Julia was born in Plymouth and after attending Plymouth College of Art studied ballet and danced professionally as part of the famous Tiller Girls troupe. She later taught art at Plymouth College for Boys.
She acquired the Diploma of the Faculty of Astrological Studies, the world’s premium teaching body (of which she subsequently became first Secretary, then President, and finally one of its three Patrons).
She and her husband Derek collaborated on The Compleat Astrologer, which became a world-wide best-seller and was to remain in print for over a quarter of a century. She took part in five highly successful series of television programmes for BBC South-West, Zodiac and Co.
Dreaming was published in 1985, presenting a system of dream interpretation on which Julia had worked over some years.
Parker’s Astrology, again written in collaboration with Derek, is generally regarded as the world’s best introduction to astrology for beginners.
She and Derek now live in Sydney.