Have you ever wondered if you should quit your job and follow your passion? Are you with the right significant other now, or is there someone else written in the stars for you? Are you investing your money correctly? Should you stay in Shanghai long term? Will anyone in your family get sick soon?
Alex Wang, Shanghai's go-to astrology reader, may just have the answers for you.
After practicing for over seven years, Alex creates a natal chart based on your exact birth date, time and location to make predictions and provide advice that just may help you answer life's toughest questions. We sat down with him to get the details, and then a reading of our own. Here's our verdict:
Image courtesy of Alex Wang
What is your background and how did you get into astrology?
From a young age, I always wondered about the balance between free will and predestination. But, my love for math has always been just as strong. I ultimately majored in Theoretical Mathematics at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and went on to work in consulting in New York City for a few years, before moving to Shanghai.
Yet, however math could help me understand how everything works, it couldn’t help me with self-understanding. These days, people are learning more and more about less and less, and as the saying goes, “eventually we will understand everything about nothing.”
When I first started doing readings for friends, they treated me like a joke. But, as my predictions became more accurate, they recognized the light I was shining on their future. That feeling is much more rewarding and fulfilling compared to solving a mathematical puzzle.
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How do astrology readings work?
First, it’s important to know how it does not work: although there are only 12 astrological signs, this does not mean there are just 12 types of people. That is like saying, I only have 12 condiments in my kitchen, so I can only make 12 dishes. In my opinion, many people like to discuss astrology from the perspective of their sign because it is a good conversation starter; rarely do I encounter people who sit down and dig deeper beneath the plethora of junk media information.
The first breath of a baby is a key moment in their life; the arrangement of planets in the sky at that particular moment constitutes what is referred to as the natal chart. The natal chart consists of elements like the placement of planets – the sun, moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn; the placement of the twelve astrological signs; and the placement of houses – or a geometrical division of the universe through the geocentric perspective.
The nature of these elements and how they interact with each other has been recorded in many civilizations across the planet for centuries. For example, Ptolemy recorded the Western Astrology while Parashara recorded Vedic Astrology. The better the astrologer, the better they can decipher the natal chart and extract the maximum amount of accurate information with regard to both what has happened and the likelihood of what will happen in the future.
How did you learn how to read people using astrology?
I first started seven years ago, and during my time practicing astrology, I have been influenced by several crucial teachers. When I began diving deeper into astrology, I was living in NYC – home to a vibrant astrological community.
After years of studying and practicing, I got into Indian astrology – a much more systematic form of astrology that I believe leads to making more accurate predictions. I connected with an astrology teacher in India that, if not for COVID, would have brought me there now to study with him.
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How do you conduct an Astrology reading?
From the client, I ask for three main pieces of information: an accurate time of birth (crucial), date of birth and location of birth. From there, I follow up by asking about any questions/problems the person might be having in their life. In many cases, the client doesn’t have any questions and is simply coming to me because of curiosity.
Next, I spend some time deciphering the natal chart with various astrological techniques in relationship to the questions the client is interested in. Finally, we have a conversation in person or over Zoom to discuss my findings, provide predictions and offer suggestions.
Image courtesy of Alex Wang
What information do you provide someone receiving an astrology reading from you?
An astrology reading is more a conversation rather than a single directional question and answer setup. The more background information I have about the client, the more accurate the prediction will be. The more experienced the astrologer is, the less background information he/she will need to make accurate predictions.
For example, my own astrological chart was my first study case, and I understand it better than any of my clients’ charts because I spend countless hours observing my own life in connection with my chart.
With that said, here were some sample questions I’ve been asked recently:
Client: Should I join this PhD program and, if so, can I do it next couple years?
My answer: Yes, ideally you should join the program on XX-year, XX-month, XX-day.
Client: Is this guy/girl the right one?
My answer: No, I do not think this is the one unless he/she is still there until after the XX date, month, year.
Client: Which areas should I invest my money in?
My answer: XX areas, but the time has not arrived yet.
Client: Will I get promotion, and when will it happen?
My answer: Probably not in your current company unless you...
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Other common questions I am asked include: How will the health of my grandparents be? How will my business be? Will my business partner do something behind my back? Should I stay in Shanghai for the long term? How can I change X area of my life for the better? Will I have children? How can I make more money? I am an athlete; will I win XX competition? Can you tell me more about this area of my life in the next XX years? What should I be careful about in terms of my health?
