Astrological Musings
A few years ago Chris Brennan wrote a comprehensive list of what is actually involved in becoming an astrologer which is well worth visiting . Back in the old days when we had to learn logarithms and buy mountains of ephemerides and atlases in order to cast a chart it was much more difficult to become an astrologer. Nowadays all you need is a computer, but the craft is still a complex one that deserves comprehensive study and respect before hanging out one’s shingle.
Follow the link to the details, but here is a synopsis:
1. Study your own birth chart. (Or better yet, have a professional reading from an astrologer you trust.)
2. Make use of free resources (especially, Chris says, astro.com).
3. Get lots of books and read voraciously. I completely agree! I have a different book list from Chris’s though. These are the books that I find essential for the beginning astrologer:
- Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs – there is no better sun sign book anywhere. Learning about the twelve signs is critical for understanding the way planets interact.
- Linda Goodman’s Love Signs – you may laugh, but once again Goodman does a masterful job at pointing out the way signs relate to one another and once you understand this you have a better sense of what it means when your Moon in Leo is square your Venus in Scorpio. Just read Goodman’s Leo-Scorpio relationship stories and it will all become clear.
- Sakoian/Acker’s The Astrologer’s Handbook – simply the best “cookbook” resource out there to get you started.
- April Elliot Kent’s Essential Guide to Practical Astrology is a great overall resource.
- Steven Forrest’s The Inner Sky is another great resource for understanding the signs.
- Rob Hand’s Planets in Transit is an essential guide to planetary cycles.
- To go deeper into psychological astrology, read everything you can get your hand on by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas.
4. Follow your transits, read the ephemeris. You can purchase an ephemeris or find them online at astro.com and then study Rob Hand’s transit book.
5. Study the charts of your friends and family. Once you have the basics down you’ll want to test your skills. What better way than to experiment on the people you know! You’re likely to find, however, that what you think you know about them only scratches the surface.
6. Talk with other astrologers online. There are so many resources online now you can easily find one that fits your style of thinking and communicating.
7. Meet up with other astrologers in your area. There are groups everywhere, and the Internet makes it easy to find them.
8. Take some classes. Again – there are classes online as well as in-person which makes it easy to find just the right instructors.
9. Join an organization.
10. Attend a conference. (Personally I am not a big conference-goer, but others seem to like them.)
Most importantly, read Astrological Musings! My objective in this blog is to educate and enlighten everyone about the magic of astrology.
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