The Astrology Podcast

In episode 123 astrologer Moses Siregar joins the show to talk about locational astrology, also known as astrolocality or relocational astrology, which is used to describe how people experience different places on Earth. Locational astrology is a relatively recent development in the astrological tradition, and during the course of the episode we talk about how it was developed in the 20th century and some of the different ways that Moses uses it with clients in order to help them find an optimal place to live. You can find out more information about Moses on his website at: http://www.astrologyforthesoul.com You can also check out his YouTube channel: Astrology, the Cosmic Mirror with Moses Siregar Below you will find the show notes with an outline of some of the points we touched on in the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. Some Topics Covered * Introducing Moses, and talking a bit about his background. * What is astrolocality or locational astrology? * Used to find good places to live on Earth. * The late astrologer Jim Lewis developed a unique approach to the topic. * He called it Astro*Carto*Graphy * That name is actually trademarked. * Lack of a standard about what to call some of this stuff. * Astrolocality, locational astrology, relocational astrology, Astro*Carto*Graphy, etc. * Zodiacal signs corresponded with nations in early tradition. * Often in a mundane context. * Cyril Fagan is credited with doing some early work on the subject in mid-20th century. * Jim Lewis later popularized the practice and developed it further. * Talking a bit about Lewis’ life and work. * A book of his that is still in print: The Psychology of Astro*Carto*Graphy by Jim Lewis, with Kenneth Irving * Talking about different types and applications of locational astrology: * Astro*Carto*Graphy. * Relocated chart * Local space * Astrocartography maps * Angular planet lines * Living on a line versus near a line. * Moses says living on a line is like turning the volume of a planet up to 11. * A pristine planet in a natal chart is hard to find. * Pros and cons of emphasizing certain planets in a chart. * Be careful what you wish for. * How much can location really change the basis of one’s nativity? * Moving from solar return to solar return? 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:

In episode 122 of the podcast astrologer Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock return to the show to talk about the astrological forecast for September of 2017. The astrology of September features the final of three Jupiter-Uranus oppositions, Mercury stationing direct in Leo around the time of a Pisces full moon, and at one point a stellium of five planets in Virgo. Later in the episode we also feature one auspicious electional chart, which is especially good for projects related to groups and friends, with Cancer rising and the Moon exalted in Taurus in the 11th house. The artwork for this episode comes from the 2017 Planet Watcher astrology calendar. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. Initial Discussion and Timestamps We open the episode with some brief reflections on the solar eclipse in Leo and our experience of that now that it is over, followed by some discussion about the flat earth conspiracy theory that was discussed in episode 121, and some of the issues that raised in terms of education and certification within the astrological community. If you want to jump forward to the forecast segment of the episode, we start that discussion at 33:43 in the audio recording. Astrological Alignments for September of 2017 Here are some of the major alignments that we talk about for this coming month: * Mercury direct September 5 * Mars ingress into Virgo September 5 * Full Moon in Pisces September 6 * Mercury ingress into Virgo September 9 * Venus conjunct NN/sextile Jupiter (who is on Spica), Sept 14 – 15 * Venus into Virgo September 19 * New Moon in Virgo September 20 * Sun into Libra September 22 * Mars opposite Neptune, Sept 24 * Pluto stations direct in Capricorn September 28 * Jupiter opposition Uranus September 28 * Mercury into Libra September 29 Auspicious Electional Chart for September Here is the primary auspicious electional chart that we highlighted for September: * September 10, 2017 around 2:08 AM with Cancer rising There are three more electional charts that we found for September, which we will be talking about in our private subscriber-only podcast on auspicious elections that will be released tomorrow. 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 through our page on on Patreon, and then you will get access to the 45-minute Auspicious Elections Podcast as soon as it is released. 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 121 of the podcast astrologer Gemini Brett joins the show to talk about why it is important for astrologers to have some grounding in the astronomy underlying astrology, as well as some of the problems that can arise when they don’t. In the first half of the show we discuss the separation between astronomy and astrology, and some different instances where understanding the astronomy underlying astrological chart placements can help to enhance or improve one’s understanding of astrology. In the second half of the show we talk about some extreme instances where lack of education in astronomy has the potential to manifest in problematic ways in the astrological community, specifically focusing on the flat earth conspiracy theory. This leads to some broader discussions about relativism in the astrological community, where to draw the line between belief versus science, and the relevance of certification or better standardization in our field. For more information about Brett visit his website at: MoreThanAstrology.com Below you will find links to download or stream this episode of the podcast. 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:

