Complete Astrologer

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2009-01-04T15:10:00-08:00

What's Your Sign?

Woodstock Astrologer Carole Gaudet Helps Clients Find Wisdom In the Stars

by Anne Clemens

Photographs by Medora Hebert

For a lot of people, the word "astrologer" evokes an image of a caftan-clad seer peering through a crystal ball. What probably doesn't come to mind is a former environmental lawyer and mother of two reading mathematically-calculated charts at her dining room table.

Woodstock resident and astrologer Carole Gaudet, forty-five, wants to demystify astrology and put a different face to the term. "I'm trying to share its beauty, wisdom, the sense of balance it brings," Carole says, "and the fun and magic of it."

According to Carole, who recently turned her lifelong passion into a profession when she launched her Complete Astrologer business and website in 2007, the biggest misconception people have about astrology "is that they're going to hear something bad, like they're about to have seven years bad luck, financial disaster, or an illness."

This interpretation of astrology is based on superstition, what people commonly see in the movies, or read in the daily horoscopes. "There's that scene in so many movies where the protagonist consults a psychic, and the psychic sees some terrible omen, like Saturn crossing the Moon. Or, the Death card comes up in a tarot reading. People think readings are creepy, and full of bad news," Gaudet says.

She elaborates,"I practice evolutionary astrology, which focuses on the inner work of our heart and soul, not the specific comings and goings of our lives." It's not about "fortune telling," when someone might meet the love of their life or win the lottery. Instead, she explains, "It clarifies our makeup (emotional, mental, spiritual, psychological) and predicts inner events, what we are naturally drawn to do."

Carole helps her clients answer questions such as: Who am I? Why am I here? What lessons are the difficult times in my life trying to teach me? What gifts are the easier times in my life trying to offer? Evolutionary astrology assumes that individuals have free will and complete freedom to choose their own paths.

Carole's interest in astrology began at age twelve, when a boyfriend gave her a book on the topic. "I ate it up," she recalls, and she continued to feed her interest through further reading. While she found many of the texts on astrology arcane and hard to get through, she was entranced by the mysticism and poetry in astrology's symbolism.

Almost immediately, she started applying her new-found knowledge. During school birthday announcements in her hometown of Topsfield, Mass., she copied each name, consulted her books at home, and thought about whether each person fit their sun sign. She never shared this information with anyone, but "I still have the lists of names in my old diaries that I kept in junior high school."

Earning a law degree from Northwestern University Law School (1992) and a master's degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School (1993), Carole practiced law for a short time, before opting to stay home after her son and daughter were born.

By the time her children entered elementary school, Carole was divorced and ready to seek new professional ventures.

Wanting to use her education as an environmental lawyer, but not practice law, she decided to be a freelance copywriter specializing in renewable energy. At the same time, she understood that this was her chance to take her interest in astrology to another level, a skill she had continued to hone throughout adulthood by reading friends' charts. She thought, "If I don't go public with this weird talent of mine now, I'll never be motivated and desperate enough to try it some other time."

Carole's own chart pointed toward the need for her to expand beyond the confines of convention. "Advertising my astrology work was not an easy thing to do," Carole admits. "When I tell people I'm an astrologer, I get my share of eye-rolling, and I can understand why."

Carole offers in-depth individual birth chart and tarot card readings, but can also scale back her sessions to accommodate small house parties of about six guests. A birth chart shows the placement of each planet at the moment of birth - a person's unique footprint. Using the date, year,. time and place of birth, Carole researches a client's soul path, gifts and challenges, and life's work. Sessions cover issues that have been with the person for a lifetime, as well as more current concerns.

Carole's clients run the gamut from teachers to shop owners to inventors, and from grade school kids (accompanied by a parent) to seniors. Client Gerry Sandweiss, a professional photographer from Woodstock, credits Carole with being able to "distill a lot of information and make it accessible to the person who is not a student of astrology."

