ABOUT DORJE KIRSTEN
A life devoted to
meaning and possibility.
I’m Dorje. I bring two decades of professional astrology and more than thirty years of contemplative practice to a deeply human question: how can we live more fully into who we are?
OPA Certified Professional Astrologer · Practicing since 2006
A place for the questions that matter.
People often come to me when life is asking something new of them. A relationship is changing. A familiar direction no longer feels right. A recurring pattern is ready to be understood. Or there is simply a longing for a life with greater depth and meaning.
My work is to meet those questions with careful attention. Together, we explore the patterns of your birth chart, the timing of your present circumstances, and the possibilities you can choose to cultivate. I want you to leave with a clearer relationship to your own experience—and a sense of how to move forward.
You can bring uncertainty, philosophical questions, or something you have not yet found words for. You do not need to know astrology to begin.
An ancient art. A living conversation.
I have practiced astrology professionally since 2006, bringing classical techniques into conversation with a modern understanding of the psyche. Between 2011 and 2013, I earned certifications in predictive astrology and medieval astrology through Bernadette Brady’s AstroLogos school. My studies have also included work with Robert Hand, Joseph Crane, and Kay Taylor.
Traditional astrology gives a reading structure and precision. A thoughtful conversation gives it personal meaning. I explain what I see in accessible language, and welcome your questions and your own understanding of your life.
My OPA Certified Professional Astrologer credential is part of that commitment to professional practice. The heart of the work remains the person in front of me.
Training and certification
OPA Certified Professional Astrologer
Certified October 2026 · Valid through October 2033
Predictive and medieval astrology
Certifications through Bernadette Brady’s AstroLogos school, 2011–2013.
Practice beyond the chart.
For more than thirty years, Vajrayana Buddhist practice has been a central thread of my life. In 2001, my teacher Lama Padma Dorje Rinpoche authorized me to teach Vajrayana meditation and the yogas of the winds and channels, known as tza lung.
That contemplative background informs how I listen: with room for complexity, respect for what is difficult, and attention to the possibility of transformation. You do not need to share my spiritual tradition. Your beliefs, questions, and experience are welcome.
My life also includes poetry and the art of single-stroke serpent painting, a tradition passed through my grandfather, Richard Daiensai Kirsten, and my father. Meditation, symbolism, and the movement of the brush are different ways of attending to the same mystery: how a life finds its expression.
Explore the serpent paintings ↗
My contemplative studies
My studies and received empowerments include the Nying Thig Yabzi cycle from Chagdud Tulku; the Yeshe Lama practices from Lama Drimed Norbu; the Sara Khadro cycle from Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche; the three roots empowerments from Jigme Tromge Rinpoche; the Rigdzin Srogdrub secret cycle from Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche; and pointing out and personal instructions from Terton Kusum Lingpa, Terton Namkha Drimed, and Terton Adzom Paylo.
“The purpose of reading a chart is to help you find joy, direction, and purpose in your life.”
What it is like to work with me.
A reading is a personal, participatory conversation. We make space to settle, then turn toward the questions you bring. I offer interpretation and perspective; you are invited to ask questions, explore connections, and tell me when something does not fit your experience.
We can explore relationships, vocation, recurring habits, a time of transition, or the deeper direction of your life. My intention is to help you recognize your possibilities and meet them with greater awareness.
I offer 60-minute personal readings for $200, online via Zoom or in Portland, Oregon. Your session includes a recording and a natal chart PDF report.
What is asking for your attention?
Bring the questions that matter to you. We will make room to explore them together.