Monday 26 September 2011

"Astromykonos 2001" - International Astrology Conference

Soon after the successful "Astro-Mykonos 2000" conference, we decided with my wife to repeat the experience and organize a second International Astrological Conference on the Greek island of Mykonos, in the summer of 2001 (8-10 June). As our key speaker we invited the foremost Astrologer, prolific writer and exuberant man Noel Tyl. And we also invited the famous French astrologer Elizabeth Teissier.

(Elizabeth Teissier and Noel Tyl)

Once more, we worked hard with my wife, taking care of every facet, every issue, every small detail, so that the conference ultimately succeeds! We already had in our favor the precious experience of the "Astro - Mykonos 2000" that we had organized in the previous summer. Plus, it was a major comfort to us the fact that we had the full support of an individual who is a benefactor of Greek Astrology (and an excellent Astrologer him/herself)! I would like to express my gratitude to this person for his/her immense contribution to the introduction of cultured Astrology in Greece! I wish I could mention his/her name here, but I cannot because his/her wish is to remain anonymous...  

We invited various Greek astrologers to come over and speak to the conference but most of them rather deliberately (!) chose not to participate! You see, I don't belong to the rather narrow minded and lucrative Greek astrological establishment, which I am ever criticizing! So, naturally the "establishment" backfired to me, by either not mentioning at all the "Astro-Mykonos 2001" or by portraying it in a negative way. After all, a cultured, open minded international conference that was not serving their lucrative and other short sighted interests was of no use to the wider Greek astrological establishment (or so they thought)...

I should also mention here that there is no Astrological Federation in Greece and cultured Astrology is generally marginalized in our small Mediterranean country.
 Plus, in 2001 there was no Facebook and the promotion of any event was possible
only through TV and radio announcements, through relative articles on magazines and newspapers. But as the "Astro-Mykonos 2001" conference was not supported by any media corporation - despite all my efforts and the dozens of press releases I had sent to every single media - ultimately the general public was not informed on this conference and the participation was rather limited. Eventually though, the rather small participation worked in our favor, because it created a warm and spontaneous atmosphere among the people that attended the conference!
 
In hindsight, I would say that the Greek public was not ready back in 2001 for conferences of such magnitude. They didn't even know who Robert Hand, Noel Tyl etc. were (their books have never been translated in Greek). So, in the mind of the average Greek astrology "aficionado" the "TV celebrity" Greek astrologers
were far more important than those "unknown strangers" speaking at the "Astro - Mykonos" conferences!

(the "giant" as a carriage, as a personality and as an Astrologer Noel Tyl during his magic lecture)


(two famous Astrologers under the sign of Capricorn: Noel Tyl and Elizabeth Teissier)

The two International Conferences "Astro-Mykonos" 2000 and 2001 will undoubtedly remain in the history of modern Greek Astrology as two "beacons", shining over the Greek "barren astrological landscape", over the total absence of astrology conferences in Greece. Thanks to these two "Astro-Mykonos" conferences some internationally recognized, world famous Astrologers came over for the first time in Greece - and the Greek public had the unique opportunity to assimilate some of their wisdom, to talk to them in person, to even join their table at the restaurant and enjoy a meal and a cup of wine, rubbing shoulders with them!  

Thanks to these two "Astro-Mykonos" conferences Greek Astrology somehow managed to emerge out of the fringe and stand (at least for a few days) almost at the center of the International Astrological scene!

Thomas D. Gazis

The puzzling 27th September Super-Moon


On Tuesday September 27th three specific astrological conditions are formed which predispose to the occurrence of possible extreme events. First of all, the Moon (in its monthly orbit) will come closer to Earth, creating the September 27th phenomenon of "Super-Moon" - as Astrologer Richard Nolle calls it. The Sun and the Moon will "conjunct" (they will be found in the very same portion of the sky without producing an eclipse though) forming what we call a New Moon. At the same time the Moon will come closer than usual to Earth. Last time we had a Super - Moon it was on April 18th 2011, very close to the date when the great earthquake and tsunami in Japan occurred. Of course this does not mean that such a mega-quake will happen again.

