Interview with Author and Cosmopolitan Astrologer, Hazel Dixon-Cooper (and FREE book giveaway!)

[tweetmeme] On the brink of a lovely new moon in Libra, I’m pleased to be able to host one of my favorite authors on the subject of astrology, Hazel Dixon-Cooper. Her latest book, Work on a Rotten Day, is available on Amazon.com and one lucky reader and commenter on my blog will receive a FREE copy!

SignOn2Nine: Astrologers usually have a heads-up on the effects of the upcoming planetary configurations. Did you plan this Work on a Rotten Day blog tour during the current Jupiter/Uranus conjunction due to its surprisingly lucky, unexpectedly opportunistic vibe?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: Yes. My natal Sun is 27º Pisces and this conjuction occurs not only in my sign but so close to exact that it’s wildly exciting.

SignOn2Nine: Where does this conjunction fall in your own chart?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: The 11th House. Lucky encounters with new people and groups, new doors opening, breaking new ground. Uranus is also Trine my natal Jupiter, which is at 27º Scorpio in the 6th House, another strongly positive aspect. However, even when the stars indicate the possibility of good things, we still have to make the effort to look for opportunities and make the most of them.

SignOn2Nine: I noticed on facebook that you have a Pisces birthday (March 18). How much do you own/disown your “dustbin of the zodiac,” Pisces rotten day-ness?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: I love my Pisces rotten-day-ness!

SignOn2Nine: Since you’re near the Aries cusp, do you aspire to be one instead?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: Nope. I’m not close enough to the cusp to have any Aries traits. In fact, I have very little Fire in my chart which means it takes a lot to push me from friendly dolphin into Jaws mode. I would like to have more of the Ram’s ballsy courage.

SignOn2Nine: Do you get along with Virgos, your polar opposite?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: Some of my closest friends are Virgos or have Virgo Moons. We get along fine because we’ve learned to appreciate our polar opposite ways of thinking…and know when to kick each other’s butts.

SignOn2Nine: I’ve read Stella Hyde’s Darkside Zodiac in Love and Darkside Zodiac at Work. They’re good but mimic the theme of your books, as I was attracted to hers after reading yours. In fact, I believe your Rotten Day series started in 2002 before her Darkside Zodiac series in 2004.

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: That’s correct. Her series was the first of many dark-side focused books to appear after the success of Born on a Rotten Day and Love on a Rotten Day. I was flattered to see that happen.

SignOn2Nine: How does your book, Work on a Rotten Day, compare to Darkside Zodiac at Work?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: Work on a Rotten Day shows you how to handle yourself around the various nutty characters for and with whom you work. Although it points out your own bad behaviors and shoot-yourself-in-the-foot traits, it offers specific advice in a positive way on how to recognize and change them.

SignOn2Nine: Would you challenge Stella Hyde to a Pisces/Cancer, water sign astro-duel? (Apparently, Hyde is a Cancer: http://booklightinc.net/redwheelweiser/author.html?au=182).

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: “I don’t duel,” said the non-confrontational Fish.

SignOn2Nine: On the subject of work and the 6th house, what routines do you adhere to when writing your books?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: Routines? You’re talking to a procrastinating Pisces. The good news about my 6th House is my Scorpio Jupiter. That makes me somewhat of a workalcoholic and more focused. However, I’ve had to learn to 1) operate from my Virgo opposition to stay organized, 2) overcome my Neptune-bestowed tendency to fantasize that I can write a million words by sundown of deadline day, and 3) balance work and play. We all deal with this on some level. For me it’s still a daily struggle.

SignOn2Nine: As a teenager, I was a regular reader of Cosmo Bedside Astrology long before I began to study astrology in my mid-20s. I also used to steal the little Bedside Astrology booklets from Cosmopolitan magazine, obviously to read them by my bedside. How do you feel about that?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: You were the victim of your larcenous Gemini ascendant. Thank your lucky stars that your double-Virgo-ness put the brakes on your career of crime early.

SignOn2Nine: Do you favor the Placidus or Equal house system? Why?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: Placidus. It’s what I learned because most Western astrologers used it at that time and it’s still the most popular today. I think it adds more nuance to the natal chart.

SignOn2Nine: Who are your top 5 music artists?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper: That’s difficult. I love music and have favorites from classical to punk. These are among my favorites.

