Happy Gemini season! Since Gemini is the sign associated with the sharing of ideas and learning random tidbits of information, let’s explore some essential astrology books. With so many astrology book options available, figuring out which ones are the best can feel overwhelming.
Astrology is a study of the meaningful interaction between the stars, planetary cycles, and events on Earth. One of the few remaining philosophies to maintain a holistic perspective, astrology teaches us that everything is interconnected.
Here's a curated list of 15 must-read astrology books for beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced practitioners.
For Beginners
- You Were Born for This by Chani Nicholas: This book is great if you’re a complete astrology beginner. It gives good explanations on your sun, moon and rising signs, as well a the other planets like Venus, Mercury, Mars, etc and what they mean when they’re placed in different signs and houses in your chart. If you are already familiar with your birth chart though, you likely won’t learn anything new here. The author’s app called CHANI is another amazing resource for looking at your chart.
Intermediate Level
- The Twelve Houses by Howard Sasportas: The houses are just as important as the signs in astrology, even if you don’t have planets falling in a few of them. Especially when you get into predictive astrology, every house will be awakened for you at some point in your life because of planets transiting through the houses, so you need to have the significations of all twelve houses memorized. In addition to describing the meaning behind each house, the author gets into what it means to have planets there too.
- Aspects in Astrology by Sue Tompkins: This is the best book on aspects out there. I felt so seen by her interpretations of some of the aspects I have in my own chart, and she gives such helpful insight that I have found nowhere else. Another great component of this book is that it goes in depth on the various moon phases you can be born under, like what it means to be a new moon baby, full moon baby, or somewhere in between.
Advanced Studies
- Astrology and the Authentic Self by Demetra George: Demetra is the type of astrologer I aspire to be in 30-40 years time. She’s been practicing since the 1980s, and she has some amazing books out there on traditional astrology techniques. This book is ideal for anyone who wants to be a practicing astrologer and is curious about what to prioritize in a chart reading. It doesn’t give individual meanings for the signs, planets, houses, etc, because you’re already expected to know that information coming into it. But what it is good for is synthesizing all of the various parts of your chart, and knowing how they work together as a whole. She covers topics like planetary rulerships, sect, moon phases, and how to determine a person’s career calling by analyzing specific parts of the chart.
- Planets in Solar Returns by Mary Fortier Shea: For those who aren’t familiar with what a solar return chart is, it is essentially a chart that refreshes every year on your birthday and shows what the vibe is for that particular 12 month period. It explains why some years of your life might be super fun and social, while others are much more career focused or possibly a time when you’re focused on mental health or family relationships. Solar returns add another layer of interpretation to how a particular transit will go for you. This book describes what every single planet in a house of the solar return chart means, as well as the different types of solar return chart configurations you can have.
- Astrology, Karma & Transformation by Stephen Arroyo: This author is one of my favorite astrology writers out there so check out his other books too. This book jumps around a lot and covers many different topics. He gets into things like the Saturn return, outer plant transits, secondary progressions, and aspects in your birth chart to planets like Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. I remember having so many ah-ha moments while reading this.
- The Gods of Change by Howard Sasportas: This book focuses specifically on the transits of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, and how these transits tend to bring about major, once in a lifetime type of changes. It goes through what it means to have these planets transiting through specific houses of your chart as well as over natal planets. If anyone has Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, or Leo placements, you will definitely want to read this book to get a better idea of what Pluto moving through Aquarius means for you. The author also gets into pivotal turning points in life marked by the Uranus opposition (mid-40s) and the Uranus return (age 84), as well as the Pluto square (40s) or the Neptune sextile (mid to late 20s).
- Planets in Transit by Robert Hand: This is a must have book for every astrologer’s library. It essentially lists out what every single planet transiting through every single house and over every single planet means, almost like an astrological dictionary. This is the book that immensely helped me when I started writing horoscopes in 2019.
- Astrological Time by Brian Clark: This book is jam packed with information on transits, progressions, and planetary returns. It’s definitely more complex, kind of like a textbook, but a great resource to understand how these main timing techniques work.
- Saturn in Transit by Erin Sullivan: This author is another one of my favorites (I’ve listed another book by her below). Here, she focuses solely on Saturn transits through the houses, as well as the various cycles of Saturn over the course of your lifetime, like the Saturn square, Saturn return and Saturn opposition. If you are in the midst of your Saturn return right now (Feb 1994-March 1996 birthdays) and are trying to make sense of what you’re feeling, this is the book you need to be reading. In general for everyone though, it’s helpful to know what house Saturn is currently transiting in your chart, because that’s likely an area where you’re likely feeling a lot of pressure and stress.
- Planets in Therapy by Greg Bogart: This book approaches astrology through the lens of mental health. It gives a psychological approach to the planets and houses, and gets into transits that might make you prioritize your mental health more. Even if you’re an astrology beginner, this book is still fairly easy to read and isn’t super dense.
- Body Astrology by Claire Gallagher: If you’re curious about what the best wellness practices or exercise routines are for you based on your chart, this book is a must read. The first part of each sign can be read for your sun, moon and rising, and then she gets into what it means if other planets are placed in that sign like Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, etc. At the back of the book, she also gives helpful tips on how to pay greater attention to certain planets when they are being affected by transits. For instance, if you have Mercury in Pisces, the current transit of Saturn in Pisces will urge you to take the health themes associated with Mercury a lot more seriously for about a year long period.
