Richard Smoot

American professional astrologer who has studied and practiced astrology since 1971 and has been a registered Social Worker with the State of Michigan for 31 years. From mid-2005 Richard has headed the Astrology Software Shop and AstroDatabank. Richard has over the years integrated his counseling skills and crisis counseling background into his astrological consultations and has become a consumer advocate in merging counseling skills and astrological applications. Richard is a Certified Astrological Professional (CAP) with ISAR; received level IV certification with NCGR and has been a Professional Member of the AFA since 1976. In addition he is a member of many other astrological groups worldwide. Richard has a Masters degree in Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services from California State University at Fullerton. During his career, he has been a passionate supporter for social causes and has worked tirelessly in a variety of agencies, such as Assistant Executive Director of an American Red Cross chapter; an administrator in Hematology and Oncology at the Detroit Medical Center, a large urban Detroit hospital; and as a business manager and accountant for a large community recycling center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In addition, Richard has specialized in writing federal and local private and public grants for various not for profit agencies and serving on social service agency Boards of Directors. In the late 1960s, he helped organized and form a community 24 hour crisis and suicide center in the Detroit area in response to the growing drug problems at that time. In co-authoring a federal grant, the center received counseling training and became a free medical clinic and drug crisis center. In 1971, the center hired its first full time director, Raymond Merriman, who also happened to be an astrologer. It was there that Richard began his astrological path. In 1973, Richard married Eliza Callow and moved to California where he finished his Bachelor of Science degree and worked as a full-time astrologer. Prior to completing a Masters degree in Counseling he returned to Michigan and worked for the American Red Cross and the Detroit Medical Center while being with his wife and two children. In 1993, he lost his job and his wife of twenty years through divorce. A year later, Richard married Beverly Fish and adopted her two Korean born children. He continued to teach astrology for the Ann Arbor Public Schools Community Education and joined the local Astrological Study Group of Washtenaw County. In 1996, Richard broke his hip and had hip replacement surgery. After much soul searching, a heart attack in 2003, and support through the astrological community, Richard quit his job of eight years as an accountant at a large non-profit recycling to become a full-time astrologer once again. Richard is currently the Operations Manager for ISAR and is the publisher and co-editor for ISAR?s International Astrologer journal and serves on NCGR's Board of Examiners. He and Gisele Terry, a psychologist and astrologer in Los Angeles, California, have developed and written a consulting skills training program for astrologers in empathy and active listening skills training as part of ISAR's Consulting Skills and Certification Program. In June, 2005, Richard assumed the reins of AstroDatabank and the Astrology Software Shop from Mark McDonough and became its new President and "chief broom handle."