Welcome to Llewellyn's Astro e-newsletter. It's February, but I'm not writing about star-crossed lovers this month. An article titled "Star Crossed" appeared in the January 2006 issue of Seattle Conscious Choice magazine and on their Web site. Astrology is, the article declared, more popular than ever. Then it posed the question: But does that [popularity] make it A-list for a meaningful life or simply the A-word? Maybe it is the use of "A-word" that I bristled at. It's a word that reminds me of other "__words," none of which carry a positive meaning.

"Detach," I told myself. "Look at the big picture. Astrology is popular. So what if its value is questionable. Who cares?" In centuries past, any leader worth his or her salt appointed a court astrologer, but astrology's reputation has suffered through some dark nights to be sure. Predicting events was the astrologer's bread and butter until relatively recent times. But predictions gone wrong caused much of the ridicule that astrology has experienced. Never mind that trend forecasters can be off by decades, and weather forecasters have a hard time predicting weather five days out. For some reason, astrologers are held more accountable for their predictions than forecasters who want to give us a glimpse at appliance, fashion, kitchen, or weather trends.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself, though. The study of planets and making predictions based on universal forces separated into two fields—astrology and astronomy—when advancing technology produced telescopes. Astrologers continue to try and connect what is "out there" to life here on Earth, while astronomers seem more interested in finding life somewhere "out there." The work of astronomers has huge benefits for astrologers, and not all astronomers (or scientists) pooh-pooh astrology as a pseudo-something or other. But communication between astrologers and astronomers is, overall, of the one-way variety.

James Jarvis, an astrologer and trained counselor, said in the January Conscious Choice article that one of the most powerful ways to apply astrology is to help individuals increase their own self-awareness. I agree. But beyond that, a skilled astrologer can divine information from the alignment of planets, and based upon historical parallels, make predictions about the future of the weather, people, fashion, the economy, politics, and even governments of countries. Nancy Reagan relied on an astrologer's advice; and, in some countries, astrologers still advise their leaders and the population at large about auspicious times to undertake specific activities.

Does popularity make it (astrology) A-list for a meaningful life or simply the A-word? My answer is: It doesn't matter, because astrology works whether or not you believe in it; and benefits will come with practice.