In episode 120 of the podcast Benjamin Dykes and Eduardo Gramaglia join the show to talk about their new translation of the astrological works of the 8th century astrologer Theophilus of Edessa. Theophilus was a Christian astrologer who served the kings of the early Islamic Empire around the time of the pivotal transition between the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate. He was an older contemporary of other notable astrologers who lived during the early Medieval tradition like Masha’allah, although he is unique in that his surviving works were written in Greek rather than Arabic. He also drew on a number of earlier Greek sources such as Dorotheus of Sidon. As a result of this, Theophilus is an important transitional figure between the Hellenistic and Medieval astrological traditions. The new translation by Ben and Eduardo marks the first time that Theophilus’ astrological works have been fully translated into any modern language, and in this interview we talk about who Theophilus was, the process of doing the translation, and the significance of his work. The translation is now available for purchase on Amazon: Astrological Works of Theophilus of Edessa Below you will find the show notes with an outline of some of the points we touched on in the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. Show Notes * The book is titled Astrological Works of Theophilus of Edessa. * Published in May of 2017. * Since it is his first time on the show, we introduce Eduardo and talk about his background. * This is Ben and Eduardo’s second collaboration together, after their 2013 translation of book 3 of Hephaistio of Thebes. * Who was Theophilus of Edessa? * A Christian astrologer from ancient city of Edessa, which is located in what is now south-eastern Turkey in modern times, near the border with Syria. * Lived 695–785 CE. * What is significant about his work? * Lived during a transitional period between Hellenistic and Medieval traditions * Is one of the earliest notable Christian astrologers. * Was court astrologer to early Islamic Caliphs during the late ‘Umayyad and early ‘Abbasid period * Wrote some of the earliest works on military and horary astrology. * What are the texts translated in this volume? * Labors Concerning Military Inceptions * Collection on Cosmic Inceptions * Apotelesmatics * On Various Inceptions * What was the process of preparing this translation like? * Some of the material was edited in the CCAG. * Much of the text had to be translated from manuscripts * Some material was referenced from David Pingree’s personal papers * Theophilus’ work on mundane astrology * He lists four methods for doing mundane predictions from the tradition * The fourth is the Persian method of using Aries ingress charts * He says that he only learned this later in his career * Horary astrology * Another important aspect of Theophilus is the prevalence of horary astrology. * He is one of the first authors writing in Greek who talks about it extensively * What is strange though is his approach still looks very much like the earlier Hellenistic electional tradition * He is often converting electional rules from Dorotheus to horary questions

In episode 119 of the podcast Dr. Bernadette Brady joins the show to talk about the astrological significance of eclipses, and how astrologers have viewed and worked with them, both in ancient and in modern times. Bernadette has a PhD in Anthropology, and she is a tutor for the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology program at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. In 1992 she published a book titled The Eagle and the Lark: A Textbook of Predictive Astrology, which contained an influential chapter on the use of eclipses in western astrology. In the first part of the show we talk about how eclipses were viewed by astrologers in the ancient Mesopotamian astrological tradition, and then later we transition into a discussion a discussion about eclipses in modern astrology, including her influential work on the Saros cycle and the concept of eclipse families. You can find out more information about Bernadette through her website: BernadetteBrady.com Below you will find the show notes with an outline of some of the points we touched on in the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. First, one quick announcement: Announcement: Great American Eclipse Documentary I recently did an interview with a team of filmmakers from California who are making a documentary that focuses on the Great American Eclipse. The title of the documentary is Umbra, and it is being directed by a listener of the podcast named Natalie Rold. The production of the film is being funded through a crowd-funding website called IndieGoGo, and they are currently about 60% of the way to their