Susan Miller Interview

Certified Astrologer; NCGR Member

Susan Miller is one of the world's premiere astrologers. Through her website Astrology Zone, Ms. Miller reaches over six million people each month, shedding clarity on all things astrological. LoveToKnow Horoscopes is pleased to present this interview.

Astrologer Susan Miller Interview: Early Beginnings

LTK: How did you get your start in astrology?

Ms. Miller: My mother studied astrology before I was born, for a total of seven years, and continues to study to this day. She never told her friends that she knew astrology, as she is a private person and kept that to herself. She never read charts for others, but only for our family.

Years later, she married my father, and I was born with a congenital ailment in my left leg that caused painful and very debilitating attacks that would have me bedridden for six weeks at a time, once or twice a year. As you can imagine I missed out on a lot of school, and other activities.

Dealing with Ill Health

My mother, using astrology, knew that this illness would reach an apex when I was 14 years old, and that after that I would be free of my disorder. At 13 years 11 months, I had a massive attack that brought me to the hospital, so again my mother was right with her timing. I had to have exploratory surgery to find out what was wrong.

It turned out I was bleeding internally and that parts of my circulatory system needed to be completely revamped and stripped. During the surgery, I was bleeding so much that my doctor couldn't see clearly and accidentally severed the main nerve that fed my lower left leg. I was to lose all feeling and control in my left foot, and I would have a drop foot at 14 years old.

I was to remain in the hospital for 11 months that year while my doctor continued to work on correcting my circulatory system. Upon my release, I was told I'd have to be back at the hospital as an outpatient for 6 hours a day five days a week for the next three years. During that time they set to work on helping me regain my ability to walk without a brace and crutches.

I was 14 and facing years of medical work ahead, and I wanted to know if my treatment would ever lead to a complete recovery. I begged my mother to teach me astrology but she resisted because she was concerned that I would study for a short time and begin reading charts for friends. She wanted me to study with her for 12 years continually before I did any charts for friends, but feared I would not stick with her program.

She finally relented, and began to teach me. Remember in those days, all the mathematical calculations had to be done by hand, as there were no computers to do it. I have always enjoyed doing math, and doing it with my mother was even more fun. Finally I had convinced my mother to help me learn!

On Religion and the Importance of Education

I want to add here that I am a devote Catholic, and I continued to pray for my recovery. Astrology never takes the place of religion. In fact, there are two astrological houses, the ninth and twelfth, that reflect one's deepest beliefs. Astrology simply can show you the areas where you can succeed if you focus on it, but the hard work is always up to you! I was born with Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, in the house of health. It was one of many big indicators that my prospects for recovery were excellent!

My mother was the best teacher I ever could have had. She taught me not only astrology, but philosophy, metaphysics and theology, which she felt were important disciplines to cover. She also put a great emphasis on the importance of communicating clearly. She felt that it would be unfortunate if I said something astrologically incorrect to the person whose chart I was reading, but it would be even worse if I said something that was correct, but said it in a way that could be misinterpreted. She therefore spent as much time on the elements of good communication as she did on the technical aspects of astrology. Today I write for magazines all over the world.

Her Inspiration

LTK: What continues to inspire you?

Ms. Miller: The study of astrology is a complex subject. The more you study astrology the more precise you become at understanding life's rhythms, so you never feel you have covered it all, and know it all. There is always more to learn! Life is one big laboratory where you get to see how the aspects assert themselves through cycles.

Many people mistakenly assume that astrology has to do with predestination. It does not. I can see areas of expansion and areas of constriction, but the final decision of what to do will always be up to the individual.

I can suggest when to act and when to hold back. I can even suggest the questions to ask in a situation and some of the best methods for that person to use. I feel astrology can increase your success rate ten-fold, but each person has free will and can chose to do what feels is best.

In the end, I am inspired by the readers who tell me I have offered them creative ideas at critical points in their lives. My mother has always been so loving and generous to me, I want to give my readers the same level of hope and inspiration that she gave me in my darkest period-when I was learning to walk all over again-and that she continues to give to me to this day. In my column I always refer to my mother as Little Mom-she is indeed tiny-but my nickname for her shows the deep affection I have for her and what she has shown me about life. I feel very fortunate that I had the health difficulties I had, because they opened my heart wide to other's suffering. I hope I can be of some help to those people. It is the whole reason I keep AstrologyZone.com free of charge.

On the Subjects of More Books...

Planets and Possibilities by Susan Miller

LTK: For your many fans who have devoured Planets and Possibilities and your other works, is there any chance that they'll get another predictive book?Ms. Miller: My website, AstrologyZone.com takes me two full weeks out of the month to write, and it is a total joy to do. To write books, I would have to stop writing my site, and I don't want to do that. I used to write books but at the time I didn't have the other obligations I have now on my plate.

I have chosen instead to go digital because people need their information in very convenient ways, and it took me seven years to fully understand the workings of the digital industry, I am now on iPhones and practically all cell phones. I am on iTunes with spoken word Astrology Zone® and on Comcast's "On Demand" TV where I do a weekly forecast and some specials too. There was much to learn, but venturing into the new digital frontier is exciting and keeps me very busy.

To Learn More

LTK: Finally, fans of yours love the fact that they can receive even more information from you. Tell us about Astrology Zone Premier™.

Astrology Zone Premier™ is a sophisticated yet easy to use, robust application that was designed by the engineers at Hands-On Mobile for all current cell phones. I write all the astrological forecasts in a clear and very specific way, meant to be helpful to readers on the go.

Customers of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile can sign up to receive my daily forecasts along with a host of other material that I provide for a low monthly charge to their wireless account. When you sign up for the service, you can get your daily and monthly forecast for your sign and also for all the other signs. You can even send a forecast to a friend from your cell phone, so you can share the information. You can also access a long list of articles I've written.

I strive to make my daily horoscopes much more comprehensive than those available anywhere else. I try hard to make sure what I forecast will resonate in my reader's lives, and I welcome their comments.

For even more insight with Ms. Miller, read the continuation of this conversation in Susan Miller Astrology Advice.