© 2002 Carole Moore
A rash led to Georgia Routsis Savas' downfall on Jeopardy. Savas, who writes the astrology column for InStyle Magazine, was a big fan
of the brain-teasing show. So she was understandably excited when she tried out as a contestant and made the cut. But somewhere between the try-out and the actual filming she developed a rash and was put on medication.
Savas went to see her doctor before the show and he took her off the drug, but the effects lingered, as she would soon discover. She flew to California for the taping, where she watched other contestants answer questions on
stage. Cool, calm and collected, Savas mentally played along with them and was gratified with the amount of correct answers she fielded. Then came her turn and Savas stood there, mute and miserable in front of the television
audience. "I was like a deer in the headlights. They even checked my clicker during the break to see if it worked," Savas says. She said her final answer on the last round had nothing to do with the question. Flabbergasted
at her own performance, she later discovered the medication she took can produce mental confusion when combined with stress. Did that experience lead Savas to hide from the public eye? Not exactly: Her second book The
Oracle Book just debuted, keeping her busy with book signings and public appearances. But what else would one expect from someone who glides from one high profile pursuit to another as easily as Peggy Fleming crosses ice?
Savas began her media career fresh out of New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. She liked fashion and advertising and that led her to Ms Magazine. Eventually, an Australian company bought the publication and launched a
new one aimed at teenaged girls: Sassy. Dissatisfaction with the astrology column led them to offer the position to Savas, who dabbled seriously in the art of studying the stars. She accepted the challenge, enjoyed it and
eventually also wrote for the New York Daily News' Sunday magazine. In the meantime, Savas switched gears and to CNN, working with fashion commentator Elsa Clench. She would eventually become the New York newsroom's unit manager
and write a highly successful book for Seventeen magazine, one published by Harper Collins. That first book Total Astrology, What the Stars Say About Life and Love was chosen as one of the Young Adult Library Services
Association's Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. In other words it's one of the top books for teens that don't read books. While this may sound contradictory, the concept fits the former New Yorker like a Chanel suit. After
all, this is a woman who took six months off from her busy Big Apple job to scour the East Coast for another place to live. She chose Topsail Island. "I've never been a culture vulture. For some people, that stimulates
them, to me the beach is culture," she says. She and Damon, her companion of 25 years and husband for the past eight, like being able to walk their dog on the beach. She says Topsail Island offers one of the last
"unspoiled" beaches around and the atmosphere quiet and laid back suits them. They moved to the North Carolina coast with 43 boxes of books, their dog and few misgivings. But soon after building their home, Savas began to
wonder what she could do to help make ends meet. Not to worry, though. That was InStyle's cue to step in with an offer for her services. Shortly thereafter publishing giant Simon and Schuster contacted her about writing The Oracle
Book. What's it about? Choices, says Savas. "It's a tool to force you to come to terms with what is really bugging you," she says. The book is designed to look old, like the heavy, leather-bound tomes found secreted
in trunks in someone's crazy old aunt's attic. The ends of the pages are deliberately rough so the book's user can feel the edges. Yes "feel" the edges of the pages, because this isn't a book in the everyday, ordinary sense
anymore than Savas is your everyday, ordinary beach dweller. It's unique. For one thing, the reader doesn't sit down and read it. The back cover of the book explains it best: "The Oracle Book knows your future. This mysterious
book is a do-it-yourself divination tool. Ask a yes-or-no-question and find your answer within
" How does it work? Simple. One thinks of the question and gently runs his finger across the pages' rough edges until it feels
right. Then the seeker stops and opens the book. The page he chooses holds the answer. A combination of astrology, palmistry, tarot, tea leaves and other forms of mystic divination, each page of the book offers answers
that, Savas says, are designed to make the seeker think. "They wanted all the answers to be rooted in esoteric studies," she said. But the answers aren't meant to be absolutes and not cast in black and white. Savas says
they are supposed to compel users to think more deeply about whatever concerns them. Ultimately, this method can guide readers to find their own, real life solutions. But what about the skeptics who don't believe in
astrology or other methods employed in the book? Savas takes their skepticism in stride and is quick to point out that her art has many roots in common with Christianity. "The three wise men were astrologers," Savas says.
Bibliomancy or the practice of seeking answers to life's questions through the Bible was used many years ago to help guide men in daily decisions, such as what crops to plant or when to plant them. Savas says, like Bibliomancy,
her book is designed to enhance the decision-making process, not replace it. "It's like throwing a coin a way to get a quick answer," Savas says. And, she says, buying and using The Oracle Book is meant to be fun as well
as thought provoking. It's obvious Savas is enjoying promoting the book. "When you love what you do, the passion shines through," she says.
(Georgia Savas can be reached by email at queenoforacles@aol.com)
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