On Friday 19 May 2017, the Alumni Association organized a lecture by a MA graduate, Faye Blake-Cossar. Faye was one of the first MA graduates in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology and graduated from Bath Spa University College in 2004. Faye is originally from New-Zealand but has lived and worked as an astrologer / business consultant in Amsterdam for over 30 years. Her presentation was on her MA dissertation entitled: Using Qualitative Narrative Research to Compare Organisational Development Models in Companies.

Faye began by explaining her method of research. She objects to astrologers trying to prove astrology through scientific methods. In her opinion astrologers are storygatherers and that's why she chose as her methodology for her dissertation what she referred to as narrative research. She used as a foundation the essay she wrote in the Research module based on the Life Clock method by Bruno and Louise Huber, where the horoscope can be seen as a clock of the person's lifetime, with the big hand pointing to their Age Point as the 'time' on the clock. Using Koch houses, the chart is divided into 12 equal houses, each connected to an astrological sign from birth, the Aries phase, until the age of 72. This method means that psychological crises and meaningful events can be pinpointed. Faye collected stories of people aged around 45-80 years and found out that their stories reflected the 8th house crisis point which, according to the Huber Method, occurs between 45-46.

For her Dissertation, Faye broadened her enquiry and investigated whether the Huber life cycle model could also be used for companies. Her research questions were: Is there any evidence to suggest that this model is worth further development and research? If so - the company life cycle model may have advantages over other business models because it includes a timing factor.

Faye considered four companies: KLM, Martinair (both Dutch airlines), C&A, and G.J. de Koning en Zoon, a local plumber. She studied written material, which included books, articles, websites, annual reports, and the natal charts of the companies. She also interviewed past and present employees and consultants of the companies. She asked her interviewees to tell her the stories they could remember from periods that might be significant based on the Huber method applied to the natal charts of the companies. Faye's results were striking: when a company is in its 7th house phase, it often gets a partner; at its 8th house phase - the mid-life crisis of around 45 years of age - there were indeed huge changes in the companies, CEOs died and there were many reorganisations; KLM airlines, founded in 1919, lost their home, Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, in their Cancer phase during World War II.

During the lecture, attendees started looking at the age of companies like BHS and the NHS and recognized the phases these companies were in. The NHS is now 69 years of age almost at the end of the life circle of 72 years. According to Faye, a company in that final phase, needs to work on a plan to start a new cycle.

It was an interesting lecture in which Faye really made the attendees enthusiastic about the Huber method.