I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty fascinated by Astrology. I am not well-versed in it, but I do know when a horoscope I read rings uncannily true for me. Our own Patricia Bingman’s horoscopes often fall into that category, so I figured she’d be a great person to ask all sorts of questions I had. She graciously took the time to satisfy my curiosity.
What first drew you to study Astrology?

Reading my horoscopes in newspapers and magazines. Then when I was 19 a woman at work gave me a book by Linda Goodman, “Star Signs” and it changed my life.

When and how did you realize you had intuitive “gifts”?

Probably as a child I sensed different dimensions and could “read” people easily. Over the years it has developed more and more. After I “moved out into the world” at 19, I really began to embrace it. I also think that the more a person surrounds themselves with aspects that are like them, the more pronounced they become.

Why / how does Astrology work? (Or perhaps more specifically: What is the relationship between the motions of heavenly bodies, and the inner and outer experiences of Earthbound humans?)

Honestly, whole books have been written to answer these questions. I will try to summarize. Hopefully your eyes won’t glaze over before I’m done. It starts by looking up into the sky. Astrology is what we call an intuitive science and an art. Most people are very clear that the Moon affects emotions. The most famous example is the full Moon. Well, the other planets have their affect too, each of them in different ways. An astrologer uses geographical location, date and time to determine where the planets are positioned when a person is born. This process is what forms a natal chart. Meanwhile with the earth’s rotation and other planetary movements, these positions change all the time, while a natal chart remains the same. Relationships between the heavenly bodies and humans are characterized by what astrology calls aspects……the harmonious and the disharmonious. Picture a wheel that is stationary with an outer wheel that is moving all the time in a circular manner. This is what astrologers call transit. Transits aspect natal charts and how they aspect changes monthly, daily, even hourly. There are layers and layers of meaning and interpretation in reading what the sky has to say. The inner experience and the outer experience are one in the same.

What other divination techniques do you employ and why?

I use all sorts of divination techniques. As I mentioned earlier there are many layers to astrology and I find that divination sets up parameters for me to focus on. I use tarot, I Ching, runes, random pages in a book, random songs on the radio and I point the answers back to how the transits aspect the reading.

From your work, what have you learned about people in general, and how has this helped you in your life?

Most importantly I have learned that harmony isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. People look for compatibility and harmony in their relationships, but this is not always the best answer. Harmony can make us lazy. It is disharmony that helps us to evolve. For example, lets say you have a very compatible relationship with lots of trines and sextiles (harmonious aspects). However, the harmony you experience is that you both love to drink lots of rum and go out for joy rides. This is not the best kind of harmony. It takes someone to come in and oppose or square (disharmonious aspects) the two of you in order to give you tools to evolve.

Where are you based?

I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

How/why does travel affect an Astrological forecast?

Well, if you look up at the sky in Maryland at the exact same time as you look up at the sky in Montana it will be different, but not because the sky changed. The positions within the sky will remain the same, but you will have moved. Therefore, the sky will aspect you differently.

If someone wants to change the outcome of a situation, can traveling to a different place help? And if so, is it possible to advise someone about the best place to go to achieve desired results (or avoid undesirable ones)?

Sure. Absolutely.

Similarly, can people be astrologically advised on the best time to take a vacation and the best places to go, in order to have a relaxing or exciting time etc.?

Yes.

How do your friends/family react to your work? If they are not into it, how do you handle that, and if they are into it, are they always hitting you up for readings/advice, etc.?

I get varied responses. There are people in my family that are very into who I am and what I do. When they ask for readings it is not excessive. There are also people in my family that are against what I do, but they still respect me as a person. When I am with them there are many other subjects that we can talk about. I do not force Astrology on others. It has taken me a long time to be able to express this side of me however, because of the opposition that I have had. But, I am grateful. In order to find individuality, it has to be lost. The same is true outside of my family. People like it. People don’t like it. There are respectful people and there are disrespectful people.

Do you meditate? If so, any particular method[s]?

I love yoga. Also, I do repetitive activities that empty my mind and that is meditative.
What is your cultural/ethnic/spiritual/religious background? Does that inform your work?

I grew up in a Christian household and I will say this is what gave me my foothold in my spiritual beliefs. Stories like the three wise men following the “star” to find Jesus, Daniel in the Lions den and the dreams he dreamed gave me validation in my beliefs. In the Bible in Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 14 it says, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” I interpret this astrologically. If God made us in his image…..if God is within us….this is a tool towards realizing that. Of course, these realizations came later in life. I have been presented with many a Christian argument that Astrology is the work of the devil, however none of these arguments have been good enough to change my mind. I am proud of the religion and spirituality in the house where I grew up. I was taught about love and faith. Religions and Spirituality have interested me day after day. In my studies I have learned they all have a common thread that runs through them. That is where I like to come from.

When you meet people, can you often tell what their sign is before finding out when they were born? From things they say, or how they behave or carry themselves, etc.?

Yes, but sometimes I intuit other parts of their charts, rather than just the sun sign. I can usually tell by the way my body reacts to them or sometimes their physical features are strong clues. For instance, bushy eyebrows often point to a strong Scorpio influence. A stocky build can indicate a Capricorn influence.

Is there any particular significance to a baby being born early? Or late? As if the soul of that child was trying to manifest a particular circumstance, etc.?

I think so. Jan Spiller wrote a book called “Spiritual Astrology” based on prenatal astrology. My belief is that a soul chooses. I have a child that was born after his projected due date. I had two weeks of false labor. Likewise, his personality is hesitant. But, once he makes his decision he does not hold back. When I finally went into labor, it took him three hours and he was born. I gave birth to my son when I was very young and he was adopted by a family that I felt he chose. That is a hard concept for some to understand. But they are the perfect fit for what he has come to learn, as am I. Similarly, I have observed pregnant women change the parts of their personalities they expressed outwardly based on the aspects influencing them from their unborn child’s chart. We are all here to learn from each other and I think it is very likely that as souls we make contracts with other souls to fulfill our destinies.

I was born on the last day of my sign, a so-called “cusp.” Is there any significance to that, and does that mean I have a greater likelihood of manifesting traits of both signs?

Yes to both questions. It is said that some of the most intelligent people were born on cusps. Balancing both traits of these signs can be both challenging and rewarding.

When dealing with precise birth dates and times, is it even relevant to think of a person as being of one sign or another?

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. When you have all the data it gives a much broader view of a person. If they are an Aquarius Sun, but have 5 planets in Taurus, they will seem more Taurean. However, the Sun produces lots of energy and usually that is what “shines” out of a person and it depends on how the Sun is aspected.

Are there times when you might not reveal certain things about a particular client’s situation/future/etc. during a reading, because the reading itself indicates to you that having too much information could undermine their efforts or work against their ultimate happiness somehow?

Wording is key. I try to be as honest as possible. I once had a person say to me after reading his more difficult transits. “In words clothed in silk you have interpreted the aspects…” Again, I come from the perspective that disharmonious aspects are tools to help us ultimately achieve happiness. It also depends on the person I am reading for. Some people do not mind being “called out”, while others are more sensitive.

Is there anyone for whom Astrology simply doesn’t work / apply?

Astrology is Cosmic. I do not know of what it does not apply to. However, not everyone wants to believe that it works or applies to anything.

Have you ever worked with someone who was skeptical at first but after getting a reading they changed their minds?

Sure, but this is rare. If they are skeptical they usually don’t want to hear about it in the first place.

Check out Patricia’s website at www.astrosabiana.com, where you can find out about her more in-depth Astrological services.