Decoding that information is astrologys job, and here I was, being given the decoding keys.

Suffice it to say, I fell in love with astrology almost instantly. I delved into it more and more deeply every day: I couldnt stop reading those books. I also signed up to several online astrology lists, which allowed me to communicate with amazing astrologers across the world.

Looking back, I can hardly explain the rapture I felt as I learned about signs and planets and houses, and so much more. It was incredible. I discovered that everything you can imagine is covered in a birth chart, and it all fits together in quite a mind-blowing way. I went through my own chart learning about which planet meant what, and why I was the way I was and then I went through all my friends charts and those of my colleagues and my exes. Suddenly, so much that had previously been a mystery was obvious!

Today, when I meet someone who grabs my interest, I want to see their birth chart almost immediately which is why I have astrology software in my phone! A birth chart tells us so much about a person, not least of which is where we are compatible with them, or where we might clash. Stories about a persons childhood and upbringing might speak volumes, but to an astrologer, thats nothing compared to seeing their horoscope!

My early, sudden immersion into astrology totally changed my life, and not just because it became my career. For one thing, it gave me a new framework to use. I remember one friend Nicola, a very practical Capricorn asking me in a slightly horrified voice, Do you actually make decisions based on astrology? To which I muttered something like, Er, sort of, but I do also use logic!

However, the truth is, I do base a lot of my decisions on the stars, and they have never let me down. When I met the man who would become my husband, Olivier, I had astrological software on my Palm Pilot, which I carried with me on our first date. As Olivier and I enjoyed our drinks, I managed to wangle his birth data out of him. When I saw his Moon was on my Venus, I knew I was onto something good!