Whe Frances McManus, a reflexologist and yoga instructor from White River Junciton, had Carole read her cards, she was deciding whether to pursue a new business partnership. "I wasn't going to alter my life based on the reading," Frances says. "But it was like someone holding my hand while I made that decision."

For Carole, one of the most rewarding aspects of her job are those Aha! moments that can happen during readings. She explains, "I'll be describing an intense, challenging dynamic I see in a chart. For instance, a person might be having a difficult time balancing her desire for precision with a wild creative ability. Then suddenly she'll say, "Yes! That's my problem exactly! Now, what do I do about it?" I love those moments, because I can describe the upside of that dynamic within a person, and help them realize that it can just as easily be flipped into a positive quality," she says.

"I'm trying to help people live better lives and make better decisions from their hearts," she continues. "I help them live through painful or difficult periods with dignity and courage, so they can come through these times having learned and grown."

And what about her own future?

"Because astrology is a symbolic system, I'll always be able to go deeper with it," she says. "With age comes wisdom, which will only help me become more useful to my clients, as I gain life experience that puts their paths into context."

In layperson's terms, Carole adds with a smile, "I could do this forever."

Carole Gaudet, Complete Astrologer
Astrology And Tarot For The Upper Valley And Beyond

Mercury Retrograde 2009

2008-12-02T14:06:13-08:00

Mercury will be retrograde in 2009:

January 11 - February 2
May 7 - May 31
September 7 - September 29
December 26 - January 14

Mark your calendars - the technological and communications nightmare of Mercury Retrograde is coming! Activities to avoid: signing important contracts, launching brochures or promotional materials, doing a major mailing - anything where you don't want communication to be screwed up. Expects delays with travel, computers, all forms of communication... cell phones dropping calls at the worst possible time, faxes not getting there when they should, the printer copies your documents all wrong.

So what is Mercury Retrograde good for? Hunkering down in your office and getting caught up on old business. Reviewing those piles of materials that you've been waiting to get around to. Or taking a day off from the office and doing some deeper, inner searching to reflect. Are you headed in the direction you want to be, from a larger, spiritual perspective? The universe hands us these times so that we can catch our collective breath, relax, and recharge. Take advantage.

How To Find Purity Of Purpose In Your Chart

2008-09-17T10:06:00-07:00

Virgo's are known for their desire for excellence through service, and industry in the quest for that goal, but we're all born with a little Virgo somewhere in our souls. The place where Virgo falls in your chart indicates the area of your life where you desire to perfect some talent or gift, and offer it to others as a service to a greater good beyond your own interests.

In your own birth chart, look for the Virgo symbol in the outer ring, where the numbers on a clock would go. It looks like an M with a third hump.

Now, notice how your birth chart is divided into 12 pie pieces, or "houses". The twelve o'clock position on the wheel corresponds to the tenth house. (Confusingly, the houses actually begin at 9:00, and progress counter clockwise, but don't worry about that.)

At what "time" does Virgo fall in your chart?

Virgo at 1:00 (Ninth House): You love study and are organized and dedicated to your own education. You have the heart of an international aid worker - you care deeply about the less fortunate people in the world.

Virgo at 2:00 (Eighth House): When you think about your own mortality, and the reasons why you are here, you are startlingly practical. You face your own mortality through being fully grounded in the present - a powerful balance and approach to life.

Virgo at 3:00 (Seventh House): You're drawn to a Virgo type of lover: reserved, tasteful, disliking anything crass or crude. You express your love verbally, through sweet whispers or love letters.

Virgo at 4:00 (Sixth House): You've got Virgo (and probably many other signs, as well) in its natural home. You're disciplined and hardworking during the on-the-job portion of the day. You're careful about health and diet.

Virgo at 5:00 (Fifth House): With children or a romantic prospect, you are responsible, helpful and dependable. You show your love through actions, not words or showy displays.

