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26 - ISAR International Astrologer, Vol 43 no 2, August, 2014 An Interview with Maurice Fernandez Maurice Fernandez is a well-known astrologer, teacher and writer who travels the globe lecturing, organizing conferences and seeing clients. Originally born in Burundi and speaking French as his first language, he moved to Tel Aviv, Israel when he was 13, ultimately learning Hebrew and opening to his astrological potential when really quite young. I had met Maurice on several occasions at conferences and was fascinated by the original material of his lectures, a unique approach to evolutionary astrology that he calls “Astrology of the Evolution of Consciousness.” I was delighted to be able to interview him by telephone. KT: So how did you get started in astrology? MF: Well, I was always very interested in astrology as a child. I used to read the popular books that were available for the mainstream. I was living in Africa at the time, where I was born. My mom had these books called, “Your child is [this sign]” or that sign, and as I was reading through the definitions of Scorpio, I realized that this book was seeing me, understanding me, better than my parents and everyone else. When I was around my nodal return, age 18 or 19, my friend suggested that we take a class in astrology. This came out of the blue because even though we talked about our interest in it, I never really thought it was an option to study it, so I was excited about doing that. This class drew me into astrology very ferociously. I later took another class which was more growth oriented and provided a spiritual perspective through astrology. These studies healed my own identity crises and existential confusion. Eventually, people who found out I was studying astrology asked for readings, and there it was, I was now doing readings. KT: How old were you then? MF: I was about 21. At the time, I was living in Israel and there was a lady who asked me to teach her astrology. I was really not prepared for that, so I gave her references to established teachers in the area, but her situation was unique; she was the wife of the Air France airline company manager and only spoke French. In Israel there was no astrology teacher who could teach in French. I was the only one. I couldn’t argue with that and I took the challenge and started teaching. Then her friend heard that she was taking classes, and also joined. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I was both counseling and teaching astrology. KT: So a very natural progression… MF: It was a very natural progression and when I look back, I can say that it definitely “called” me. I had a few spiritual realizations that made it very clear that this was not just a job; this was a calling. KT: I see. Did you ever study anything else? Did you ever have any other sidelines? MF: Well, I was, at the time, studying sound engineering, and I was involved in music projects, production. I knew I would not have a 9 to 5 job. Additionally, I also had the intention to study psychology academically.

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Page 1: An Interview with Maurice Fernandez

26 - ISAR International Astrologer, Vol 43 no 2, August, 2014

An Interview with Maurice Fernandez

Maurice Fernandez is a well-known astrologer,teacher and writer who travels the globelecturing, organizing conferences and seeingclients. Originally born in Burundi andspeaking French as his first language, he movedto Tel Aviv, Israel when he was 13, ultimatelylearning Hebrew and opening to his astrologicalpotential when really quite young. I had metMaurice on several occasions at conferences andwas fascinated by the original material of hislectures, a unique approach to evolutionaryastrology that he calls “Astrology of theEvolution of Consciousness.” I was delighted tobe able to interview him by telephone.

KT: So how did you get started in astrology?

MF: Well, I was always very interested inastrology as a child. I used to read the popularbooks that were available for the mainstream. Iwas living in Africa at the time, where I wasborn. My mom had these books called, “Yourchild is [this sign]” or that sign, and as I wasreading through the definitions of Scorpio, Irealized that this book was seeing me,understanding me, better than my parents andeveryone else.

When I was around my nodal return, age 18 or19, my friend suggested that we take a class inastrology. This came out of the blue becauseeven though we talked about our interest in it, Inever really thought it was an option to study it,so I was excited about doing that. This classdrew me into astrology very ferociously.

I later took another class which was moregrowth oriented and provided a spiritualperspective through astrology. These studies

healed my own identity crises and existentialconfusion. Eventually, people who found out Iwas studying astrology asked for readings, andthere it was, I was now doing readings.

KT: How old were you then?

MF: I was about 21.

At the time, I was living in Israel and there wasa lady who asked me to teach her astrology. Iwas really not prepared for that, so I gave herreferences to established teachers in the area,but her situation was unique; she was the wifeof the Air France airline company manager andonly spoke French. In Israel there was noastrology teacher who could teach in French. Iwas the only one. I couldn’t argue with that andI took the challenge and started teaching. Thenher friend heard that she was taking classes,and also joined. One thing led to another, andbefore I knew it, I was both counseling andteaching astrology.

