Darrelyn Gunzburg
University of Wales, Lampeter/University of Bristol

How do astrologers read charts?

Historically, since the time of Ptolemy the literature on reading a natal chart has tended to be technique-driven. However, the actual process of reading a chart, the phenomenon experienced by the astrologer, is one that has not received much attention. Part of my research over the last three years has been to investigate the personal methodologies used by contemporary western astrologers to enable them to extract meaning from a horoscope. In order to do so I used a qualitative methodology in the following manner: I surveyed professional astrologers, astrologers who were attending conferences, those studying astrology within astrological schools and those who were subscribers to an astrological magazine using a questionnaire. I also conducted in-depth interviews with professional astrologers specifically focused into their process of natal chart reading. To date I have received back over 130 questionnaire responses, and have conducted half a dozen interviews. This research is ongoing. This paper presents the similarities and contrasts of these personal methodologies and represents preliminary findings of my research work.

Darrelyn Gunzburg is a part-time tutor for the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at The University of Wales, Lampeter, UK. She holds a BA (Hons) from the Open University majoring in the art historical exploration of religious art produced in Italy 1280-1500. Her BA (Hons) dissertation was short-listed for the AAH Bulletin 2006 BA Dissertation Prize, and is being published in St Andrews Journal of Art History and Museum Studies (2010). Darrelyn has presented papers at Contestations, AAH Conference, University of Ulster, Belfast (2007), Kent Symposium, University of Canterbury (2008), Sophia Centre Conference, University of Wales, Lampeter (2008), Traditional and Renewal Medieval Conference, University of Bristol (2009), Leeds International Medieval Conference, University of Leeds (2009), Language and Silence Medieval Conference, University of Bristol (2010), and is co-convenor of Imagining Astrology: Painted Schemes and Threads of the Soul, University of Bristol (2010). Since 2008 she has been a regular writer for The Art Book (Wiley-Blackwell). Her published books and plays are in the playwriting and astrological fields. She is currently reading for her doctorate in art history and astrology at the University of Bristol, UK.