Category Archives: reviews

The Moment of Astrology

Geoffrey Cornelius has taken a wonderful look at astrology and skepticism and concludes that horary is a tool for divination in The Moment of Astrology. While somewhat philosophical, this well-researched book is also full of gems from the history and practice of astrology.

Scientific studies of astrology often don’t work, and the author feels that our reliance on quantification “threatens to undermine the whole way of proceeding with symbols.” He shares an often overlooked conclusion by Jung in his analysis of married couples, that the attitudes and desires of the person doing the research will influence the result (kind of a quantum theory point of view).

We’re treated to a survey of the history of astrology, from predestination to inclination and more mystical approaches. He sees his own perspective as originating in Mesopotamian, Greek and Roman models of divination, which necessitated a participatory relationship between the gods and humans. He also addresses the odd circumstance that many practicing astrologers experience, of getting the right answer from the wrong chart.

Geoffrey Cornelius sees horary or electional astrology as seeking a blessing, and that the outcome is not compelled. There is an allegory between planets and events. In his own work, Cornelius tries to answer the question of how to resolve the situation “to the good fortune” by presenting the client with possibilities. He reminds us of Lilly’s admonition to “afflict not the miserable with the terror of a harsh judgment.”

There are few actual horary charts included, but the interpretations are fascinating. Geoffrey analyzes the horoscope presented with the 1975 Humanist article (where scientists attacked astrology), Charles Carter’s query about horary itself, and perhaps most compelling, his own horary about an exploitative tenant of his aunt’s. These make terrific studies.

The horary revival is seen as beginning with Olivia Barclay’s reprint of William Lilly and Derek Appleby’s book, both in 1985. This surprised me, but I was reminded that in the U.S., Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson’s horary book came out in 1960 and Barbara Watters’ in 1975, so the American revival was actually earlier.

The Moment of Astrology is an in-depth, thorough and thoughtful work. I took my time reading it as there is much to consider and it can be slow going at times. I can’t agree with all of Geoffrey Cornelius’ conclusions, but he is always thought provoking.

Buy The Moment of Astrology on Amazon.com.

Neptune with Leo

How do artists capture the soul or spirit of humanity? Somehow they are able to reflect the metaphysical, transcendent and numinous (spiritual or holy) in ordinary life. A poet sees beyond the mundane to the essence of life and immortalizes it for the rest of us.

I’ve always enjoyed reading biographies and memoirs to see how lives unfold and the twists and turns of circumstance. The best illuminate something about the human condition. And any biography will help us learn more about astrology.

Frank McCourt in Angela’s Ashes (1996) captured the town of Limerick, Ireland in the 1930s and ‘40s – it’s warmth and weaknesses, wealth and poverty, kindness and cruelty. Given McCourt’s character, talents and the unforeseen events of his life, we get a telescopic view of why he had to be who he was and how closed doors became open windows. McCourt’s interactions with others, for better or worse, provided key events in his life. And his own early experiences of poverty, loss and illness also included great understanding, love and compassion.

His horoscope includes Mercury in Virgo and Venus in Libra, both signs of their rulership, which accentuated his mind, sense of balance and relationships. We can easily see why he eventually became a writer with the ability to share his feelings with others. In his book, he presents his life with affection and humor.

McCourt’s Sun in Leo conjoins Neptune in Virgo. This combination gives him the ability to see the world with an artist’s eye. In a hospital with typhoid fever as a child, he was introduced to poetry and Shakespeare. His father was an alcoholic who loved his family but couldn’t cope with life.

Frank McCourt also had his Moon way Out of Bounds in Gemini. Kt Boehrer felt that this could indicate a “Cindarella” type who experiences hardship in life but succeeds later on.

But perhaps the most telling pattern in this horoscope is Saturn in Capricorn opposite Jupiter in Cancer. (Saturn has almost exactly returned to its natal place as I write this.) Saturn is in its own sign and Jupiter is exalted, showing his experience with those who were resilient, supportive and idealistic, as well as authorities and others who had become hardened or cautious.

McCourt worked his way out of the family’s straightened circumstances (Saturn), returned to the U.S. (where he’d been born) and expanded his circumstances through education (Jupiter). Leading a stable and secure life as a schoolteacher for many years, it was only after his retirement in 1988 (at age 58 and the start of his Saturn return) that he began writing the memoir that captured his early years in such vivid colors.

Frank McCourt was born on August 19, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, no time is available.

Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir

Fertility Astrology

Astrologers can expect questions about conception and pregnancy from time to time. I’ve always been fascinated by this topic as the outcomes so often highlight the fine line between fate and free will, though helping clients facing heartbreaking infertility issues can be a challenge.

Nicola Smuts-Allsop, an astrologer from South Africa, has focused her practice on this area and shares her work with us in Fertility Astrology: A Modern Medieval Textbook. The subtitle is apt, as Nicola utilizes her own combination of both ancient and contemporary techniques for predictive and electional matters, along with mythology and psychology, to work with western medical fertility interventions such as in vitro fertilization.

Smuts-Allsop is an earnest and thorough astrologer, and she has developed a wide and unusual array of techniques to help her clients conceive. These include identifying an Almutem of Pregnancy as well as its triplicity rulers, which she assigns to the three phases of a woman’s reproductive life. Fertility myths can help in counseling. Fixed star parans may actually indicate different places in the world that can be more fertile. Profections, Solar Arcs, Solar Returns and transits will identify a person’s most fertile times. Ebertin’s mid-points help determine both medical issues and timing.

With first-rate research, the book is densely packed with information, and Nicola shares her background and sources. She has chosen not to make this a “cookbook,” but rest assured that the final third of the book includes an overview of her techniques, fertility signatures and a glossary.

This is a sophisticated book for practicing astrologers with a particular interest in astrological fertility. I’ve read about and studied most of the methods presented, but even so, this engrossing work is one that demands much attention from the reader. Fertility Astrology includes in-depth analyses of five would-be parents’ horoscopes and four shorter ones, most of whom eventually conceived. You’re sure to pick up a new technique (or several) to help your clients.

Buy at Amazon.com: Fertility Astrology: A Modern Medieval Textbook

Scientific Basis of Astrology

Dr. Percy Seymour, an unusual scientist with an open mind, has considered the evidence and concluded that our geomagnetic field, as well as that of the Sun and even planets, may account for the influence we call astrology. In his book, The Scientific Basis of Astrology: Tuning to the Music of the Planets, Seymour traces the history of our involvement with natural cycles over millennia and puts our relationship with the cosmos in an evolutionary context. This book was released in 1992, when the Uranus-Neptune conjunction in Capricorn was first near exact, and it reflects a more cosmic view of history and cycles. To me, this time was a turning point for thinkers considering astrology from different points of view.

Living organisms are locked into the fluctuations of our geomagnetic system and all life on earth has evolved within it. Seymour first surveys the development of calendars and clocks over the centuries, and we see how intimately we’ve been part of the cycles around us. We then look at numerous studies of the seasonal behavior of mammals, birds and insects, and how exposure to light can influence them.

The Moon’s connection with the tides is well known, but it also has a proven link to rainfall. It’s fascinating to learn about studies done on how bacteria, bees, migrating birds, homing pigeons and even whales are directly influenced by the magnetic field that surrounds all of us. Most people are familiar with the effect that solar activity can have on electrical instruments, but studies point to the fact that solar activity may correlate with planetary movements as well.

Dr. Seymour also cites theories on geomagnetic and planetary influences and includes a discussion of the work of Michel Gauquelin, the intrepid astrological researcher. Gauquelin couldn’t prove the influence of Sun signs, and Seymour doesn’t accept them, either. (However more recent research has shown that the month of birth correlates with a risk for particular diseases.) The author also critiques his scientific colleagues for their closed minds when it comes to investigating astrology.

This is a wonderful book for any astrologer who wants to know more about how astrology might work. Each of the chapters builds on the material in the one before it, ultimately amounting to an astounding revelation. There is no index, but the Table of Contents is clear, as is the organization of the book itself.

Buy at Amazon.com: The Scientific Basis of Astrology: Tuning to the Music of the Planets

Casenotes of a Medical Astrologer

Published in 1980 by Samuel Weiser, Casenotes was written by Margaret Millard, M.D., an obstetrician and general practitioner who somehow also found the time to raise six children. Uranus rising made her an independent thinker, and she was also an accomplished medical astrologer who later practiced acupuncture and holistic health.

As a medical professional, Millard also had access to hospital records, where she often obtained the birth times of many of the patients she treated. Readers are the beneficiaries of the corresponding birth charts, along with her insights and expertise. As a local doctor in Maine, Millard often personally knew the people she writes about and sometimes their families as well. There are many difficult and sad cases that she could not resolve and she shares the heartbreak of doing your best while dealing with the inevitable.