KT: So a very natural progression…MF: It was a very natural progression andwhen I look back, I can say that it definitely“called” me. I had a few spiritual realizationsthat made it very clear that this was not just ajob; this was a calling.

KT: I see. Did you ever study anything else?Did you ever have any other sidelines?

MF: Well, I was, at the time, studying soundengineering, and I was involved in musicprojects, production. I knew I would not have a9 to 5 job. Additionally, I also had the intentionto study psychology academically.

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ISAR International Astrologer, Vol 43 no 2, August 2014- 27

KT: I was wondering about that becauseyour approach seems very psychological andspiritual.

MF: Yes, so I did try to study psychology. Atthe time, I was studying astrology in the UnitedStates because I traveled to come to conferenceshere and learn from my teacher at the time. Itwas a natural thing to include psychology, butevery time I tried to enroll at the university,things would come up and divert my plans. Onthe other hand, everything about my astrologystudies unfolded very smoothly. As astrologytook over my life and my practice expanded, Ijust realized I didn’t need to study psychology. Iabsorbed the psychology through the study ofastrology. And somehow, it worked.

KT: Yes —for sure. When did you startwriting books?

MF: It was also quite an interesting process. Iwill tell you one thing: I have natally Saturn inGemini and it opposes my Mercury in Scorpio,and I was always very self-conscious about myintellectual capacity. I never saw myselfteaching, or writing, especially because I movedto different countries and learned differentlanguages, I never had mastery of any language,and so I did not have confidence to expressmyself in any language. This is why the thoughtof teaching and writing was initially foreign tome.

The way the writing process began was when Iwas preparing for teaching a workshop onNeptune. I usually don’t write or read noteswhen I teach or when I present a talk. I amusually more of a spontaneous speaker and Iknow what I want to say. But for some reason, Istarted to write some notes for this particularworkshop. As I started to write things down, Iwas suddenly flushed with completely newinsights and perspectives. It turned into someform of automatic writing where many ideascame through, and I came to understand theprocess of Neptune in a way that I myself hadno initial idea about. I was basically writingthings that I didn’t know.

I then presented these ideas at the workshopand it was very inspiring. I made extensiveresearch to validate this information, assessingthe accuracy of the insights through countlesscharts, and it worked very profoundly. Irealized that this was very valuable material fora book. But as I was explaining, my grasp of thelanguage was not so good, and yet at the sametime, the content was compelling. I was writingin English because most of my studies were inEnglish, and this is also where the greateraudience is — English speaking rather thanHebrew speaking. It took me about three yearsto write the content and put the manuscripttogether, and I decided to move to the UnitedStates to publish it. That’s how it started. It wasnot an planned process practically, but it was avery powerful process, an inspired process, asfar as the concept and the material.

KT: Had you seen yourself as a channelbefore that? Were you aware of psychic abilitiesor any sense of this capacity to downloadinformation?

MF: I knew of the phenomenon and I hadgreat respect for teachers who were sharingtheir own mystical experiences, whether it wasin astrology or other fields, but I never thoughtthat I would experience that; it came as acomplete surprise.

There is a bit more to this story… this whole“download,” happened in the summer of 2000,and a few years before that, I started practicingKundalini yoga, which had a very deep spiritualeffect on me. It opened channels in verypalpable ways and prepared me for thesegreater realizations. I experienced at the time avery powerful awakening that led to out ofbody experiences, and that, I believe, was whatopened many channels for me astrologically.This is why today when I teach astrology, Iencourage students to develop a spiritualpractice because it is my understanding that thisknowledge is sacred. It’s affecting us on somany levels and we shouldn’t address it onlymentally, you know. Our body must be a propervessel. As we are interpreting cosmic messages,and translating star knowledge into practical

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information for people, we need to take thisservice seriously and be sure that we arehealthy conduits. We need to be emotionallygrounded, physically in tune, and mentallyopen – to me the yoga practice was essential tomy understanding of Astrology—the two wereconnected.

