As a lifelong student of astrology, I have had my share of readings by professional astrologers. Without a doubt, however, it was a reading by Michelle Young, that struck me as the most penetratingly thoughtful and astoundingly accurate I have ever had the pleasure to receive.

I first contacted Michelle for a reading after having had the opportunity to observe her in action through two astrology e-mailing lists, “The 8th House,” and “The Plutonians.”

Time and time again, I noted how she responded to the queries of those who wrote in with their questions, some of which, judging by their tones, were filled with desperation and pain. Michelle would generously share of her astrological knowledge with these list members, interpreting their charts with not only an obvious command of the material, but with a demonstration of such rare sensitivity that it nearly took my breath away. “Who is this woman?,” I remember thinking. “She’s just amazing.” Michelle makes it look so easy, and explains it all in such a way, that you start to see it, too. By ever so gently putting her finger on what she refers to as the “heartbeat” of a person’s chart…it’s suddenly, “voila,” and every aspect of the chart suddenly jumps to life. There are few astrologers I know who can do it as exquisitely well as Michelle does. She interprets and synthesizes into a living, breathing whole, the myriad of symbolic meanings each chart represents and with which we are always challenged. And there are even fewer astrologers out there who can articulate with such great clarity, the methods by which she manages to achieve this feat. She is a rare teacher with enormous gifts to share…not only her vast, technical astrological knowledge, or the unmatched level of sensitivity and insight that she kindly brings to bear on it, but, perhaps, her greatest gift of all…the love, respect and faith she places in every one of her students’ and readers’ abilities to learn this most beautiful, yet complicated, ancient art-science.

It’s with great joy and excitement that I welcome the addition of her new book to the astrological literature. It is sure to set the gold standard for all other primers and “how-to’s” on this most intriguing of subjects.

Barbara Mazzarella, ACSW, Psychotherapist, USA