Virgo at 6:00 (Fourth House): One or more of your parents may have been a Virgo type - practical, organized, hardworking, and sometimes critical.

Virgo at 7:00 (Third House): You are a careful speaker and thinker, extremely verbal and articulate, and have a knack for writing. Can you say "organized mind"? Those of us with Pisces here would kill for what you've got.

Virgo at 8:00 (Second House): You take a practical, sensible approach to finances. This is one of the best placements for financial stability, if not unimaginable wealth.

Virgo at 9:00 (First House): You're a "Virgo Rising". Your outward, social style is like Virgo - see our 10 favorite qualities above! While this isn't the "real" you, you've got a strong Virgo influence. Use it and love it.

Virgo at 10:00 (Twelfth House): You balance two opposites in your spiritual life. You bring a groundedness to spirituality, but it may be hard for you to let your ego boundaries dissolve in practices such as meditation.

Virgo at 11:00 (Eleventh House): You are drawn to Virgo types of causes. You may have a deep environmental ethos, or be interested in natural health and healing.

Virgo at 12:00 (Tenth House): Virgo is on your "midheaven", the most public point in your chart. Natural career fields: health care, writing, computers, working with animals, handwork, or any service-oriented field.

Quickie astrology like this is fun, but of course, no astrological placement can be read in isolation. A gifted astrologer looks at your chart in its entirety to provide a true analysis.

Can't find Virgo in your birth chart? Need a free birth chart for you or a friend? Email me: Carole AT CompleteAstrologer DOT com, for the low-down.

How To Find Flair In Your Chart

2008-09-15T09:57:00-07:00

Leo's are known for their individuality and flair, but we're all born with a little Leo somewhere in our souls. The place where Leo falls in your chart indicates the area of your life where you must express your own personal style. It shows where you radiate confidence, and are a bit of a diva.

In your own birth chart, look for the Leo symbol in the outer ring, where the numbers on a clock would go. It looks like an upside down U with a curlicue thingy, reminiscent of the Lion's mane.

At what "time" does Leo fall in your chart?

Leo at 1:00 (Ninth House): Travel, education and study feed your need for excitement and mental challenge.

Leo at 2:00 (Eighth House): You seek a passionate, fiery bond with a lover, with lots of fireworks and drama.

Leo at 3:00 (Seventh House): You're drawn to a Leo type of lover: flamboyant, extroverted, the life of the party and the king or queen of all he or she surveys. Don't let the bluster fool you - inside, there's a baby lion cub who just wants to be loved.

Leo at 4:00 (Sixth House): You are supremely healthy and strong, although you have bouts of laziness. You'd rather be a boss - and a successful and beloved one - than an employee.

Leo at 5:00 (Fifth House): You've got Leo (and probably many other signs as well) in its natural home. You bring just the right attitude to romance and fun. You are light-hearted, playful, and optimistic.

Leo at 6:00 (Fourth House): Lucky you - your parents emphasized play, spontaneity and creative self-expression when you were a child. While one or more parent may have been a bit of a force, there was no shortage of love in your home.

Leo at 7:00 (Third House): While you may be somewhat set in your opinions, you learn with gusto, eating up news and facts with zest.

Leo at 8:00 (Second House): You prefer to live like a king - with the surroundings to show for it. You are lavishly generous with your possessions.

Leo at 9:00 (First House): You're a "Leo Rising". Your outward, social style is like Leo - see our 10 favorite qualities above! While this isn't the "real" you, you've got a strong Leo influence. Use it and love it.

Leo at 10:00 (Twelfth House): Whatever your spiritual leanings, your beliefs are trusting and childlike - no depressing nihilism for you. Your self-undoing may be over confidence.

Leo at 11:00 (Eleventh House): Your friends are Leo types: divas, artistes, stars. You like to associate with groups of creative, artsy friends. Or, in friendships, you may be a bit of a diva yourself.

Leo at 12:00 (Tenth House): Leo is on your "midheaven", the most public point in your chart. Natural career fields: sports, acting, fashion, and anything creative.

