Latvian Astrology Conference Review

How on earth did I find myself speaking at the Latvian Astrology Conference when I couldn’t even speak a word of Latvian?

I had been lecturing in Porto Portugal at the 1st International Astrology Conference in February 2017, when I was invited to speak in Latvia. I had heard of Latvia but wasn’t entirely confident I could put it on a map. But I said yes to the invitation anyway. That I could be so ignorant about what would be a fantastic adventure still embarrasses me. The Latvian Astrology Conference, held in Riga and organised by the wonderful Liga Sirona (president of the Latvian Association of Astrologers), was simply marvellous and deserves far more attention in the West.

To be honest, by the time I left Belgrade and returned to India, I had forgotten about Liga’s invitation. And then, out of the blue via Facebook message, came a reminder in October 2018. Before I knew it, my flights and hotel were booked. A few weeks later, lovely Liga picked me up at the airport.

As I couldn’t even place Latvia on a map, I had to ask Liga for advice on how to dress for the winter weather in December. It didn’t look too far north of London but was quite close to the Baltic Sea. For all I knew, there could have been eight feet of snow. It was cold but not unbearable–and yes, there was snow.

Where Am I?

This conference was conducted in Latvian and my lecture was translated by consecutive translation. It did mean I couldn’t quite follow the lectures of the other astrologers on every point. But I had plenty of help from the other astrologers. I have to say, I found this group to be vibrant and enthusiastic. It warms the cockles of the heart to see such successful astrologers in different parts of the world. With just under 100 attendees, it was the largest group I had spoken to outside of India. I received a lovely certificate for my efforts as well as some flowers.

The Little Differences

When you step out of the familiar, you can’t expect things to be as you’re used to. The very first thing I noticed about this conference is that there is a specified place to hang winter coats! Perhaps an odd thing to notice but I’m accustomed to seeing coats tossed over chairs or piled in a corner.

I was also delighted by the evening entertainment. There was great food. And this really cool game that allowed me to practice my newly acquired Latvian. There was also a sketch artist who created wonderful caricatures. An astro backdrop for stunning mementos was installed too. Such a great ideas for this utterly charming conference!

Later that weekend, I taught a workshop for Liga’s school. I also had the opportunity to check out the beautiful city of Riga. I learned a lot about the history of the area and bought some amber jewellery. Eventually, Liga and I hatched some plans for some midsummer festivities. Apparently, according to Liga, these involve beer and skinny-dipping (!!) as part of the national celebration.

I loved the opportunity to explore beautiful Riga. I learned that the power of astrology around the world should never be underestimated. Would I go to Latvia again? Oh yes! In a heart beat!

Thank you Liga for a beautiful week in Latvia!

Astrology Conferences Around the World

Serious astrologers should endeavour to visit at least one astrology conference outside of their own country at least once in their lifetime. Different cultures and different approaches offer so much for your astrology toolkits. As I often say: “We speak the language of the stars but we have different accents.” Not convinced? Check out my article “10 Reasons Why You Should Get Yourself to an Astrology Conference“!

Here’s a list of my favourite astrology conferences around the world with links to my reviews!

Canada:

Canadian Astrology Conference, held every other year in September (next conference in 2021)

Northern Stars Astrology Conference, 25-27 September 2020, Halifax Nova Scotia

USA:

United Astrology Conference, various locations in the US, every four years in May

Northwest Astrology Conference, Seattle Washington, every year in June

International Society for Astrological Research, various locations in the US, every other year in the autumn. Next one 10-14 September 2020 near Denver Colorado

State of the Art Astrology, Buffalo NY every year in October (sadly organiser Donna Van Toen has died and further plans are now unclear)

Sedona Vedic Astrology Conference, held annually in Arizona every November

Kepler Astrology Conference, now defunct but still worth a mention for the potential it had to bring brilliant research to astrology

India:

Institute of Vedic Culture (IVC), Kolkata India, 4-9 February 2020 (postponed to a later date)

Europe:

Kepler Institute, Belgrade Serbia, every year in March

Associação Portuguesa de Astrologia, ASPAS, Lisbon Portugal, every other year, last one in March 2019

Associazione Cultural Jayavidya, Perugia Italy, every year in June

Latvian Astrology Conference, held annually in Riga

South Africa

Astrology Restored, Cape Town, next one to be announced soon

Australia

The Cosmic Intelligence Agency holds some truly amazing workshops and other events, many are online too

South America

CINASTRO, online conference from Brazil. Sign up for their newsletter for more information

My lecture schedule is here