A woman’s journey for self-discovery leads to adjunct tool for medical diagnosis
LAS VEGAS, NV – Dr. Alicia Blando learned during the early days of the HIV epidemic that American medical practices fail to holistically support patients. Seeing a gap in medical care, Dr. Blando started seeking advice from unconventional counselors, such as psychics and mediums, as well as learning from indigenous healers. “Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology” (She Writes Press, June 27th 2023) follows Dr. Blando’s self-discovery journey through her astrological chart and demonstrates how readers can apply this ancient practice to their own path to self discovery.
In conjunction with Western medicine, Dr. Blando believes that the tenets of astrology can support a person’s health, wellbeing, and self-understanding, and can even offer insight into predispositions for certain diseases and illnesses. Dr. Blando takes readers on her pursuit of life’s age-old question, “Am I walking the right path?” She travels from Manhattan to the Peruvian Amazon, Belize, and Bolivia, and learns about time-proven, holistic methods of healing. In her stunning memoir, she shares her story of finally finding the guide she’s been seeking—and explains how we can all use that map to access our higher selves and untapped potential. 
In “Open for Interpretation”, Dr. Blando’s expedition off the beaten path leads her to true self-exploration and connection with the world around her, as well as a desire to share her knowledge and experience.
“Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology”
Dr. Alicia Blando | June 27th, 2023 | She Writes Press
Memoir, Self-Help, Personal Growth
Print | 978-1-64742-470-1 | $17.95
Ebook | 978-1-64742-471-8 | $9.95
Dr. ALICIA BLANDO trained and practiced in the medical specialty of physical medicine & rehabilitation. While working as a physician, she became interested in how indigenous healers diagnosed and treated their patients without the technology present in modern medicine. This curiosity was supported by what she learned about herself through the study of astrology. As a Western
physician who has followed the tenets of astrology in her life, she believes that the practice of astrology can function as an adjunct method to study many aspects of life, including the tendencies for certain disease processes. Dr. Blando works as a medical consultant. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Find out more about them at aliciablando.com.
In an interview, Dr. Alicia Bando can discuss:
- The events in her traditional medical experience that lead her to seek out more holistic healthcare techniques
- How her first demonstration in astrological teachings influenced her career as a healthcare professional
- The importance of practicing holistic healthcare, which combines Western and astrological practices
- The major changes in her personal life that have stemmed from practicing astrology
- Why she was ultimately unsatisfied with only practicing Western medicine
An Interview with
Dr. Alicia Blando
1. What events in your personal and professional life caused you to seek out astrological practices?
It was in medical school, when I was talking to my classmate about the future and he told me about his family of astrologers in India. He was told he would be married twice. He had scoffed at the idea. He was going to have only one wife. His plan was to have only one marriage and live happily ever after. That conversation ignited my idea that if there are people who could foretell the future, there must be a handbook for life and I was going to search for it.
2. How has practicing astrology helped you in your personal life and in your professional life as a doctor?
What I’ve done with astrology is test it. There were good days for certain activities depending on which sign the moon was in. If the moon was in Virgo, a discriminating sign, I could do activities that required detailed work, such as giving lectures on a medical technique. If the moon was in Leo, the showman of the zodiac signs, I could project myself well when pitching or doing presentations. I am currently a medical consultant. But, when I was doing clinical work, I never used astrology on my patients. I would need to disclose why I needed the time and location of birth and a more extensive history than just the medical history. Additionally, use of astrology is still not the standard of care in the medical field.
3. What are some of the limitations of Western medicine and how does astrology help fill in some of those gaps?
Western medicine can diagnose and treat an ailment, when it becomes symptomatic, such as a heart attack. A trained astrologer can interpret a birth chart, where the planets are mapped on a horoscope at the date, time, and location of birth and tell the client, what diseases he or she has a predilection for and when disease is likely to manifest if no precautionary measures are taken. In India, parents usually get readings for their newborns to alert them as to what to expect for the child’s life.
4. When were some instances in your life you made decisions regarding traveling and moving based on astrology?
I bought my Miami condo on the date that my astrologer gave me. Two weeks before the date she picked, the air conditioner that was located in the ceiling flooded the unit as it was not maintained. If I had bought it earlier, I would have paid more and would have had to deal with the repair. I moved from Miami to Oakland at the right time. My job at the time had a lot of egotistical personalities and moving to the west coast allowed me to be an independent contractor where there were a lot of resources for learning astrology. I also bought my current home in Las Vegas, when I was advised to.
5. What do you hope readers gain from your book “Open to Interpretation”?
I hope my readers will be motivated to learn about themselves through the study of astrology and be given insight as to how to deal with or make detours regarding obstacles in their lives. If learning astrology is not a good option, there are many well-trained astrologers available for consultation. I would love to integrate astrology into Western medicine as a new medical specialist: Astrologists.
A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.
Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.