funding goal, with the deadline for funding the project ending next Tuesday, August 22. After meeting with the team involved in this project, I think that this is going to be a really great film, and I would encourage all of my listeners to look into it and consider making a contribution in order to help the group fund the project. You can find out more information about the project on their page on IndieGoGo: Umbra: The American Eclipse Documentary If they are able to reach their funding goal then we should see a really well-made documentary that talks about both the astronomy and the astrology of the Great American Eclipse by sometime next year. Episode Outline * Much attention on the so-called Great American Eclipse set to happen next week. * Thought Bernadette would be a great person to talk to about this topic, since she is well-known in the astrological community for her work on eclipses. * Introducing Bernadette and talking about her background in astrology. * Author of The Eagle and the Lark: A Textbook on Predictive Astrology (1992) * The Eagle and the Lark contained a great chapter on eclipses. * The astronomy of eclipses. * Defining the basics. * Eclipses occur when the luminaries fall on the same path by longitude & latitude * Connection between eclipses and the nodes. * The path of the eclipse casting a shadow on certain parts of the earth. * The experience of darkness during the middle of the day * Astrological views on eclipses * Eclipses as some of the earliest types of astrological omens. * How were eclipses viewed in ancient times? * Eclipses in the Mesopotamian astrological tradition * Nearly 40% of lunar tablets in the Enuma Anu Enlil were on eclipse omens.

In episode 118 of the podcast astrologers Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock join the show to discuss the astrology of August of 2017. The main highlight of the month of course is the much-hyped solar eclipse that is set to take place in Leo, and will cut across the entire continental United States. The month also features a lunar eclipse in Aquarius, a Mercury retrograde in Virgo/Leo, stations of Uranus and Saturn, the final square of Jupiter and Pluto, and more. Later in the episode we also highlight one auspicious electional chart that can be used for starting different types of ventures and undertakings, using the principles of electional astrology. As always, the artwork for this episode comes from the 2017 Planet Watcher astrology calendar. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. This episode was originally recorded as a live stream through Facebook, and it is available as both an audio or a video recording. Astrological Alignments for August of 2017 Here are some of the major alignments that we talk about for this coming month: * Uranus stations retrograde in Aries August 3 * Jupiter square Pluto August 4 * Lunar eclipse in Aquarius August 7th * Mercury stations retrograde in Virgo August 12 * Solar eclipse in Leo August 21 * Sun into Virgo August 22 * Saturn stations direct August 25 * Venus into Leo August 26 * Jupiter sextile Saturn August 27 * Mercury retrogrades back into Leo August 31 Auspicious Electional Chart for August Here is the primary auspicious electional chart that we highlighted for August: * August 18, 2017 at 3:24 AM There are three more electional charts that we found for August, which we talk about in our private subscriber-only podcast on auspicious elections this month. A preview of that discussion can be found in this video on YouTube: Two Auspicious Electional Charts for August 2017 If you would like to get access the rest of the electional charts we found for August, then all you have to do is become a patron of The Astrology Podcast on the $5 or $10 tier through our page on on Patreon, and then you will immediately and get access to the 45-minute Auspicious Elections Podcast, which is available in both audio or video format. Watch the Video Version of This Episode This was the second month that we experimented with doing a live stream of this episode of the podcast through Facebook, and it was a lot of fun again, although we are still getting use to the format. We will probably make this a regular thing with the forecast episodes from now on. Patrons of the show will receive a notification ahead of time to let you know when we are planning on recording the next one. The video version of this episode is now available to watch on Chris’ YouTube channel here: Be sure to subscribe to the channel on YouTube in order to receive updates about other videos in the future. 