Glasgow West End Characters - Anne Whitaker, Astrologer
Glasgow West End Characters - Anne Whitaker, Astrologer
"Teach me your mood, o patient stars who climb each night the ancient sky.
Leaving no space, no shade, no scars, no trace of age, no fear to die." R.W. Emerson.
Anne Whitaker is passionate on the topic of astrology - 'quality' astrology that is. From the leafy and tranquil streets of Dowanhill she has been building quite a following of astrology students. She has also recently launched the West of Scotland Astrological Association - 'Aquarius Rising', which will aim to serve the astrological tradition in this area. She is very well qualified to work in the field being the only Scottish graduate from the Centre for Psychological Astrology in London - such was her commitment to gaining knowledge and qualifications on the subject that she travelled up and down between London and Glasgow to pursue her studies.
Having spoken to Anne on the telpehone I had immediately picked up on her enthusiasm for her chosen field but also gained the impression of a practical and intelligent academic and business woman. I received extensive and clear information from her in her lovely lilting Western Isles accent. (Although Anne has made her home in Glasgow since 1977 she was born and bred in Lewis.) She arranged to send me some information about her work and after reading her very organised promotional materials and impressive 'cv' I became even more intriqued. Clearly Anne was all set to dispel any pre-conceived notions I held of a mystical eccentric turning up on my doorstep.
A few weeks back Jim and I spent a very interesting evening with Anne - her background and the story of how she became involved in Astrology are intriguing. She describes her Island childhood as a place where the "sea, skyscapes and stars were a constant inspiration" which Anne believes created the basis for her attraction to astrology. But not before she had gained a number of qualifications from various Scottish Universities and spent time working in Adult Education, Social Work and Counselling. Before she embarked on the aforementioned careers she also managed a stint with the British Merchant Navy - and has her Honourble Discharge papers to prove it!
Anne's also a keen writer and has contributed to various newspapers and journals including The Glasgow Herald. Her specialist essays have appeared in many publications and she writes for a number of astrological Web sites including http:www.starIQ.com - a leading USA astgrology web site. She's also drawing on her work in astrology with the intention of publishing research studies and a collection of her published essays on the topic.
A very bright woman Anne is also full of humour and positively exudes energy - she recounts with great relish the path which led her to take up astrology with such intensity and commitment:
"In the 1970's, life was ready to take a very strange turn for me. An odd little irishman met by chance in a launderette in the English city of Bath read my horoscope. He informed me, to my shock and disbelief since I fancied myself as a marxist intellectual at the time, that astrology was likely to become my future profession"
Anne describes this encounter, which influenced her decision to take up astrology in her column on our Web site.Not the Astrology Column
Anne started to seriously study astrology in 1981 - two years later, after obtaining her certificate from the Faculty of Astrological Studies, she launched into professional practice. Following her graduation in 1998 she worked as a visiting tutor at the Centre of Psychological Astrology in London , directed by Dr Liz Greene . Nowadays Anne's skills are much in demand in Glasgow.
The Aquarius Rising Group is groing from strength to stregth with a format pretty in keeping with the erudite West End environment. They have their next meeting at Rokpa House on Tuesday, 27th November with the topic 'The Saturn Pluto Opposition'. Looking at the astrology in relation to "the current very difficult world situation". This event will be presented by Anne and Pam Blair and will include an examination of:
"how the energy patterns revealed by Astrology can help people to understand better what is going on at a collective and individual level"
Sounds very interesting and rather different from the more simplistic approaches to astrology.
For further information you can contact Anne at: Email astrolacad@aol.com
Learning and Teaching Scotland, 74 Victoria Crescent Road, Glasgow G12 9JN
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Comments
Jean Paterson | Fri Jun 15 2007
Jane Barclay | Fri May 25 2007
Judas Robinson | Sun Jan 07 2007
Judas Robinson | Sun Jan 07 2007
Anne Whitaker | Wed Feb 20 2008