The Loire Valley is the least polluted area in France. It's beautiful, lush, with wildlife and chateaux everywhere, so it has a sense of 17th and 18th century royalty. Also, there is the house where Leonardo da Vinci lived for the last 10 years of his life and it is full of his inventions - like the ideas he had for flying and helicopters. It's also a great wine growing area.

My father used to drive us through here on the way down to Spain. We always came through Amboise near Tours - which is very ancient and lively - full of bars and restaurants. Today you can fly to Tours from London, so it is very accessible.

In the summer the best thing to do in the Loire is go into the swimming pool at night and gaze up at the stars. Turn off all the lights, even the candles and stare up. You can see all the constellations and planets with lots of shooting stars and satellites. Mars last night was amazing, it's very red. I love seeing Jupiter - because I'm very Jupiterean. I like to see Venus, especially when it's rising and close to the sun, it is the most beautiful planet.

If you lie on your back for about an hour, you start to see more and more. That is something that is lost these days because of light pollution. Nobody looks up at the sky anymore. We all look straight ahead or down and don't see the beauty or realise what a huge place the universe is and how small we all are. It's very grand and empowers you and makes you realise we are all part of this universe.

I look up and wonder what they represent. What do they symbolise? As above - so below. Astrology is a way of divining something through what is up there. There is a beauty in the shapes.

Interview by Gavan Naden

· Sarah Bartlett is the author of The Love Horoscope (2004, Harper Collins, £7.99) and Fated Attraction (Harper Collins, £7.99).