The Astrology Podcast

In episode 183 of the podcast astrologers Chris Brennan, Kelly Surtees, and Austin Coppock discuss the astrological forecast for December of 2018, and the end of a year that has been filled with a seemingly endless barrage of retrograde planets. This episode was recorded earlier in November than usual, and it opens with Austin telling a humorous story about some recent Mercury retrograde snafus he ran into while trying to get a new passport, so that he could fly to Australia for the "So Below" event with Gordon White of the Rune Soup podcast. Early in the episode we also discuss the fine balance between taking astrology seriously but still being able to have some degree of levity about it, or a live and let live attitude with other approaches and people whose views may differ from your own. Eventually we get to the forecast for December, which features Mercury stationing direct in Scorpio, and lunations in Sagittarius and Cancer. Later in the episode we highlight one auspicious electional chart this month, a Jupiter in Sagittarius election, which can be used for beginning a new venture or undertaking.

Episode 182 of the podcast features our monthly horoscope forecast for all twelve signs of the zodiac for December of 2018, with astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim. Our monthly horoscopes are designed to be read primarily from the perspective of your Ascendant or rising sign, although you can also look at them from the perspective of your Sun sign, especially if you were born during the day, or your Moon sign especially if you were born at night. The horoscopes are available in both audio and video versions, and below you will find links to each of the videos for the zodiac signs in order, followed by the audio version of this episode at the bottom of the page that contains all twelve signs. So, without further ado, here are the horoscopes for December! Aries December 2018 Horoscope Learning Something New Your major astrology transits for December, Aries, include Mercury and Venus moving into your 8th house of shared resources, a New Moon and a bunch of activity in your 9th house of education, beliefs, and travel, Mars moving through your 12th house of enemies and solitude, a Full Moon in your 4th house of home, family and private life, and then finally Mars moving into your first house of mind and body on the last day of the year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1HBXm3t0eg   Taurus December 2018 Horoscope Balancing Friendships and Partnerships Your major astrology transits for December, Taurus, include Mercury and Venus moving into your 7th house of partnerships, a New Moon and much other planetary activity in your 8th house of shared resources, Mars moving through your 11th house of friends and groups, and a Full Moon in your 3rd house of siblings and communication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJTLKHngbrc   Gemini December 2018 Horoscope New Beginnings in Partnerships Your major astrology transits for December, Gemini, include Mercury and Venus moving into your 6th house of work and health, a New Moon and much other planetary activity in your 7th house of partnership, Mars moving through your 10th house of career, and a Full Moon in your 2nd house of finances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE-QdlH_PEw   Cancer December 2018 Horoscope A Fresh Start with Work and Health Your major astrology transits for December, Cancer, include Mercury and Venus moving into your 5th house of children and romance, a New Moon and much other planetary activity in your 6th house of work and health, Mars moving through your 9th house of education and travel, and a Full Moon in your 1st house of mind and body. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmVQiIU5-3U   Leo December 2018 Horoscope Balancing Work and Play Your major astrology transits for December, Leo, include Mercury and Venus moving into your 4th house of home and family, a New Moon in your 5th house of children and romance, Mars moving through your 8th house of shared resources, and a Full Moon in your 12th house of solitude. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79f1W-J9Vx8   Virgo December 2018 Horoscope

In episode 181 of the podcast Dr. Jeffrey Kotyk joins the show to talk about the practice of astrology in China in ancient times, and in particular the transmission of horoscopic astrology to China and Japan starting in the 9th century. Jeffrey is an academic historian from Winnipeg, Canada, who specializes in the study of astrology in pre-modern Asia. He completed a PhD dissertation at Leiden University in 2017 titled Buddhist Astrology and Astral Magic in the Tang Dynasty. A major part of his research has focused on investigating the transmission of horoscopic astrology to China and Japan starting in the 9th century. Horoscopic astrology or horoscopy here is defined as the type of astrology that uses the Ascendant and twelve houses, which was developed in the west around the 1st century BCE. According to Jeffrey, the principal source of this transmission was the text of the Greco-Roman astrologer Dorotheus of Sidon, which was originally written in Greek in the late 1st century CE. Dorotheus was translated into Persian around the 3rd century, and then it was translated from Persian into Chinese around the year 800 CE. During the course of our interview we discuss the origins of Chinese astrology, and how the indigenous form of mundane astrology developed there around the 2nd century BCE, and later came to be practiced alongside western natal astrology derived from Dorotheus. Jeffrey recently wrote a concise overview of much of his research on this topic in a post on his blog titled Horoscopy in East Asia: Some Thoughts. You can read his dissertation and other academic papers he has written through his page on Archive.org. Show Notes Here is an outline of some of the main points we touched on in the episode: * Jeffrey's focus is academic studies on astrology in pre-modern Asia. * The life and work of David Pingree (1933-2005). * The work of Yano Michio. * Why has astrology been neglected in the study of China and Japan? * Historical background: Native Chinese celestial omenology. * Nakṣatra (lunar mansion) astrology in India. * Early Buddhist interest in astrology: lunation used for scheduling monastic meetings (pakṣas and tithis). * Translation of Buddhist scriptures into China containing astrology. * Navagraha-karaṇa translated in 718 by Gautama Siddhārtha: Indian astronomy in China. * The use of astrology in timing rituals in Esoteric Buddhism: seven-day week, etc. * Śubhakarasiṃha (637–735) and his colleague Yixing (673–727). * Amoghavajra’s (705–774) astrology manual: Xiuyao jing (Scripture of Constellations and Planets), produced in 759 with a subsequent revision in 764. * The difficulty of implementing nakṣatras into Chinese observational astronomy. * The navāṃsas or ninths of a zodiac sign. * The method of tārā-cakra (“Star Wheel”), or nava-tārā (“Nine Stars”). * Li Miqian and the introduction of Dorotheus into China in the 9th century. * Dorothean material in Chinese sources (triplicity rulers, lots, decans). * Was the translated material purely Dorotheus? Lunar mansions. * The use of lots in Chinese horoscopy. * The popularity of annual profections. Natal horoscope of 3 October 930 CE produced on 25 January 975 by Kang Zun. * The use of the whole sign house system in East Asian horoscopy.

In episode 180 astrologers Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan reconvene for the second of our two part series on the symbolism of the signs of the zodiac. In this episode we discuss the meanings of the second half of the zodiac signs: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Part 1 of this series covered the first 6 signs, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo, and you can listen to it here: The Signs of the Zodiac: Qualities and Meanings – Part 1 As in the previous episode, at the beginning of each sign we discuss the basic categories associated with it, which are are 1) gender, 2) modality, 3) element, and 4) planetary ruler. After the introduction is out of the way, we spend about 20-30 minutes talking about the symbolism and meaning of each zodiac sign in order, starting with Libra. At the top of the show we talk a bit about modern versus traditional planetary rulerships of the signs, and we return to this issue a few times later when discussing certain signs. This episode is available in both audio and a video versions below. Relevant Past Episodes Links to other related episodes on beginner concepts that were mentioned in this one: * The Significations of the Seven Traditional Planets * The Outer Planets and Relationships * The Rationale for the Significations of the Houses * Are Zodiac Sign Cusps Real? * Tips for Learning Astrology * The Age of Aquarius Intro to Astrology Courses Once you are finished with the zodiac series, if you want to learn more about astrology then check out the online courses taught by Kelly, Austin, and Chris: * Kelly's Practical Astrology for Beginners Course * Austin's Fundamentals of Astrology Recorded Series * Chris' Online Course on Ancient Astrology Timestamps for the Audio Version of This Episode Here are some timestamps for the audio version of this episode, if you want to jump ahead to listen to our description of certain signs. * Libra: 00:07:10 * Scorpio: 00:38:39 * Sagittarius: 01:07:00 * Capricorn: 01:33:40 * Aquarius: 02:01:55 * Pisces: 02:28:30 For timestamps for the video version see the description page below the video on YouTube. Watch the Video Version of This Episode on the Signs of the Zodiac Here is the video version of this episode, on the meaning of the zodiacal signs Libra – Pisces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Episode 179 of The Astrology Podcast features astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim discussing the horoscopes for November of 2018 for all twelve rising zodiac signs. Chris has been doing these as monthly video horoscopes for each rising sign since July on his astrology YouTube channel, but this month Leisa joined him in our new podcast studio to record the horoscopes for November. The horoscopes complement the astrology forecast episode for November, because it allows us to delineate the ingress of Jupiter into each house when it moves into Sagittarius this month, and talk a bit about what that will mean for each rising sign. We also talk about Venus stationing direct in Libra, Mercury stationing retrograde in Sagittarius square Neptune, the two lunations in Scorpio and Gemini, and more. They came out so well this month that we decided to release an audio version as well as the video through the podcast, for those who just want to listen to the audio. Below you will find links to each of the separate videos for the horoscopes for each zodiac sign, and at the bottom of the page you will find a single file containing the audio for all 12 horoscopes as a single podcast episode. I will include some timestamps at the bottom of the page as well, that way you can jump to the specific zodiac sign that you want to listen to in the audio version. The run-time of each horoscope varies between 10-20 minutes, because we recorded all 12 over the course of a day on November 30, and had more or less to say about certain signs. This has been a bit of an experiment and a learning process over the past few months, but we're excited to share these horoscopes with podcast listeners for the first time this month, and would love to hear what everyone thinks of them. Thanks to Paula Belluomini for creating the zodiac artwork used in the horoscopes this month, and Stephen Coppock for editing the audio and video. Check out our page on Amazon for the new astrology t-shirts that we wore in this episode. So, without further ado, here are the horoscopes for November! Aries Horoscope for November Your major astrology transits this month, Aries, include Jupiter moving into your 9th house of education and travel, a new Moon in your 8th house of shared resources, Uranus retrograding back into your first house of body and mind, Mars moving into your 12th house of solitude, Venus stationing direct in your 7th house of relationships, Mercury stationing retrograde in your 9th house of education, and a Full Moon in your 3rd house of communication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcKuV5syeJo Taurus Horoscope for November Your major astrology transits this month, Taurus, include Jupiter moving into your 8th house of shared resources, a new Moon in your 7th house of partnership, Uranus retrograding back into your 12th house of solitude, Mars moving into your 11th house of friends, Venus stationing direct in your 6th house of work and health, Mercury stationing retrograde in your 8th house of shared resources, and a Full Moon in your 2nd house of income. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79LiRM2THMA Gemini Horoscope for November Your major astrology transits this month, Gemini, include Jupiter moving into your 7th house of partnership,

