Silent Voices Meets Steve Judd

Steve Judd has been an astrologer for over 30 years and has records of over 30,000 astrological readings to his credit, as well as numerous
appearances in both local and national media. Uniquely he is the only Astrologer in the UK with a drop-in centre, situated in the centre of Bath in the UK.

Although completely self-taught Steve decided to do a Masters Degree in Cultural Astrology and Astronomy a few years ago in order to formalise and structure his training and knowledge. He began his career working for the astrological phone lines in 1998, since when he has written many times in the national press including the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail. He has worked as a real-time Internet astrological consultant for World International Television, but now works solely for himself and has a loyal client base many of whom return for regular readings. He is also well known for his Green principals, and was a founder member of the Big Green Gathering, as well as a director of the not-for-profit production company that staged the 2011 Green Gathering.

Steve’s personal philosophy reaches far wider than astrology, which he uses to empower people to think for themselves. He feels he is here on a voluntary mission to help effect a necessary change in consciousness and help with the next evolutionary leap. He also believes that the planet’s energy patterns are misaligned and this affects the natural dance of the solar system and beyond; strange concepts possibly, but they have their foundation in matter/energy science, eschatology and quantum/complexity theory.

How did you come across Astrology?

In the late 1970s I was looking at tables of figures and symbols and feeling interested, but nothing clicked until the 1980s when someone gave me a book on Astrology, Karma and reincarnation and from that moment I was hooked. Since that time I’ve done about 30,000 readings and I don’t necessarily ascribe to reincarnation as I believe that there are more people alive on earth than ever before. I don’t go with the idea of fate and destiny created from past lives; I prefer words like choice and self-determination.

You are a self-taught Astrologer, how would someone go about learning Astrology by themselves?

I learned from books, just buy 10, 20, 30 books over a few years and then do as many charts as you can. Family, friends, celebrities, and build up a database. As you do more charts you will notice commonalities in the charts, patterns form and then those patterns can be extrapolated and projected into other charts and into the future.

Does that mean that there are many common paths in charts?

Yes there are but no two charts can ever be the same, seeing something similar only means that there are similar potentials but you still have to look at the rest of the chart. You can’t ignore free will either, the chart may suggest something but it’s only a blueprint of potential, it doesn’t say what will happen it says what can happen.

If you dance with your chart and put the effort in you can be much more efficient and successful. You can manage your time and energy by using your chart as a focus. For example, it will help you to know when it is and isn’t a good time to do things – such as attempting to communicate during a Mercury retrograde! Sometimes it can only provide a 1% clue, but often that’s enough because anyone prepared to use their free will may only need that small impetus to show them how to move forward.

How can Astrology help people in their everyday lives?

It gives them a different perspective on the world and their place in the world. It helps them improve their philosophies and gives them a detached and impersonal way of viewing the world and its events. It can help people to avoid the minutiae and see the bigger picture. Your chart won’t deal with the confusion and chaos cause by other people, it will just show you what is going on in the planets and if you understand the information in your chart you can use that knowledge to help you progress through life.

We all know about natal (birth) charts, are there any other types of chart?

Yes, you have the transit chart by which you watch the transit of the planets through your chart and see events that happen around you or to you.

Progressed charts are different; they deal with the growth of the soul from within. This is nothing to do with external environments, people, situations or developments. It’s solely to do with where you are inside yourself. There are two ways of doing this; one is to look at the progressed sun which is all about identity. The other is to look at the progressed moon, which is all about the changing state of your emotional maturity. Both transit and progressed charts give you an outer world and inner world perspective; they give you an idea of where you are externally and inside yourself.

In my own chart right now it shows me that internally there is a progression which will require me to let go of old attitudes, opinions, emotions, patterns, lifestyles and ideas. It will encourage me to separate myself from anything or anyone that no longer has validity in my life.

How often do you feel that people need to have their astrological chart read for them?

This is an interesting question. In general I recommend an annual update. Some people choose to come back every 3 or 6 months, but occasionally I find myself dealing with someone on a month-by-month basis simply because they’re going through a series of crises and they require an objective, detached opinion. That rarely lasts for more than a few months.

You do Astro-cartography, what is that?

Astro-cartography is the placing of one’s horoscope on a map of the world, and showing which planets are rising, setting or overhead at any given point on the planet’s surface determines a person’s relationship with that place on the planet. For example, if when you were born Saturn was directly overhead your birth site you will find that place oppressive. If however Venus was rising you are going to find it harmonic and attractive. When I do such a chart I often find that 4 or 5 places in the world are good and 4 or 5 would make the person feel uncomfortable. I can recommend all kinds of places in the world and when people go there, it normally works.

You have an MA degree in Cultural Astrology and Astronomy, what prompted you to do that and how did it help your career?

I did it because it was there. Because I wanted to be taken seriously. I’m a Cancerian, I’m really quite shy and timid underneath.

I left school just after my 15th birthday with no exams or qualifications. To do a Masters Degree just after my 50th birthday gave me a personal sense of satisfaction and a higher degree of credibility. The degree didn’t change me or my work but it did help me to structure the information in a stronger way. On a personal level it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

You are famous for denying any personal psychic ability whatsoever, but is there an intuitive side to chart reading or is the information purely in the chart or not?

Retreating into my standard definition of Astrology “Astrology is a combination of mathematics, geometry, symbology and intuition, and without all of these things it cannot work.” Many times I look at a chart and within 10 seconds symbols jump at me, aspects jump at me and I just know why the person is the way they are and why what’s happening is happening. Because of that I can project forward in ways that give people tools and timings to manage their lives in a way that gives them greater control.