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 117 astrologer Kenneth Bowser joins the show to talk about the modern movement to revive the use of the sidereal zodiac in western astrology. During the course of the show we discuss the sidereal origins of the zodiac, the revival of its usage in the west through the work of the 20th century astrologer Cyril Fagan, and some of the debates surrounding its relationship with the tropical zodiac. Ken is the author of a book on this topic titled An Introduction to Western Sidereal Astrology, and you can find out more information about his work on his website: www.WesternSiderealAstrology.com Below you will find the show notes with an outline of some of the main points of the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. Live Stream of Next Forecast Episode Before the episode outline, one piece of podcast-related news: We are going to do a live stream of the recording of the next forecast episode this Thursday, July 27, starting at 3:30 PM Mountain Time (Denver time). This will be a live episode that we are going to stream through Facebook as we are recording it. The stream will appear as a post on my personal Facebook page around 3:30 that day once we start the recording. Here is the link to my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chris.brennan.790 If you want to watch the stream through Facebook then you can just pull up my Facebook page that day and then you should be able to see the post once it is up. You may want to add me as a friend or “follow” my page as well, as it is not clear if that will make any difference in terms of being able to see my public post of the stream once I put it on my timeline. Show Notes and Episode Outline * Earlier this month I interviewed Vedic astrologer Vic DiCara, who advocates the use of the tropical zodiac in Indian astrology. * Argues that this was originally what was intended in the earliest texts, and that it works better in practice. * As a point of contrast, I wanted to interview a western astrologer who advocates the use of the sidereal zodiac. * I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce my audience to western sidereal astrology. * There was also a previous discussion on the podcast about the difference between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs. * Kenneth is the author of the book An Introduction to Western Sidereal Astrology. * One of if not the most prominent proponent of this school in recent times. * Ken’s background and how he got involved in this. * Spent two years as a tropical astrologer, but then switched to sidereal * The revival of western sidereal astrology in modern times. * How did the modern sidereal movement develop in modern times? * Cyril Fagan (1896-1970) and his work * Born in Dublin, Ireland, and died in Tucson, AZ. * Revived the use of the sidereal zodiac in the west in the 20th century. * Started studies with tropical in 1916, but switched in 1944. * Concluded that zodiac was originally sidereal, and Greek changed it. * Wrote a number of books and articles. * Zodiacs Old and New (1950)

In episode 116 of the podcast astrologer Lee Lehman returns to the show to talk about a branch of western astrology known as horary astrology. During the course of the episode we talk about the recent revival of the practice of traditional horary astrology in modern times, as well as Lee’s part in helping to recover and promote the practice. Lee is the author of a book on the subject that was published in 2002 titled The Martial Art of Horary Astrology, and she recently published a new followup text on horary earlier this year titled Learning Classical Horary Astrology: Notes and Workbook. You can find out more information about Lee’s work through her website LeeLehman.com. For those interested in learning from her directly, Lee will be giving an online horary course through the International Academy of Astrology starting next month. Below you will find the show notes and an outline of some of the main points of the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. Show Notes and Episode Outline * The revival of traditional style horary astrology in the 1980s. * How this contrasted with the prevailing astrological paradigms at the time. * Why the revival of horary was important and different. * Lee’s background in astrology, and how she got into horary in the late 1980s. * The rediscovery and reprinting of William Lilly’s book Christian Astrology. * Who was Lilly, and why was he important?  Christian Astrology published 1647. * What did Lilly’s book represent when it was republished in the 1980s? * What were the early efforts to revive Lilly’s approach like? * Who was involved? * Olivia Barclay and the Qualifying Horary Practitioner (QHP) program. * Geoffrey Cornelius and the Company of Astrologers as separate stream. * Other students of Barclay. * The first generation of traditional astrologers. * The idea of lineage. * Transition: the mechanics of horary. * Introducing the basics of horary. * How does horary work from a technical standpoint? * Answering a single specific question based on the moment it is asked. * Casting a chart for the moment of the question. * Viewing the chart as both depicting the nature of the question as well as the answer. * The first house represents the one who asked the question, aka the “querent”. * Find the house that most closely matches the topic of the question, the quesited. * The most common approach involves determining if the rulers of the two are applying. * If they are, then the answer is affirmative, if not, then negative. * Different ways that planets can apply or not apply. * This is where some elaborate configurations come in. * Transfer of light, collection of light, etc. * The symbolic nature of the placements often working out in very literal ways. * Lee spent 14 years practicing horary and acquiring examples before publishing The Martial Art of Horary Astrology. * It has now been another 15 years, and she just published her follow up book, Learning Classical Horary Astrology: Notes and Workbook. Listen to This Episode You can either play this episode of the podcast dire...

