the jOURney

Introduced to astrology by the late Patric Walker's sun sign column in the Daily Mail back in the 70's my fascination with the subject took a back seat as my career in the travel industry literally took off. Within 18 months of entering the industry and at the age of 18 I was manager of an independent travel agency in my home town. Moving to Manchester a year or so later I met my future wife and I then spent 25 years as joint owner and subsequently managing partner of an award-winning retail travel agency with offices north and south of Manchester. I was a Fellow of the Institute of Travel & Tourism and served on a regional committee for ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents) and also the national committee for the Campaign for Real Travel Agents under the auspices of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

A couple of years prior to my Chiron return, as the sun entered Taurus, my progressed moon entered Scorpio and conjuncted my 7^th house Neptune - I left my business and 25 year marriage and started a new phase of life which saw me in a relationship with Angela (the Gela in Gelageo), a woman whose passion for astrology earned her the nickname AstroAngie  and re-ignited my own interest and led to us briefly opening a business to promote the subject. This transpired to be a naïve and ill-timed venture as a change of residence necessitated by impending parenthood meant that a guaranteed regular income had to take precedence over my esoteric and altruistic ambition.

Following a 16 year hiatus, in 2023, at the very moment Pluto entered Aquarius for the first time in 246 years, and coinciding with my reverse nodal return across the 6th/12th houses, I re-launched the business in a studio in the beautiful market town of Hebden Bridge with the principle aim of encouraging others to become their own astrologer. The studio is akin to a classroom and prospective/curious visitors are invited in to find their 'animal spirit', their 'destiny card' and 'star type' - whilst these free offerings are very much a light-hearted approach to a serious subject my hope is that those who do engage will leave being enlightened as to what proper astrology is all about. Amongst my offerings is a 24 page booklet entitled 'Magic I AM' – a comprehensive overview of a person's birth date from a dozen different esoteric perspectives.

A year after first opening in Hebden Bridge I was honoured to be invited to participate with two fellow British astrologers in a presentation to members of the UK satellite for the Organisation of Professional Astrologers.

I have the same passion for astrology as I did almost half a century ago for the travel business and the parallel I draw is that once again I am on the cusp of an exciting new chapter in my life at a time when astrology is enjoying a much overdue renaissance just as back then the travel industry was experiencing a boom in package holidays.

Whilst selling vacations was a vocation providing a livelihood, promoting astrology is a vocation, initially funded by my part time store assistant role for a national charity, providing me once again with an opportunity to serve others by sharing my wisdom.