The other fact that concerns us is that when the New Moon occurs on September 27 the Sun and the Moon contemporaneously form powerful planetary aspects with the "hottest" planetary duo of the recent years, the planets Uranus and Pluto (an opposition to the former and a square to the latter). These aspects may speed up processes and events regarding the global economic crisis and all kinds of "clashes" that exist today worldwide. It is noteworthy that during this New Moon we will have a whole parade of planets (a "stellium") in the sign of Libra (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Saturn will be in it). This indicates a situation "on the very razor's edge", an urgent need to alleviate extreme situations and create an agreement between clashing sides!

Saturday 3 September 2011

International Astrology Conference "Astromykonos 2000"

One of the best International Astrology Conferences I ever attended was the "Astromykonos 2000"! This conference took place on the famous Greek island of  Mykonos, on the weekend of  9th to 11th June 2000!

Actually, I was the guy that organized this conference. Don't get me wrong though here! I am not an  organizer of conferences, it was entirely an amateur's effort. Some things didn't go as good as they could... In addition, there was another colleague (Grazia Mirti) who took care of the Italian delegation.

Speaking in all honesty, the "Astro-Mykonos 2000" was a magical conference! Be it for the particular vibrations of the island of Mykonos, be it for the great astrologers that were present there, for the wonderful hotel complex we were residing in, there was indeed something "magic" in the air, within the conference halls, the roof gardens, the beaches, magic as we were strolling the alleys of the cosmopolitan town of Mykonos, casually talking as if we were old friends - although we had just met each other! 


As I am an Astrologer and not a professional organizer of conferences, I wouldn't have succeeded with "Astromykonos 2000" unless I had the full support of a benefactor of Greek Astrology (and excellent Astrologer on his/her own) who prefers to stay anonymous. I had already a long experience on Astrology Conferences as I had attended many in Europe - some of them as a speaker. Thus it came to my mind that it would be a unique experience for the speakers and the public alike to combine good astrology and some great summer vacations and organize an international conference on the paradisaical island of Mykonos!

Serendipity favored us, because the island of Mykonos had just acquired back then its first ever huge (500 attendees) lecture hall, at a recently inaugurated (beautiful) hotel complex. There, between the 9th and the 11th of June 2000, the historical "Astromykonos 2000" took place. Three wonderful days, where one moment you were attending a fascinating lecture by a foremost astrologer and just a few moments ahead you were swimming in an exotic, crystalline sea!

Robert Hand's lecture in "Astromykonos 2000")

As our main speaker I invited the internationally recognized foremost astrologer Robert Hand! Rob gave us a profound lecture on the Aristotelian concept of "eidos" (form - species) and on the various ways the "eidos" unfolds itself in Astrology. Additionally, twenty four Astrologers from Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Italy and France - some of which you can see in the photo below - presented us a variety of interesting and in many cases original lectures (always in accordance to the main theme of the conference, which was "Astrology: the cultural kernel of the new, third millennium").


from left: Elia Ramos, Maurice Charvet, Maro Ioannidou, Emilio Pelaez, Ernesto Cordero, Thomas Gazis (on his knees), Yves Lenoble, Dante Valente, Grazia Mirti

Thomas Gazis - Robert Hand - Maro Ioannidou



In the so called "parallel events" of the conference the French, Italian and Spanish Astrologers (you may seem them on the photo above) examined the eventuality of consolidating a Southern - European Astrological Federation (expanding on an idea that me personally and Ernesto Cordero had initially put forth)! You can see Yves Lenoble (left, with the yellow shirt), Marta Capdevila, Emilio Pelaez (the bearded guy), Maurice Charvet (green shirt), Ernesto Cordero (wearing a waistcoat) while down on the left the head of the President of the Italian Astrological Federation (CIDA) Dante Valente is poking out.

Due to the high level of the invited speakers and to the quality of their lectures, "Astromykonos 2000" is considered the top Astrology Conference ever held in today's Greece!

Thomas Gazis