Waterstones, renowned as the UK’s largest book retailer and a cultural hub for literature and ideas, has long been a home for groundbreaking authors. That they opened their doors to astrology makes this moment all the more significant. While their esoteric section is small (for that you’d usually head to The Astrology Shop, Watkins, or Treadwells — all just a short walk away), on this night astrology took centre stage in one of the country’s most respected literary venues.

Signing books at Watkins, a bookshop that holds a proud legacy of offering one of the world’s largest selections of spiritual and esoteric literature

The Long Road

When my first book, Growing Pains: Astrology in Adolescence, was published in 2013, I had an inflated — yet also oddly conservative — ideas of what being an author meant. Of course, it was an achievement: many people say they have a book in them, but very few have the discipline to write one. I wrote mine while working full-time as a secondary school teacher.

Back then, I was shy about self-promotion, but quickly realised that if I wanted to sell my work, I had to speak up for it myself. I started attending astrology conferences, travelling constantly, funding trips through teaching when I came home. For several years, that was my rhythm: teach, travel, speak, repeat.

When the pandemic hit, live conferences disappeared and everything shifted online. Strangely enough, it was liberating. The friends I’d made in lecture halls simply moved to Zoom, and suddenly astrology webinars were happening daily, all over the world. During this time, I launched “Mirror Mirror”, an astrological companion to film — I figured, if everyone was watching movies, why not give them a starry lens through which to view them?

Eventually, we emerged blinking into the light again. I returned to teaching, spoke at a few live events, and kept the odd webinar going.

The Invitation

In late 2024, a chance encounter with the Evolutionary Astrologers introduced me to Rav Chahal. To my delight, she lived close by in London — and even more astonishingly, worked as a duty manager at Waterstones Trafalgar Square. Rav interviewed me, read my books, and then asked the question that changed everything: “Would you like to do an author’s event at our branch?”

Meeting Rav (bottom screen) for the first time with Sue Hillier of Evolutionary Astrologers

I jumped at the chance. By then I had just begun writing my third book, Zeus on the Loose. But the real weight of the invitation didn’t hit until I saw the pressure it placed on my publisher, Margaret Cahill of The Wessex Astrologer. I threw her into meltdown with my determination to get Zeus into print before the big day — and to her eternal credit, she pulled it off.

Rav also put her own reputation on the line. If the event went poorly, it wouldn’t just reflect on me. It could affect her career. That knowledge only heightened the sense of responsibility. Together, we decided to promote Mirror Mirror for the evening — it already had what I call “the Hollywood effect.”

Building Momentum

The following spring, Steve Judd invited me to speak at his event Shift Happens. Neither of us realised quite how popular it would be, but it turned out to be a huge success. A video we made together racked up more than 6,000 views, and I began to feel the momentum gathering.

Steve Judd, myself and Rick Levine

Summer crept closer, and with it the anxiety. I distracted myself with travel — an astrology conference in Portugal, a fun few days in Benidorm with my old college roommate, and then a guest appearance at the 39th Annual Astrology, Tarot and Vastu conference here in London. There, with the encouragement of my good friend Sonal Sachdeva (who helped me into a sari), I launched Zeus on the Loose and gave honourary certificates from my astrology school, Rohiniy Academy of Astrology (classes start soon!!!). It was a joyful experience, and another milestone ticked off.

Still, the wait for Waterstones dragged. I filled my days with gym sessions, coffees, resisting ice cream, and experimenting with video — which I now hope to turn into a podcast about astrologers’ favourite films (the first one alredy recorded with Margaret Gray of Relationships and Astrology, a new astrology course that deserves–and will have–its own blog post). But the undercurrent was constant: would people show up?

To take my mind off the anticipation, my friends in Walthamstow treated me to a beautiful dinner. (And they even came to the launch itself even though they they thought they had no interest in astrology.)

The Big Day

Finally, it arrived.

That morning, for the first time in 12 years, I sat in a salon chair and had my hair swept into what I hoped looked like a Greek-goddess updo. I slipped into a purple dress to match my book, “Zeus”. Rav and I both knew that if the evening flopped, Waterstones might never take a chance on astrology again.

But flop it did not.

The room filled with warmth, insight, and celebration. Special guests included Roy Gillett, Steve Judd, and Arielle Guttman, each bringing their own voice to honour the occasion. Both Roy and Steve described me as a trailblazer in bridging astrology and education — words that meant the world after so many years of labouring on that very vision. My friend Sonal also stood up and offered moving words of support.

Steve went further, reflecting on my Shift Happens lectures and announcing our return for 2026. It was a moment that felt both deeply personal and part of a much larger collective journey.

The atmosphere in Trafalgar Square was electric — not just a book signing, but a turning point. By opening its doors to astrology, Waterstones signalled a growing willingness to embrace new perspectives on learning, development, and the place of astrology in modern life.

Looking Ahead

Full house!!

The story is already rippling outward. My Waterstones experience will appear in journals and newsletters worldwide (thank you to the tireless editors and readers who make that happen). My calendar is full of workshops, webinars, and an Australian tour in 2026. There’s plenty ahead.

But first: rest. A few quiet day trips, some time with friends, and space to take it all in.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring astrology from the classroom into Waterstones.

My publisher Margaret Cahill and her team are nothing short of superheroes.

And an extra, heartfelt shout-out to Waterstones Trafalgar Square — and especially Rav Chahal — for taking a chance on me, and on astrology.

Further Opportunities

For those of you who want to explore these themes more deeply, my work connects astrology with education, creativity, and lived experience. You’ll find much more in my books — especially Mirror Mirror: The Astrology of Famous People and the Actors Who Portrayed Them — and in my courses at the Rohini Academy of Astrology, where we study charts not just to learn astrology, but to understand how human stories unfold. Prefer an app? You can listen to my new podcast, “Astrology and Cinema in Reel Life”. Listen anywhere → https://pod.link/1839607482

If you’re ready to unlock astrology’s insight — whether through a book, a course, or a personal consultation —I’m here to welcome you.