There is a symbol of a Sankofa bird that appears frequently in the art of the African Akan tribe in Ghana. It is a bird with its feet planted forward, with its head facing backwards with an egg in its mouth. The message of the Sankofa bird is that to move forward we need to remember what we forgot. We need to remember the wisdom of the past to build a strong future. 

Alicia Blando, MD – 27 June 2023

The Back Flap

As a young doctor working in the middle of the HIV epidemic in the early ’90s, Alicia Blando feels unsure of the effectiveness of the medical profession. To gain insight into her life’s path, she seeks advice in some unconventional places, and lands on astrology as her way forward. Astrology, based in astronomy, has specific rules; it can’t be easily manipulated. The scientist in her can’t help but respond to this idea.

At a pivotal group demonstration, Alicia finds a mentor, Iris, who introduces her to the study of astrology. By learning to read the horoscope, Alicia gains insight into her potential and manifests her ambition to travel and explore healing techniques from indigenous cultures. Eventually, her search for new teachers and past knowledge takes her from Manhattan to the Peruvian Amazon, Belize, and Bolivia, where she discovers ancient ways of healing among people who consider the sky to be a continuation of nature on earth. She connects with the tenets of astrology as the language that describes man’s connection to the sky environment. The horoscopic map gives information that can assist in making better choices in life, Alicia learns; it has the potential to analyze a person’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and health concerns.

Alicia’s journey off the beaten path ultimately leads her to true self-exploration and connection with the world around her, as well as a desire to share her knowledge. In Open for Interpretation, she shares her story of finally finding the map she’s been seeking—and explains how we can all use that map to access our true selves and untapped potential.

About the book

What is the book about?

My story starts with forming of a goal during the stress of my medical training program. I wanted to find a handbook of life that could help me maneuver the uncertainties of my life situation. I wanted to find out if being a physician was the right calling for me or if being a doctor was just an occupation I knew I could achieve. My memoir is a story of my journey.

When did you start writing the book?

In 2013

How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote on and off since I started in 2013. I went to writing classes at the local bookstores to learn the craft. I joined a writer’s critique group to see how I could improve with written storytelling. Then, I found the world of writer’s conferences. It was at the Kauai Writer’s Conference that I heard about Write Your Memoir in Six Months, a writing course mentored by Brooke Warner and Linda Joy Myers. The coaching course helped to structure my story so that I could progress with the scaffold of my memoir.

Where did you get the idea from?

• My astrology teacher was getting older and I wanted to honor her work. I didn’t want her teachings to disappear with her passing. I started studying with her in 1997 and she died in 2017.
• Iris was my first astrology teacher whose teachings I followed as a guide to the difficulties I experienced in life. I started to write about her and then I found that I really didn’t know much about her personal life. Iris always wanted to keep her clients at a distance, so she could read them without her emotions interfering with what she saw in the future for them.
• I told Iris my dilemma and she advised that I should just continue writing. She said, “It’s going to change anyway.” And it did. After a while, I decided to write about what I knew; my experiences with astrology and how it has guided my life.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I struggled with how to put my stories together, in a coherent manner, without just listing them by saying, “This happened. That happened. It’s year 2000. This happened. That happened.”

The setting starts in a classroom. As I reflect on the past through what I had learned about astrology, I have flashbacks that bring my readers back to the past with me. I needed to tell stories with smooth transitions into the different periods of time without the reader thinking, “What time period am I in now?”

Secondarily, I struggled with putting forth my ideas into the world, considering that I am a physician and that astrology has a less than serious reputation. I wondered whether I would put MD at the end of my name on the front cover. I didn’t know if I could face the scrutiny of the medical community with my message in the book stating that astrology has a place in the western medical community as an adjunct diagnostic technique. I have aways just done my work without calling attention to myself.

I had to put that thought in the back of my mind as I was writing. I wanted to put out a message that astrology was a useful technique that needed to be reconsidered. There is a symbol of a Sankofa bird that appears frequently in the art of the African Akan tribe in Ghana. It is a bird with its feet planted forward, with its head facing backwards with an egg in its mouth. The message of the Sankofa bird is that to move forward we need to remember what we forgot. We need to remember the wisdom of the past to build a strong future.