Quickie astrology like this is fun, but of course, no astrological placement can be read in isolation. A gifted astrologer looks at your chart in its entirety to provide a true analysis.

Can't find Leo in your birth chart? Need a free birth chart for you or a friend? Email me: Carole AT CompleteAstrologer DOT com.

Ten Things We Love About Virgo

2008-09-12T09:50:00-07:00

In late summer, the pace is quickening. The harvest is coming in fast and furious, demanding our hard work and attention to detail for the good of the community. In agrarian times, if a harvest included even one or two rotten pieces, it could potentially destroy the whole crop, leaving us without food for the long, hard winter. Hence, the need for purity, precision, and careful, devoted work, in harmony with the earth and in service to a larger good. This is the energy of Virgo.

Ten Things We Love About Virgo

I usually try to keep my "10 Things" lists short and pithy. But with Virgo, I can't. First of all, with your penetrating practicality, you'll see right through any glib character sketches. Second, because you tend to be self-critical, you Virgos will focus only on the dark side.

My Virgo clients constantly bemoan their astrological heritage - hating the "picky, critical" image that has been unfairly foisted upon them. So here's some extended Virgo Revisionism - it's time for us to understand the true beauty and value of this sign. Stand proud, Virgo! Here's what we love about you...

1. You are, by far, the most productive sign of the zodiac. You run circles around the rest of us. While we're still rubbing the sleep from our eyes, you've already made breakfast, run a mile, done your yoga routine, put the finishing touches on a 5-year strategic plan for your company, and repaired the plumbing in the bathroom.

2. You constantly seek to improve yourself, and to offer your gift to the world in a spirit of service. Remember that joke about what the three wise men would have brought if they were women?

"They would have asked directions,
arrived on time,
helped deliver the baby,
cleaned the stable,
made a casserole,
brought practical gifts, and
there would be Peace On Earth." That's Virgo.

3. In spite of your accomplishments and utter capability for any task in front of you, you are unpretentious and humble, wanting only to be of service to things you care about, whether loved ones or a cause. Humility combined with constant striving for excellence = a dynamic, constantly growing human being.

4. As a friend, you're generous, concerned and helpful, but you won't hold our hands constantly. You're plenty willing to provide a good, honest, verbal kick in the butt, just when we need it most.

5. We're not fooled by the "virgin" thing - Virgo quests for purity of spirit, not sexual prudishness. As a lover, you are certainly reserved, refined, and need some wooing. But once a lover has earned your trust, you are earthy and sensual.

6. As a spouse, you are considerate, gentle, careful, and willing to work hard to for marriage and home. You treat your partner with respect and dignity - no ugly scenes for you. But your spouse had better be buttoned up and freshly pressed - fingernails trimmed, please - to keep you contented.

7. As a parent, you'll help the children with homework, plant a vegetable garden so that they can have the satisfaction of tending it, and organize birthday parties and vacations. For you, actions speak louder than words, and you teach by quiet example.

8. You're the craftsman of the zodiac, excelling in all things done by hand. Knitting and all forms of handwork, painting, woodworking, pottery... if it's both functional and beautiful, it was probably made by you.

9. OK, we'll admit it - you're analytical, bordering on critical, but is this a bad thing? Take a look at how much crap is foisted upon us from the Internet and other forms of media, and how much garbage we're constantly exerted to buy. Our earth, our attention, our planet are drowning in excess. Like never before, we need your ability to cut through all this noise and direct us to what is truly important. Do you hear me, all you Virgos out there? It's worth repeating: Like never before, we need your quality of discernment.

10. As one of the three earth signs, you are practical and down-to-earth. Yet, as one of the four mutable signs, you are a visionary, leading us on to the next thing, assuring us that it's ok to let go of the past. A practical visionary - exactly how Chogyam Trungpa, one of the west's greatest teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, described "balance". What's not to love? Thank you, Virgo, for being you.

