I came to astrology pretty much the same way most people do: in search of self. My first astrology book was Write Your Own Horoscope by one Joseph Goodavage. I still have it, and the cover price is 75 cents, which reveals more of my age than I wish to have revealed. Somewhere along the line I picked up Grant Lewi's Astrology for the Millions, but I must have bought that years later as it lists for $2.50. Two years ago I found a copy of Grant Lewi's Heaven Knows What and bought it because it was the first astrology book of everyone I know, and I didn't even own a copy.

After having spent a goodly sum on every astrology book that had a good sales pitch on the cover, I decided it might be a good idea to take lessons from someone who knew what he or she was talking about. I joined the Astrological Society of Princeton (NJ) and took classes with Joan Negus, rightly described as the beloved teacher of many aspiring astrologers.

They say life is what happens when you are making other plans, and so I gave up astrology for six or seven years because life just got in my way. Computers and a friend brought me back. I fiddled with what is now a primitive DOS Program for a bit, but when I got hold of a Pentium computer and got online, I wandered to an astro-twins board and posted. The idea of astro-twins or time twins fascinated me then, but not so much any more. I found a woman, Maria, born 4 hours after me and only 30 or so miles from the place where I was born. We conversed, swapped notes, and became friends. Maria would later introduce me to Noel Tyl's Master's Course, and I studied that for a while.

Noel has a system, which is what attracted me to him and his course, but I still felt I was missing something. Once again Maria pointed me in a direction I would take, and I am still taking. She went to a Traditional Astrology Conference, and told me over and over how I would love this kind of astrology. I picked up a couple of books she recommended, and became intrigued. I found a British magazine, "The Traditional Astrologer" and ordered a few copies of back issues and devoured them. I tried to subscribe, but received no return e-mails. There were advertisements for another magazine, "The Astrologer's Apprentice." This time my e-mail was answered. I took out a subscription and was hooked. I bought every back issue, and signed up for the horary course given by the publisher, editor and nearly sole writer, John Frawley. I found my astrological niche.