1. Norah Jones
2. Van Morrison
3. Eric Clapton
4. R. Carlos Nakai
5. Rhianna

SignOn2Nine: What advice would you give to someone looking to become a professional astrologer?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper:

Read. There are many good astrology books for beginners. One that I recommend often is The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanne Martine Woolfolk. It’s a classic in basic astrology and written for the lay person or novice student.

Study chart interpretation. Practice on yourself, friends, and family. It’s easy to get a free chart and mini-interpretation from the Internet. I’d recommend doing that before investing in a software program. Anyone can buy a software program and spit out a computerized report. To be a good astrologer, you have to understand what you’re seeing. You also have to have a feel for people. Listen to what they say. See them for the individual being they are. Astrology is so multi-layered, and so is every person.

Investigate free lessons online. Many popular astrology websites have free lessons that can help the beginner not only to learn, but to decide whether he or she is serious about the profession before investing time and money in a formal program.

SignOn2Nine: Is there any professional or educational training that you would recommend?

Hazel Dixon-Cooper:

The American Federation of Astrologers, of which I’m a member, offers different levels of professional certification through a correspondence course. Details are at: www.astrologers.com

The International Academy of Astrology offers an online professional training course. Details at: www.astrocollege.com

Thank you, Autumn, for having me here today. I enjoyed it!

SignOn2Nine: Thank you, Hazel! I’m still reeling in the excitement of having the opportunity to interview you and am so excited to read your latest book. I will add it to my Rotten Day collection.

Readers, don’t forget, one of you will WIN A COPY of Hazel Dixon-Cooper’s new book, Work on a Rotten Day. All you have to do is leave a comment (please keep it related to astrology) and I will pick my favorite response to get a free copy of the book. Happy New Moon!!!

Iggy Pop’s Grotesque Sexiness: Mars and Pluto

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Image Source: Last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Iggy+Pop/+images/167360

Most astrological interpretations for natal Mars in Cancer tell me that I’m attracted to males that are caring, sensitive, and protective. Okay, that sounds really positive and sweet. Unfortunately, my natal Mars in Cancer is assaulted by a wide square from Pluto in Libra. And even though I’ve got supportive sextiles from my natal Sun, Mercury, and Venus, it’s Pluto that has the final say in my male selections. That’s why I’m drawn to dark, dangerous, or even scary male archetypes like Iggy Pop and Jim Morrison. But notice, they still have an effeminate look about them. Lovely blend of Mars/Cancer and Pluto/Libra, huh?

I did some Iggy-digging on astro.com and found his natal chart. You know what I’m looking at … yes, Mars! Iggy has a heavily aspected natal Mars in Aries, conjunct Mercury, trine Saturn and Pluto, and opposite Neptune. And I thought my Mars was assaulted. Holy hell! So, most astrologers can agree that Mars (ruler of Aries) symbolizes action, energy, aggression, anger, war, fire, passion, etc. In addition, Pluto (ruler of Scorpio) is known as the higher octave of Mars and symbolizes destruction, hatred, darkness, depravity, cruelty, power, control, etc. You put these two together and it smells like some good old-fashioned violence! To get a taste of similar energies with Mars and Saturn, see my post from April 2009: Mars/Saturn: Gun Violence, Rockets, Legalized Rape, and Shoot N*ggas [*Explicit*].

As front man for the Stooges, Iggy Pop is known for his body contortions, the invention of the stage dive, and other extreme performance tactics:

“Other exploits of Pop include rolling around in broken glass, exposing himself to the crowd, and vomiting on stage.” – Wikipedia

You might ask, “what the hell is so sexy about that? That’s absolutely revolting!” Yes, it is. I like to describe it as grotesquely sexy. Everyone has their own ideas about sexuality. I tend to think of it as a mix between heaven and hell, spirituality and and bestiality—not in the the way you’re thinking. Human is beast. Humans can be animals to one another and usually those animal tendencies come out in the bedroom, behind closed doors. Especially when you have Mars in the ring with characters like Saturn, Uranus (ha!), Neptune, and Pluto. One of the things I love about music performance is that a person can creatively express their inner beast in a public exorcism. Iggy is a talented individual: he’s a singer/songwriter, drummer, showman, contortionist, and Punk icon. That is sexy to a girl like me with natal Pluto in Libra in the 5th house of creativity and love expression which squares natal Mars in Cancer in the 2nd house of values, sensuality, and self-worth.

So, what’s the deal with your Mars? What turns your “radio dials”? :-p Holler at me on twitter: @signon2nine or facebook: Mercury x3: Signon2Nine.

Image source: Rock Around the World: http://www.ratw.com/issues/11/iggy.jpg