- The Astrology of Midlife and Aging by Erin Sullivan: Astrological events like the Saturn return get talked about so often (I’m definitely guilty of doing this), but what happens after that? This book gets into the transits to watch out for starting in your mid to late 30s going all the way to your 90s. I love understanding the astrology behind specific phases of life, which is what this book does so well.
- Cosmos & Psyche: This book is not an easy read, but it’s a must if you’re wanting to understand how astrology ties into major world events, like what the astrology is at times of war, recessions or on a more positive note, major creative breakthroughs and scientific innovations. This is the field of astrology referred to as mundane astrology.
No person stands alone, for all people are part of shifting and dynamic relationships with other people, and each of these people is involved in shifting and dynamic relationships with the cycles of the cosmos.
All that is organic pulses, is distinguished by periodicity. This cyclic, rhythmic existence is captured by the astrological hypothesis. Astrology embraces complexity, the simultaneity of subjectivity and objectivity. Objectively, astrology measures time by the cycles of the planets, giving a unique perspective on the meaning of duration. Subjectively, astrology operates through deep symbolism and finds knowledge through the study of context.
Read also: Learn about Rick Levine and his contributions to astrology.
Astrology maintains that the course of nature is a circle or mandala. In the 360 degrees of the circle we experience each moment of being individually and collectively. Each degree is a separate fragment of the circle, but only with each degree present does the circle exist. The mandala is a symbol of all creation, a self-contained and perfect form with no beginning, no end. The circle stands for both the universe and all human individuals, for the universe within. All of life's activities relate to this circle. Its structure also conveys the cycles of time. By exploring astrology, one can reveal the connections between the external and internal universes, gaining greater psychological and spiritual awareness.
The two major lights in astrology are the Sun and Moon, which correspond to the cycle of day and night. On the basis of this rhythm, solar and lunar calendars were established by early cultures and interpreted as hours, days, months, and years. In psychological terms, the symbolic union of the Sun and Moon is perceived as "the mystical marriage," representing the union of opposites within the individual. In Eastern philosophical terms this union is characterized by the yin/yang, or masculine and feminine, principles.
A personal horoscope is a "map" showing the precise position of the planets in our solar system in relation to Earth at the moment of an individual's birth. In its basic form the astrological birth chart consists of ten planets and twelve zodiac signs.
Fixed stars belong to the great cosmos rather than our solar system. Unlike the planets that orbit our Sun, fixed stars are suns in their own right; in fact, depending on their magnitude, some fixed stars are far larger and brighter than our own Sun.
Numerology is as old as astrology and has its origins in Mesopotamian, Judaic, and ancient Greek civilizations. For example, in the Old Testament numbers and letters are thought to correspond to hidden meanings concerning messages, dreams, and the names of individuals. Each culture developed its own system of interpreting numbers to give meaning to the universe and human nature.
Read also: The Secrets of Astrology and Numerology
Numerology, like astrology, is a symbolic system, one of the many tools we can use to understand ourselves and our life purpose better. Numbers possess a dual nature and can represent either a positive or a negative force. Exploring their meaning can help us discover and develop our personal potential and guide us on life's journey.
These books can help you to unlock the mysteries of personality, relationships, and success with astrology! You will find that the techniques and interpretations that have accumulated over thousands of years are still relevant today.
| Book Title | Author | Level | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| You Were Born for This | Chani Nicholas | Beginner | Sun, Moon, Rising Signs, Planets |
| The Twelve Houses | Howard Sasportas | Intermediate | Astrological Houses |
| Aspects in Astrology | Sue Tompkins | Intermediate | Astrological Aspects, Moon Phases |
| Astrology and the Authentic Self | Demetra George | Advanced | Chart Synthesis, Traditional Techniques |
| Planets in Solar Returns | Mary Fortier Shea | Advanced | Solar Return Charts |
| Astrology, Karma & Transformation | Stephen Arroyo | Advanced | Saturn Return, Outer Planet Transits |
| The Gods of Change | Howard Sasportas | Advanced | Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto Transits |
| Planets in Transit | Robert Hand | Advanced | Planetary Transits Through Houses and Over Planets |
| Astrological Time | Brian Clark | Advanced | Transits, Progressions, Planetary Returns |
| Saturn in Transit | Erin Sullivan | Advanced | Saturn Transits Through Houses and Cycles |
| Planets in Therapy | Greg Bogart | Advanced | Psychological Approach to Planets and Houses |
| Body Astrology | Claire Gallagher | Advanced | Wellness Practices Based on Natal Chart |
| The Astrology of Midlife and Aging | Erin Sullivan | Advanced | Transits from Mid-30s to 90s |
| Cosmos & Psyche | Richard Tarnas | Advanced | Astrology and World Events |
Originally published in 2014 as The Secret Language of Fortune Telling. The Spiritual Directories series offers concise handbooks on a variety of spiritual and new age subjects. Written by experts in their fields in easy-to-understand language and beautifully presented in a visually driven format, the directories are essential guides for beginners.
With practical and simple step-by-step instructions, you'll discover how to interpret the secret languages of the universe to create a happy and positive future for yourself and others.
Astrology for Beginners: Read Your Natal Chart in 30 Minutes
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