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)
(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)
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!
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 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
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
