ISSUE 41: THEATRE AND ASTROLOGY

Issue: Theatre and Astrology

Convener(s): Regina Mendes

Participants: Alan Cox , Thirsa van Til , Chris Grady, Gabrielle Beasley, Fionn Gill, Caroline Pearce, Suzy Almond, Thomas Eccleshare + 1


Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:


There were 7 persons in the session for the first 45 minutes. Each of them came to the group and stayed for a while. The last half an hour 2 more persons joined. In total we were 4 men incl Chris, Alan, Thomas, .......and 6 women incl Gabrielle , Caroline, Suzy, and Regina.

Some of them didn’t know anything about Astrology and some did know something.

Gabrielle said that in the last 2 years she became very involved with Astrology and even being very sceptical she realizes that it can be very helpful. She said that helps her to understand more about herself and her potential. The more she goes into it the more she finds that it really works. It was the first time she was talking about Astrology in a serious way with someone outside her family.

One was interested because he is going to make a play about the outsider space and in the research he came across with Astrology.

One wanted to know about her sun sign because sometimes she feels she doesn’t fit in it.

One talked about his experience with a group of children asking them to create a character inspired by their astrological sign .He talked about the characteristics of each sign and the kids performed it. It was a good experience.

Chris said that his mother had done his astrological chart when he was born and he read it when he was 15 years old . He said it was extraordinary ! It was like the astrologer knew about all his life! He also commented about an experience when they were performing a play related with wolf . The play was running during a full moon evening and they felt a completely different kind of energy. It is an idea to see the sky at the moment the play is running to see how does it affect the play.

Alison talked about the Zodiac painted at the Globe Theatre and the old days when Astrology was an accepted knowledge. After Renaissance we had the split between Astronomy as science and Astrology as superstition. He welcome another person explaining about my experience and he said it was more interesting than he thought it would be. ☺

Suzy also an astrologer joined the group very briefly and she was curious to know how I work mixing both Theatre and Astrology .

I said that I use Astrology as a tool to develop a play. It helps to make the creative process more visible and easier. An instrument to help the actor and director to find out what is going on at a deep and essential level. It is very different from an astrological consultation as we are creating a living thing. The thing is already there and astrology can just make it easier to spot it during the process of improvisations .

I also explain that I work with the actor’s astrological chart which can be made by knowing the date of birth, local and time. I said that each of sun signs have their own qualities and properties that can be lived by each person in different ways. One of the reasons is because the astrological chart has lots of planets doing lots of aspects between them and they are placed in signs and houses. The sun sign is one of them. There are also some other important points and one of them we call ascendant. So there are lots of things combined together in very unique ways for each person giving a unique way of living it.

I have been studding Astrology for 30 years and reading astrological charts as a professional for 25 years. My first project mixing Theatre and Astrology was in 1992 when we create a play rehearsing during 3 months with a Japanese actress . People loved it! After that I have being working creating some plays in theatre and dance using Astrology as a very good friend.

reginaaa@hotmail.com