Julene Packer, Dipl.O.C.A., ISAR-C.A.P
Education Director, Instructor
As long as I can remember I was fascinated with the night sky. It may have been the twice a year trips to Hamilton, Ontario to visit my paternal grandparents that sparked this interest. My parents always drove at night because we all know what two children in the back seat on long road trips can be like! I didn't sleep; I watched the stars out of the window. One of our junior high schools had a planetarium and my fascination grew on an elementary school field trip there. I sat in awe as the teacher pointed out the constellations and told the mythology of them. I wanted her job when I grew up!
My interest in astrology began as a teenager when I stumbled across a sun sign astrology book that belonged to my mother. As fate would have it, this was also around the time I was studying mythology in 7th grade English class. I was always a reader. I could be found most summer days in the neighbor's apple tree reading those yellow hardback Nancy Drew novels. From that day forward my passion switched to astrology books and mythology books. Somehow the stars, mythology and astrology all seemed connected and this was like a new real mystery to me.
It wasn't until around the time of my Saturn Return that these pieces began to fall into place. I bought a telescope in the summer of 1998. I fell in love with the night sky all over again. Finding the planets through the telescope filled me with awe and humility. It was amazing how I could feel so small in such a vast universe, yet so plugged in and connected. I'd spend hours every night looking at the different stars too, with their different colors and different pulse rates. Curiosity of why this was so lead me to an astronomy class at my local community college. As I sat in this class and learned about physical properties of planets as well, I was amazed at how closely the astrological symbolism of the planets relate. My astronomy professor, however, was not amused by the synchronicity I'd point out. Perhaps that is what made it even more fun! My passion for astrology was renewed with a fervor.
I got a computer in the fall of 1998 and immediately looked for astrology classes. I found Online College of Astrology and enrolled in ASTRO 101 in January 1999. And ohhh the things that clicked into place through my first few semesters: the awe, the excitement, the hunger for more knowledge. Behind every answer to every question sprung many more questions. I was hooked. Astrology, Astronomy, and Mythology were pulsing through my veins and I began to look at the symbolism in the world around me much differently. This lead me to also study Yoga and eastern thought. I was back to delving into that mystery I had only a glimpse of as a child. I went back to dream journaling and interpretation too.
It was July of 2000 when I met Ena Stanley in person and took the NCGR-I exam at her house. In August of 2000 I was brought on board as the Media Director. In September of 2000 I began teaching ASTRO 101 & 103. It was through teaching that first class on Great Circles, that I thought it would be helpful for students to find the planets in the night sky. After a conversation with Ena, my monthly column Sky Watch was born. The first issue went out in October 2000. It was picked up by The Mountain Astrologer in spring of 2008.
Through the years, I took the NCGR-II and NCGR-III exams, graduated from OCA and took the first written ISAR-CAP exam at their Chicago conference in August 2005. While I knew all along I was getting an exceptional education at OCA, I don't think I realized quite how exceptional it was until I took that exam. I was able to walk out of that room after the 6 hour test knowing that I passed every segment. With tears of gratitude I called Ena to thank her.
Through all this, I've gone through my own inner journey as well. In 2005 I took a transfer from my employer Ford Motor Company with my beau, Bill, to Missouri (this was Pluto to the 6th house leg of my grand cross and Pluto was conjunct his Sun). This transfer had a higher purpose than moving us across the country. We soon came back home, leaving our good paying jobs behind, taking a leap of faith into work that felt meaningful and fulfilling on the inside.
“Our true vocation is to become our Self.” - Howard Sasporatas Direction, Destiny & the Birth Chart
Currently I am a practicing professional astrologer and Realtor living in Avon Lake, Ohio with Bill, his two children, and our beagle Sirius, named for the aplha star in Canus Major (Orion's lead hunting dog). I teach NAT06, DPL01, DPL02, and DPL03 at IAA as well as various local classes. I have lectured on various topics for LCAA (the Lake County Astrological Association) where I served on their Board of Directors. I have lectured at the Akron Astrological Society, the Cincinnati chapter of NCGR, Astrology Toronto, at the MAC Conference and UAC 2008. I am the recording secretary of AFAN's Steering Committee. I am also on the board of directors at IAA, the CEO, and the Education Director. With Chiron in the last degree of Pisces, conjunct my Midheaven as a leg of my grand cross, I feel a large part of my inner calling is teaching others the tools they need to find their sacred space for healing and wholeness.
Julene Packer, Dipl.O.C.A., ISAR-C.A.P
julene.packer@gmail.com
http://www.yogicastrology.com
|
Return to Faculty and Staff Page
All material at this Web site is Copyright © 1997-2010 by OCA, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited.