Joelene Pynnonen and Belinda Hamilton talk to astrologer, Jessica Adams, about life and the stars. Thanks Jessica for being a part of our series!
Is astrology something that you have been interested in your entire life? When and how did you realise that you could practice astrology?
I won my first astrology book at the age of 14 in an art competition at school. It was my hobby until I was 23 when Countdown Magazine asked me to write a column and I turned professional!
From your perspective, how does an astrologer’s talent differ from psychic abilities or medium-ship?
Astrology is based on the idea that history repeats. Astrologers noticed this, and invented their own ‘calendar’ (the ephemeris) to measure those repetitions. Astrology is a cross between history and geometry. If you are medium, your spirit guides can certainly help you out with tips and hints, but the actual work does not require psychic ability.
As well as being an astrologer, you have developed your abilities as a natural psychic medium. Do you find one ability easier than the other?
Being a medium sometimes involves sitting with people who are in tears, which I find intense. They are happy tears, but it’s a big personal responsibility. Writing daily horoscopes for Cosmopolitan magazine is hard work, but it’s less of a personal stretch.
(Please correct me if I’m wrong) When doing up a person’s astrological chart you use their birth date, birth time and the place 
they’re born to judge the situations of the moon, sun, stars and planets, and in your case asteroids and how they relate with their lives… How do you work up a chart for a country?
The best way to judge the horoscope of a country is to look at all the options (discovery, manifesto, constitution) and then look at major historic events to see which astrological chart is most accurate. The United States of America is a good example of this. The only horoscope which fits for big events like the Richard Nixon resignation, the JFK assassination, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Moon landing and the 1929 Wall St Crash is the USA Confederation chart. This is set for 15th November 1777 and it works much better than the 4th of July. In fact, it is now the only American horoscope I use.
Have any of your astrological predictions for 2012 come to fruition?
The most recent astrological prediction to come true was about election chaos in the USA due to bad weather, among other things. That was made in September, well before Hurricane Sandy.
Do you still feel a sense of accomplishment when your predictions are spot on?
It’s good to make spot-on predictions based on history, because observing history has so much to teach us.
Do you live your life by your own astrological chart or do you like surprises?
I have learned the hard way to pay attention to my horoscope – the only problems I ever had came when I stopped paying attention! I once had Neptune square Neptune and was too busy with a charity project to notice it coming – big mistake.
What kind of client stories arise from your predictions? Have you ever had clients tell you that you’ve changed their lives for the better with some timely advice?
As a medium and astrologer I am lucky to have good feedback, from really great people. Off the top of my head, I recently helped a woman whose holiday home was caught up in bushfires. I know my warnings on simple things, like the Mercury Retrograde cycle, save people time and money. My best-known prediction was in my book, Essential Astrology for Women (HarperCollins) which forecast the global financial crisis and warned people to look carefully at where their pensions were invested. That was really basic astrology but it’s our duty as astrologers to pass on that kind of information.
