by Alison Price

“Most people can fry an egg but they don’t call themselves chefs.”

Astrological Certification

Today I want to look at astrological certification and whether you need it or not.

Certification really means taking lessons and sitting a series of exams at the beginner, intermediate and advanced level of astrology. In this way you meet knowledge criteria.

No, you don’t

The short answer to this question is no, you don’t need certification. Anyone can set up shop and call themselves an astrologer. There are no regulations as there are with realtors or psychologists. To my mind, it is like being an artist. Whether you are doing fine art in oils of making wooden birdhouses it is still considered art.

Many famous astrologers are self-taught. They don’t get certified because they don’t have to. When you have spent twenty or thirty years learning your art you do know what you are doing. There is a point when experience kicks in and overcomes formal training.

Astrology is not widely considered a serious field it is generally used “For entertainment purposes only” and this sentence is recommended by legal consultants when opening an astrology business.

Yes, you do

The long answer is it depends on what you want to do with your astrology. There are two instances when I recommend taking the class and exam route.

  • If astrology is a brand new subject for you (that is if you have been studying for less than twelve months). If you are learning from scratch you have the potential, in formal classes, to learn all the things you need to know without having gaps in your knowledge which frequently occur when you are self-taught.
  • If you want to be considered an authority in the astrology field either by the general public or the astrological community.

In the end, I believe it is a personal choice.


Astrological certification bodies:

Australia:
Federation of Australian Astrologers (FAA)

Great Britain:
Faculty of Astrological Studies London, England.
London School of Astrology (LSA).
MA, Cultural Astronomy and Astrology – the University of Wales at Lampeter

USA:
International Society Astrological Research (ISAR)
National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR)
American Federation of Astrologers (AFA)

There are more but theses are the ones that come to mind.