KT: I can see that. It makes a lot of sense thatthe spiritual practice had opened you up in thatway. I alsoagree thatwhen anastrologerdevelops aspiritualpractice itreally allowsthe astrology todeepen to itsfull potential.

MF: Yes. Ittook about fouryears tocomplete thebook and Ipublished it in2004 when I moved to the States. Now I amactually rewriting a second edition to the bookbecause, as I said, originally my language skillsweren’t very polished and I had little experiencein the publishing process. I’m now re-editingeverything and adding new material that cameafter the book was released. I think I’m going tohave the finished product maybe later this yearor early 2015. I can say that the original vision isactually coming to completion now.

KT: That will be something to look forwardto. What else have you written, and are youworking on any other books?

MF: Astrology and the Evolution ofConsciousness, Volume 1 is a book I wrote aboutthe fundamentals of astrology but from anevolutionary perspective. It contains fullchapters on the Sun and the Moon in eachhouse and sign, and a thorough description ofthe evolutionary levels of consciousness. So it’sa book that I really love because everyone can

find something in it, whether people areabsolute beginners or they are more advancedand want to deepen their understanding of theSun and Moon placements.

There are three other books that I contributedchapters to, along with other astrologers. One iscalled Insights into Evolutionary Astrology, whereI wrote a chapter on Relationships, thenAstrology: The New Generation, which was

compiled byFrankClifford. Thechapter Icontributed is“AnAstrologicaland SpiritualPerspective onMentalHealth.” Theother book iscalledTranspersonalAstrology:Explorations atthe Frontier,which was

compiled by Armand Diaz, Eric Meyers, andAndrew Smith. This is a book that is morespecifically about the transpersonal approach toastrology where I wrote a chapter on “TheDeath Chart.” I realized that the death chartwas as revealing as the information of the birthchart when it comes to describing where thesoul is at in its evolutionary process. In a way,the death chart is a new birth chart.

I have about ten more books in my mind towrite, but it takes time for me to write as I travela lot to teach and sustain my practice. When Itravel it’s just too difficult for me to write, so ittakes me a lot of time.

KT: Yes, I find it challenging to find time towrite also with all the other demands. What isyour formula? Do you have a time of day? Doyou put aside a block of time? What do you do?

MF: There are certain hours, usuallyevenings, where I do that. Every book is a little

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different. For example, right now, writing thenew edition of the Neptune book takes me somuch time… so much more than I would everexpect because every time I go through the bookand rewrite certain chapters, new informationcomes in and I’m constantly rewriting. I want toallow this flow, to be organic, because it’s veryrelevant; the content is valuable. On the otherhand, the chapters that I submitted for theseother books came forward more quickly andwere much easier for me to write. I think everybook has its own rhythm and its own hours,and I try to go with that.

KT: Yes, I’ve noticed that in general, workingwith Neptune, teaching about Neptune, orbeing in a lecture about Neptune, that theNeptunian energy tends to take over and onedoes go into altered states. It’s not as easy tostay centered and focused.

MF: If I look back, I think this is true becausethat’s what has been happening. However, myintention with this book, both in the first editionand the rewrite, is to actually try to be accessibleand bring these very abstract Neptunianconcepts into words that are tangible so thatpeople can really understand and put them topractical use. Many people found even the firstbook to be useful this way, even though thecontent is spiritual or existential.

KT: Yes… And so how did you come intoevolutionary astrology? Did you always havesome level of the evolutionary perspective orwas there a switch for you from moretraditional or psychological astrology?

MF: This was the type of astrology that reallydrew me in and provided the answers and thegrowth that I was seeking for myself. That’swhat resonated. That’s what really captivatedme from the first. It had a profound effect onme, my soul.

KT: How do you feel about the fact that someastrologers seem to be against evolutionaryastrology?

MF: Well, first of all, you have to tell me whoyou are referring to because there are different

arguments against it. Some people are just notappreciating any form of modern astrologybecause, following the whole return to thetraditional foundation and the ancestralheritage of astrology, there is a tendency to seemodern expressions of astrology as lackingfoundation, too fanciful and “new agey,” andwithout enough discipline. Other critics argueagainst analyzing reincarnation in astrology. Astrong argument against it is that you can’tprove reincarnation, so it should not be used.

