Tanja Short of Jaffrey, a certified astrologer, has created a gift for new parents – customized baby books created around an astrology chart from a baby’s time and day of birth.

“Astrology is not what people think. It’s not ‘today is going to be a good day for you, and your lottery numbers.’ It’s not about fate,” Short said while giving a tour of her home-based business. “Astrology today is about, what cards were you dealt at birth, and how are you going to play them? How will you manage the positive and negative energy that accompany each sign? Astrology is a language that gives you the words and the sentences to understand what you already see.”

Short came up with the idea of personalized astrology baby books after her stepdaughter had her first child three years ago.

“I wanted to be able to tell my stepdaughter about astrology, and give her information about her baby,” Short said. “This is wonderful information for parents to have, especially the mothers. Like, what is it like for a Libra mother to have a Cancer child? How will your energies interact with that of your child?” 

To create an “Astrochild”  baby book, Short asks parents for information about the child’s birth, including the date and the exact time of day. She then inputs the information into astrology chart software, which generates a star chart indicating the locations of the stars and planets as the child enters the world, and how the influences of the rising moon and sun may affect their energy and temperament. 

“We can’t explain exactly why that moment of your first breath of life is so important on impacting who you are, and there is debate on what exactly the first moment of life is,” Short said. “The different times of day have different energies.”

According to Short, contemporary astrology overlaps with psychology and the science behind Myers-Briggs personality tests, as well as with the theory of enneagrams, an in-depth categorization system of nine personality types.

“The 12 signs of the zodiac can also be thought of the 12 archetype personalities.  Astrology can help people become aware of  and manage the strengths and the challenges that go with each sign,” Short said. “Your learn to translate yourself.” 

Short notes that the study of astrology has ancient roots, and is revered in many cultures such as in India, where Hindu families typically ask astrologers to create a star chart after a baby’s birth. While she has worked professionally as an astrologer in the past, giving readings for clients, Short is currently completely focused on her books.  

To create the business, Short taught herself the business of publishing, from learning Adobe InDesign and laying out the pages to creating original art around each star sign. 

“I had no experience with art, but I learned how to paint! I had to learn about graphic design, photography, marketing, the online sales,” Short said. “It’s been a two-year process to get to this point.” 

After identifying the essential positive characteristics associated with of each sign of the zodiac, Short painted a star with a symbol representing that characteristic, including clouds for dreamy Pisces, a ladder for ambitious Capricorn and a heart for loving Cancer. She then wrote a story describing the traits of each sign. 

“I am especially proud of the writing in verse, as I am not a native speaker of English,” said Short, who moved to the United States from Germany. 

Short is marketing her books in a gift set, including an Astrochildren onesie, or the book plus a personal reading comparing the primal triad (sun, moon and rising sign) of a parent to that of the child. She said that millennial parents are fascinated by astrology, and that it has become a billion-dollar industry in the United States. 

“As soon as the child starts to show their personality, they can see it. People have told me, ‘This is spot on, you completely nailed who my child is,’” Short said. “People have really been amazed.  The books are especially perfect as a first birthday present, because that is when their personalities really come out.”

To order a book, or for  information, go to astrochildren.com.