An Afternoon With Susan Miller
In an age of TikTok astrology and party tricks, a legend reminds us that the stars are a path of service—not a fear tactic
Whenever I struggle with my own astrology practice, I return to the work of Susan Miller.
In an age of TikTok astrologers, where predictions have become party tricks and daily horoscopes are wielded as fear tactics to drive engagement, it’s easy to feel disillusioned. Sometimes, I want to throw in the towel.
In those moments, I think of Susan.
I think of the way she fondly recalls her mother studying the stars in the quiet hours of night. A mother who once warned her that sharing astrology publicly was a risk—that it might mean alienation.
Susan went on to become one of the most esteemed astrologers of our time, her work appearing everywhere from Vogue to The New York Times. But it’s not her fame or her precision that draws me in. It’s the way she cares for her readers. She sees herself as a translator for the planets, committed to making their movements accessible—so that life on Earth might feel just a little less chaotic.
I remember her once saying, over lunch, that she wouldn’t release a “year ahead” forecast because the terrain was too hard. She didn’t want to speak unless she had something productive to say.
That kind of integrity stays with me. It reminds me that being part of this lineage is a gift—and that the only way forward is with devotion and service.
This conversation is part of the Los Angeles Astro Salon, my monthly meetup at the Philosophical Research Society. Each month, I sit down with a guest astrologer to explore the cosmic weather. This one was intended to be a “year ahead” forecast. But with Susan, things rarely stay on script.
On Her Origins and the 12-Year Rule
“My mother had studied astrology for eight years before she ever even looked at my chart. When I was 14, I was in the hospital for a full year. I bleed internally—I’ve had 40 transfusions in my life. I was in grueling physical therapy, learning how to walk again, and I wanted to know if this was going to have a happy ending. I asked my mother to teach me so I could see my own future.
She said, ‘No. You’ll start reading for people after a year and you won’t know anything. If you don’t study for 12 years, you won’t be any good.’ I finally wrote to Horoscope Magazine and they picked my question. When my mother saw my chart and my time of birth in the magazine, she realized I was serious. That’s when she finally began teaching me.”
On the Prophecy of the “Dots and Lines”
Long before the world knew what a “web browser” was, Susan’s mother predicted her daughter’s digital career with startling accuracy.
“When I was nine years old, my mother told me, ‘Susan, you’re going to write. You have Gemini rising. But then, when you get close to 40, you have Aquarius on the Midheaven—some newly invented form of communication. We don’t know the name of it yet.’
I followed her around the house as she vacuumed, asking, ‘What is it?’ She told me, ‘Aquarius is an air sign. I’m going to say something that will make no sense to you, but there are little dots and lines that go through the air that are invisible, and that have something to do with your writing. That is your destiny.’
She was predicting the internet. Years later, when I was in the Time Life building meeting a webmaster to launch the site, I put my elbows on the table and said, ‘Don’t you see? This is my destiny.’”
On the Philosophy of “Writing Long”
In the early days of the web, the “pundits” told Susan that internet readers had no attention span. They wanted her to cap her horoscopes at 25 words. She refused.
“I said, ‘I want to change the world, and I can’t do it at 25 words.’ I felt like a lawyer arguing a case—here is the provenance of every single aspect, here is why you should believe me. Whenever you make a decision out of courage rather than fear, it’s the right decision. Use your gut. It will change your life.”
On the “Partnership” with the Stars
One of Susan’s most famous traits is her ability to animate the planets, treating them not as abstract rocks in space, but as active characters in our lives.
“It’s a partnership. You can have the best aspects in the world, but if you don’t leave the house, it isn’t going to affect you. I’ll get letters from readers saying, ‘I didn’t meet the man of my dreams.’ And I ask, ‘Did you leave the house?’ I think of the planets as little people. I say to them, ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ I have to crack the code.
Astrology isn’t just ‘blue sky and rainbows’; it’s practical. I went into astrology to help people who feel like they are on a raft in the middle of the ocean during a storm. Astrology helps you find the shore.”
On the “Frankfurter” Rule and the Astrology of 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, Susan notes that while it may be a smoother ride than 2027, we have to respect the “timekeeper” of the zodiac: Mars.
“I like 2026 better than 2027. We have Mars going retrograde in January and staying in Virgo for eight months. Mars is the timekeeper—it’s where your focus is. When it’s retrograde, you cannot sell a frankfurter! You shouldn’t launch a new business or a project during that time because Mars is your competition.
But we also have big shifts: Uranus goes into Gemini in April 2026, and Saturn finally leaves Pisces. For the fixed signs—Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Scorpio—you’ve had your feet held to the fire lately. But the universe is an equal-opportunity employer. The aspects will change.”
On Eclipses as the “Hand of God”
Susan views eclipses as non-negotiable pivots that often do for us what we are too afraid to do for ourselves.
“An eclipse laughs at your ‘convenient’ schedule. If you can’t remedy a situation, an eclipse will come in and do it for you. I had an infection in my kidney for six years, and no doctor would touch it. Then an eclipse hit my chart exactly. I found the right doctor, and he pulverized the stone and vacuum-cleaned my kidney.
Some people would say, ‘Susan, what a terrible year, you had surgery.’ No! It was a wonderful year. I found the help I needed. It’s all about how you frame it.”
Final Advice for the “Astro-Seeker”
Susan’s technical advice remains consistent, whether she’s writing for Vogue or speaking to an intimate salon at the Philosophical Research Society.
“Read both your Sun sign and your Rising sign. If you only read one, you’re only getting 50%. And if someone says they don’t ‘feel’ like their sign, look at their Moon. If they were born at night—even one minute after the sun went down—they will often exhibit the Moon sign more strongly.
Life comes at you like a pie in the face constantly. I always say I get hit by a bus every day; I just don’t know which direction it’s coming from! But you keep going. You are learning from every single battle you lose. So keep going.”
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ABOUT SUSAN
Susan Miller is the visionary force behind AstrologyZone.com, a platform she launched in 1995 that has since become a celestial compass for millions. With over 13 million unique visitors annually, Susan’s in-depth and insightful horoscopes have guided seekers through the ebbs and flows of life.
Beyond her digital presence, Susan has authored 17 books, penned columns for international fashion magazines, and collaborated with renowned brands, seamlessly weaving astrology into the fabric of contemporary culture.
ABOUT VIVI
Vivi Henriette is an LA-based astrologer and tarot reader whose collaborative approach to divination weaves in storytelling and mythology to create a container for her clients to explore their personal narrative. She’s the host of the Los Angeles Astro Salon at the Philosophical Research Society and the podcast TALKTALKTALK and producer of LA Astro Fest.