We were at the end of the seventies.

I was a young, novice journalist.

The interviewee was a famous French astrologer: André Barbault.

After the interview ended (about his predictions for the next year), my colleague asked him for a quick, friendly, astrology reading.

When Barbault finished, he turned to me and offered to take a look at my birth date on an old ephemeris agenda.

What he told me filled me with joy as much as scepticism.

I was madly in love at the time, without any success however, and there he was, predicting a major sentimental fulfillment for the next summer (“Vous ferez votre vie affective à partir de l'été prochain...”). This was not a casual insight.

And to everyone's greatest surprise, against all odds, we were married... the next summer.

André Barbault's confidence and mastery piqued my curiosity.

I had never been interested in astrology before, but his memorable, brilliant prediction prompted me to make regular visits to the Astroflash store on the Champs Elysées in Paris (in which programing Barbault had participated).

There, one could order monthly or yearly previsions printed on large sheets of paper, spat out by an imposing, noisy machine.

Then the seller would ceremonously fold the paper into a cardboard sleeve containing our hopes and wisdom until the next time.

This encounter between computing and astrology fascinated me.

At this period, I knew very little of the rules and bases of this ancient art, and absolutely nothing of computing.

A few years later I bought a programing book containing the mathematical routines for the calculation of planets and houses positions.

To write and run the program I acquired a small Casio FX-790P calculator with an integrated visual basic language.

I was so motivated that I entered all the maths and logic during a 3 weeks holiday.

It worked.

I had my own Astroflash.

Without the insights however.

Slowly but surely I raided Paris esoteric libraries for specialized books.

All these publications were teaching a solid, classic western astrology.

The 12 signs reflecting the 4 seasons energies, mixed with the 4 elements of nature, fire, earth, air and water.

I was in love with the poetry, the sweet song of an ever changing world.

Then I studied the relationship between the moving planets – harmony, dissonance, conjunction.

It was like a ballet, a living poem recited by nature.

Behind the geometry and angles, a real language was slowly whispering to my ears.

Verses of happiness, gravity and tragedy were drawing the lines of destiny.

Every planet's symbol was like a character in a long, endless story punctuated by smiles, frowns and serenity.

So when my professional situation went to a halt, I invested fully in astrology, upgrading my minimalist Casio program to what was at the time the cusp of the operating systems: Windows 2.0.

I soon paired each planetary aspect with an insight text.

Then I went farther developing an original, colorful chart that could render nicely on an inkjet printer.

I had invested a lot on the chart model, so the day I rented a small stand at an esoteric exhibition fair, I was full of hope.

After 6 hours on site and some kind looks from curious visitors, I had sold...only one chart.

It barely covered the cost of a taxi back home with my computer and printer.

Later I did some readings, and was surprised (and somehow frightened) by how much quickly my rare clients became psychologically dependent.

As if their future – depended – on my words.

“Please, tell me that this project – will – work at this date”.

Will??

This is when I realized that astrology, by design, could not predict an outcome as a psychic would do, but only anticipate a climate or deliver a percentage ratio of probabilities.

Also, during this period, I met with Jacques Dorsan.

I had sent him a letter praising his books “Retour au zodiaque des étoiles” and “L'Astrologie et la bourse”.

He invited me to spend a week-end in Nice, where he received me very kindly with his wife.

I was in complete admiration for the style of his writings and the power of his vision.

Dorsan, specialized in stock market previsions, was an excentric figure in the little world of French astrologers.

He was bluntly critical of the tropical zodiac widely used in Europe.

His reasoning was that the tropical signs, continuously moving from their original stellar position (+– 24° now) could not be taken seriously or have a real impact, as they were not based on physical, tangible points, but were the result of an intellectual construction based on the Vernal Equinox.

(See https://www.greatastromatcher.com/Learn/Zodiacs)

His compass was oriented towards fixed stars and constellations, not western seasons.

Ultimately, he argued, how for example could the Scorpio sign (October 23 – November 22) reflect the energy of fall with the symbolic death and resurrection of nature, knowing that automn begins in September in the western hemisphere, and in March in the southern hemisphere?

In terms of interpretation he also gave a major importance to the planet's aspects, more than their position in signs.

Beside his stock market analysis (he was, at the time, very attentive to gold mining companies), Jacques Dorsan shook my faith in the tropical signs system.

(In hindsight, I now understand that both zodiacs can be considered simultaneously within the framework of a comprehensive interpretation.)

All these factors (commercial obstacles, being uncomfortable in the role of an oracle, and a skepticism towards widespread beliefs) contributed to putting my astrology adventure on hold.

On the other hand, my career in computer science and consulting flourished, as I returned to university and obtained an engineer degree.

Bouncing from one domain to another...

But I never ceased looking at the stars.

Relating important, as small, fugitive events, to the planet's dance.

An unexpected smile, a shrug, a mood swing...

What caught my attention is the fact that the diversity our situations, is sometimes, distinctively reflected by the sky's geometry.

Chaos on earth, clarity in the skies.

Like a Mercury dissonant to Jupiter reflected by a fine in the Paris metro, or a Moon square to Pluto corresponding to forgetting my health insurance card in the doctor's office, then rushing to get it back, thus annoying the doctor's patients, and the doctor himself....

All these little things.

With the time passing, what I retain for all the up and downs in enthusiasm, disappointment, and loyalty of this astrology journey, is that there are no real “influences” or “energies” coming from the zodiac that would lead us here or there.

More of a mirror game expressing itself in a subtle but very real celestial language.

Thanks in part to the tremendous accelerator provided by the new AI models, I was able to combine my astrology background with my programing skills, developing dailylifeastrology.com in less than a year of hard working evenings and week-ends.

And here I am, calmly displaying a more detached, humorous vision of astrology, less clinging to certainties and dogmas, opened to challenge, and happy to share wisdom and harmony.

Sean Kayden

November 15th 2025

shun.kayden@gmail.com

www.linkedin.com/in/sean-kayden

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