Upcoming Astrology Conferences in 2009

Astrological conferences are an important part of the social dynamic in the astrological community. Since most astrologers and astrological enthusiasts are spread out all of the world, usually studying in relative isolation, the opportunity to meet up with hundreds of other astrologers for a few days is usually a rather unique and exciting prospect.

These conferences are sort of like the glue that holds the community together, since they give astrologers an opportunity to forge relationships with other people with similar interests. Some people go to conferences in order to meet other astrologers for the first time and to feel a sense of community, while the more seasoned conference veterans usually go in order to catch up with old friends that they have seen at previous conferences and events over the years.

Conferences also provide a unique learning opportunity as well, since they are usually structured around a series of lectures that are given each day by some of the leading astrologers in the field, with topics ranging from the application of practical techniques to the history and philosophy of astrology. This provides newer astrologers with the opportunity to connect with some of their favorite writers, and it allows the more seasoned astrologers to stay up-to-date with some of the latest ideas and research in the field.

For an example of what you might expect at one of these conferences, check out my report from the United Astrology Conference that took place earlier this year in Denver.

If you haven’t been to an astrological conference before, then you should seriously consider doing so. In fact, you are in luck, since there are a number of great conferences coming up in 2009. Here is a list of some of the major ones:

The Northwest Astrology Conference (NORWAC)

The Northwest Astrology Conference will be held in Seattle, Washington from May 22nd – 25th, 2009. NORWAC is an annual conference that is held each year in May, and this year they are celebrating their 25th anniversary. It is a regional conference, so it usually attracts about 200-300 people from the northwestern United States.

Since NORWAC is run by a family of astrologers it is usually a bit more welcoming than many of the larger conferences that are sponsored by major organizations. For many people NORWAC is the first conference that they ever attend, and this year’s conference seems to feature a pretty good lineup of speakers.

The American Federation of Astrologers Conference

(Update: This conference was canceled. See this post for more info.)

The American Federation of Astrologers Conference is going to be held in Miami, Florida from July 1st – 5th, 2009. The AFA is the oldest astrological organization in the United States, and they recently went through a change of leadership. In order to celebrate, they are holding a free conference. Basically, as long as you become a member of the AFA before May 1st, there is no conference fee. This will essentially make the AFA conference the cheapest one to attend of any of the conferences in 2009.

Since the AFA conference is going to be really cheap, this is the main one that a lot of people from the Association for Young Astrologers will be attending next year. There will also be a decent number of AYA people at the NORWAC conference as well though, and we will be giving out scholarships to attend NORWAC or in order to do work-for-trade deals sometime in the next few months.

The International Society for Astrological Research Conference

The International Society for Astrological Research Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois from August 20th – 23rd, 2009. The ISAR conference will probably be the largest one next year, with a pretty extensive speaker list and a number of astrologers flying in from all over the world.

It will probably also be the most expensive, although like most conferences, the sooner you register for it, the cheaper it is to attend. The extra money goes towards the fact that it is a larger conference that is held at a more fancy resort, and there will be a lot more speakers to choose from for those who attend.

The State of the Art Conference (SOTA)

The State of the Art Conference (“SOTA”) will be held in Toronto, Ontario from October 22nd through the 26th, 2009.   SOTA is similar to NORWAC, insomuch as it is more of a smaller, regional conference, and so it is much more friendly and welcoming than some of the larger conferences, especially for first time conference attendees.  Many of their lectures are longer than the usual 75 minute format, and geared towards intemediate and advanced astrological techniques and topics.

Other Conferences and Events

There are probably a few other major conferences going on in different parts of the world next year, and I will try to keep this list updated as new information comes in. For example, I’m sure that the Astrological Association of Great Britain will be holding their annual conference at some point next fall, although I’m not sure what the dates are on that yet.

Of course, there will be a number of smaller events and workshops happening in various areas as well. For example, the Astrological Society of Austin, Texas will be hosting me for a three day workshop on Hellenistic astrology in late February. There are dozens of similar workshops going on all the time in other areas as well, so check with your local or national astrological organizations in order to find out what might be happening in your area.

If there are any major events happening that you don’t see on this list then please let me know in the comments section below. Also, let me know if you are planning on attending any of these conferences, or if you have any questions about them, or about astrology conferences in general.