To someone that is skeptical about fortune telling or astrology reading, how do you convince them otherwise?
If they have already made up their mind, then I don’t try to convince them otherwise. Some people prefer going on vacations without checking the weather, and it’s totally fine.
However, if someone is skeptical because he or she is fed up with misleading and fragmented information that is commonly associated with astrology, I would take a step back and explain to them about the mathematics of astronomy behind the system, as well as the more fundamental question: Do you believe in complete free will?
Astrology is like a weather forecast: one cannot change the weather, but you can decide to bring an umbrella or a pair of sunglasses.
Image courtesy of Alex Wang
What about astrology do you find most interesting?
I find it interesting that how seemingly unrelated events in life are connected by the same astronomical phenomena at the moment of birth. Each person has a different astrological chart that delineates not only potential life events and drawbacks, but also the timing of when those events may manifest.
I believe that the exact date, time and location of your birth greatly affects who you ultimately become as a person and the events that will take place in your life. It is fascinating to me that two people can be born only a few days apart but live two completely different lives, such as the famous case of Adolf Hitler vs. Charlie Chaplin. Sometimes, those couple of days – or even a couple of minutes – can ultimately result in a major change in a person’s life path.
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Have you ever given someone an Astrology reading that has been spot on? What about dead wrong?
The job of an astrologer isn’t so different from that of a doctor. For example, a spinal surgeon performs best when handling cases of spinal fractures; he can maybe treat some patients with basic digestive issues. Similarly, as an astrologer, most people come to me with issues about either their relationships or career, and I have practiced enough cases to know which astrological rules to be applied when and where.
However, if tomorrow someone comes to me asking about children and parents when the information isn’t as clear, then the risk of off-target predictions is higher because I haven’t had many chances to apply the astrological rules related to parents and kids yet.
Image courtesy of Alex Wang
For example, the ninth house in a natal chart indicates, among many other things, biological father, teacher, mentor, path, university, and luck (and first pregnancy if the chart belongs to a woman). The twelfth house in a natal chart indicates that which is forever lost, foreign countries, prison, meditation, sleep, hospitalization and seclusive places, like an ashram or a monastery.
If these two houses are intimately linked together – there are rules for how and when two houses are linked, but that is beyond the scope of this interview – then the connection between these two houses can certainly relate to the loss of a father or loss of a first pregnancy or going to a foreign place for the purpose of higher education either in a university or an ashram.
Based on the natal chart and the information I have of a person’s background, then, like a doctor, I can offer advice and some remedial measures to make the situation more bearable and less stressful.
Image courtesy of Alex Wang
To book an appointment with Alex Wang reach out him on his WeChat through his ID: alexs128099 or by email at readings@alexttw.com. He will also be doing regular astrology readings at Zodiac by appointment, with time and date details to come.
My Reading
I took my own advice and sat down with Alex for a reading. After scouring the depths of old drawers, I located my birth certificate to supply him with my most accurate birth date, time and location. A matter of just five minutes can make all the difference in a reading.
Next, we met up for a coffee and Alex immediately dove in. Bringing up information about my past, my preferences and trends my life stages will go through, he started to describe what really stood out most in the chart. The more background information he has about me, the more accurately he can read the information, so it works best as a two-way conversation.
A lot of what he told me was about my personality. How I am, how I act in certain situations and things to pay heed to. He also picked up on my strong affinity for pickles and fermented foods; an interesting tidbit of information I would never have guessed was written in the stars.
He answered questions about my career path, my financial situation, my relationships and my family, and provided advice to help keep my life on track – foods to eat, colors to avoid and health advice. He brought up in-depth topics like types of work tasks I thrive in, qualities I look for in a partner and what sort of challenges (and rewards) may arise in the next few years.
Overall, the experience was insightful; it reaffirmed decisions I've recently made, helped me feel more confident in life stages I'm in the midst of and made me understand myself just a bit better.
Am I guzzling the kool-aid and altering life plans because of one conversation? Not quite. But I do understand what Alex means by his weather forecast analogy. The astrology reading provides a sense of assurance, security and preparedness in the crazy world of random chaos we live in.
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