In episode 178 of the podcast astrologers Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock join the show to discuss the astrological forecast for November of 2018, which features Jupiter moving into Sagittarius for a year-long transit through that sign. The month also features Uranus retrograding back into Aries, Mars moving into Pisces, Venus stationing direct in Libra, Mercury going retrograde in Scorpio, and Neptune stationing direct in Pisces. Later in the episode we highlight one auspicious electional chart this month, a Jupiter in Sagittarius election, which can be used for beginning a new venture or undertaking. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download the recording of this episode at the bottom of the page, which is available in both audio and video versions. News and Announcements * Kelly has a new intro to relationship astrology course. * Chris and Paula Belluomini designed a new set of zodiac sign astrology t-shirts. * Chris got more assistant applications than anticipated, and it is taking a while to go through all of them and get back to people. Sorry if you haven't gotten a response yet. * Chris finished building a new podcast recording studio recently, and you can see some preview pictures on our Instagram page or a short little video on our Facebook page, and another on our YouTube Page. * The giveaway this month is copies of Llewellyn's 2019 Daily Planetary Guide, which was designed this year by friend of the podcast Paula Belluomini. * Chris and Leisa recorded a series of video and audio horoscopes for each rising zodiac sign for November. Major Astrological Alignments for November of 2018 Here are some of the major transits for November that we cover in this episode: * Uranus retrogrades back into Aries November 6 * North Node moves into Cancer November 6 as well. True node? * New Moon in Scorpio November 7 * Jupiter moves into Sagittarius November 8 * Mars moves into Pisces November 15 (finally completing Aquarius time) * Venus stations direct and Mercury stations retrograde November 16 * Sun ingresses into Sagittarius November 22 * Full Moon in Gemini November 23 * Neptune stations direct in Pisces November 24 (squaring Mercury all month) Auspicious Electional Chart for November The auspicious election this month that was chosen by Leisa Schaim is set for: * November 10, 2018 at 8:00 AM with Sagittarius rising There are a few more electional charts that we found for November, which are available in our private subscriber-only podcast on auspicious elections that was released today. If you would like to get access to that discussion, then all you have to do is become a patron of The Astrology Podcast on the $5 or $10 tier

