To illustrate people's experiences of readings with Henri
Llewelyn Davies, here is
part of an article by Jeanette Winterson, which appeared
in the Daily Mail, 29 Jul 2003.
'STARSTRUCK' - The Rays of Hope
Years ago I wanted to learn about astrology for a novel I was
going to write. A friend recommended a visit to the TV Times astrologer,
as she was then, a woman named Henri Llewelyn Davies.
My heart sank.
I reckoned that anybody who wrote weekly horoscopes for the mass-market
telly pages would be a flamboyant magician with a map of the heavens
and hocus-pocus talk about planetary pull.
I arrived at Henri's home and was received by a charming, intelligent
woman who had been educated at a top girls' school and Oxford University.
It turned out she was related to Daphne Du Maurier on one side
of her family - remember Rebecca and Jamaica Inn? On the other
side was J.M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame.
Her grandfather was one
of the 'Lost Boys' adopted by Barrie, and for whom he wrote  Peter
Pan. But that wasn't all. Henri's great-great grandfather was Queen
Victoria's chaplain, and her father was in the Guinness Book Of
Records as Britain's most married man. Her mother, meanwhile, was
hugely successful in advertising and gave the nation the slogan "Cheese Please Louise".
In short, she was definitely not your average astrologer. The
first thing Henri did was to agree with me completely that mass-market
horoscope columns are very general and, inevitably, far from always
accurate.
Although she does think they have their place in the world -
especially because if they're rigorously positive, always pointing
out any ray of hope, they can stop despairing people slitting their
wrists. Then Henri launched into a vigorous defence of the individual
birth chart, properly drawn up and interpreted.
She was interested in patterns and tendencies, character traits
and potential strengths and weakness - all of which are present in
the chart. I was intrigued, but remained sceptical. She continued...
 A full chart would tell me where all the planets were at the moment
of my birth. For instance, my Sun might be in Taurus, but my Moon
might be in Cancer. The chart would then add in all the other planets,
Venus, Mars, Mercury, etc, and then go on to some fancy stuff about
my Ascendant, my Midheaven, the Houses of the planets, the angles
of these Houses to one another, and so on. These terms meant nothing
to me.
But Henri was a good talker, and I began to feel like one of those
people at an evangelical meeting who enthusiastically raises their
hand to be saved, only to wonder when they get home how on earth
they had been snared. Henri glanced at my chart and asked me if
I tended to get involved in triangular relationships.
The answer was yes - my love affairs always seemed to involve
a third person, and I was trying hard to break the pattern. The
chart itself gave me plenty to think about. As a Virgo with a Gemini
Moon, Mercury was apparently my 'double ruler'. Could it be coincidence
that I had often used the word 'mercurial' to describe a character
trait that is both my greatest weakness and my greatest strength?
Laser-like quickness and the ability to change are assets. Unreliability
and volatility are not. I could see that there were other things
in the chart that were going to challenge my scepticism, but I
still wasn't wholly convinced. Maybe Henri was just a very good
intuitive therapist disguised as an astrologer. As a writer, I
know that not everything can be formulated logically. I have my
flashes of intuition, where ideas come out of nowhere. Perhaps
Henri was the same, pulling together an ingenious fiction from
the rough outline of the planets.
Then, as I was leaving, Henri said suddenly: 'You should give
up karate.' I hadn't said anything to Henri about karate. Even though
I was amazed by her pronouncement, I certainly wasn't going to
give up my hobby on the say-so of the stars. Two weeks later, I
dislocated my shoulder. At our next session, I asked Henri about
that piece of advice, and she told me that she had become more
and more psychic over the years.
She was into what she called Psychic
Astrology, where she used the chart as a guide, but listened to
the voices speaking clearly in her head. Once, to really test her,
as I sat all day in a blacked-out flat waiting for the electrician,
I asked her what time he would arrive. 'Ten to six,' she said.
At five minutes to six he appeared.
My sceptical friends who have
had readings with her have all admitted that Henri is special.
I am no longer wary of telling people that I use a psychic astrologer.
If they protest, I suggest they find out for themselves. They are
always impressed.
Henri now works with private clients all round the world. She
reads only by telephone. Once you have established a client relationship
with her, and had your chart done, you can ring her for advice
on anything - and it might take only 5 minutes.
It's efficient and economical.
You call when you need to. I don't know how much I've spent over
the years, but it
has been worth it. She is particularly good on property, and has
advised me on houses for years. There was an occasion when I very
much wanted what seemed like the perfect house, and Henri said
'No'. Disappointed, I took her advice and a year later discovered
that planning permission had just been granted on the lovely open
field next door.
Once I bought a cottage, sight unseen, on her advice. I was in
New York at the time, and I had to make a snap decision on whether
to go ahead. 5 minutes with Henri and the deal was done - and
it has turned out to be a wonderful home.
My London house had a Dangerous Structure Notice when she advised
me to buy it. There was no roof and it had been on the market for
15 years. Everyone thought I was mad - but now the Spitalfields
market site is being redeveloped into the new Covent Garden, and
you can't get a house round there for under 1 million.
 I don't always take her advice - when Miramax offered me a film
deal some years ago, I went for it even though Henri said it would
never be made. Sure, I got the money. But the project was a huge
waste of time, and only recently Miramax confirmed that it wouldn't
be making the movie.
These days, I call Henri when I need her - sometimes months go
by, sometimes it's twice a week. She is invaluable at looking past
common sense, but she can't run your life for you. Part of the
deal is a commitment to working on yourself; to aim to understand
your life, and to improve what you are. Whether you take her advice
or not, the lessons are always helpful.
I believe the Lord helps
those who help themselves. Yes, Henri has helped me find the right
house and make the right choices, but she expects me to do a lot
of work, too. The chart has revealed some very uncomfortable truths.
Oh, and
I never did write that novel - she said I wouldn't.
Back to Top |
