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We utilize astrology, programs, and astrology charts, to enhance your life and make your dreams come true. We compliment this philosophy with celestial gifts and products that will inspire. |
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Calgary Herald Article
Rankin seeks
heavenly results
Team manager Chrysta Lewis boasts expertise in astrology |
| Allen
Cameron |
Sunday,
October 12, 2003  Chrysta
Lewis's duties as manager of the Heather Rankin curling
team are fairly simple. She books the hotels. She reserves
the flights. She takes notes on the games.And, oh yes,
she also prepares the team astrological charts.
In what has to be a curling first, the Rankin foursome is looking to the stars
for guidance in pursuit of a provincial championship, a national championship
and a berth in the 2005 Olympic trials, not to mention a chunk of the purse at
this weekend's Trail Appliances Autumn Gold women's cashspiel.
Lewis's curling background is minimal; she threw a few rocks in high school in
Saskatchewan and that's about it.But when it comes to astrology, she's an expert.
She can tell you the difference between barren, bestial and bicorporeal signs.
She can tell you about the prenatal epoch. She can tell you what kind of effect
it might have when Mars and Jupiter are in mutual reception.And she can tell
the Rankin foursome -- rounded out by third Denise Kinghorn-Frey, second Heather
Bedard and lead Cori Bartel -- just what kind of effect any of those astrological
phenomena might have on their team.
"It's been bang on," said Rankin, who's back in the curling wars after taking
last season off. "She did our charts based on when we were born and what the
stars looked like at the time. If you think about the concept of what the moon
does to our water (with tides), why wouldn't it affect humans the same since
we're 98 per cent water?"Yes, well . . .
Rankin (for the record, a Taurus) knows there are plenty of skeptics who might
wonder how a curling team can benefit from working with an astropsychologist
in training -- Lewis will compete her studies soon -- as opposed to a traditional
coach.In fact, the Rankin team -- a former runner-up at the Scott Tournament
of Hearts when she was curling in Nova Scotia -- still relies on the National
Training Centre coaching staff for technical input.But the team hopes Lewis can
give it an extra edge.
"We were pretty open-minded to it because we figured nobody else has done it,
so it's not proven that it doesn't work," said Bedard. "And we were a new team,
and that we had nothing to lose to give it a shot. It was kind of a win-win situation."You
learn stuff about yourself, about your teammates, and it's pretty shocking when
you get something back and it's like, 'Wow, that really is me.'
Lewis doesn't have all the answers, of course, but she can see certain tendencies
based on planetary alignments. For instance, says Lewis, when Mercury is in retrograde
(which happens every three months or so) communication is made more difficult,
and the team has to make a conscious effort to keep talking on the ice.At the
end of the day, though, Lewis is quick to point out it's still up to the individual
to determine behaviour."Wherever the planets are certain times of the year affects
each person's character in various ways, whether it's communication or relationships," she
said. "But it's still up to the person to make the changes; they can't wait for
the planets to do it for them."
It's all part of Rankin's re-entry to competitive curling after a year
off. Her former team, which included Kinghorn-Frey, had finished second
in the province in 2001 and competed at the Olympic trials later that
year.But at the end of the 2001-02 season, Rankin needed a break."I
wanted to get it totally out of my system for a year," she said. "There
was never a question that I'd come back; I love curling too much. But
I always said when it stopped being fun, I wouldn't play, and it stopped
being fun at the end of that season."Since then, she has
split up with her husband Brian Fowlie (the two remain close friends and business
partners) and formed a new team.
The early results have been mixed. Team Rankin failed to make the playoffs
at an event last week in Montreal with a 2-3 record, and lost its first
two assignments in the Autumn Gold before beating Edmonton's Joanne
Choquette 9-5 Saturday to stay alive in the C Event.But Rankin likes
the direction the team is headed, both on and off the ice."(It hasn't
been great) from the scoreboard standpoint, but it's far surpassed
my expectations," said Rankin. "The dynamic is absolutely
fantastic."I have a great deal of respect for my competitors, but I'm going my
own path."The girls I play with believe in it."
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