Episode 177 features a discussion between Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock about a recent issue has arisen in the astrological community over zodiac sign cusps, and what it means when a person is born on a cusp. Sun-sign astrology became popular over the course of the past century, and everyone knows their "sign," which is the sign of the zodiac the Sun was in on the day they were born. There is an issue though because the Sun moves into a new sign roughly every 30 days, and the dates given for Sun-signs are only approximate, and can vary near beginnings and ends of the signs. This naturally leads to an issue when someone is born near one of the sign boundaries, where they wonder whether they are one sign or another. In popular astrology such individuals are said to be "born on a cusp", with cusp here essentially meaning boundary, border, dividing line, or interstice. So, this phenomenon primarily arises out of an issue in popular astrology, where there is confusion over Sun-sign dates that fall near the borders of the signs. However, over the past few decades this confusion has morphed into something else, and in popular astrology it is becoming increasingly common to treat sign cusps as areas where the meanings of two signs overlap or blend together, rather than the cusp being a very distinct and strict boundary. While this issue initially seems to have arisen due to confusion over Sun-sign dates, it is compounded by the fact that some people born close to a cusp really do report feeling like or exhibiting traits of both signs. The question then becomes, why is this? The most obvious answer that astrologers usually give is that if your Sun is in one sign, then there is a pretty good chance Venus and Mercury could be in the adjacent sign. But is that all it is, or is there more to cusps than that? Is there any traditional or practical validation of sign cusps having more qualitative significance than just acting as strict boundaries? These are the questions that we set out to explore in this episode. Watch the Video Version of the Cusps Episode Here is the video version of this episode from our page on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6iX9OcsP9M - Listen to the Audio Version of the Cusps Episode You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below:

In episode 176 astrologer Tony Howard joins the show to discuss the process of becoming a professional astrologer, and what it takes to make it in the field in the early 21st century. Much of the discussion focuses on how astrologers are making a living and promoting their work in recent times, and some of the ways that things are different compared to a few decades ago, largely due to changes in technology. During the course of the discussion we cover topics such as students making the transition to doing consultations, different ways that astrologers market their services, content creation, self-publishing astrology books, and many other subtopics. Tony is hosting a 2-day virtual summit next week called Astrology, Life Purpose & Destiny, which will feature a series of free talks on the topic of astrology and destiny. For more info on how to become a professional astrologer, see Chris' new course on the subject called The Professional Astrologer Course. This episode is available in both audio and video versions below. Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIiRSZ909JY - Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below:

In episode 175 astrologers Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan discuss the symbolism of the first six signs of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. This is the first installment of a two-part series where we plan to give an in-depth overview of the qualities and meanings of all twelve zodiacal signs. At the beginning of the episode we discuss the basic categories of the signs, which are are 1) gender, 2) modality, 3) element, and 4) planetary ruler. After the introduction is out of the way, we spend about 20 minutes talking about the symbolism and meaning of each zodiac sign in order, starting with Aries. This is a followup to a previous episode on the significations of the seven traditional planets, which gave a detailed introduction to the meanings of the planets, and that was complimented by another episode on the meanings of the outer planets. Part 2 of this series will be recorded sometime next month, and there we will discuss the other six signs of the zodiac: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. This episode is available in both audio and a video versions below. Timestamps for the Audio Version Here are some timestamps for the audio version of this episode, if you want to jump around to different sections. See the description page below the video on YouTube for timestamps for the video version. * 00:00:00 – 00:44:35: Introduction and sign categorizations * 00:44:35 – 00:44:35: Aries * 01:11:20 – 01:26:50: Taurus * 01:26:50 – 01:48:30: Gemini * 01:48:30 – 02:07:15: Cancer * 02:07:15 – 02:34:01: Leo * 02:34:01 – 03:06:00: Virgo Watch the Video Version of This Episode on the Signs of the Zodiac Here is the video version of this episode, on the meaning of the zodiacal signs Aries - Virgo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlX6pnbDt_M – Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below:

