All-star Holiday

WOULD YOU TRAVEL FOR A MONTH ACCORDING TO YOUR STAR SIGN? RADHIKA SANGHANI DID JUST THAT

“EXCUSE ME, AM I NEAR A FARM?” I’m cycling up a hill in Byron Bay, on a 35-degree day, asking passers-by for directions. While most people come to the beach to ride the waves, I’ve come all the way from London to search for fields — because my astrologer told me to.

Eventually, the stars align and I alight at a sign that simply reads: The Farm. As I turn off the main road, I come across a field of bright sunflowers. It’s an unexpected haven of joy, especially when I find out the rustic barn is a restaurant where all the food, from the slow-roasted beetroot to the harissa cauliflower, is mindfully created. I realise my astrologer has led me to a true Taurean paradise.

Growing up, I didn’t pay much attention to my horoscope. I vaguely identified with the Taurean stereotype of being a stubborn food-lover, but that was about it. During the past few years, though, significant life changes, including a break-up, have led me to use astrology as a source of guidance.

I was at a turning point when a friend suggested I speak to astrologer Francesca Oddie. I was nearly 30, I had left my job to write my third novel — a semiautobiographical comedy about a girl on a journey of self-discovery. I didn’t even know what country I wanted to live in, and I was struggling to move on from my relationship.

I’m still not entirely convinced about astrology, but I’m prepared to try anything in my search for clarity. And when Oddie turns the hour, date and location of my birth into an astral chart, that’s exactly what I get.