KT: I’m referring more to the argumentabout reincarnation. You pretty much workwith the theme of reincarnation in all of yourteaching and in all of your readings, correct?

MF: Yes, correct. Even though the mostimportant thing is to understand that while Iconsider reincarnation and I do incorporate thatin my analysis, the purpose is to betterunderstand ourselves in the present and to leadbetter lives now. When I address reincarnation,it is because I believe that if we speak offoundation, our lives and our evolution didn’tstart when we were babies. There are manyclues to all kinds of occurrences, symptoms, andbehavioral patterns that are established in usthat cannot necessarily be traced back tochildhood.

I will tell you honestly, the idea of reincarnationalways made sense to me. I see the astrologychart reflecting where we left off, I don’t thinkwe were born on a random moment and“happened to be” Libras or Scorpios… there isan evolutionary reason why we were born at aparticular time, with a particular chart—thischart captures where our soul is at and what theevolutionary intentions are for this life. If weunderstand the idea of the evolution of the soul,it must come with the concept of reincarnation.However, while reincarnation may make sense,it doesn’t necessarily mean that it can be usedastrologically.

In other words, some people may not disputethe idea of reincarnation, but they may arguethe fact that astrology can be used for that.

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To me, it always seemedobvious that the chartreflects where the soul leftoff and its next course ofdevelopment. In a way, thechart embodies the past,the present, and the future.But it is another challengeto prove it.

As I pursued my practicefrom this perspective, therewere two important stagesin my development thatconfirmed this path isvalid. The first one was thatI could, for example, speakto someone aboutexperiences of persecutionor violation, and yet, theywould share that theirearlier life experience wasnot necessarily traumatic,that they did notexperience abuse andnobody persecuted them,per se—notwithstanding,they had all the behavioral symptoms ofsomeone who did go through these trauma, andbasically suffered from obvious post traumaticstress. So while they did not go through theexperience in their current life, they behaved asif they did.

KT: Yes, I’ve seen that too.

MF: This was my first understanding thatthere is more to our life experience than ourearly formative years in this life.

I can also share my own experience from thisperspective; past life imprinting is notnecessarily about trauma, but also about giftsthat we have. I described earlier how astrologycame so powerfully and organically to me. I willtell you honestly, learning astrology was moreabout remembering it. It was so natural. I justhad to read the thing once and it was already inme. I didn’t need to practice extensively, and Imatured very quickly, and as I said, at age 21 Iwas already doing readings and teaching, which

didn’t make any sense if I looked at it from mycurrent ego’s perspective—it is clear to me thatmy involvement with astrology goes beyondthis current life experience. People were comingfor readings and were very moved by what Iwas saying because I was understanding thesymbols in ways that, to me, went beyond mypersonal short life experience. I was tappinginto an older memory of my understanding ofastrology. This can also apply to people whohave compelling capacities in music or in otherfields.

Reincarnation is an important factor to considerbecause if we want to get to the root cause ofcertain issues, we will be limited if we relied onpsychological assessment only and did notconsider the spiritual aspect of the soulevolutionary process.

The next stepping stone in my work withreincarnation was the unique and rareopportunity to work with the charts ofreincarnated souls, where we had the chart of

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the person in their past life, and the chart of theperson in their current life, and could actuallysee how these charts were describing theprogression from one life to another withincredible precision. The people involved in thisresearch did not know astrology, so they couldnot make any of this up. Looking at the chartwas so revealing and it provided tangibleconfirmation that not only reincarnation washappening, but that astrology was a valid tool toanalyze this process. In fact, I’m going to talkabout this in my presentation at the upcomingISAR conference in Phoenix.

KT: Ah, that will be great … reallyinteresting.

KT: What is the difference between youremerging view of evolutionary astrology andthat of the Jeff Green school?

MF: Jeffrey Green was my main teacher andoffered an amazing body of knowledge to ourtimes. Through the teachings, he helped mebasically remember who I truly am. However,the moment I started to organically develop myown perspective, and particularly when Ipublished my book on Neptune, I lost hisrespect and was pushed aside because heapparently did not resonate with this newdevelopment. Today, the EvolutionaryAstrology community is very fragmentedbecause of this type of approach.