In episode 115 of the podcast astrologer Vic DiCara joins the show to talk about his use of the tropical zodiac within the context of Indian astrology, and some of the recent debates surrounding the subject among Vedic astrologers. Vic has done a number of articles and videos on this topic, and recently engaged in some debates about it with other astrologers in the Vedic community. You can find a full list of other articles and talks he has done on the subject on his website: http://vicdicara.com/tropical Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. This episode is available in both audio or video format, and you can find links to both at the bottom of the page. Show Notes Here are a few points that we touched on during the course of the episode: * I’ve been noticing more discussion and debates about this recently in Vedic community * Another astrologer named Andrew Foss published an article criticizing the use of the tropical by some Vedic astrologers. * Republished and revised on Foss’ website in June 2017 * Vic recorded a video response on his YouTube page. * Interested in talking about this debate from the perspective of an outsider. * Background information on the debate, or setting the stage. * At the present time, while most western astrologers use tropical, most Vedic use sidereal. * Terminology preference? Indian, Vedic, Hindu, etc. * Ernst Wilhelm published an influential article on this topic titled The Mystery of the Zodiac c. 2006. * He argued that the zodiac was originally tropical in the earliest Indian tradition. * My impression was that his argument was largely textual. * More recently he seemed to say there was a large empirical component though as well. * Ernst seems to have been the first notable modern Vedic astrologer to adopt tropical * Since then others have followed, some students of Ernst, and others not. * Ryan Kurczak, Michael Reed, and Vic DiCara. * Vic heard the idea from Ernst, and made the switch in 2012. * Since 2012 he has produced several videos & engaged in debates about the topic * Most conveniently summarized here: http://vicdicara.com/tropical * Points to the Surya Siddhanta and Bhāgavata Purāṇa as early textual support for tropical zodiac. * One of Vic’s objections is that both are idealized 12-fold divisions. * The sidereal zodiac does not fully align with the constellations, since they all vary in size, whereas sidereal signs are each 30 degrees. * He points out that Ophiuchus is on the ecliptic.  Thus, 13 unequal divisions. * Therefore he argues that neither zodiac is the stars, but instead they are both divisions of space.  Thus it becomes a question of how to divide space, and where to start. * Tropical zodiac starts with equinoxes, sidereal with reference to a fixed star. * Lahiri ayanamsha begins 0° Aries exactly opposite to the fixed star Spica. * Some disagreements though about which ayanamsha to use. * Vic says that even if one uses the “wrong” zodiac, that doesn’t invalidate everything. * Vic and others still acknowledge that the nakshatras are sidereal, because they are tied in to specific fixed stars. Watch the Video Version of This Episode

In episode 114 of the podcast astrologers Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock join the show in order to talk about the astrological forecast for July of 2017.This month features Mars falling under the beams of the Sun, a pileup of planets in Leo, lunations in Capricorn and Leo, and much more. Later in the show I highlight one auspicious electional chart that will be useful for launching different types of ventures and undertakings, using the principles of electional astrology. This is the first episode where we attempted to do a live stream through Facebook when recording it, and it was a lot of fun, so we are planning on doing it again in the future. As always, the artwork for this episode comes from the 2017 Planet Watcher astrology calendar. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. This episode is available in both audio or video format, and you can find links to both at the bottom of the page. Book Giveaway This month we are giving away copies of two books to listeners of the show who support the podcast through our page on Patreon on the $5 and $10 tiers: * The new translation of Theophilus of Edessa by Eduardo Gramaglia and Benjamin Dykes. * A new astrologically-themed novel titled The Madness of Mercury by Connie di Marco. I will be announcing the winners of that giveaway through Patreon in the next few days. The Astrology School + Course Discount Chris recently launched a new website for his online courses at: https://courses.theastrologyschool.com To celebrate the launch, listeners of the podcast can get a 10% discount on his online course