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Photograph by Farika Aura-ginal Healer A mother of five and a Maryland native, the warm and charming Wennye´ Edwards steers clients through their astrological ups and downs in her Upper Castro metaphysical center, The Wounded Healer By Mark Ewert What do you consider your job to be? What I would like it to be is to empower people to empower themselves in their spirituality. I'm not going to direct people or tell them what to do; I'm giving them ideas to help them get rid of some of their blockages. How did you start? In the '70s there was this search for something else; people were going to metaphysical places. And I remember during the disco time--this friend and I were teaching disco-dancing--and my friend looked up at me and said, "Your aura is so bright!" and I asked her what an aura was. So I was looking at her and wondering, "Why can't I see what she sees? I want to be able to do that!" Because it kind of made her special. But for years I just read up on metaphysics and astrology while I worked as a high-commissioned salesperson for Neiman-Marcus. Then finally I said, "I've got to do something for myself," and I apprenticed with astrologer Jessica Murray for three years. How long have you been doing this full time? I've been doing astrology since 1995 and this center for the past two years. Who or what was your inspiration? Joseph Campbell. At this time in my life I was feeling very lost and unaware of my bliss, and I was watching PBS, and Joseph Campbell said, "Your bliss often comes in the form of your hobby." And I said--I'm talking back to the TV--"I don't have a hobby!" And the television's in my bedroom, and I looked around the room and said, "See? There's nothing in this room that I've done." Then I got up and walked into the living room, and I still didn't see anything indicative of any hobby, and I said, "There's nothing; I can't do anything." But then I turned around and went back to my bedroom and found myself facing my bookcase, which was filled with nothing but books on astrology and spirituality, and I thought, "Oh my God! That's it." Do you have any pet peeves about this career? If anything it would probably be that I wish I could reach more people. Because people have a fear [and] they've already conceptualized what metaphysics are, when really it's just psychology. If you weren't doing this, what would you be up to? Not the mainstream, nothing mainstream; I couldn't even GO back to the mainstream. Whatever I would do would have to stimulate my spirit. Are there any perks to the job? You get to chitchat, to sit down and chitchat. I say, "Hey, you know, I'm a crone, I've survived just about everything--let's talk." When people come and they're literally running in [that's the biggest perk] . [ San Francisco | MetroActive Central | Archives ]