We need to research, review, and renew the study of the cycles of the planets that has been practiced for thousands of years as a part of our environment and use the information to better understand ourselves and our environment.

What came easily?

When I decided to start writing a book. I didn’t know if it would be instructional, a biography of my mentor, or just stories. I decided to start writing short stories pertinent to my astrological journey; stories that I thought would be educational and entertaining to readers. I just wrote, wrote, and wrote. I would decide later how to sequence them into a manuscript. If anything, I would, at least, have an archive of stories.

Writing independent, short stories was easier than writing with the whole storyline of a book in mind. My process: I would sit down and close my eyes to put myself in the state of mind I was in during the time I was trying to document. Then, I would dictate into my phone or write down the details of my reverie.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

The characters in my book are real. For most of them, I have changed the names. For Iris, my mentor and friend, I use her real name. She gave me permission to write my story about how she has influenced me.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I get so much insight from Joseph Campbell’s work. He was a professor of literature and worked in comparative mythology and religion. I have seen my life through his teachings on the human experience. In my memoir, I reference his discussion. “There are two kinds of adventures. One is the one that is yours. It has come to you in a way of inner voice or readiness for a certain kind of adventure. The other is following a crowd.” I saw going through medical school as my adventure while following a crowd. This is the traditional type of adventure; one that is long and arduous and will test your mettle. If the person perseveres, he or she will reach the common goal of becoming a physician.

Wade Davis, a cultural anthropologist, ethnobotanist, author, educator, photographer, explorer, and a dynamic lecturer has also inspired me. He writes on the way indigenous people use, preserve, and honor nature to survive, with the goal not to dominate our environment, but to cohabitate with it in a symbiotic relationship. He has trekked on his own adventures, assimilating with indigenous peoples’ cultures to learn about them and not just to study them as an outsider.

In a way, I have broken off from the crowd. I am a physician who has taken a detour, but going in the same direction to find another way to help people. I believe that using astrology as an adjunct to medical diagnosis is a viable option as evident the study of my life and observation of my friends and fellow students lives.

My memoir is written to inspire curiosity in the public that might lead to influencing the western medical field to look at the past and “remember” the wisdom of the past to build a strong future.

Do you have a target reader?

I would have to describe my target reader as a person like I was during my medical training; wondering about my place in the world. Even though I had completed medical training, I still wasn’t sure if I was in the right profession. I would say the target audience would be between early 20’s – mid 40’s, primarily women, but men also.

There are still people who would like to know about themselves outside this age parameter. So, I would state that this memoir teaches some basics about astrology to help any person willing to learn the subject in order to gain insight about themselves—at any age.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

When I began to write research articles for journals, I stressed sterile facts. When there were side effects or adverse findings, the words used to describe them were precise and concise. “Twenty percent of the patients who tried the medication experienced nausea and vomiting. After the first week, fifty percent of the patients discontinued medication use.” The patient was portrayed as a vessel being studied to clarify the activity of the medication or procedure. No emotion was reported from the participants.

So, when I decided to write a memoir, I had to switch my thinking from primarily using the logical left side of my brain to incorporating the more creative right side. I didn’t know how to start writing a book, so I started by taking writing classes at the local bookstore. I decided to begin by writing short stories like the ones I read in a magazine.

I put pen to paper the experiences that I remembered to be funny, poignant, or caused me great anguish. A lot of inspiration came to me while walking and I carried my smart phone so I could dictate details. I would wake up during the night and scenarios would pop into my head. The smart phone was kept next to my bed since it was handy, as free-flowing thoughts and images moved faster than my hand could write. I could mumble into it without greatly disturbing my return to sleep. Later, I would type all the information into a Word document.

The weekends were the time I would complete my stories. I would have to sit down, close my eyes, and imagine myself back in the time I was writing about. I would remember where I was, who I was with, what the room looked like, and, most importantly, what I felt like. I also used the phone during that time to record my thoughts because when I would type what I was imagining, I would get sidetracked by technical issues: use of grammar, spelling corrections, and searching for synonyms or adjectives.

