Yes, I had my first astrological consult (we've come a long way from that old Sun Signs book, baby) and it was quite educational and informative.
Soul Friend Astrology
I've been considering a natal consult for quite some time; I got serious about looking for an astrologer about six months ago. I took some public recommendations (after looking at the usual suspects -- who were either booked solid or just a little pricey for this first timer) but none of the recommendations quite clicked with me. Then I came across Nate (probably in the shallows of Astro Twitter) and his Soul Friend Astrology and I was basically sold in no time.
Why did this one click where some others didn't? Not sure I can fully unpack that, but there's clearly many conscious and unconscious things that are going on when you make a decision like this. I think, for me, the thing that sealed the deal was the blog post: How I Found My Husband's Wallet Using Astrology My relationship with Horary Astrology is more nebulous (though less contemptuous) than with Electional Astrology, so it wasn't the content of the article that caught my attention: it was the matter-of-fact announcement of Nate's sexual identity to anyone visiting the site. Even today, that's a risk. Yet, he tossed it off (pun intended) with aplomb and never looked back.
That was when I said: this is the guy.
Scorpio Rising Challenges
I'm not sure when I first learned about the Ascendant or Rising Sign, but in the intervening time I've learned quite a bit about what it means to have Scorpio Rising. It was one of the first things Nate and I had a laugh about when the consult began. I was very upfront about the fact that I don't give a lot away (ask anyone who's read Tarot for me) and since Nate had my chart right there, he understood exactly where I was coming from with that bit.
Nate is clearly passionate about what he does and is very happy talking to you about what your chart tells him. If I was more of a beginner, I may have had to stop him and ask more questions; I've no doubt, from the few times I did ask a question, that he'd have been able to field just about any one and provide a knowledgeable and concise answer. I am learning each day that the field of astrology is fearfully complex and has more depth than I can easily imagine. This really shouldn't come as a surprise, but the discipline has been largely out of favor for most of my life. Nate demonstrates a breadth of knowledge that most people would have trouble communicating to a layman.
Besides Nate's clear command of the subject and what appeared to be a thorough review of my chart before hand (for all I know, he read it on the spot because he's just that good; but I think he prepared), one of the things that impressed me the most was his lack of concern about the time we had allotted. He appeared more concerned that I got what I was looking for from his service than in how much time had passed on the clock.
Transits & Progressions
I'm not sure what you'll be looking for if and when you go looking for an astrologer; your criteria might not match mine even remotely. But I think I can safely imagine that you will be looking for a good product. I'm impressed with the product that Nate delivers. Not only was the time we spent on video chat informative and educational, it was personable.
A short time after our chat, I received a Drop Box link that included a recording of our chat and several charts: my natal chart, two solar return charts (this year and next), a secondary progressions chart and an electional chart that I'm still not quite sure how we got to talking about, but it was one he had worked up that happened to align with something I was working on (there were a few nice synchronicities all told) that Nate kindly pulled out, altered for me, and included in my package.
It just occurred to me that a long time ago I used to review and rate online retailers of occult products... I'm going to resurrect that system, at least this one time, and give Soul Friend Astrology: 5 Wheels out of a possible 5.
Until next time....