on Hellenistic astrology when they use the promo code AstrologyPodcast during checkout before the end of July. To compliment the new course site, Chris has also recently revived and re-branded his YouTube channel, and has started posting a new series of videos there on different topics. You can check it out or subscribe to the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/theastrologyschool In particular, check out the recent videos on the distinction between benefic and malefic planets, the concept of sect, and the whole sign house system. Astrological Alignments for July of 2017 Here are some of the major alignments that we talk about for this coming month: * Sun Combust Mars all month * Mars opp Pluto July 2 * Venus Gemini ingress July 4 * Mercury Leo ingress July 5 * Full Moon conj Pluto, Mars conj Sun July 9 in Capricorn * Sun opp Pluto July 10 * Mars square Uranus July 17 * Sun, Mars ingress Leo July 20 and 22 * Sun square Uranus July 20 * New Moon in Leo July 23 * Merc ingress Virgo July 25 * Mars conj Sun July 26/27 Auspicious Electional Chart for July Here is the primary auspicious electional chart that we highlighted for July: *

In episode 113 of the podcast I interview Dr. Nicholas Campion of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David about the revival of the practice of astrology in the west in the late 19th and early 20th century. Nick is the leading historian in the world on the history of astrology in western culture, and he is the author of several books on the subject, including the authoritative A History of Western Astrology, Volume 1 and Volume 2, and more recently Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West: Prophecy, Cosmology and the New Age Movement. Nick is the head of the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, which offers an MA program in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. This is the only academic degree in the world which explores humanity’s relationship with the sky. Below you will find the show notes and an outline of some of the main points of the discussion, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. Show Notes and Episode Outline * The practice of astrology in Europe declined from the 17th century onward. * What were some of the reasons for this decline? * Last great flourishing in England with Lilly and some of his contemporaries. * The practice of astrology reaches a low point in the 18th and early 19th centuries. * Survives in the form of popular almanacs. * Additional esoteric strand went into masonry, then returns in magic & theosophy * Revival of interest and practice occurs in late 19th and early 20th centuries. * Begins with spiritualism and the Theosophical Society. * Beginnings of the New Age movement, modern millenarianism, etc. * The pivotal role of Alan Leo in reviving the practice around the turn of the century. * Connection with Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society * Writes a number of books and articles. * Books circulated widely and translated into other languages * Innovative way of doing mass market astrology delineations. * Desire to simplify the techniques to make them easier to learn. * Move towards character analysis. * Role of other figures. * Sepharial * Marc Edmund Jones * Dane Rudhyar and the birth of psychological astrology. * One of the first to incorporate Jung’s work on depth psychology. * Most prolific astrological author ever? * Invention of the Sun-sign column in the 1930s. * Subsequent popularization of astrology via Sun-signs * Explosion in popularity of astrology with younger generations in 1960s and 70s. * Part of the counterculture and New Age movement. * Aftermath. Flourishing of astrology in the late 20th century. * Postscript: the place of astrology in academia. * Why is it important to study the history of astrology? 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:

In episode 112 of the podcast Chet Zdrowski joins the show to talk about the life and work of the influential 20th century astrologer Dane Rudhyar. Rudhyar is a towering figure in mid- to late-20th century astrology due to the technical and conceptual work that he did in reformulating astrology for modern times, as well as due to how prolific he was in authoring 40+ books on astrology and hundreds of articles. During the course of the show we realized at one point that he may very well be the most prolific author of astrology books and articles of all time, as we were unable to think of anyone who wrote more than he did during the course of his life. Chet specializes in Rudhyar’s work, and has recently started lecturing about different aspects of his philosophy and technical approach to astrology. You can find out more information