I’ve had an interest in medical astrology for years, but it’s a complex topic. This is not a cookbook or textbook, but if you already know the language of astrology, you’ll follow the discussion. I was also initially drawn toward Millard’s consistent use of declination in her interpretations, and with declinations we see chart themes both echoed and highlighted. The book is aptly titled “Casenotes” since each case considered is no more than 7-8 pages long. But Margaret Millard packs a tremendous amount of information into the horoscopes she analyzes and it’s the chart interpretations that take this book to the top tier of astrological works.

The case studies follow a brief introduction to the topic, and no matter what your experience, you’ll learn something new. Dr. Millard refers to harmonics, parans, Primary Directions, the Prenatal Epoch and the work of Ebertin. She favors the Topocentric house system. Yet the book is never theoretical but always focuses on specific charts and their meaning. The chapter on rectifying charts with family members using Oblique Ascension is rigorous, especially considering that the writer did all of her calculations by hand.

Casenotes of a Medical Astrologer is a throwback to earlier times: to the days when all medical practitioners were astrologers, but also to an earlier generation of astrologers who wrote sophisticated works and had strong opinions about their judgments. I don’t agree with everything Margaret Millard says, but her conclusions are always thoughtful. Andt’s unusual to find such a focused and thoughtful work, representing a lifetime of study.

181 Pages; copies are available second-hand.
Buy at Amazon.com: Casenotes of a Medical Astrologer

Creative Use of Emotion

Creative Use of Emotion describes the philosophy of yoga as very different from western ideals. The two authors – one originally from India and the other from the U.S. – combine their expertise in yoga and psychology to advise on ways to consider and handle challenging emotions.

The west places a greater emphasis on external freedoms, while the east embraces inner freedom. In the west, we tend to identify with our thoughts, while the eastern perspective suggests that consciousness exists apart from our thoughts and external attachments. If we take the drama of life less seriously and disengage from our expectations, we will be less anxious and better able to fulfill our paths in life. Yoga also emphasizes living in harmony with the natural order, which leads to peace, happiness and comfort with our responsibilities in life.

This book was published by the Himalayan Institute, who brings us Yoga International magazine. It was written over forty years ago but its ideas are timeless. I’ve studied and practiced yoga for many years and found the concepts illuminating, clearly presented and uplifting. The mental discipline of yoga isn’t natural to western culture, and it would take years of dedicated practice to develop the mind as described. But I feel that beginning to try to do so would be helpful. Reading Creative Use of Emotion is a first step in the process. Priced at under $10 including shipping, it’s a great investment!

Buy at Amazon.com: Creative Use of Emotion

Stellar Review

Donna Van Toen gave my astrological mystery, The Precious Pachyderm, a nice review in the December ISAR International Atrologer.

“This is an astrological mystery. The pachyderm is not a cute little baby elephant, but rather a carved jewel of great value. And it goes missing. The sleuth who finds out what happened to it is none other than Evangeline Adams. Now Adams was, in her way, a detective, but not in the way envisioned here. This is, of course, fiction, but it’s a very good fit.

The setting is in keeping with Adams’ era in Manhattan, circa 1926. And the story opens with a wealthy businessman, whose wife is Evangeline’s client, being found dead. And meanwhile, there’s the issue of the missing elephant, which Adams herself is accused of stealing. Lots of twists, turns and tangles, and lots of characters, many of whom are, well, characters. Among these are the rather unpleasant Mrs. Fiske, whose husband is murdered, Evangeline’s assistants Mary and Clara, a group of Hindu monks, a prince (the owner of the elephant) and more. All of this, plus plenty of astrology is woven together in a fast-paced and often funny mystery, written by one of the foremost chroniclers of Evangeline Adams’ life.

Christino is probably the foremost living expert on Evangeline Adams. While this work is definitely fiction, it’s credible fiction. For the most part you could see this happening. No need to suspend belief. The cast of characters, clients, staff and hangers-on, are fun. I’m sure you will smile with recognition at some of the client antics, though I never had a client show up with a dog, and of course nowadays we don’t need transcriptionists. And yes, you will relate to the astrology, too, I’m sure.

If you like mysteries and want a good read, I recommend this. I enjoyed it thoroughly!”

The Astronomer and the Witch

Ulinka Rublack looks back at the life of Johannes Kepler and the year he spent defending his mother against charges of witchcraft in their hometown of Leonberg, Germany in the early 17th century in her engrossing book, The Astronomer and the Witch.

Kepler’s work fits neatly into a time when there was great excitement in studying the natural world, which was seen as part of God’s great plan. There was enthusiasm for mechanical developments such as clocks, as well as natural remedies. While women were generally not educated, they nevertheless had access to medicinal plants and herbs, and Katherina Kepler used these for herself, family and friends.