Ten Things We Love About Leo

2008-09-09T09:44:33-07:00

For high summer, the world is glorious, proud and lazy. Gardens are in full growth mode, and we watch the harvest come in. With the heat of the Sun, Leo's ruler, we're inclined to sit back and luxuriate, like royalty. This is the energy of Leo...

Ten Things We Love About Leo

1. Yours is, without a doubt, THE most dazzlingly confident sign of the zodiac - wanting only to show every bit of the uniqueness that is you - and it's terribly sexy.

2. In spite of that winning self-assurance, you've got a soft spot for praise and adoration, which keeps you vulnerable and human. But don't worry, we won't tell anyone. Oops.

3. You understand that presentation is everything, and you've got the market cornered on drama and flair. If you can't leave a lasting impression, you'd rather not leave one at all.

4. You love originality in all its forms. Your tastes are cutting edge, urbane and sophisticated - you're like a human Style page.

5. As a parent, you adore children and value stability. You dote on kids, lavishing them with your time, attention, and love.

6. As a lover, you zest for the thrill of the chase and the intrigue of romance, orchestrating romantic nights with the perfect setting.

7. As a friend, you're gregarious and outgoing, making the social rounds and treating your friends like royalty.

8. You're the artist of the zodiac, with a knack for color, design, music, fashion and drama. You excel in all the creative arts.

9. You like your couch time - but you're also gifted with enormous stamina and strength. You love games and sports of all kinds.

10. In marriage, you have the knack for keeping love alive. You treat your spouse as your lover. Even after children have arrived, you will make sure to nurture your bond with plenty of adult-only nights out - you thrive on it. Great parenting, devotion and loyalty - what more could a marriage partner want? (Let's all get in line for a Leo!)

Ten Things We Love About Gemini

2008-09-05T19:07:14-07:00

1. You're always into something new, and always cheerfully dragging us along with you. (That's how we got into T'ai Chi, scuba diving, and macrobiotic gardening.)

2. No one has a faster, more nimble or more flexible mind than you. While you're off extrapolating in new directions, the rest of us are still scratching our heads, trying to figure out how you got there.

3. You never hold rigidly to your opinions. You're always open to new information, which leads you to new views. It's that Twin thing - of two minds.

4. As a parent, you show your children the world, through books, teaching, and travel. And with that Peter Pan thing you've got going, we're never sure who's the child and who's the adult.

5. As a child, you keep us on our toes with your insatiable thirst for knowledge and endless questions. We may not have all the answers, but we're working on it.

6. As a lover, you take us out on the most memorable of dates. Paint ball followed by dumpster diving followed by Korean food. (You order in Korean, of course. But could you slow down for a minute so we could, like, make out or something??)

7. As a friend, you're our link to the world. We may be stuck at home changing diapers, or buried in work, but you get us out of our rut, happily sharing your friends.

8. You're our go-to guy for technology. When our Blackberry emits a piercing shriek and a little puff of smoke, you've got the situation under control with a few deft finger strokes. (Sometimes we hate you for that.)

9. No one tells a story or joke like you, and with that bottomless pit of a memory, you've got an endless supply of both.

10. You're the consummate witness, desiring only to know without judging. You take it all in, missing nothing, always leading us past our comfort zones. You are the eyes and ears of the world, the namer of things.

How To Find Intelligence In Your Chart

2008-09-05T19:06:40-07:00

Gemini's are known for their quicksilver minds and cheery, light dispositions, but we're all born with a little Gemini somewhere in our souls. The place where Gemini falls in your chart indicates the area of your life where you move with lightening speed, bringing a curiosity and a refusal to be bogged down by heavy emotions, beliefs or other mucky burdens.

In your own birth chart, look for the Gemini symbol in the outer ring, where the numbers on a clock would go. It's the Roman numeral two (see left), representing the dualism of yin and yang.