In itself, Evolutionary Astrology (EA) is auniversal paradigm, and it doesn’t belong toany person, though some people wereobviously important channels of dissemination,whether this was Jeffrey Green, Steven Forrest,myself, and others who are also developing it indifferent ways. (ed. note: Ray Merriman firstwrote of his concept of Evolutionary Astrology inhis book in the 70s; the term can have variousmeanings)

I can say that the ideas are the same through allthe different streams, but the techniques andapplications are a bit different. In a few words,the foundation principle of EA is the premisethat the chart reflects the evolutionary journeyand the intentions of the soul, that we can trace

its process from past lives into currentcircumstances through the chart symbolism,and that a person has the free-will to evolvethrough the dynamics of the chart—in otherwords, the chart is neutral, neither good or bad,but how we use the energies of the chart willdetermine positive or negative consequences.From this perspective, it is not only important toidentify traits and challenges in the chart, but totrace the reasons “why” things have manifesteda particular way. So if we see in a chart, forexample, that someone’s mother was toocontrolling or that a person has a potential to bea good lawyer, we want to identify why thesecircumstances and potentials are in place, whatis the purpose for that from an evolutionarypoint of view. Getting to the “why” empowersus to elevate our consciousness and make thenecessary changes to align our ego with oursoul’s intention. As far as the application andtechniques go—very simplistically put—JeffreyGreen’s perspective considers Pluto and theNodes as the essential markers in the chart,while I see the whole chart representing thesoul, and all the transpersonal planets as forcesof evolution: Uranus through the higher mind,Pluto through the emotional body, and Neptunethrough the spirit. I put a lot of emphasis on theNeptune paradigm because I see it representingthe most fundamental force of life, breathing inand out, and the root reason for every “yes” or“no” in our lives. If we look at the 12th house –which I see as the natural house associated withNeptune, in its placement in the zodiac, itrepresents the cosmic womb, before we arebirthed into the first house, and it is the lasthouse of wheel where we complete a cycle.

The evolutionary paradigm is truly powerfuland compelling, but I hope that as a community,we will also evolve, and not just speak about it.

KT: Thank you for bringing clarity. I too wishwe will evolve into acceptance of the variousastrological schools, including the variationswithin EA.

And so, tell us a little bit about the flavor of thetraining program that you have developed forastrologers.

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MF: Yes, this is, I would say, one of the mostimportant aspects of my work. I think that todaymore than ever, the world needs astrology, andastrology needs astrologers. We need to investin astrology and empower it. The task to trainpeople who will practice responsibly and revealthe great gift of perspective that astrology canprovide to the public is something I take veryseriously. It is an important calling for me.

My approach to teaching is holistic. I want toinspire students not only to assimilate materialmentally, but also to understand that becomingan astrologer is a spiritual and sacred practice. Ido see ourselves as modern priests, and I thinkthat practicing astrology is not only a service,but also a lifestyle. I don’t personally imposeanything on students, but the Complete Coursethat I teach incorporates, for example, studyingin nature and looking at the stars—being outand having a direct experience connecting theearth and the sky. This is combined withacademic content and pertinent knowledge.

I see it important that astrologers are heart-centered; astrology is the integration of earthand sky, and where do you connect earth andsky? It is in the heart, that’s where theintegration is.

KT: Yes, definitely.

MF: So compassion is, to me, part of theastrology training. I’m not teaching peoplecompassion, but I am inspiring them toapproach life in such a way. To care for and loveall living beings.

KT: Do you teach Kundalini yoga to yourastrology students as part of the training?

MF: Well, I will tell you a little bit of theroutine. We wake up at 4:30 in the morning andwe practice yoga. It is optional to the students,this is not a condition to graduate, but most ofthem choose to do it. We greet the sunrisethrough devotional yoga practice for an hourand a half in a natural setting. I usually chooselocations that are conducive to this kind ofwork, whether it’s places like Sedona, Hawaii,

Santa Fe, or Colorado. We stay together on thesame property, so there is also a communitydynamic where we cook together, share mealsand personal stories. We study in class fromabout 9:30 in the morning to 3:30 in theafternoon. After that we have outings, meditate,or we just connect with nature, depending onwhat seems appropriate. This is the format forthe “on location” segments of the course.

