About

How Vedic astrology
Differs from Western astrology

Vedic astrology differs from Western astrology in two ways: (1) the zodiacs are different, and (2) the uses are different.

Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac, which is based on the positions of the constellations. Western astrology uses the tropical zodiac, which is based on the spring and autumn equinoxes. They’re both valid, and they can be used together. Western astrology is more psychological, about personality and behavior. Vedic astrology is more practical, about circumstances and predictions.

In Vedic astrology, the planets’ positions are 23 or 24 degrees earlier than in Western astrology, depending on your birth date. For most people, this changes the planets’ sign positions. For example:

• In Western astrology, my sun sign sign is Virgo. In Vedic astrology, it’s Leo.

• In Western astrology, my moon sign is Taurus. In Vedic astrology, it’s Aries.

• In Western astrology, my ascendant is Aquarius. In Vedic astrology, it’s Capricorn.

Left to right: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto

Why get a reading

A reading can be enlightening and healing, helping you to understand:

• Why is your life is going the way it is?

• Why do you have certain strengths and weaknesses?

• What can you expect from the future?

Vedic astrology isn’t exact. It’s about probabilities and tendencies. It’s about the energies of the planets, the signs, and the houses; and how those energies interacted with each other when you were born. It’s about how the planets affect you now, and how they could affect you in the future.

In order to get a reading, you must know three things:

• Your birth place

• Your birth date

• Your birth time

When you book a reading, you’ll choose whether you prefer your reading in person, via Zoom, or on the phone. If you’re in the Seattle area, you’re encouraged to come to my studio in South Seattle.

Before your appointment, I’ll write a draft of your reading. During your appointment, if you're comfortable reading out loud, you'll read the reading, and I'll ask you how each statement fits. I'll take notes and use them to expand and revise your reading. (I don't change the astrology, but I do improve your reading.) After your reading, you’ll receive a written report with your revised reading, three years of predictions, and study guides. You'll also receive a file you can import to your digital calendar showing predictions.

How readings work

About me

I’ve been interested in astrology since I was in my early 20s, when I used a printed ephemeris to draw charts for my friends by hand. I was a big fan of Isabel Hickey’s book “Astrology: A Cosmic Science,” which I learned later is a classic text of Western astrology. It began my lifelong interest in astrology.

I spent my 20s and early 30s studying journalism in college and working as a reporter and editor. As I worked, I became skeptical of the assertions of people in authority. I sat in their offices, interviewing them for my stories. A few of them lied to my face. I knew they were lying, and they knew I knew it. I was young, and I was shocked. But this motivated me to look for solid evidence. I wanted to tell my readers the truth, in spite of a few politicians’ efforts to conceal it.

In my 40s, I went to art school to learn traditional drawing and painting. It was so fun! I learned to take accurate measurements of a visual subject and develop a drawing step by step. I learned to approach a problem first by focusing on the big shapes, and only later getting into details. I made dozens of still-life paintings and landscape paintings, and a few portraits. I was proud of the accuracy and sensitivity of my paintings. I thought I had found my vocation. My interest in astrology continued, on the side.

In 2017 I discovered Vedic astrology through my oldest friend, a professor who studied it on the side. For years we discussed our charts, learning the basics, and supporting each other through good times and bad. I found those conversations interesting and comforting. Over a 2-year period, I got birth-chart readings from four Vedic astrologers, who differed in their approaches. The readings were comforting, but not catalytic. Something indefinite gnawed at me. In early 2025, I complained to my friend that painting no longer fed my sense of purpose.

She suggested that I study Vedic astrology seriously. “I think you’re ready,” she said. I was taken aback, but I couldn’t deny that astrology had held my interest all through adulthood. I got a reading by acclaimed Vedic astrologer James Braha. He encouraged me to practice astrology professionally. “You’ve got a monster 8th house and a lot of healing energy in your chart,” he said. “The field needs people like you. You’ll be the healing type of astrologer.” So I read his books and took his masterclass. I gathered 25 charts to interpret, and I wrote a detailed study plan. Then I followed it.

As I interpreted charts, I was struck by the correlation between my clients' charts and their lives. With each reading my confidence grew. Now my office door is open to a group of volunteers I've recruited to receive free readings, so I can gain experience.

If you'd like a birth-chart reading for $400, please join my waiting list.

(To be fair, most of the local officials I covered were honest.) My journalistic career instilled in me the importance of questioning what I was told. I also spent some time in public relations, editing a campus newspaper at Dartmouth. I later worked in marketing. By my late 30s, I knew it was time to change direction. Journalism needed me to be thick skinned, but I'm not. I also wanted to help people in a more personal way than reporting and editing allowed. My interest in astrology continued, on the side.