Tanja Short of Jaffrey, a certified astrologer, has designed a gift for new parents: personalized baby books created based on a horoscope showing the time and day of the baby’s birth.
“Astrology is not what people think it is. It’s not about today being a good day for you and your lottery numbers. It’s not about fate,” Short said as she gave a tour of her home business. “Today astrology is about what cards you were dealt at birth and how you’re going to play them. How are you going to deal with the positive and negative energy that accompanies each sign? Astrology is a language that gives you the words and phrases to understand what you’re already seeing.”
Short came up with the idea of creating personalized astrology baby books after her stepdaughter had her first child three years ago.
“I wanted to teach my stepdaughter about astrology and give her information about her baby,” Short said. “This is wonderful information for parents, especially mothers. For example, what is it like for a Libra mother to have a Cancer child? How will your energies interact with your child’s?”
To create an “Astrochild” baby book, Short asks parents for information about their child’s birth, including the date and exact time. She then enters that information into astrology software, which creates a star chart indicating the positions of the stars and planets at the child’s birth and how the influence of the rising moon and sun can affect their energy and temperament.
“We cannot explain exactly why the moment of the first breath is so important to personality, and there is debate about what exactly the first moment of life is,” Short said. “Different times of day have different energies.”
According to Short, there is overlap between modern astrology and psychology, as well as the science behind the Myers-Briggs personality tests and also with the theory of the Enneagrams, a detailed categorization system of nine personality types.
“The 12 signs of the zodiac can also be thought of as the 12 archetypal personalities. Astrology can help people become aware of and overcome the strengths and challenges that come with each sign,” Short said. “They learn to interpret themselves.”
Short points out that the study of astrology has ancient roots and is revered in many cultures, such as India, where Hindu families typically ask astrologers to create a star chart after a baby is born. Although she has worked professionally as an astrologer in the past, giving readings to clients, Short is currently focused entirely on her books.
To build the company, Short taught himself publishing, from learning Adobe InDesign and laying out pages to creating original artwork around each zodiac sign.
“I had no experience with art, but I learned how to paint! I had to learn about graphic design, photography, marketing and how to sell online,” Short said. “It was a two-year process to get to this point.”
After identifying the essential positive qualities of each zodiac sign, Short drew a star with a symbol representing that quality, including clouds for dreamy Pisces, a ladder for ambitious Capricorn, and a heart for loving Cancer. She then wrote a story describing the characteristics of each sign.
“I’m especially proud of the verse form because English is not a native English speaker,” said Short, who moved to the U.S. from Germany.
Short markets her books as a gift set that includes an Astrochildren onesie, or the book plus a personalized reading that compares a parent’s primal triad (sun, moon and ascendant) to that of the child. She said millennial parents are fascinated by astrology and that it has become a billion-dollar industry in the United States.
“Once the child starts showing their personality, you can see it. People have said to me, ‘That’s spot on, you’ve nailed who my child is,'” Short said. “People have been really excited. The books are especially perfect as a first birthday gift because that’s when their personality really comes out.”
To order a book or for information, go to astrochildren.com.
