Shelley von Strunckel is best known to the public for bringing respect to her field and her ground-breaking approach to its presentation. She’d already been a consulting astrologer for fifteen years before creating the first ever astrological column in the London Sunday Times newspaper in 1992.  In addition, she uses astrology to analyse people in the news, ranging from politicians to movie stars.  She has devised a new style of astrological journalism in which the planets and signs are employed to create a revealing thumbnail sketch of high profile and intriguing subjects; these currently appear in the Evening Standard’s ES Magazine.  

She writes daily, weekly and monthly columns, which she began in 1991, sharing a byline with the late Patric Walker. These currently appear in newspapers and magazines which are published in Europe, Australia, and Asia; these include, notably, the South China Post, the Times of India, Gulf News, and French and British Vogue. An articulate spokesperson for her subject, she is regarded as the voice of reason in an often confusing field. She is a frequent and popular guest on radio and television. Her particular strength is analysis - from an astrological viewpoint - of current events, and figures in news and politics; her appearances include the BBC TV World Service’s Hardtalk, CNN, ABC and NBC and numerous debate and discussion shows, including a lively clash with esteemed Astronomer Patrick Moore on Jeremy Vine’s Show on BBC Radio 2.

Traveling is a great interest; weekend breaks to unfamiliar cities a favorite way of relaxing. Shelley enjoys open markets, so every trip includes the local flea market – and usually dragging home something of ridiculous size. Visits have included Prague, Istanbul, Milan, Florence, Dublin and Paris . London’s markets aren’t neglected; Shelley can be found in Bermondsey flea market, which, with its pre-dawn start, is not for the faint-hearted, to auctions at the posher Sotheby’s. The prey? In flea markets there’s no telling, but the current focus in the auction houses are Indian miniature paintings.

India is a great passion, and has been since Shelley first turned her attention to the sub-continent in her early 20’s, when she wrote a paper on the Indian sari while studying the history of costume and psychology of dress at UCLA night school. This has grown, and now she is conducting her own tours of India for Greaves Travel. The first departs in October of 2005.  

Opera is another passion. She is a member of the English National Opera’s Friends Advisory Council and on the board of the American Friends there. It is in the latter capacity that she’s pioneering a reciprocal Patrons’ benefit programme between the ENO and opera houses worldwide, which began with New York’s City Opera.

Very fond of entertaining, when furnishing her home Shelley searched until she found (in an auction, naturally) a table that expands to seat 18. Rewarding as writing astrology is for the spirit, the satisfaction that accompanies inviting and introducing friends and giving them a delicious meal provides a perfect balance.

Shelley was born and raised in Hollywood, with a British nanny, which enabled her effortlessly to blend the traditional with the new.  From her late teens she pursued studies of various philosophies, Eastern and Western, as well as studying astrology; her formal training, however, was in retailing and merchandising with the renowned Federated Department Store chain. Whilst working in the fashion business, she combined the two disciplines further at University of California Evening School, studying the psychology of trends and cycles.  Then, over twenty years ago, she made the move into a more sensible line of work, and became a consulting astrologer; within two years she was lecturing on the subject in India , and her base quickly extended to working with clients in New York and London as well as her native Los Angeles .  

She has homes in London and New York.

• Referred to as the "thinking person's" astrologer

• Made history as first astrologer in The London Sunday Times

• Dubbed "Patric Walker's heir" in The Times