Phoebe – gazing heavenwards yet with her feet firmly on the earth

Despite being very much in the here and now, there is something mysteriously ancient and otherworldly about Phoebe. It must be her passion for astrology which she combines effortlessly with her passion for Osho, meditation and sannyas. She says the latter has influenced the way she does astrology, using it for the growth of consciousness rather than for predictions or psychological assessments. Her aim is to help people become aware and she finds it a great tool to jog people awake! This must be a pretty unique angle on the conventional understandings of astrology.

As with many sannyasins, her path towards Osho and becoming a sannyasin was a rocky one. Back in the seventies she was living the conventional life of wife, mother, lecturer in English at Hanover University, and was in a crisis. Then she saw an article by Satyananda in Stern magazine with a picture of Osho which immediately struck her and she decided to find out more about him. She found books in German and English (she speaks fluent German) and in 1978 decided she had to learn to meditate so started doing Dynamic meditation by herself at home.

Well, we all know the effects of Dynamic and in 1980 she was in Poona despite threats by her husband that he would kill her if she went! Then follows one of those beautiful mystifying Osho stories... Although her friends called her Phoebe, her legal name was Valerie, and it was this name she had written on her sannyas application form. Nowhere had she even mentioned the name Phoebe. Sitting in darshan waiting to be called, she suddenly heard Osho say ‘Phoebe’! Her mind went into shock – why had he said Phoebe? She was in such shock that she didn’t hear a word that Osho said. Naturally – this was his object, I have no doubt! She did however, realise that he had given her the sannyas name of Phoebe which means ‘pure radiance’.

She then tried to get the script to find out what he had said but was told to wait until it was published in a darshan diary. She waited several years and then was told it was not going to be published after all. On investigation she was told the script for that day had been lost. It wasn’t until 1992 that she stumbled across the file for the month of her darshan in a cupboard in the commune and found her darshan day and the words he said to her!

On her return to Germany in 1980 her husband predictably freaked out and tore her mala off her neck, and the university nearly sacked her because they said that, by dressing in red, she was advertising a cult. She says it was a big thing for her to dare stand up for her convictions but it was a very strengthening learning process.

Phoebe ‘gazing heavenwards’ and friends at Croydon Hall playing Phoebe’s ‘Wheel of Life’ game.

When her children had grown up she left her husband and spent more time in Poona, working in the commune on the Osho Times for which she did the astrology page. She also gave astrology sessions there.

In the tumultuous previous 10 years she had steeped herself in (the study of) astrology, and had developed and published her well-known astrology game called Lebensrad – ‘Wheel of Life’ and a second board game for children. As I mentioned earlier she was using astrology as a tool for personal growth.

In 1997 she returned to Brighton in England feeling, she said, as if she was completing a circle as she was now living 25 miles from where she was born. When the Croydon Hall project started she was one of the first people to become involved and remains involved to this day. Life took a beautiful turn for her when in 2001 she met her partner, Vivek, whom she married in 2003. Through her he got into meditation and took sannyas. He had already started an alternative therapy centre, now called ‘Revitalise’, which they worked hard at developing, and eventually handed over the business in 2003 to a younger couple. Vivek runs weekly meditations there, including LOUD Dynamic because the room is in a basement!!!! (see ‘When and Where’ link on this website).

Phoebe also started and runs the Brighton and Hove Astrology Circle, which is affiliated with the Astrological Association of Great Britain. The members meet every week, alternating an evening class with talks by visiting speakers – all of which Phoebe organises. She has just published an extraordinary book called Hercules’ Labours: The Evolutionary Path around the Horoscope in which the myths of Hercules’ labours are used as keys to unlock the deeper spiritual significance of the twelve houses of the horoscope.

She is currently writing her next book called Virtual Lives (watch this space for more info) which uses a docu-drama approach – sound fascinating.

As Phoebe related her life story of incredible integrity and creativity she stressed over and over again that it is her deep connection with Osho, sannyas and meditation that has given her a unique perspective on her chosen field of astrology and allows her to help people to grow in awareness through this medium.

As always when I finish writing about someone, I sit back in humble awe at the creative, beautiful, loving and very significant lives of my fellow sannyasins – in this particular case, Phoebe.

Text by Veena – September 2007