About Antoinette
My Story
Born under a Balsamic Moon, I was raised among snow-capped mountains and wild oceans on the Ring of Fire at the Southern edge of the world. My first words were the names of flowers & herbs, trees & stars. My hair was often strung with pine-sap, twigs & leaves.
A childhood spent immersed in the elements was my earliest apprenticeship to astrology. I swam in the sea, scaled cliffs & ran barefoot in the woods. I read stories either by the fire, or perched high in the branches of trees, singing banshee songs to the wind & the old, wild gods.
I’m a lifelong student with degrees in Literature, History & Philosophy. I’ve a PhD in Literature (post-colonial theory & semiotics) & I had a former life as an academic.
Astrology has been a passion of mine for decades. Along with years of self-study, I’ve also had the privilege to learn from many wonderful astrology teachers, taking self-paced classes with Demetra George, Austin Coppock, Kelly Surtees, Richard Tarnas & Becca Tarnas. Chris Brennan’s The Astrology Podcast has also been a huge influence and guiding light for me on my path to becoming an astrologer. I also did 2 years of formal Hellenistic astrology training (certified) with Nightlight Astrology.
Besides being an astrologer, I’m a writer and scholar with a focus upon myth, mytho-poetics, the poetics of space, subversive fairytales, gothic literature & astrology. Influences include the work of Sharon Blackie, Jay Griffiths, Martin Shaw, Robert MacFarlane & Donna Haraway; as well as folk stories & lore drawn from my Celtic background.
A lifelong gardener & herbalist (initially under my beloved grandmother ‘s guidance), I also studied herbalism at university level in Australia (2 years). I’ve also completed the School of Evolutionary Herbalism online astro-herbalism course. Influences have included Juliette de Bairacli Levy & Rosemary Gladstar.
These days I dwell with my rescue animals on the edge of a cool, temperate rainforest outside Naarm (Melbourne), on unceded Wurundjeri land, Australia.
Antoinette MacKenzie, PhD
“ Weaving the ancient languages of astrology & the mythic imagination with a deeper ecology of place, I’m devoted to creating safe, nurturing sanctuaries for others”
The astrological system I practice is Hellenistic Astrology merged with aspects of modern astrology.
This means I work primarily with the seven visible planets, using the whole sign House system. However, I weave many modern techniques into my practice.
Traditional Astrology is a system grounded in the techniques & practices of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks & Babylonians. I draw upon the wisdom of these cosmologies, as well as weaving in our lived experiences with mythic stories & archetypes.
Your birth chart is a map of your life, not simply your character & psychology. This holistic approach is designed to reveal your own personal gifts, potentials & challenges.
By drawing upon symbols & stories that are often universal yet unique to each of us, we can discover meaning & magic in our own lives. We can glimpse the archetypal patterns & characters contained in our own lives. We can see how rich in story & purpose our lives truly are.
“Antoinette is warm, friendly and compassionate. She holds space so beautifully, and I really felt seen and understoon without judgement as she helped me navigate my natal chart.”
⸺ Michelle
