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Livewire: Charting your astrological course
New York, Aug 03: Some use astrology for career guidance, others to search for the perfect lover. For many, it is an emotional crutch to get through the day.
New York, Aug 03: Some use astrology for career guidance, others to search for the perfect lover. For many, it is an emotional crutch to get through the day.
Hooked on horoscopes? The number of Web sites is practically galactic in scope.
"Astrology tends to be a control issue with all people. They want to know what to expect," said Lauren Howard, a clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in New York. "It's the quick fix of self-understanding ... how you function within the confines of the universe. But like with anything else, in excess, it becomes a liability."
Regardless of how much credence you give to the power the stars have over your destiny, astrology sites proliferate on the Internet -- ready to chart your cosmic course. Different astrologers take different approaches.
It is hard to dispute the success of radio and television astrologer Howard Sheldon, who writes on his home page (http://www.howardsheldon.net): "When I first met Linda, I checked her chart and, within minutes, told her that we had to be married." He wasn't wrong.
Linda, a Scorpio, and Howard, "a Sagittarian with Venus in Scorpio," just celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary.
The astrologer's accomplishments include holding the Guinness Book of World Records for 19 straight years for "highest attempted listener response" to his show.
"Between midnight and 5 a.m., 388,299 people tried to call in," said Sheldon, who also has a 35-year association with Regis Philbin, the host of television's "Live With Regis and Kelly." Last September marked his 21st appearance on the show.
Rates range from $29.95 for a basic report to $250 for a personal consultation with Sheldon, who Philbin calls "the best astrologer in the world" for his on-target career forecasts.
Not everyone, however, is prepared to pay for what, to them, is largely daily entertainment.
Graduate student Anda Peipina, a political science major at Eastern Illinois University, goes to Yahoo! Astrology (http://astrology.yahoo.com) to read the horoscope for Aries on most mornings, but "especially when something big is about to happen, or I have an important decision to make."
"I look at it more as a general guideline, though, not as serious guidance," she said on the phone from the EIU campus in Charleston.
Accredited professional astrologer, author and lecturer Susan Miller devotes herself full time to the study and advancement of astrology at http://www.astrologyzone.com.
On the site's detailed August Horoscope, Joe, a Cancer, is "likely to find professional progress exceedingly slow and rife with delays." But Frank, a Libra, will be pleased he need not "feel one bit guilty about stealing a little 'me' time."
Astro-buffs can also sign up to get a daily forecast e-mailed directly to them, join a message board to discuss astrology with others from around the world, or find out planetary trends. Life and Love yields tips for wealth, romance and stress reduction, while Reading Room suggests books and magazines.
A less conventional approach is taken by Rob Brezsny, who employs quotes from Margaret Meade, Nietsche, Camus, Albert Einstein and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as well as generally imaginative and articulate prose to set apart his site (http://www.freewillastrology.com). The Virgo Horoscope for the week of July 24 begins: "Two weeks ago I said the hawk will be your animal ally for the foreseeable future. This week I decided to seek contact with an actual hawk ..."
Within Holistic Horoscopes, http://www.astrologyalive.com, are listed Image, Cosmic Condition and Remedy for each sign, and how to order a Yearly Transit Report to assist in planning strategies. A highlight: Harry Potter's horoscope.
Astrology by Star Charts (http://www.astrostarcharts.com) is a source for charts, profiles, and articles by some of the world's foremost astrologers. New at the site is Astrology for Children -- "the profile no parent should be without."
Events, talks and workshops can be found at online database Astrology World, http://www.astrology-world.com.
Astrology.com (http://www.horoscopes.astrology.com/) -- under the headings Today, This Week, This Month and This Year -- offers a choice of categories, including Overview, Single's Love, Couple's Love, Teen, Quickie, Business, Travel, Fitness and Flirt, as well as a Personal Astrology Profile.
Bureau Report
Hooked on horoscopes? The number of Web sites is practically galactic in scope.
"Astrology tends to be a control issue with all people. They want to know what to expect," said Lauren Howard, a clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in New York. "It's the quick fix of self-understanding ... how you function within the confines of the universe. But like with anything else, in excess, it becomes a liability."
Regardless of how much credence you give to the power the stars have over your destiny, astrology sites proliferate on the Internet -- ready to chart your cosmic course. Different astrologers take different approaches.
It is hard to dispute the success of radio and television astrologer Howard Sheldon, who writes on his home page (http://www.howardsheldon.net): "When I first met Linda, I checked her chart and, within minutes, told her that we had to be married." He wasn't wrong.
Linda, a Scorpio, and Howard, "a Sagittarian with Venus in Scorpio," just celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary.
The astrologer's accomplishments include holding the Guinness Book of World Records for 19 straight years for "highest attempted listener response" to his show.
"Between midnight and 5 a.m., 388,299 people tried to call in," said Sheldon, who also has a 35-year association with Regis Philbin, the host of television's "Live With Regis and Kelly." Last September marked his 21st appearance on the show.
Rates range from $29.95 for a basic report to $250 for a personal consultation with Sheldon, who Philbin calls "the best astrologer in the world" for his on-target career forecasts.
Not everyone, however, is prepared to pay for what, to them, is largely daily entertainment.
Graduate student Anda Peipina, a political science major at Eastern Illinois University, goes to Yahoo! Astrology (http://astrology.yahoo.com) to read the horoscope for Aries on most mornings, but "especially when something big is about to happen, or I have an important decision to make."
"I look at it more as a general guideline, though, not as serious guidance," she said on the phone from the EIU campus in Charleston.
Accredited professional astrologer, author and lecturer Susan Miller devotes herself full time to the study and advancement of astrology at http://www.astrologyzone.com.
On the site's detailed August Horoscope, Joe, a Cancer, is "likely to find professional progress exceedingly slow and rife with delays." But Frank, a Libra, will be pleased he need not "feel one bit guilty about stealing a little 'me' time."
Astro-buffs can also sign up to get a daily forecast e-mailed directly to them, join a message board to discuss astrology with others from around the world, or find out planetary trends. Life and Love yields tips for wealth, romance and stress reduction, while Reading Room suggests books and magazines.
A less conventional approach is taken by Rob Brezsny, who employs quotes from Margaret Meade, Nietsche, Camus, Albert Einstein and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as well as generally imaginative and articulate prose to set apart his site (http://www.freewillastrology.com). The Virgo Horoscope for the week of July 24 begins: "Two weeks ago I said the hawk will be your animal ally for the foreseeable future. This week I decided to seek contact with an actual hawk ..."
Within Holistic Horoscopes, http://www.astrologyalive.com, are listed Image, Cosmic Condition and Remedy for each sign, and how to order a Yearly Transit Report to assist in planning strategies. A highlight: Harry Potter's horoscope.
Astrology by Star Charts (http://www.astrostarcharts.com) is a source for charts, profiles, and articles by some of the world's foremost astrologers. New at the site is Astrology for Children -- "the profile no parent should be without."
Events, talks and workshops can be found at online database Astrology World, http://www.astrology-world.com.
Astrology.com (http://www.horoscopes.astrology.com/) -- under the headings Today, This Week, This Month and This Year -- offers a choice of categories, including Overview, Single's Love, Couple's Love, Teen, Quickie, Business, Travel, Fitness and Flirt, as well as a Personal Astrology Profile.
Bureau Report