The other part of the course consists of materialthat students receive through DVDs and studyfrom home, after which, they submitassignments that I review to assess where theyare in understanding the material, ensuringeverything is integrated. So there is a moreexperiential part of the course and acorrespondence part where people just study inthe comfort of their own home and schedule.

KT: That sounds rich and deep.

MF: In this line of thought, I also organizespiritual journeys to different places in theworld — sacred spots where we studyastrology, immerse ourselves in nature, andspend adventures together – I see thesejourneys as pilgrimages and spiritual initiations.For example, we went a few times to Africa, toIsrael, and to Arctic Norway. I put greatemphasis on a connection with nature and withanimal consciousness as I think this reflects thepath of being heart-centered; to approach lifefrom more of an animistic point of view wherewe consider nature and animals as fullyconscious. I often time our journeys withastrological alignments and we conductceremonies where we incorporate the energiesof particular transits, especially when there areimportant alignments.

For example, recently, I organized a spiritualretreat in Hawaii during the week of theCardinal Cross. The first part of it was aboutunderstanding the energies, what this cross wasabout, and how it affects us personally andcollectively. Following that, we connectedshamanically to the elements of the CardinalCross: We went to the lava fields where theenergy of destruction and rebirth is so strong, to

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embody the Plutonian elements. We hadmeditations and deep release work in caves(effectively called the “Vagina cave”). Then, weinvoked and communicated with ancestorsduring the Jupiter in Cancer phase, and workedon our family tree, our biological ancestry andour spiritual ancestry. For the Uranian part, weclimbed the mountains: we went to the top ofthe highest peak, where we set intentions forour future and sent blessings for the planet. So,that’s an example of the more Shamanic andholistic approach to the journeys—I try to bringit to a direct experience.

KT: And I take it your work with the whitelions is part of this journeying?

MF: Yes. It’s very interesting. I told you that Istarted to involve myself seriously in astrologywhen I had my nodal return at age 18, and Icame across the white lions with my secondnodal return, around age 36. Interestingly, mynodes are in Leo and Aquarius, and so the lion(Leo) and the human mind (Aquarius)manifested, very graphically during these nodaltimes.

The work with the white lion is part of thisholistic approach, and again, this is somethingthat I discovered quite unexpectedly. I wasalways interested in animal consciousness, butwhen I first met the white lions on a trip toSouth Africa, I had no idea what was about tounfold. It was another one of those spiritualawakenings where there was some form oftransmission—this mythical animal, straight outof a fairy tale, gazes into my eyes, and I findmyself flushed with divine love—it was quiteextraordinary. After the fact, I read the story ofLinda Tucker, who is the person involved intheir conservation. She was speaking of spiritualmeaning of the return of the white lions, andthe fact that they’re returning now after notbeing on the planet for centuries. The firstphotograph of the white lion was in 1975. Thereis something very fascinating, spirituallyspeaking, about them. African elders havementioned white lions in their oral legends forcenturies, but nobody actually knew that theywere physically possible.

But the important part of it, if we speak of theastrological association, is that the AfricanShaman who spoke of the white lions talkedabout the fact that these were star beings andthat they incarnated from particular planetarysystems. It sounds interesting, but of course it’sa legend. However, since I had the opportunityto work very closely with Linda Tucker, and hadbirth dates of the lions. To my amazement, thethree generations of lions, had their nodes allaligned with those constellations, pretty muchto the exact degree, There is no doubt in mymind that they possess a higher consciousnessand that their manifestation has greatermeaning. You see it in the chart, and you feel itin their presence.

KT: That’s amazing.

MF: Yes, it makes you wonder when you seethat. It tells you how much we don’t know. It’sso revealing.

KT: I also want to ask about your River ofStars conference in Hawaii. I imagine that thisconference also carries the spiritual andcompassionate theme that you bring to yourwork since you organize it. Is there anythingelse you would say might be different about a

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River of Stars conference compared to otherastrological conferences?

MF: It is as you say—I did not decide toorganize an astrology conference because therearen’t enough events as it is, but because Iwanted to bring something a bit different to theexperience of learning astrology. Thisconference is about connecting the earth withthe sky in every way—we will combine thestudy of sacred sciences and honor thesacredness of the island, and the Hawaiianspirit of aloha—the location of the conference isclose to where the lava flows into the ocean tocreate the newest earth on the planet—theenergy is extraordinary!

