Christeen Skinner interview
Breaking Down the Borders
Neptune: Bringer of Wealth and Prosperity in Financial and Business Astrology
Sunday, November 21, 2010 – 11:30 a.m. EST
Linda Furiate – How does one go from a career in music to becoming a full time professional astrologer specializing in financial astrology? What was going on in your own chart when you made that leap of faith?
Christeen Skinner – I drew my first chart when I was at school – so, in a sense, astrology preceded music. Then I went off to study at the Royal Manchester College of Music before entering the music profession. Time moved on, I played with various orchestras and married – with astrology never that far from the horizon and running parallel to my music career.
The mothers of many of my son’s friends came to the point where they were returning to careers and developing new ones. I read some charts (horoscopes) for them but found I hadn’t a clue as to how to advise about business matters. There were very few books written on astrology and business at that time (mid 80s).
So, I spent time in the London Business library and researched the charts of companies forming our FTSE index (similar to the Dow Jones in the US) and eventually found what I believed to be correspondence between business success and planetary aspects.
I must stress that at this point, it was all about business and astrology – not purely the financial aspects. I was interested in marketing, business relationships, product development etc. Around this same time, and whilst playing in the West End in London, I began to compare one performance with another and became intrigued by how the changing Ascendant and Midheaven seemed to have impact on the show.
Eventually, as I worked more with two rapidly-growing small businesses it became clear that I needed to know more about actual trading – especially currency exchange.
I was also then treasurer of the Faculty of Astrological Studies whose wide-spread reach meant I needed to understand the differences between sterling, the US dollar and Spanish currency of the time, the peseta, not to mention the vagaries of the tax system here.
Coincidentally I was meeting regularly with city businessmen and traders who had terrific understanding of the solar system (and who taught me a thing or two about cycles and harmonics). With their encouragement I took faltering steps into the world of finance.
All this took place as Pluto moved through Scorpio and my 7th house. By the time it reached the Placidean cusp of that house – and my Sagittarian Moon – I had more or less left behind my social career and moved from business to financial astrologer.
Music is still a huge part of my life. I no longer play but am involved in various music events. My husband is a professor of percussion here in London and together we attend many events around the world (he is a Sagittarius.)
LF – Tell us more about your recent book “The Financial Universe”. It is written for those who have little understanding of astrology. What can the average person expect to gain from a personal financial perspective after reading your book?
CS – Great question! I wanted to write a book that was for my clients – not astrologers. The publisher wanted me to focus on advice for personal investors. This wasn’t really practical as the book was to have global reach and couldn’t possibly cover all markets or even a fraction of the companies readers might be interested in. I chose to concentrate on developing a different line of thought for the investor – introducing them to long term trends on which they might capitalise e.g. anyone reading the book when it first came out in 2004 would have been aware that the banking industry might suffer and might then have reduced their stake in this sector. Similarly I suggested which sectors – and areas of the world – might thrive in the coming years.
LF – Your lecture for the Breaking Down the Borders conference is Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. EST where you will be talking about Neptune, the Bringer of Wealth. Without giving too much of your lecture away give us a brief explanation as to why Neptune considered a money planet in Financial and Business astrology.
CS – In my initial studies, I found Neptune to be well integrated in business chart patterns and in the charts of those with great wealth. My first business clients began their enterprises under Neptune transits – and thrived. Though initially I thought that this was down to good marketing, I soon realised that Neptune’s presence brought the expected imaginative thinking and also a positive attitude to numbers that required thinking out of the normal comfort zone.
LF – How can we learn more about your work in financial astrology?
You can visit my new website www.financialuniverse.co.uk where you can sign up for the free newsletter (which is in chat format) or subscribe to a financial newsletter and access an astro-blog. Four times a year I host seminars – geared for the business community more than astrologers – but of interest to both groups. Web-seminars will begin in December.
LF – Why was in important for you to participate in the first ever online astrology conference of this magnitude hosted by the International Academy of Astrology?
This is perhaps the easiest question! Natally I have Uranus on the IC, and am enchanted by those who work at the front line of technology. I was a fan of Ena Stanley from the time when she first began her Internet courses and have applauded the Academy through its development. The conference is another step on the way. I am thrilled and delighted to be asked to play a part.
http://www.astrologyconference.org/cgi-bin/speakers.cgi?STAFF=1030
Linda Furiate
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