Episode 174 of the podcast features an overview of the astrology of October 2018, with Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan. Most of the forecast focuses on Venus stationing retrograde in Scorpio early in the month, and the symbolism surrounding that transit. At the top of the show we discuss the pricing of astrological consultations, and specifically how the price of a consultation can sometimes be a red flag if it is being overvalued. Later in the episode we discuss some of the underlying significations of Mars, and what relationship it has to the topic of sex and sexuality alongside Venus. Finally, we also highlight one auspicious electional chart this month, which can be used for beginning a new venture or undertaking. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download the recording of this episode at the bottom of the page, which is available in both audio and video versions. News and Announcements * Kelly is speaking at SOTA later in October, and is getting ready for her Timing Trends for 2019 Retreat in California this January. * Austin is getting ready to teach a synodic cycles class, a Venus in Scorpio webinar, and organizing an event in Australia this November with Gordon White. * Chris is adding a bunch of new interviews with different astrologers to his new course on how to become a professional astrologer. * Chris is also just released his monthly horoscopes for October 2018 for each rising sign. * Chris' book on Hellenistic astrology is now available as an ebook! If you have the book you can get a discount on the Hellenistic astrology course by using the promo code HellenisticBookDiscount. Giveaway for October: The Magic Of I: 2019 Astrological Planner For the giveaway this month we are giving away three copies of The Magic Of I: 2019 Astrological Planner. Here is a description of the planner: The Magic Of I: 2019 Astrological Planner is a stunning full guide to an entire year of aligning to your potential, acceptance of the energy of each day, and validation of our intuitive experience. Including an Optimum Times Life Guide, comprehensive guide to moon movements, planetary placements and all aspects of 2019 + so much more. Modern and beautifully designed, manufactured in Europe using premium materials sparing no expense, and crowdfunded to remain independent. Limited to 2000 copies for 2019. Check out the IndieGoGo page for Magic of I planner to buy one or get more info. Major Astrological Alignments for October 2018 Here are some of the major transits for October that we cover in this episode: * Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 5 * New Moon in Libra on October 8 * Mercury moves into Scorpio on October 9 * Sun moves into Scorpio October 23

Episode 173 features an interview with Kenneth Irving about the work of Michel and Francoise Gauquelin, who conducted the largest statistical studies of timed birth charts in the 20th century, and claimed to have found scientific evidence for the validity of astrology. Their most famous and controversial finding was known as the Mars Effect, where eminent athletes and sports champions were found to have the planet Mars around the Ascendant and Midheaven in their birth charts more frequently than chance would allow. The Mars Effect became the subject of controversy when other scientific and skeptical groups successfully replicated the study, which led to debates over whether this indicated that some small piece of astrology might be valid, or whether the study was simply flawed. Kenneth Irving co-authored a book on the subject with a professor named Suitbert Ertel in 1996 titled The Tenacious Mars Effect. You can find out more info about Ken on his websites Planetos.org and Wordsandthings.com. Below you will find an extensive set of show notes containing the outline Chris prepared for the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode. This episode is available in both an audio and a video version below. Episode Outline: The Gauquelin Research and the Mars Effect Introduction * Michel Gauquelin (1928-1991). * Known to astrologers as statistician who claimed to find scientific evidence for astrology. * Worked with his partner Francoise Gauquelin (1929-2007) until separating in mid-80s. * Conducted the largest statistical tests on astrology ever so far. * At least in terms of testing timed birth charts using large sample sizes. * Published many books, with his data and conclusions from statistical studies. * Became embroiled in conflict with scientific/skeptical community over replicating tests. * He died in 1991. * Francoise retired a few years later, in 1997, and died in 2007. * Ken wrote a book in 1996 titled The Tenacious Mars Effect with Suitbert Ertel. The Gauquelin Research * Background information on Gauquelin. * Myth: he was a skeptic who set out to debunk astrology. * In reality he had an interest in astrology from a very early age. * His thinking went through different stages though. * His statistical studies made him skeptical of much of astrology. * Michel's early life and background in astrology in the early years. * He was very widely read, and essentially did a literature review. * Graduated from the Sorbonne with degree in statistics and psychology. * Met Francoise there. * Birth times are recorded and data is public record in France. * This allowed them to collect and create a database of over 100,000 timed charts. * They were the first to run large-scale statistical studies with large sample sizes. * They also collected data from other European countries. * Ran different statistical tests on the data, and published books with the results. * Michel's first book L'influence des astres published in 1955. * His core finding was already in this book. Plus zones. * While Francoise encouraged him to publish, this was before her involvement. * While he did find some statistically significant correla...

