difference countries, ISAR emphasizes research techniques, hosts international
conferences, publishes a journal three times each year, and offers certification.
Website: WWW.ISARASTROLOGY.COM
The National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR) A nonprofit
organization for astrological education and research that was founded in 1971,
NCGR sponsors local chapters through the world as well as several special
interest groups. NCGR publishes Geocosmic Journal twice each year and hosts
regional conferences. Website: WWW.GEOCOSMIC.ORG NCGR–Professional
Astrologers Alliance (NCGR-PAA) A trade organization for professional
astrologers founded in 2009, NCGR-PAA offers certification and mentoring
opportunities for professional astrologers. Website:
WWW.ASTROLOGERSALLIANCE.ORG
Organization of Professional Astrologers (OPA) The OPA is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to helping professional astrologers get the information
and tools they need to improve their practice. It offers retreats and a newsletter,
The Career Astrologer . Website: WWW.PROFESSIONAL-ASTROLOGY.ORG
Books
General Reference Bills, Rex E. The Rulership Book: A
Directory of Astrological Correspondences . Tempe, AZ:
American Federation of Astrologers, 2007. Everything in
the universe can be described in by an astrological
symbol, and while this book doesn’t include them all, I
rarely fail to find what I’m looking for in it .
Burk, Kevin B. Astrology Math Made Easy . San Diego, CA: Serendipity Press,
2005. Kevin Burk is an excellent astrologer, writer, and teacher, and this is also a
superb guide for learning manual chart calculation.
The Michelsen-Simms Family Trust, and Rique Pottenger. The New American
Ephemeris for the 21st Century, 2000–2100 at Midnight . Exeter, NH: Starcrafts
Publishing, 2006. A nice general guide to astrology and the planets.
Signs Forrest, Steven. The Inner Sky: How to make wiser
choices for a more fulfilling life . Borrego Springs, CA:
Seven Paws Press, 2007. Steven Forrest presents the
planets, signs, and houses in his wise, soulful, easy-to-
understand way. If I could have only one astrology book
with me on a deserted island, this would be it.
Goodman, Linda. Sun Signs . NY: Bantam Books, 1984. When I’m dishing with
my astrologer friends, nearly everyone admits that this was the book that got
them interested in astrology. This introduction to the 12 signs of the zodiac is
whimsical, but it’s also thorough and insightful.
Houses Herbst, Bill. Houses of the Horoscope . San Diego,
CA: Serendipity Press, 2006. Bill Herbst’s book is an
indispensable primer on houses, laid out in a beautifully
simple way.
Marks, Tracy. Your Secret Self: Illuminating the Mysteries of the Twelfth House
. Lake Worth, FL: Nicolas Hays, 2010. The mysterious twelfth house,
traditionally the house of sorrow, illness, insanity, and self-undoing, gets a
much-needed facelift by astrologer and licensed mental health counselor Tracy
Marks.
Sasportas, Howard. The Twelve Houses: Exploring the Houses of the Horoscope
. London: LSA/Flare, 2007. In this classic, the late, beloved astrologer Howard
Sasportas focuses deep psychological insights on the 12 houses .
Planets Casey, Caroline W. Making the Gods Work for You:
The Astrological Language of the Psyche . NY: Harmony
Books, 1998. Caroline Casey has a distinctive, imaginative
way with words and the ability to place everything
astrological in a larger context. This book really makes the
planets come to life.
Cunningham, Donna. The Moon in Your Life: Being a Lunar Type in a Solar
World . York Beach, ME: S. Weiser, 1996.
———. Healing Pluto Problems . York Beach, ME: S. Weiser, 1986.
Cunningham, an astrologer with a Masters in social work, brings an unflinching
but reassuring approach to difficult subjects. These two are among her most
popular books (and my favorites), with compassionate and sensible guidance for
understanding and healing emotional issues with astrology.
Forrest, Steven. The Book of Pluto: Turning Darkness into Wisdom with
Astrology . San Diego, CA: ACS Publications, 1994. Like Cunningham, Forrest
is a friendly, positive voice, and he treats Pluto (a planet with a scary reputation)
with the respect it deserves without trying to scare the wits out of anyone. This
book covers both natal and transiting aspects to natal planets and is highly
recommended.
Greene, Liz. Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil . New York: S. Weiser, 1976.
A classic review of one of astrology’s “bad guys.” Interpretations of Saturn in
signs, houses, aspect, and synastry (relationships).
———. The Astrology of Fate . York Beach, ME: S. Weiser, 1984. This is
essentially a book about Pluto and Pluto issues. Greene takes a heavier approach
to the topic than Cunningham or Forrest, but will especially appeal to readers
who appreciate a serious, psychological approach.
Massey, Anne. Venus: Her Cycles, Symbols & Myths . Woodbury, MN:
Llewellyn Publications, 2006. Massey explores the planet of love and beauty
through its archetypal representations in myth, fairy tales, and contemporary
society. The book covers Venus in aspect to other planets, as well as in houses
and signs. There’s also a good discussion of Venus’s important retrograde cycle .
Asteroids George, Demetra, and Douglas Bloch. Asteroid
Goddesses: The Mythology, Psychology, and Astrology of
the Reemerging Feminine . Berwick, ME: Ibis Press, 2003.
This is the book that really brought the major asteroids into
contemporary astrology, with an essential overview of
Juno, Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas Athene grounded in
classical archetypes.
WWW.JOYCEMASON.COM Website for astrologer Joyce Mason, an expert in
Chiron. Her e-book Chiron and Wholeness offers an inspiring yet down-to-earth
introduction to this planetoid.
