I live in the village of Nidri on the Ionian island of Lefkada, a move I made in May 1995.Some people thought I was mad, others thought I was brave. I felt neither. Havingreached an obvious crossroads in my life it was a natural step. I left my hectic Londonlife behind and for my first season I rented a room in an old rickety house. It had dodgyelectrics, a leaky shower and a donkey in the back garden. The orange and lemon treeswere so close that I could pick the fruit from my balcony and the stunning night sky wasan astrologer’s paradise. So far, so very Shirley Valentine, but even she had to make aliving.
Having put everything in storage I’d arrived with a rucksack, my ephemerides –astrological tables that tell you where the planets are each day – and my tarot cards. Inthose days legislation around such things as work permits was practically nonexistent. Isimply set up a table on the seafront, alongside the artists and the girls doing hair wraps and selling handmade jewelry, and did on the spot readings for tourists. We all worked from about 7.30pm when the heat of the day was cooling, to around midnight. I met some wonderful people, heard harrowing, humbling and uplifting stories, and honed my tarot and astrological reading skills in the process. It was only in my second season that I realized that a wealth of material was passing through, or under, my hands. I started to write up the stories and these led to the publication of my first book, Tarot for Today.Before I moved to Greece I’d been teaching at The Company of Astrologers in London.Fast forward to 2002, as I was completing this book and starting the sister title Astrology for Today, the idea for a summer school here in Greece took root. By then Iwas back in the “real” world of an apartment, the miracle of the internet and email hadarrived and I suddenly had students on their way. We set up class on my terrace,socialized in the local tavernas in the evenings, and had a wonderful week. The GreekIsland Summer School was born.Over the years the school has gone from strength to strength and attracts an enormous variety of students. Every course is a mixture of backgrounds, ages and professions yet everyone comes together as a group. I’ve met some lovely and fascinating people, many of whom have become and remained firm friends. I’ve also had several visiting journalists, including Tania Ahsan then editor of Prediction Magazine and Amanda Samson who wrote for Kindred Spirit magazine:“I did Joanna’s brilliant tarot course in Nidri in 2005 when I was editor of Predictionmagazine and it was just fantastic. I deepened my understanding of the tarot as well asenjoying a wonderful break in a beautiful, relaxing setting. I have drawn on theknowledge she imparted on that course in all my readings since. I would highlyrecommend the course and Joanna’s work to anyone interested in astrology or tarot.With experience in editing magazines that cover astrology and tarot I’ve had a lot ofreadings and attended many courses to compare her work against. She is definitely one of the best.”Tania Ahsan for Prediction magazine“The course was excellent – really well structured, clear and thorough. Jo is a giftedteacher and her warmth, humour and genuine interest in all of us shone through. Theother students were great and there was always company if you wanted it. Do it – you’lllove it! Thanks for a fabulous week.”Amanda Samson for Kindred Spirit magazineYou can find everything you need to know about the Greek Island Summer School andread many more testimonials for both the astrology and tarot courses on my website –http://joannawatters.com/
My new book Be Your Own Astrologer – Unlock the Secrets of the Signs and Planets (published by Cico Books).You can also read my extensive monthly astrology forecasts in Chat It’s Fate magazine. I also write a weekly blog, describing and explaining the key astrology for the week ahead. If you’d like to receive the blog straight to your Inbox you can sign up on the website or contact me directly on joannaw@otenet.gr
