TIME OUT WITH…

Virginia Bell: A Star Amongst The Stars

By Bailey Beckett

True story: every week I produce a podcast, and at the beginning of 2019, I welcomed Virginia Bell, a world-renowned astrologer, as a guest to talk about what was ahead. Within the first 20 minutes, she warned of a future crisis based on alignments of the planets.

She and the astrology community foresaw there would be a global crisis in January, when two planets Saturn and Pluto would become conjunct (make exact contact). There was also be a full moon eclipse two days earlier. That and the planet Uranus—the great disruptor—would be going into direct motion is a lot of powerful energy. “The year 2020 will not be an easy one, nor will the world be ever the same,” she told me.

Listening back on it, I get chills. I recently welcomed Virginia to go more in-depth. She explained there is a correlation to crises past: wars, economic collapse, 9/11. “The planets don’t cause these, they expose them,” she said.

Though astrologers did not surmise it would be a virus, they knew something big was ahead of us. While I was shocked to hear this, I was not surprised to hear it from Virginia, who I have known for 14 years. She is one of the foremost astrologers in the U.S., with a keen ability to study dates, history, and alignment and translate it to compelling, practical, and sensical explanation. She has studied the discipline for years. Her best-seller Midlife is not a Crisis: Using Astrology to Thrive in the Second Half of Life is a must-read.

I sat down with Virginia to learn more about her incredible journey. She came bearing hope: “The world will survive and thrive,” she says. “It always has. It always will.

How did you find astrology?
Astrology has always been in my life, at least in a peripheral way. As a teen, I was obsessed with Dell Horoscope Magazine. I was miserable at home and was searching for some guidance. During my twenties, I was fascinated with psychics, card readers, and astrologers. When I started my restaurant (in the ‘70s), I consulted with an astrologer about the best date and time to open. In the ‘80s, I even had an astrologer on staff; he ate in exchange for readings. Back then, I thought astrology was just about predictions. I didn’t realize how deep, rich, and profound it was.

How do you explain astrology to people?
Astrology is a tool and like therapy, coaching, and counseling, it can be extremely valuable. But astrology offers another perspective for it’s a symbolic language and is therefore able to elude the cunning ego—so prone to judging and rejecting. It speaks to the soul.

The year 2019 seems to have been a tough year for a lot of people. Can you explain why?
First, let me just say that the planets don’t cause things to happen; they expose what’s already there. For instance, in 2008 when Pluto entered the sign Capricorn (business, banking, corporations), the economy crashed. Pluto didn’t cause that but merely exposed what was going on in the government, banks, and corporations.

In the spring of 2019, Saturn and Pluto in the sign of serious Capricorn, were traveling very close together. You could feel something big was brewing and, at the same time, breaking down. Karmic Saturn is demanding and relentless; Pluto is the planet of birth, death, and transformation. Whenever these two planets are joined, old structures collapse, and life changes.

A lot of people attribute their characteristics to their astrological sign. How accurate is that?
The sun is the gravitational center of the universe; it’s what holds everything together. On a psychological level, it’s what keeps us together. It represents our life force, our energy, and what we signed up to do. The sun is the most important planet in our chart, which is why people identify with their sun sign so strongly. But it’s not the only planet. That’s why an in-depth astrology reading gives you more information and nuance.

What is the most important detail someone should take away from their astrology experience?
Many people come for readings during a difficult time, a breakup, loss of a job, or simply feeling stuck and not knowing why. Astrology can shed light on why this is happening and what a person needs in terms of skills and attitude to navigate it successfully. Life is a journey and astrology always provides a road map.

For more information on Virginia Bell, visit virginiabellastrology.com.