At what "time" does Gemini fall in your chart?

Gemini at 1:00 (Ninth House): You balance the "lower mind" of the information gatherer, and the "higher mind" of the philosopher. Neither too caught up in details nor too ensconced in an ivory tower - you blend both skillfully.

Gemini at 2:00 (Eighth House): You study the world with a perceptive, penetrating gaze, and that powerful intellect gives you much personal charisma.

Gemini at 3:00 (Seventh House): You're drawn to a Gemini type of lover: clever, chatty, resourceful, restless, and kind - but not overly emotional.

Gemini at 4:00 (Sixth House): You're the ultimate multi-tasker, taking on mountains of work. You can handle it better than most, but do watch those frazzled nerves.

Gemini at 5:00 (Fifth House): You're a big, fat, charming FLIRT. You're stringing at least two romantic interests along (probably more) and getting away with it.

Gemini at 6:00 (Fourth House): Home is probably an apartment, a rental, or something equally non-committal. You're more interested in seeing the wide world.

Gemini at 7:00 (Third House): You've got Gemini (and probably many other signs as well) in its natural home. You're a fluid, curious thinker and a quick study.

Gemini at 8:00 (Second House): Your confidence stems from your intellect and your ability to see and understand the world. For you, information is power and security.

Gemini at 9:00 (First House): You're a "Gemini Rising". Your outward, social style is like Gemini - see our 10 favorite qualities above! While this isn't the "real" you, you've got a strong Gemini influence. Use it and love it.

Gemini at 10:00 (Twelfth House): The way you learn and absorb information is not only intellectual - it's spiritual, connecting you unconsciously to all beings.

Gemini at 11:00 (Eleventh House): Your friends are Gemini types: verbal, versatile, ever fascinating. You've got a million goals and a visionary, scientific mind.

Gemini at 12:00 (Tenth House): Gemini is on your "midheaven", the most public point in your chart. Natural career fields: writing, publishing, law, and technology.

Quickie astrology like this is fun, but of course, no astrological placement can be read in isolation. A gifted astrologer looks at your chart in its entirety to provide a true analysis.

Can't find Gemini in your birth chart? Need a free birth chart for you or a friend? Email me: Carole AT CompleteAstrologer DOT com.

Those Pesky "Cusps" - What Sign Am I, Anyway?

2008-09-05T19:04:23-07:00

"I was born between two signs. Whenever I look at the date ranges to see what sign I am, I always get different answers. I'm having an identity crisis - please help."

Ah yes, the old Cusp Conundrum. (heh heh, all astrologers admire a lot of alliteration... ok, cut it). Each year, the earth enters each sign at a slightly different time, so for every year, the cusps are slightly different, perhaps even resulting in being a day or two off.

The only way to know your true sign is to get hold of your birth chart, note your time of birth, and then consult an ephemeris (a book noting all the placements of the planets, Sun, and Moon) for your day and year. Better yet, ask your friendly astrologer (Hey! Over here!) for a free chart. You're either one sign, or the other. No one is half and half.

Still, do you sometimes feel like a combination of both? If you're born close to the cusp, your sun may be in the "early degrees" of the second sign - which many astrologers consider to be a weak placement. So you may have attributes of both signs, depending upon other influences in your chart.

Now hold on just a minute there, I can hear you saying. What was that horse-crapola about "the placement of the Sun??? Last time I (and the rest of the educated world) checked, it stayed in one place."

Well, yes, but ... more on that next month.

Born 2005-2010

2008-09-05T19:03:50-07:00

New Kids On The Planet. Uranus in Pisces, Pluto in Sagittarius. These children will have the ability for sudden, unexpected spiritual insight. Their spiritual lives will be rebellious, and startling, to the rest of us. They will leave their historical mark on society through a total regeneration and transformation of education. They'll travel the world, and bring home cultures and values unfamiliar to us - and in so doing, force us to confront our own deeply held cultural and spiritual values.