The River of Stars brings a set of excellentspeakers. The program includes conferencestyle presentations, yoga practice, music of thespheres, and artistic experience of astrology—we activate the right and left hemispheres of thebrain. You know it is obviously more expensiveto fly to Hawaii for a conference, but lookingback at the first conference (back in 2011), it wasan incredibly powerful learning experience.I really enjoy many conferences and often getmyself involved in their organization, but I feelthat we miss something when we spend threeor four days inside a hotel, and don’t see thesun.

The second River of Stars conference isgoing to be in March 2015 on the BigIsland.

KT: Wonderful! I heard great thingsabout the first one, for sure. And OPA —you’re now the president of OPA. I hadnoticed you taking a fairly strong role inOPA even before you became president.Do you imagine there will be any morechanges?

MF: Thank you. OPA is another one ofthese unexpected developments in mylife. I was always shying away fromorganizations because my comfort zoneis doing things on my own, so joining an

organization and having to deal with thepolitics was not on my priority list. However,the great thing about OPA was its smaller sizeand very unique programs; it just needed aninfusion of creative juice. To my appreciation,the board was very open-minded and veryreceptive to new ideas, so I felt very drawn toinvest myself—in everything I do, I tend to havea dedicated approach.

What compels me about OPA is that it offersunique programs and brings astrologerstogether through what we call “peer groupwork,” where professional astrologers canactually sit together, learn about each other’spractice, and read each other’s chart. I thinkthat’s missing in the field of astrology and I’mvery enthusiastic about bringing this conceptforward even more and establishing thisplatform where astrologers from differentstreams meet each other, and interact beyondcompetition—We all are well-meaning peopleand we obviously are very passionate about ourown body of knowledge. So we should listen toeach other and honor our differences, instead ofprojecting our prejudices on one another. Theseprograms are designed for that.

The other thing I want to develop with OPA is aprogram that would help aspiring astrologerslaunch their practice—this is still in preliminary

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developmental stages, but very exciting. Wewould help new astrologers by providing themwith tools, resources, ideas, and training onhow to actually set their practice up andprovides them with options to create asuccessful career. So, as you can see, there’s a lotof creative juice…

KT: …which you have! I mean, I’m looking atyour chart’s packed fifth house. It seems like themusic world lost you, but astrology got all thatcreative energy in the form of your writing andyour teaching and working with theseorganizations.

MF: Thank you. -

KT: And thank you so much for doing thisinterview with me.

MF: Wonderful, much gratitude Kay.

Websites:www.mauricefernandez.comwww.theriverofstars.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Maurice.Fernandez.Cosmicwww.opaastrology.comwww.whitelions.org

Upcoming events: The River of Stars AstrologyConference in Hawaii (March 2015)www.theriverofstars.com

Kay Taylor is a heart-centeredastrologer integratingclairvoyance,psychosynthesis, yoga andhealing arts. For over 30 yearsshe has offered privatesessions, retreats andworkshops, and now is also

an ISAR Consulting Skills Trainer, professionallecturer and writer for Astrology.com. SanFrancisco Bay Area (510) 601-6507. Email:[email protected]. Website: http://kaytaylor.com

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HAWAII 2015MARCH 12-16

Cutting-Edge Presentations Hawaii Immersion

Past Life Regression Margaret Gray

Natal & Pre-Natal Eclipses Gali Livneh

Painting Your Horoscope Kaypacha

The Great Pluto Cycles Maurice Fernandez

Peering into the Mind of God Rick Levine

AND MUCH MORE! PlusPRE-CONFERENCE Hawaiian Immersion EARTH

POST-CONFERENCE Star Knowledge HEAVEN

Maurice Fernandez

Margaret Gray

Touch the Stars, Remember the Truth!

Join this Epic Event!1st Class Faculty Includes

The RiverStars

ASTROLOGY CONFERENCE

to the magical land of Aloha!Follow the stars

Rick Levine

Kari NorenHoshal

Explore the FULL Program at

theriverofstars.comRegistration & Questions

[email protected] 808-747-2955

Sign Up Early! Best Price plus Best Choice of Accommodations