Kepler was around 50 in 1720, when his mother was arrested and imprisoned. He had previously been associated with Tycho Brahe and Emperor Rudolph II and had already published many of his most important works, but experienced career ups and downs in a time of great instability between Catholics and Lutherans. We learn something about his personal life and relationships with colleagues, family and friends.

Leonberg and its neighboring towns regularly prosecuted witches, who were often older women, hanging or burning those convicted. Katharina’s initial accuser gained support, and rumors turned to testimony against her. Her tough, confrontational manner hurt her case, with a biased and corrupt local official complicating things. Over 70 at the time of the arrest, she’d been a widow who’d raised a family on her own and successfully supported herself for over 30 years. She was jailed for over a year while chained to the floor.

At the same time Kepler published his Epitome of Copernican Astronomy, court records show how he was able to use his experience in the political world and as a critical thinker to craft his mother’s defense. He used rigorous logic and research to dissect the testimony against Katharina, and rhetorical persuasion to argue her case.

The author does an excellent job of portraying Kepler as a multi-faceted individual and admits that he had a large collection of horoscopes and did chart interpretations and forecasts for his various patrons. But she unfortunately does not appear to have researched astrology, which could only have strengthened her work. Rublack provides an excellent historical context for Kepler’s “negative sketches,” but to an astrologer, these are obviously cook-book-like delineations of planetary combinations. She similarly states that “What we call ‘gender’ played no role at all in the explanatory framework of astrology,” which is simply incorrect. Interestingly, she shares some of Kepler’s unanswered questions about his own birth chart, which might be answered by using the outer planets today.

Rublack stresses Kepler’s skepticism, stating, “his view that astrology was of little value.” She is probably more correct in her later discussion, where she concludes that Kepler’s mature belief was non-deterministic, allowing for the influence of the human soul, culture, education, choice and habits to modify the horoscope: “good astrology was very much like medicine in its character, an inductive art, which required observation, experience and analysis.” Kepler’s beliefs were based upon his experience as well as his optimistic Christian world view; he also stressed the need for accurate birth data. Astrologically, he was an innovator, as he was in astronomy.

Despite my quibbles, this is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of ideas, and particularly for astrologers who wish to learn more about one of their most successful forebears.

Buy on Amazon.com: The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler’s Fight for his Mother

Kepler’s Astrology, Ken Negus’ translation of some of Kepler’s astrological writings is available in print.

Culture & Cosmos’ edition on Kepler is unfortunately no longer available. See the Table of Contents here.

The Waking Dream

Ray Grasse’s book, The Waking Dream: Unlocking the Symbolic Language of our Lives, explains symbolist thinking: holistic and right-brained correspondences, metaphor, analogy and qualitative views, rather than facts or figures. The book is refreshing and wonderful on so many levels, simply because, as the author so eloquently explains, this worldview supports the spiritual rather the material – the opposite of today’s emphasis on science. It is ancient and cross-cultural, though it unfortunately began to wane with 17^th century rationalism.

Grasse is an astrologer who is extremely well-versed in many other symbolist studies, and draws on a large array of books and esoteric subjects, sharing gems from prominent thinkers through the centuries and around the world, from the classics to popular culture. His wide-ranging analysis looks at the meanings of external events, nature, dreams, ritual, astrology, psychology, cycles, fractal geometry and much more. (No previous experience in any of these topics is needed.

This thoroughly researched work is deep, clear and uplifting, reminding us that, despite all of the linear, reductionist thinking in the contemporary world, there are no accidents, and that the Universe is still brimming with meaning. And for the first time, I really understood how astrology works. Well done!

Buy on Amazon.com: The Waking Dream: Unlocking the Symbolic Language of Our Lives

Book Blog Tour

Check out the Blog Tour for my astrological mystery novel, The Precious Pachyderm. Set in 1920s New York City, astrologer Evangeline Adams and her two assistants discover who stole a priceless elephant figurine and killed one of their high-class clients.

Join me for some excerpts from the book and a review or two. I’ll also reply to comments and answer your questions. Plus: sign up to win a $15 Amazon gift card!

October 23: T’s Stuff
October 24: Books, Dreams,Life
October 25: This and That Book Blog
October 26: Fabulous and Brunette
October 27: Book Lover Promo
October 30: BooksChatter
October 31: Straight From the Library
November 1: fuonlyknew
November 2: Jane Reads – review
November 3: The Avid Reader

Karen Christino

Astrologer and Writer