by Susan Miller

Nobody in my family wanted me to learn astrology, least of all my mother. As it turned out, she was the one who would teach me everything I know about the subject. She would say,"A little knowledge is dangerous, Susie. Why not let me answer any questions you have?" She warned me that a true understanding of astrology would require twelve years of careful study, just to grasp the basics, and, even then she felt I would only be scratching the surface. She was right, of course, but mother's wisdom is rarely understood at a young age. That I became a full–time astrologer was as surprising to me as it might be for you, as my background did not suggest this for my life. Astrology has a way of choosing you–it is almost never the other way around.

My Sicilian grandfather came to New York City in 1898. But rents were so high on Houston Street–where all the "action" was at the turn of the century–that he set up his Italian specialty foods store uptown, where, as my father said, "a brook still ran down 75th Street." Grandpa and his family saved up to buy a brownstone to house his store and all my relatives moved into the three apartments inside.

Grandpa lived and died before my time, but all my relatives–aunts, uncles, my sister, my mother–lived in that same building on Second Avenue. And, still, a hundred years later, we all still live within two zip codes (about 30 blocks) of Grandpa's store. My father and uncle continued to operate Grandpa's small business until shortly before my father's death in 1988. Growing up in New York City was so exciting that I raised my own children, Chrissie and Diana, here, so that they could experience the same kind of childhood that I had loved so much.

Long before I was born, my mother came to the study of astrology through the encouragement of her older sister. In turn, my mother passed on her interest to me, albeit unwillingly. Like most people, before she actually studied astrology, my mother didn't believe it had any basis. She initially read her sister's books to see if she could find something to disprove. However, the more she studied, the more fascinated she became. But, never did my mother tell anyone outside the family that she knew astrology, nor did she accept money to read charts–not even to this day. Instead, she did years of research, quietly and methodically building up a reservoir of information for our family.

When I was little, I would see my mother curled up on the couch late at night, staring at her carefully constructed maps of the stars (horoscopes). She would study the horoscopes of our family members. This was her good–hearted way of sharing with and caring about everyone. But I could never figure out how she could look at a piece of paper and see into the future. So, I would ask, "Couldn't we just let the future happen by itself?" She agreed that we could, but also felt that examining one's life had great value. Of course, as there were no personal computers then, my mother had to calculate the birth hour, latitude, and longitude conversions to Greenwich Mean Time, by hand. (Conversions of one's natal birth time to GMT are required for astrologers to make planetary calculations from a uniform point on Earth.) My mother claims she never liked doing the complex math, but she is fantastic with figures, and her calculations are flawless. To this day, her calculations stand up to all computer printouts.

It was not until I was a teenager that I realized the value of astrology. I was born with problems with my left leg, and my mother was always trying to find the right specialists and worried whether they could diagnose the problem and find a cure. One after another, doctors would throw up their hands, some even suggested that I had only a psychosomatic disorder. My mother was determined to discover what was causing my painful, debilitating attacks. So, she kept doing charts and would even study at night–the only time she had to herself.

My mom finally concluded that this condition would end when I was 14. And when I was 13 years, 11 months and 20 days old, she was proved right. I had a massive attack that sent me to the hospital as an emergency patient for nearly a year. This attack was far worse than any other and later involved a complete revamping of my lower left leg. It turned out that I had been born with massive malformations that had never showed up on X–rays and I was bleeding internally which caused my attacks.

I had surgery but things went seriously wrong. I could not wiggle my toes, flex my foot, or even feel sensation because the main nerve of my lower leg had been severed during the operation. The doctors planned to use electrical stimulation to rebuild it along the path of the old nerve. My doctor, then the chief of staff of the hospital, and a man who I admire tremendously for saving my life more than once (there would be additional operations), said things were going well. However, I could tell that he didn't know whether the treatment would fully restore my ability to walk. I was terribly disappointed to have to wear a brace on my leg after the operation. I was only 14, and wanted to look like everyone else.

A year later, I wrote to Dell's Horoscope Magazine to find out what my chart said about my chances of a complete recovery. To my amazement, the editor printed my letter and answered that I would walk normally again! When my mother asked why I didn't ask her, I said I was sure she wouldn't tell me the truth if my outlook looked hopeless. She hugged me, completely understanding my seeking an outsider's opinion. (As things turned out, that editor was right!)

I'm not sure if my mother would have told me I would never walk again. She is the most optimistic person on the planet. Probably she would have said that my chart showed I would need extensive treatment and that to get well I needed to focus my energies with great determination and dedication. Astrology, she taught me, was not destiny. Prospects looking dim in a chart mean a difficult road ahead, but not necessarily a bad outcome. For the most part, she would tell me, we determine the course of our own lives. How we choose to approach our challenges is what ultimately defines our character.

After the magazine printed my letter, I began to avidly pursue astrology, wanting to know more about the aspects the editor described in my chart. The fact that I was 15 and my mother was not enthusiastic about me learning astrology did not deter me. She knew that it would take time to learn astrology properly and feared that after a couple of years, I would think I knew more than I did and would see things in flat, cookbook terms, rather than becoming a good astrologer. Mom wanted me to promise to read for the family only until she thought I was ready, explaining that constant research and empirical observation was imperative and could not be rushed. Later, she said she never expected me to follow her advice, but I followed her exact instructions.

So, after graduating college with a business degree, I began representing top commercial artists and photographers. I enjoyed my work tremendously but on the side, I continued to study astrology and, after twenty or so years, felt quite proficient. I began to do charts for many friends, with my mother's blessing. Like her, I never charged for those charts–it was my way of helping those around me. With each passing year, I was learning more and progressing further.

One dear friend who worked at Warner Books complimented me often on my knowledge. I was grateful for her kind words and just glad to be helpful. Yet one thing led to another, and soon I was writing my first book, The Astrology Book of Days: An Illustrated Perpetual Calendar, which was published by Warner Books in early 1996. While I was writing it, the same friend helped me get an interview with the webmaster of the former Time Warner website Pathfinder, to write a predictive column on astrology. Then in December 1995, I launched my website, Astrology Zone which expanded into a 450–screen site, with every article penned by me. Later, in April 1999, I moved Astrology Zone to Disney's GO.com.

So dear reader, for my life's path, astrology chose me rather than me choosing astrology. Perhaps looking at your own life, you too can say that you didn't choose your current career, it chose you.

Astrology is not an end in itself. Astrology is a wonderfully creative tool to shape a happier, more productive life, to use your talents to the fullest, and to consider some of life's many rich and varied options. Until you delve into the subject, you may never know how perceptive and proactive it can make you. You will know when it is time to act, with no excuses or alternatively when it is best to be patient and restrained. It is a rare and wonderful feeling to discover new choices and to later triumph where you never thought possible. Dear reader, you, like me, might discover astrology and find yourself changed forever.

Copyright 2001 by Time Warner Bookmark

Many thanks to Time Warner Bookmark (Little, Brown & Company, Warner Books, A Time Warner Company) at: www.twbookmark.com. We appreciate their cooperation with OfSpirit.com to share this chapter of their book with our visitors for education, entertainment and empowerment.