Episode 172 is a Q&A episode with Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim, where we answer some questions that have been sent in by listeners of the podcast over the past several months. We covered a wide variety of topics in this episode, including famous celebrity endorsements of astrology, how to calculate an astrological chart by hand, how an astrologer writes a horoscope column, and what makes a planet prominent in a chart. We also covered other questions about how important asteroids are in a chart, what constitutes the beginning of an election, stories of unforeseen consequences of electing a chart poorly, and how do you know when you are ready to give an astrology lecture. Towards the end of the episode we answered a series of questions about the use of whole sign houses, and then wrapped up with a question about what the purpose of astrology is, as well as how to approach difficult chart placements. Below you will find an outline of the questions addressed in this episode, followed by links to the video and audio recordings. This episode is available in both an audio and a video version. Astrology Questions Answered in This Episode Here is a condensed summary of some of the questions we answered: * As far as celebrity endorsement of astrology goes, which famous personalities come to mind? Who regularly consults/has studied or has been vocal about their knowledge? * How do you calculate an astrological chart by hand? * Lots of discussion about writing horoscopes recently, but you never said HOW to set up a chart to write horoscopes. So, What is the procedure for setting a chart up to write a set of horoscopes? * I hear a lot of references to "if [a given planet] is prominent in your chart" but I never feel like I understand what that means. Could you elaborate/explain? * How important/accurate are asteroids in reading a birth chart? * What exactly constitutes the beginning for electional astrology? * In terms of conferences, how do you know you are ready to apply to speak or hold a lecture? Do you need a specific, original breakthrough in order to consider moving forward towards that? * I was wondering how folks with their ascendants in later degrees can reconcile changing to whole sign houses? I’m really interested in using the whole sign system, but I struggle to make sense of the changes in my own birth chart. My ascendant is at 29 degrees of Libra, and changing to whole sign means that literally every planet in my chart is now in a new house. * I’ve noticed the increasing popularity and shift towards whole sign houses over the past few years. I don’t have a fixed view on this system either way, but would value yours and others insights on the relationship or interplay (?) between whole house systems and the role of traditional intercepted houses interpretations in chart analysis. * I've started using whole house signs since discovering your podcast earlier this year. They work great overall and provide clarity on areas of charts that are intercepted in other house systems. However I've been experimenting and have noticed whole sign houses do not seem to be as effective when reading solar and lunar return charts. Do you cast solar and lunar returns with the whole house system? Have others found similar? * Can you speak to how the two of you managed your re-orientation to using the Whole Sign house system vs say, Placidus or Koch? * Something I think often implied but never really discussed often enough: what is the purpose of astrology and what role does the astrologer play for their client? * How do you approach challenging house placements in the natal chart? For example, the chart ruler being in the 12th house? Are there any rules or ways to mediate this placement?

Episode 171 features an interview with Priscilla Costello about her book Shakespeare and the Stars, which explores the use of astrology in the plays of William Shakespeare. Priscilla was a teacher of English literature for over 30 years, as well as a practicing astrologer. In the book she uses her background in both areas to bring a fresh perspective on the role that astrology played in Shakespeare's writings. She argues that astrological symbolism was deliberately used in some of the plays in order to provide thematic inspiration for certain characters and overall plot arcs, and that some plays were keyed in to specific planets or signs of the zodiac. You can find out more about the book or order it through Amazon: Shakespeare and the Stars: The Hidden Astrological Keys to Understanding the World’s Greatest Playwright For more information about Priscilla see her website PriscillaCostello.com. Priscilla was in town last month to give a talk and a book signing at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, and we sat down to record this interview in person the next day. Picture Gallery Here are some pictures from the book signing at Tattered Cover: ~ Listen to This Episode You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below:

Episode 170 of the podcast features a discussion between Chris Brennan, Kelly Surtees, and Austin Coppock where we provide an overview of the major planetary alignments happening in September of 2018. This month a number of planets are finally moving direct again, after a period where several were retrograde at the same time over the past few months. Other major alignments this month include Mars squaring Uranus for the third and final time, Venus moving into Scorpio and preparing to turn retrograde next month, and Jupiter making an exact sextile to Pluto. At the top of the episode we discuss the recent Vox Explained episode on astrology that appeared on Netflix recently, and also talk about some other astrology podcasts that have been launched over the past few months. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download the recording of this episode, which is available in both audio and video versions. First, we have a bunch of news and announcements. New Professional Astrologer Course Chris just launched a new course on how to become a professional astrologer and create a successful astrological practice. It is called The Professional Astrologer Course. The purpose of the course is to help students make the transition into practicing astrology professionally, so that you can eventually make it your primary vocation. We also focus on some different strategies for growing your audience and business, in order to achieve success and financial stability in your chosen career field. The course was just launched this week, and you can get in now at the introductory price. New Shirts from The Astrology Podcast Listeners of the podcast have been asking for merch for a couple of years now, and I'm excited to announce that we have just launched a new line of branded t-shirts! We have about a dozen different shirt designs up now, and there will be more coming soon. You can see all of the shirts we are currently offering on our page on Amazon: The Astrology Podcast T-Shirts The shirts come in a variety of different colors and sizes, and they are printed on super soft premium quality t-shirt blanks from Bella + Canvas. They tend to have a slimmer fit, so you may want to order one size larger than your normal size to get the right fit. We are also actively soliciting new shirt designs and ideas, so if you want to pitch one please email Chris at astrologue@gmail.com. If you end up getting a shirt then please send in a picture of yourself wearing it, and we will probably build a gallery of listener submitted pictures in the next few weeks! Austin's Event in Australia This November So Below: A Drawing Together of Human, Star and Stone An afternoon discussion of astrology, magic and history with Austin Coppock and Gordon White, followed by an evening of drinks at Bakehouse Studios, in Melbourne, Australia on November 24th. September Giveaway with Astrology Hub For this month's patron raffle we are giving away three passes to an upcoming online event that is being hosted by Astrology Hub...

In episode 169 of the podcast astrologers Chris Brennan, Leisa Schaim, and Patrick Watson provide a detailed introduction to the topic of rectification, which is a procedure used to find a person's birth time when it is otherwise unknown or uncertain. Rectification is often regarded as one of the most difficult things to do in astrology, since it is essentially an investigative process that involves taking into account many variables. It is also very important though, because having an accurate birth time is it is often crucial in order to use many techniques in astrology, ranging from simple ones like the twelve houses, to more elaborate timing techniques. As a result of this, it may be necessary to employ rectification in some capacity when someone doesn't know their birth time, or the recorded birth time is only approximate and needs to be fine-tuned. Leisa and Patrick both do rectification work for clients on a regular basis, and you can find out more about their work here: * Leisa Schaim rectification consultations * Patrick Watson rectification consultations Chris is not currently doing consultations, but has a lecture on birth chart rectification for sale on his website, and is in the process of developing a course on the subject. Rectification is a pretty big topic, so we had a lot to cover, and this ended up being a long 3-hour episode. There is both an audio version and a video version of this episode available below. The audio quality on the audio version is better than the audio in the video version, but they are both the same in terms of content. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. Rectification Outline * Rectification: defining our terms. * Rectify:  to set right, to put right, to correct. * A procedure usually used to find a birth time when it is unknown or uncertain. * Many techniques in astrology require an accurate time. * Both natal interpretation like houses, as well as timing techniques. * Makes rectification necessary in some instances. * Sometimes the term is used more broadly to reverse engineer a chart in general. * Earliest historical reference I could find was from 1st century BCE (Varro). * Attempt to find the chart for Rome and its founder. * Basic premise is that the birth chart will describe quality of life and events in future. * By extension, one should be able to reverse engineer a chart from known events. * Rectification applies this theory in practice, usually in cases of necessity. * When is rectification usually necessary? * Limited known time window vs. 24-hour rectification. * Rough birth time recorded but need more exact for particular technique. * Worst case scenario is if there is absolutely no birth time in entire 24-hr period. * Less worst case scenario is if they have some general idea of time of day. * Best case scenario is when they have a rounded time that just needs fine tuning. * Although even this can be tough for people with cuspy Ascendants. * Rectifying out of necessity versus as a matter of principle. * Chris always saw rectification as a matter of necessity.