I tested my writing with my writer’s critique group. They gave me my first lessons in critical feedback. I took all the comments in stride and just kept writing anecdotes that were significant to my astrology journey. If anything, I would have an archive of events that I could later sequence to form the scaffold of a manuscript.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I try to start outlines but then I get caught up in a scene and want to fill in as much as I can remember. I end up just sitting down, closing my eyes and seeing what the next chapter would be. For my memoir, I have the stories already—from my past. I just needed to pick out the ones that support my theme.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit as I write. But I also jot down ideas or storylines as they come up.

Did you hire a professional editor?

She Writes Press advised hiring a professional editor, which I was planning to do anyway as I wanted my manuscript to be as professional as possible.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I listen to quiet instrumental music. I’m partial to flute music. I, also, take breaks and go walking to get inspiration. I change rooms during the day to write where the sun is shining. I like to open the windows especially when it’s windy.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I have gone to conferences and pitched to agents, but for my story about astrology, it didn’t go so well as the agents were not so familiar with astrology. Their eyes would glaze over. It takes a bit of familiarity with the subject to appreciate the study of astrology. I think a lot of people are familiar with astrology as nice, trite bits of information, placed in a section next to the cartoon, providing no serious information.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

When I heard about the Six Months to Write Your Memoir writing course and met Brooke Warner, of She Writes Press, it was the first time that I thought I could complete a manuscript about my experience with astrology. At that point, I didn’t even think about publication. As she coached me, I was encouraged since she saw that the subject had potential. I trusted her opinions and recommendations with the development of my manuscript. I trusted that she would steer me in a viable publishing path and so, I signed with She Writes Press.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

She Writes Press gave me the options for the book cover that I chose.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I had not participated in social media prior to signing on with She Writes Press. I knew I had to hire a publicist to help with marketing my book.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I would remark that the book market is a competitive place. Some agents and publishers conveyed to me that I would not be an ideal client since I wasn’t famous enough to have a marketable memoir. I persisted. I continued writing my stories, going to my critique group, and writer’s conferences until I found a connection with people that could help promote my message of astrology.

I also started the process of writing and pursuing being published with a good day job. I work as a physician. I was less disheartened by the negative comments because my day-to-day living did not depend on book sales. It was exciting for me to go through the process. I was able to go through pitches and the critique groups with a thicker skin and get a better understanding of how to better convey the message of my stories.

I would tell newbies to be kind to yourself. Explore your creativity, but it’s also nice to have a way to pay bills and buy groceries. Try to find a balance.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I lived in the Philippines until I was seven years old. Then, my parents moved the family to the United States to get better opportunities for their children. We lived in Gary, Indiana where my father had a job waiting for him as a mechanical engineer, working for US Steel Corporation. My father had a brother, who was a doctor, also living in Gary, which made our transition easier.

When, I was eighteen I left Gary, IN, to attend Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Then, I got accepted to Indiana University Medical School, in Indianapolis, IN. From there, I moved to complete an internship and a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residency program in New York City. I then, moved to Milwaukee, WI for specialty training in Electromyography. From there, I got a position in Fort Myers, Florida, but stayed for only for six months prior to my employment at the Miami VA Medical Center. After five years, I moved to Oakland, CA to be closer to my aging parents. After their passing, I transferred to Las Vegas, NV to practice in an administrative capacity as a medical consultant.

Where do you live now?

Currently, I live and work in Las Vegas, NV.

What would you like readers to know about you?

Since becoming established in my work as a physician, I’ve had time to enjoy nature and relax. I love walking with my dog. It’s a type of meditation for me. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures in how they heal, eat, and live with nature. In my spare time, I do bead work. I love to embellish and texturize fabrics. I hope to continue with those experiences.

What are you working on now?

My goal is to try to produce a manual on astrology for the medical practitioners. Different cultures have different ways of interpreting the planetary cycles based on their traditions. Trying to integrate these different concepts into a standard protocol that can be vetted by the Western medical community is a project that I am trying to tackle.

End of Interview:

For more from Dr Alicia Blando, visit her website.

Get your copy of Open for Interpretation: A Doctor’s Journey into Astrology from Amazon US or Amazon UK.