I’m heading Down Under this week for a truly cosmic interview with the lovely Oz cosmic person Yasmin Boland. Her website, www.moonology.com ,is one of the most popular astrology sites in Australia. She has astrology and New Age columns in publications such as the Sunday Telegraph; as well as being an author of several books about astrology plus she has written a couple of novels too.  Astrology fascinates alot of people and being a nosy Gemini myself (actually I’m on the cusp of Taurus/Gemini) I couldn’t wait to find out about Yasmin’s passion that has turned into her profession…and her ballet flats passion too… Hi Yasmin ….

Hi! I’m Yasmin Boland, cosmic person!

You are an author, journalist and astrologer. When did you realise that your passion for astrology could be turned into your profession?

It happened very slowly. In my role as a journalist, I interviewed Jonathan Cainer who – after learning of my love of astrology – let me to do some writing for him on his site. After a few years of that, it so happened Jonathan was offered a contract with then-new Closer magazine in the UK. He couldn’t do it because of contracts elsewhere so – fatefully – he handed it over to me… That was in 2002, and it was the first professional column I wrote. Back then it paid something that’s now unthinkable-a-week (I won’t go into details but it was a LOT – it was before the recession bit!) It was actually enough for me to live on, especially as back then, I was single and living off the smell of an oily rag! So I let other work straight journalism commitments slip away to focus on that first astro column, and then another followed, and another and another… Then my site www.moonology.com and books and …

How old were you when you started to get interested in astrology? Did you guess people’s star signs correctly just by observing their traits? (I’m Gemini, Aquarius moon & Libra rising – if you haven’t already guessed!)

I was interested when I was at school and in fact, some of my friends mentioned at my wedding about how I used to go around with an astrology book someone had given me and tell them all about their star signs. At Uni I met an astrologer who became a friend and at one point, gave me all her old astrology books after doing a feng shui clear-out – after that I became obsessed! As for guessing peoples’ sign, I do often guess them when I meet them, but I think that when it happens, it’s more clairvoyance than astrology. The thing is, you have to know someone quite well to see their Star sign – when you first meet someone, what you usually encounter is their Rising Sign. The Rising Sign is the ‘mask’ that people wear, so you see that before you see their Star sign, which is the real them!

Your website is one of the most popular astrology sites in Australia. I like the idea of the daily horoscopes adjusted to take in account the different time zones around the world, so that if you are in the USA , for example, you can actually read Monday’s stars on a Monday. What is the most popular feature or service on your website?

It’s between the Daily and Weekly Stars, the daily Moon Meditations and a little thing called the Nirvana Cards – here

Apart from having astrology columns in publications such as the Sunday Telegraph, Cleo and New Idea, Spirit and Destiny and Chat It’s Fate; plus writing the daily Stars for Yahoo! Australia and New Zealand; you have also appeared commenting on astrology on Australian TV and radio. What are the most popular/most requested astrology topics you’ve spoken about?

I give talks about The New Moon and the Law of Attraction – always fun – and one about Medusa and the Fixed Star Algol… Also end of year wrap ups and New Year ones too.

You are an author too (such a busy bee!) of several books – two novels, a non fiction and a series of astrology based books published in UK, Australia and India and distributed internationally. Do you find writing therapeutic? What sort of book genre do you like reading? Favourite books or authors?

I live to write, basically. I am one of those people who, if I had to choose what to take with my on a desert island, would take a pen and paper (though I might choose my iPhone these days – can still write on it and I have a little Blackberry-like add-on keyboard for it, so I could go even faster!) My favourite genre to read is spiritual or autobiographical – Deepak Chopra’s Unconditional Life and Doreen Virtue’s The Lightworker’s Way really moved me. Right now I am reading Arianna Huffington’s Thrive and the Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler, and really enjoying both. I also love reading easy business books like The Curve by Nicholas Lovell, which is about working on the internet, which I do a lot of. Would love any more recommendations. Basically I am into non-fiction so it’s amazing I wrote two novels!

You were born in Germany of Maltese/English heritage and grew up in Tasmania before living and working in Sydney, London and Paris. How did you cope moving from a relatively quiet, rural place as Tasmania to 3 of the world’s most bustling cities? What were the main differences for you?

When I lived in Tassie, I would sit at the port and watch the big ships leaving for the “mainland” and plot and scheme and dream about how to make my own exit! I love Tassie – it’s a really beautiful and amazing place, but I always wanted to live in a big city. Always. My parents are from Europe so we travelled the world every year, to see their families, so I grew up with a world view, even living in Tassie.

Hypothetically speaking, if you were given the chance to visit/work in any location in the world, what destination would be number one on your list and why?

Anywhere very hot and sunny with a iPhone connection, a swimming pool, fresh food and comfy place for my family and I to sleep! I’m thinking either a tropical island or maybe LA? 🙂 But I also truly love working in London. I find it so inspiring as a city, both in terms of the media there and also just talking to people and see the shows, exhibitions etc. And I love working in Bondi in Sydney as well, going to cafes with my netbook and writing away with a cafe latte. Right now I am in Paris and it’s also lovely! Have done a lot of work today and am about to go out for a walk to enjoy the place.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Sorry but mainly black… I know it’s not meant to be a good thing – spiritual people seem to frown on it – but I feel most comfy in it…

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Probably ASOS – I love their filters and they always have something new. I also love to flick through Net-a-Porter. I’m very mainstream, I guess! I like really work-a-day clothes and often buy two or three of something at a time, if I like it. Right now I am going through a black dress with leggings and boots phase. Though I have a friend who sells jewellery so I do jazz things up with earrings or a necklace!

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Well right now in Paris I have only got two pairs of boots with me – ankle boots and some Chelsea boots – but it’s quite warm and am wishing I had some flats I could wear without socks. So am thinking they are next on my list. I actually want to buy a pair of black Chanel ballet flats – I can’t help it, I just want a pair. Actually two pairs. One in black and one is some kind of very pale brown trans-seasonal fabric (have seen a pair like this but not as yet ‘invested’, much to hubby’s relief I am sure!)

Boots or Shoes? 

Boots every day in winter and ballet flats in summer… I wore thongs (flip flops) every single day while pregnant and for about five years after my son was born. He is now 8. It horrified my French husband’s family, I am sure, but I just couldn’t shake the habit. I had them in all kids of colours. Finally, at some point, I started to realise it was outrageous to wear thongs non-stop and got some proper shoes. I started with some flat espadrilles from France in various colours, and slowly progressed to more and more civilised shoes, and as I say, the dream is some Chanel flats!

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers of the blog can follow you and your words of wisdom.

www.moonology.com
twitter.com/yasminboland
facebook.com/yasminboland
facebook.com/yasminbolandsmoonology

Thanks for sharing your cosmic world with us Yasmin and those Chanel flats sound a real good investment – I hope you manage to get a pair soon.  I wonder if fashion choices are governed by horoscopes too – being a Gemini, the ying & yang of the zodiac my fashion choices are either jeans, tee & leather jacket OR dressy dress, stockings etc – one extreme to the other!  Do you think your fashion/wardrobe choices reflect your sun sign in a fun way? Do let me know what you think!!

Linda x

All photographs have been published with kind permission from Yasmin Boland.