Faculty Open Day 2019
Building Resilience in the Face of Change
Fyvie Hall, University of Westminster, Regent Street, London, was the venue for Faculty Open Day 2019 held on Saturday 23rd March. It was a happy occasion, a meeting of so many family and friends who had come along to celebrate this special day with our award winners.
Our theme for the day, Building Resilience in the Face of Change, gave our three student speakers the opportunity to put forward their ideas on how astrology could bring personal understanding to such unpredictable times. In his presentation, The Inner Journey, Stefano Stracuzzi, a student of Yoga, explored how yogic practice complimented and enhanced the evolutionary findings of astrological forecasting techniques within the natal chart. Annamaria Nagy’s presentation, Lilith – the Blind Spot of our Subconscious, focused on illuminating the challenging primal instincts of one’s personality and, by bringing them into consciousness, turn them into positive attributes. Lisa Stockley’s presentation, Living by the Stars – Astrology as a Spiritual Practice, blended personal inner work experienced through regular meditation, inspirational writing, and responding to the cyclical energies of the Wheel of the Year, alongside the paradigm of the transitory energies to the natal chart.
In the afternoon our Faculty President Cat Cox reported on the spectacular success of the Faculty’s new Online Foundation Course and the broadcasting of Online Seminars by Faculty tutors and guest speakers. These wonderful tutoring facilities enable students worldwide to participate in our courses within a live, global, group environment.
Glòria Roca Riera, Head of Exams up to 2018, reminded everyone of the hard work that the students have undertaken in order to achieve their awards. Her speech was followed by calling upon our celebrated guest speaker, Sue Tompkins, to congratulate our award winners by presenting them with either the Faculty Certificate or Faculty Diploma.
[clear]
After 12 years of service, Glòria, in her role as Head of Exams, stood down from this post. On behalf of the Faculty Council and tutors, our president Cat Cox officially thanked Glòria for her skilful overseeing of the examination process, and presented her with a token of the Faculty’s appreciation.
The award ceremony was followed by a showing of the film, What does the Faculty mean to you?, which was recorded in our 70th anniversary year. The film was introduced by past Faculty president Clare Martin, who revealed how gaining the Diploma and her involvement with the Faculty instilled within her a vocational approach to the study and teaching of astrology. Watch the video on the About the Faculty webpage.
[clear]
Our guest speaker Sue Tompkins’ presentation, Talking Significators – The Astrology of the Natural World, was the closing item of the day. Sue’s lecture emphasized the importance of taking note of the particular moment in time when symbolic correspondences occur and how planetary astrological trails within a chart can transpose into mythic interpretations of the animal kingdom.
Hearty congratulations go to all our award winners, and thanks to Sue Tompkins and our student speakers for their inspiring presentations.
[clear] Lindsay GladstoneFaculty Open Day Organiser
03 April 2019
Lindsay Gladstone, Faculty Open Day Organiser
Audio recording (with slides) of Sue Tompkins’ presentation