About me

Joan Zagrobelny

My study of Hellenistic Astrology has been a deep dive, intensely focused and continuous since 2018. I received certification in Chris Brennan’s Hellenistic Astrology from The Astrology School in 2019. Following that, I continued to expand my knowledge and hone my skills through study with Demetra George, one of the foremost scholars of Hellenistic astrology. In 2023, I received certification of competency in all three core areas of Demetra's training: Assessing Planetary Condition, Assessing House Condition, and Hellenistic Time Lords.

In addition to my training in astrology, I am a 35-year practitioner of Siddha Yoga Meditation. My scriptural study and spiritual practices over these years has enhanced my understanding of the deep significance of seeking to understand and work with the higher forces that we observe in our lives.

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How Star Kitchen Astrology Began |

Late in 2017, when life still seemed somewhat normal, I was caring for my 97-year-old mother. She was just beginning her descent into dementia, and still living on her own, a 9-hour drive from where I was living. The next three years were a heady mix for me of worry, fear, sadness, tenderness, and a LOT of long-distance driving.

During this time, my lifelong interest in astrology resurfaced in a powerful way. I felt keen that powerful forces were at play in my life, and I wanted a map or blueprint of what was happening. That’s when I discovered Hellenistic astrology, a new branch of astrology based on Greek and Roman source texts that had only been newly translated and compiled about 30 years ago, mainly through an astrological group known as Project Hindsight.

I began to study Hellenistic astrology on those long drives to visit my Mom, listening to over 100 hours of lectures that are part of Chris Brennan’s Hellenistic Astrology course. Right from the start, I was hooked. Following completion of that course, I began reading charts for friends and family, learning how to apply the principles of Hellenistic astrology in real-life situations. The rest, as they say, is history.

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What Exactly Is Hellenistic Astrology? |

Hellenistic astrology is a tradition of Greco-Roman astrology that originated in the Mediterranean region sometime around the 1st century BCE and was practiced until approximately the 7th century CE. Hellenistic astrology is the source of many of the modern traditions of astrology that still flourish around the world today.

Despite its pivotal role in the history of astrology, many of the foundational texts of this tradition have only become available again in recent times, and modern translations of these texts from Greek and Latin have only started to be published in the past 25-30 years. Some of the hallmarks of Hellenistic astrology are the use of whole sign houses, the use of only the traditional planets, and a concept of timing that presumes that not all parts of one’s horoscope are active continuously throughout one’s life.

To identify which sectors are active at a given time, the ancient astrologers devised timing techniques that are unique to Hellenistic astrology and not present in modern astrology. These “Time Lord” techniques add an important forecasting tool that can be applied to any given time period.