Lorelai's interest in astrology began as a teen in the 1970's when she first read the New York Times best seller, Linda Goodman's Sun Signs. Quickly realizing that the "Sun sign" of an individual birth chart was only a small part of the big picture, Lorelai pursued her knowledge of astrology by researching every esoteric source available, and doing charts for her family, friends, and colleagues. She began her career as a professional astrologer in the 1980's, and had the great good fortune to study in person, one-on-one with Linda Goodman herself from September 1986 through March 1987 while Linda was ensconsed at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel writing what would become "Linda Goodman's Star Signs".In the course of her career, Lorelai has done thousands and thousands of charts over the last 30-something years, while collecting data on the behavior patterns and modalities of clients, developing her ability to spot "markers" for personality types and predisposition.Her first regular astrology column appeared in the Signal Tribune in 2003, and she taught astrology seminars in Long Beach, California from 2003 - 2006.
After moving to Jerusalem in early 2007, Lorelai began studying Torah in-depth with some of Jerusalem's best teachers and rabbis. She spent significant time in the Kabbalistic city of Tzfat in northern Israel, where she began to study the Sefer Yetzirah, and other classical Hebrew astrological sources. It was from this knowledge that she begin to apply Jewish symbols and archetypes to her readings, finding connections between the Jewish mystical tradition and psychological astrology, the aim of which is self-understanding and the discovery and development of individual potentialities as symbolically represented in the natal chart.
Lorelai holds a BA in Journalism with a Minor in Religious Studies from San Francisco State University. From her roots in investigative reporting she went on to work in advertising and enjoyed an award-winning career in media. Lorelai is a graduate of Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, where she focused on Jewish mysticism in general and astrology in Jewish cultural history in particular. She received her Master's Degree from GTU's Center for Jewish Studies in 2018 after successfully defending her thesis, "Yesh Mazal L'Israel: Astrology and Identity in Jewish Culture."
Currently writing "Astrolojew: The Big Book of Jewish Astrology", Lorelai is the founder of the Institute for Jewish Esoterica, a non-profit organization dedicated to education and research in the field of the Jewish mystical tradition. IJE's first international educational conference is scheduled for Jerusalem in December 2020: the conjunction of Jupiter (Tzedek) and Saturn (Shabbtai) in Aquarius (D'li), the mazal (sign) of the Jewish People.
Lorelai's monthly "Astrolojew" column appears in the Jerusalem Post and J the Jewish News of Northern California. Her "mainstream" astrology column appears monthly in the Chronogram, the arts and entertainment magazine of New York's Hudson Valley.
Available for personal consultations upon request.
Email: lorelaikude@yahoo.com
USA Phone: (818) 746-6174
Israel Phone: 03-976-0176
J the Jewish Weekly of Northern California's brief profile of "AstroloJew" - Lorelai Kude
(click to read article on J's website)
Thursday, July 31, 2014 |
Talking with … An astrologer who mixes in Torah
by abra cohenName: Lorelai Kude
Age: 56
City: Berkeley
J.: You’ve been an astrologer for more than four decades. How did you get involved?
Lorelai Kude: I got into
J.: Have you run into any skeptics in the observant Jewish community because you combine Torah and astrology?
LK: Of course I’ve met a lot of people who said I can’t do astrology because it is against the Torah. But I’ve countered, “How could it be?” It’s so obviously from the Torah. I went through several years of getting sources from the Torah, Talmud and other rabbinic writing. There are many places in the Torah, and elsewhere, where it says that HaShem created the stars and heavens as energetic lenses.
J.: Have you convinced any skeptics?
LK: Yes, I’ve managed to win over all but a really small handful. I’ve had rabbinic approval from trusted Orthodox rabbis and done astrology for them and their families. Everyone who knows me, knows I do holy work.
J.: You recently moved back to the Bay Area after making aliyah in 2007. What brought you back?
LK: My daughter had twin boys and lives in Oakland. I overcame many obstacles and achieved my dream of living in Israel, but I wanted to be around my grandkids. I’m the only one who is observant and fanatical about Israel in my family. My kids were already grown when I made aliyah and no one was interested in living there. I’m learning what it’s like to survive your own dream come true. What’s my next dream?
J.: While you were living in Israel, you went back and forth between Jerusalem and Tsfat. What were you doing there?
LK: At first I was settling into the land and peeling off layers of the onion. People move to Israel with expectations about how life should be, and then Israel
J.: You also started a
LK: Yes, in 2009, I co-founded Radio Free Nachlaot. We used to broadcast from the Nachlaot neighborhood in Jerusalem. It’s an Internet radio station with music, talk and Torah. We say it’s where Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach meets Jerry Garcia. We have listeners in 93 countries and broadcast 24/6. We are on the air every day except Shabbat and chagim [Jewish holidays]. I just started an astrology show this month.
J.: How would you describe your religious affiliation?
LK: I was raised Reform, but my dad says that I’m now a “kippie,” which is a kosher hippie. I keep Shabbat and kashrut and self-identity as Orthodox, but I’m not haredi. I don’t like the word “Orthodox” per se, because it means so many things to so many people. I like to say I’m a regular Jew.