WWW.JULIEDEMBOSKI.WORDPRESS.COM Blog for astrologer Julie Demboski,
where you can order her e-book Juno in the Birth Chart.
WWW.ZOT.NET/TALK.HTM San Francisco astrologer Alan L. Lin has done a
staggering amount of research on the asteroid Pallas. His compelling lecture can
be purchased from his website.
Lunar Nodes Forrest, Steven. Yesterday’s Sky: Astrology
and Reincarnation . Borrego Springs, CA: Seven Paws
Press, 2008. Forrest is a leading proponent of what’s called
Evolutionary Astrology, which presumes a belief in
reincarnation. If that’s not your bag, you may not warm to
this one. But if you’re open to these ideas, there is a lot of
insight here, presented in Forrest’s friendly, accessible
style.
Ronngren, Diane. Lunar Nodes: Keys to emotions and life experiences . Carlsbad
CA: ETC Publishing, 2005. Ronngren has been watching the lunar nodes for
years and brings a lot of practical observation to this subject. Her book offers
interpretations of all natal and transiting house placements and aspects to
planets.
Aspects Tompkins, Sue. Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to
Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope .
Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 2002. Planetary aspects are
notoriously hard to grasp, sometimes even for the
practiced astrologer. Sue Tompkins covers every planetary
combination, and this book reads like it’s been written by
someone who’s read about a million birth charts and
learned something from each one. I consult this book
every time I’m preparing to give a reading .
Cycles Gerhardt, Dana. Moonwatching . Self-published e-
book, 2008.
Lundsted, Betty. Planetary Cycles: That Get You from Beginning to End Without
a Guide . York Beach, ME: S. Weiser, 1993. This book sets out major planetary
life cycles in a clear, easy-to-understand way.
Sullivan, Erin. Retrograde Planets: Traversing the Inner Landscape . York
Beach, ME: Red Wheel/S. Weiser, 2006. The retrograde cycles for every planet,
both in the birth chart and by transit, are thoroughly covered.
Transits and Progressions Brady, Bernadette. Predictive
Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark . York Beach, ME: S.
Weiser, 1998. An intermediate astrology primer with
practical techniques for making sense of overwhelming
data to produce an astrological chart interpretation that
makes sense and is helpful.
Hand, Robert. Planets in Transit: Life Cycles for Living . Atlen, PA: Whitford
Press, 2001. Given Hand’s well-deserved reputation as one of astrology’s
greatest living scholars, I’m always pleasantly surprised at how accessible and
useful his writing is. This book gives basic but helpful interpretations for all
aspects between transiting and natal planets.
Kent, April Elliott. Astrological Transits: The Beginner’s Guide to Using
Planetary Cycles to Plan and Predict Your Day, Week, Year (or Destiny).
Beverly, MA: Fair Winds Press/Quarto, 2015. My followup to “The Essential
Guide to Practical Astrology” is a user-friendly introduction to understanding
and interpreting planetary cycles.
Websites
WWW.ASTRO.COM Website of Astrodienst, where you can calculate a variety of
astrology charts, including progressed charts, for free. Astrodienst also has a free
online ephemeris and hosts a lively international discussion forum.
WWW.ASTROLOGYSOFTWARE.COM Website of Matrix Software. Their Win*Star
Professional Version software was used to calculate the charts that appear in this
book. Win*Star also sells a wide range of interpretation reports .
WWW.ALABE.COM Website of Astrolabe, where you can calculate astrology
charts for free or order their popular Solar Fire calculation program.
WWW.JOYCEMASON.COM Website for astrologer Joyce Mason, an expert in
Chiron. Her e-book Chiron and Wholeness offers an inspiring yet down-to-earth
introduction to this planetoid.
WWW.JULIEDEMBOSKI.WORDPRESS.COM Blog for astrologer Julie Demboski,
where you can order her e-book Juno in the Birth Chart.
WWW.MOONCIRCLES.COM Website for Dana Gerhardt, a beloved long-time
columnist for The Mountain Astrologer magazine. This collection of essays
about the lunar phases, for sale on her website, first appeared as a series in that
magazine.
WWW.QUICKSILVERPRODUCTIONS.COM The website for Jim Maynard, who
publishes a variety of astrology calendars each year, including the popular
Pocket Astrologer. This handy pocket-sized guide gives lunar signs and void of
course periods, and planetary aspects for every day of the year.
WWW.TERRYLAMB.NET Website of Terry Lamb’s Astrology, Etc., where you can
also order her self-published Beginning Astrology Math Workbook. Terry’s
method is the one that ultimately made manual chart calculation not only easy
for me, but a joy.
About the Author
April Elliott Kent fell in love with astrology at the age of 12 and has practiced
professionally since 1990. She is the author of Astrological Transits (Fair Winds
Press 2015) and Star Guide to Weddings (Llewellyn 2008). Her astrological
writing has also appeared in The Mountain Astrologer and Dell Horoscope
magazines and in Llewellyn’s Moon Sign Book, Sun Sign Book, and Sabbats
Almanac annuals.
A graduate of San DiegoStateUniversity, April is also a member of the
International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and the Authors Guild.
She is a popular lecturer for local astrology groups and served on the faculty of
the 2012 United Astrological Conference (UAC). She currently serves as
President of the San Diego Astrological Society.
Acclaimed for her warm, accessible writing style, April specializes in using real
life scenarios to illustrate astrological principles. Her website,
BigSkyAstrology.com, has welcomed visitors from around the world since 2000.
She lives in a 1923 bungalow in San Diego, California, with her husband their
two imperious cats.