So if certain things jump out at you, is this because a person isn’t manifesting their entire chart or entire potential?

If a horoscope has a number of prominent parts they will be much more emphasised in life. I choose to believe that souls volunteer to come here, then the horoscope gives them a route map to help remember why they volunteered to be born and what they come here to do. You could consider a horoscope to be a mission statement.

There has been talk that scientists are considering that Astrology is a science and not an art form, how do you feel about that?

In recent years some of the more open-minded scientists have become more open to Astrology. Astronomy is the study of the movements of the planets and stars in the heavens; Astrology is the study of the influences of those movements. Science will never be happy with Astrology until it can be proven 100%, which it may never be. Quantum Scientists in particular are opening up to Astrology because they’re beginning to understand greater connections between the elements in life.

Wherever you are in your life behind you there is one long, straight path to your past like the trunk of a tree, and in front of you are 10,000 different branches all leading to the outside world but the way you go is up to you.

To someone who knows little about Astrology the idea that a planet can affect us might sound a bit weird. How does that happen? Is it an energetic thing?

A few months ago I gave a lecture to the AGM of the National Federation of Spiritual Healers and 15 minutes into the talk I abandoned my script and started talking about things that would raise the eyebrows of any doctor or scientist to put it mildly. I ask myself how can it be that a minute asteroid 100 miles across and nearly a billion miles away can have such a powerful effect on issues of the gut and nerves. Whereas another asteroid can have an effect on lower gut conditions directly related to food. How can lumps of rock have such specific attributes?

The only sane way to relate to this is via a more quantum and holistic viewpoint. Holistics and Quantum theory are parallel and holistics has found its match in Quantum science. My research so far tells me that Quantum Science is beginning to make sense of this, hence it’s attraction to Astrology as a referential language.

My experience tells me that these lumps of rock have similar effects on many, many human beings the world over. I feel that my 30,000+ readings have proved this to me.
However, unlike Scientists I have no need to prove it to others, my beliefs come from direct personal experience and that’s enough for me. Sceptics also say that it isn’t possible for 6 billion people to be split into just 12 astrological signs, there must be far more to it than that.

There is. Every single horoscope is different, even for identical twins. If identical twins are born even 5 minutes apart the planet on the ascendant will have moved a few degrees. You find that when they’re little one will trip and the other will trip a few seconds later, but by the time they’re fifty it might take 3 or 4 days for the same event to repeat.
If twins are born an hour or two apart and the moon has changed signs they will be totally different in character, not necessarily looks.

Is a birth chart definitive or a guide to how your life will turn out?

No, because definitive means exclusive of other and there are always other people, other experiences, other external factors that can affect life. Astrology is a vital factor to help guide your life but not the main factor. Many Astrologers ask whether the planet in the sign, the house or the aspect is the most important. When I look at a horoscope I’m looking first for the pattern, whether there is a grand cross or trine, or loads of conjunctions.

After that I’m looking for the decoration, which signs the planets are in, which houses they are in. Planets in the signs show how you behave, whereas planets in houses show how the outside world sees you as behaving. This doesn’t mean that if people misunderstand you it’s something you’re doing wrong. It does mean that you need to look into yourself and make sure that your intent is right.

Would you recommend anyone else to study astrology?

Actually, surprisingly, not unless they’re slightly mad. It gives you an insight and understanding that you can never unlearn. It’s a blessing and curse. Sometimes I see things that are truly beautiful and sometimes I see things that make me weep. I can see things happening to people and I can’t do a thing.

I saw the events of 9/11 in the USA Country Chart before it happened. In early August of 2001 I said in the Daily Mirror that: ...."Saturn in Gemini (2001-2003) is telling us to restructure our communication, while Pluto in Sagittarius (1995-2008) is transforming our attitudes towards truth, philosophy and religion.  The opposition of these planets occurs every 35 years, from last night until May 2002.  During this time, intensification, and hopefully, resolution of religious conflict world-wide (Israel, N. Ireland, Afghanistan etc) can be expected, while extremism will rise in the short term.  The opposition hits the US horoscope powerfully, and immense changes in American political, militarily, financial, and even constitutional circles are more than possible, even probable.  Closer to home, "secrets and lies" will be exposed, with individuals demanding far greater accountability, commitment and truth, both personally and professionally.  It's time to revolutionise our concepts about honesty, religion and communication. Don't we all deserve a better future?"

That’s what made me (in)famous and I’m still trying to deal with it.

Where can people find out about your work?

· www.stevejudd.com
· You tube (I get about ¼ million hits per year)
· I have the only drop-in Astrology business in the country, based in the centre of Bath in North Somerset.

What are you up to at the moment and what do you have coming up?

At the moment I’m run off my feet doing readings, working with the Green Gathering, and attending events. I quite often travel the country doing group readings and lectures.

If I have my way people will be able to buy the download of my latest book “The Bedroom Astrologer: A Between the Sheets Users’ Guide to the Different Sexual Preferences of Each Sign of the Zodiac.” by the end of the year. I need to write another 35,000 words within the next week or two. I’m going away shortly to finish writing it.

Is that a Christmas best seller or what!

Apart from that you can sign up to receive my newsletter, and you can find all the information about readings and events I’m attending on the website.

We’d like to thank Steve for a truly fascinating insight into the art of Astrology and how it can be used as a positive force in your life, and even your travels.

As you will know, Steve writes the monthly horoscopes for the magazine, so visit his page and see what the next few weeks have in store for you. We’re very lucky to have one of the better-known Astrologers in the country working with us.