Building your library for study

If you wish to undertake the study of astrology, allow me to recommend a few titles which I believe will give you a good grounding in the basics.

Many of these are out of print, sadly, but you should still be able to find them among the ‘used’ shelves or online at somewhat obscure bookstores.

A classic for anyone seeking astral knowledge is Grant Lewi’s “Astrology for the Millions.” The ‘For the Millions’ series had all sorts of interesting titles amongst its offerings, and the books were specifically designed to be accessible to ordinary people with ordinary wages. (Bear in mind that for many previous centuries, astrology and its chart interpretations or specific predictions were only for the rulers of nations or the very wealthy.) So why did Lewi, a dedicated researcher and adherent of astrology, write a book designed for anyone to read and use?

“We can indicate to men and women that they are really better than they believe themselves to be and can conquer larger fields than they dare dream of.”  – Lewi

You see, astrology doesn’t tell people they ‘can’t do anything about their fate; it’s written in their stars and unable to be changed.’ Not true. And knowing your planets in their transits and their effects in your chart can lead you to significant alterations in your career, romantic relationships or business.

A second volume and a third I highly recommend: “The Astrologer’s Handbook” and “The Astrology of Human Relationships”.  Both of these excellent volumes are by the noted team of Frances Sakoian and Luis S. Acker, and will provide you with much to ruminate over. Their books also provide ‘definitions’ of planetary aspects, such as “A’s Mercury in B’s Fifth House.” The interpretation of such an aspect can be very detailed, as it may be considering an excellent teacher-student relationship, or counseling a romantically-involved couple to communicate their hidden feelings beneath the giddy joy of being in love. The Handbook may still be found in a paperback edition. Both books are worth the search, if you really want to use astrology to add some guidance to your life.

Finally, if you’re going to progress into drawing up charts yourself for friends and family, you must invest in a good ephemeris, which tracks each planet on its circuit of the universe and alerts you to upcoming conjunctions, squares, etc. A caution here is to be sure to add careful notes to its pages as to the beginnings and endings of Daylight Saving Time, as chart calculations skewed by working off the wrong time also must lead to interpretations being wrong in general.

You may also enjoy reading as many ‘Daily Horoscopes’ as you can find. These are fun to read and generally contain at least a rudimentary knowledge of astrology. However, don’t take any of these to be absolute. I recently read one such column that warned people to exercise extreme caution “when Jupiter enters Mars” next week. You certainly should use much caution, for one planet cannot ‘enter’ another. The best course, should this fantastic and impossible event occur, is to chuck it all and stay home in bed that day. I certainly shall.

Until next week, take a moment to star-gaze. Realize you are looking at the same planets and stars known to the Babylonians, the Greeks and yes, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”     Madame Zombra