Raye Mathis defines Astrology and how her journey began as an astrologer
Raye Mathis (she/her) is a noted astrologer, a professor of multiple disciplines at Atlantic University, and has a B.A. in Mathematics (magna cum laude) from Furman University, as well as her M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from Norfolk State University
Raye teaches 4-week online astrology groups on learning how to work with your own chart. In addition, she has a 40-year ongoing astrology practice giving private astrological consultations and publishes a quarterly newsletter entitled "The Capricorn Times". She can be contacted at rayemathis22@gmail.com
Gretchen O'Neal is a spiritual accountability and empowerment coach. She owns and operates www.cometoyourself.com. Come To Yourself provides unbiased, easily accessible information from the top scholars in the fields of transpersonal psychology and consciousness studies, coupled with personal insights from successful artists, musicians, and business professionals, to anyone looking to start their spiritual journey to discover and serve their soul's mission in life
Gretchen:
So first let's just start. Could you provide kind of a basic definition of what astrology is?
Raye:
You know, I thought about that question a lot because I get asked that a lot. Um, it really is a tool, like the M yers-Briggs type b iology, it's just another system. Another, there are many, many systems that we have out there for, u h, attempting to define one's personality, one's individuality, one's life, whatever. U m, and astrology is one of those, u h, the thing about astrology is, and I think this is what most people get hung up on is, u m, it's really not about the outer life it's about the inner life. So it does not, u m, define that you're going to be a doctor, a lawyer. It just it's, it's not that t oo. So it's more,, the inner life. And I think it's the ultimate tool, of course, because it really describes, the unique individual. Most people don't, most people think about astrology as their sun sign. What is your sun sign? But when you actually calculate an astrology chart, you're calculating the position earth where that the person was the time of day, uh, and, um, the placements of all the planets in our solar system. And in addition, we're beginning to add a few more bodies that are up there in the sky, uh, as we go along, I think as people become more conscious, they become more sensitive and may respond to some of those that they haven't responded to before. But, um, your individual chart will not be repeated for 26,000 years. Wow. So unless someone is born at the same moment in the same hospital, as you, your chart will not be repeated for 26,000 years, and then somebody has to be born at the same spot at the same moment to get your chart. So an astrology chart is very unique. It is not just only your sun sign.
Gretchen:
And so why did you personally choose to study astrology?
Raye:
Uh, you know, I didn't choose to do it. It chose me. I would have to say I resisted for a long time. Uh, it, it was interesting. I, I was working as a mathematician with NASA and I had these, uh, three cookie cookie kind of friends who were interested in astrology and they kept wanting to get my birth information. And I said, this is crazy. I'm not giving you that that's stupid. You know, and I held out for about a year and finally, uh, a well known astrologer was coming through town and they wanted me to go get my chart, read by this person. And I thought, okay, if it'll shut them up. Uh, so, uh, I went and it's one of those, appify funny moments that I was just blown away. Um, this person was good and she pinpointed the moments in my life that had been major change points. Um, I came out of that session thinking, you know, there's something to this. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to find out, well, I wish I could say that I have found out what it is, but, uh, astrology is one of those things where the more you learn, the more there is to learn. So, uh, and then of course I, you know, I came from a Southern Baptist family, so I kept it quiet for a long time. And then when I started talking about it, I realized right away it was so threatening. And it still not mentioned to this day. It's just not mentioned in the family. It's kind of like you have to, you have to walk away from relationships. Um, you know, people you're close to, they don't understand. Um, so it's hard. It's hard to choose something like this and go with it as part of your life.