The Rise Of Astro Trekking

Would you travel for a month according to your star sign? Radhika Sanghani did just that

- Radhika Sanghani

Excuse me, am I near a farm?’ I was cycling up a hill in Byron Bay, Australia, in 35°C heat, asking passers-by for directions. While most tourists go to the beaches to ride the waves, I spent an hour searching for fields—all because my astrologer told me to.

Eventually, the stars aligned, and I alighted at a sign that simply read: ‘The Farm’. As I turned off the main road, I came across a field of bright sunflowers. It was an unexpected haven of joy—especially when I found out the rustic looking barn was a restaurant, and everything, from the slow-roasted beetroot to the harissa cauliflower, was fresh produce. I realised my astrologer had led me to a true Taurean paradise.

Growing up, I didn’t pay attention to my horoscope. I vaguely identified with the Taurean stereotype of being a stubborn food lover but I was too much of a pragmatist to take it further. However, over the past few years, significant changes in my life, such as a break-up with my partner of four years, have meant I’ve become interested in astrology as a source of guidance. I’m not the only one; it’s more popular than ever.

When a friend recommended astrologer Francesca Oddie (francescaoddie.com), I was at a turning point. I was nearly 30, I had left my job at a national newspaper to write my third novel, a semi-autobiographical comedy about a girl on a journey of self-discovery. I didn’t even know what country I wanted to live in, and I was struggling to move on after my break-up. It was a new chapter.

I wasn’t entirely convinced about astrology but I was prepared to try anything in my search for clarity. And when Francesca turned the hour, date and location of my birth into an astral chart, that’s exactly what I got.