about Chet’s work at: CZastrology.com Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast at the bottom of the page. Show Notes and Episode Outline Here is an outline of our discussion from the show notes that were prepared prior to recording this episode, most of which were written by Chet. While we covered most of the points mentioned here, there were a few things that we didn’t get to due to time constraints. Introduction * Astrology died out in the west in the 17th century. * Revived in the late 19th and early 20th century via Theosophy & New Age movement. * Three important figures were Alan Leo, Marc Edmund Jones, and Dane Rudhyar. * Rhudyar’s period of activity spanned from the 1930s-1980. * He was a prolific author. How many books? * While he cannot be credited with the revival in the same way Leo can, he was one of the most pivotal figures in establishing the philosophical and conceptual foundations of modern astrology. * He focused not just on techniques, but first principles, which provide a philosophical structure underlying the techniques. * Many astrologers have been exposed to his ideas but may not know that they originated with him. * Let’s talk about his life and work. * He was born in France in March 23, 1895 as Daniel Chennevière. * Early interest in piano and music in general. * Health problems, lost a kidney and adrenal gland at age 11, lots of home schooling. * He read quite widely: Nietzsche, Freud, Henri Bergson, Plato etc… * Death of his father at age 16, had a major epiphany about cyclic nature of world. Coming to America * Wrote first book on Debussy at age 17, * spent a lot of time in avant garde Parisian circles * At 21, during the World War I, he sailed to NY with some friends, arrived 1916 * The Starving Artist Archetype… pennies in his pockets * Music Copying, House Concerts, House Lectures, freezing in his NY apartment * NYC Public Library, introduction to Buddhism and Indian thought * Changed his name to Rudhyar, from Vedic god Rudra, reasons why… Landing in California * Krotona astrology class at Theosophical center- 1920, soon after arriving in Hollywood * Didn’t join the Theosophical Society, BJ Wadia was his Theosophical mentor * Acted in silent films for a while, found it “uncertain and boring”, played Christ in a play for 2-3 months * Many House Concerts, House Lectures on psychology, music, philosophy and later astrology * Wrote steady stream of articles on music and metaphysics during the 1920s, used pen names also * During the 1920s he composed and performed a lot of music * Wrote “Rebirth of Hindu Music” a very early book on both World Music ...

In episode 111 of the podcast astrologer Ernst Wilhelm joins the show to talk about the concept of planetary yogas in Vedic astrology, which are chart placements and combinations that indicate specific outcomes. Ernst is the author of a book on the topic titled Core Yogas: Yokes to the Fruits of Karmas. You can find out more information about his work at vedic-astrology.net. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording. Show Notes * Introducing Ernst, and talking about his background in Indian astrology. * 2002 book: Core Yogas: Yokes to the Fruits of Karma * The concept of yogas as a good access point for western astrologers to get interested in and approach Vedic/Indian astrology. * Also helpful in terms of seeing points of convergence and divergence between the eastern and western traditions. * What is a yoga? * “Yoga means that which joins or yokes.” * A planetary configuration or combination involving planets in specific, unique positions in the chart. * Not necessarily just an “aspect”, but often a combination of factors. * E.g. Ruler of the Ascendant in the 10th, conjunct ruler of 9th in 10th. * Some are highly auspicious combinations. * Others are inauspicious. * Some are given specific names, which often evoke the interpretive principle. * Mainly used for prediction in natal astrology, from the birth chart. * Yogas for different topics: Success, wealth, good character, happiness, downfall, poverty, disappointment, etc. * Not all yogas are created equal * Developing skills means learning how to prioritize which are more important. * Ernst’s book Core Yogas covers 214 yogas. * 89 foundational yogas. * 125 where the effect only comes about when activated via dasha period. * The outcome indicated by yogas manifest when activated via a dasha period. * Mitigating conditions * Yogas can often be modified for better or worse based on placement by sign, aspect, subdivision, etc. * This goes both ways. * Inauspicious yogas can be toned down if the planets are well-situated. * Auspicious yogas can be marred by planets that are poorly-situated. * Examples of some yogas that give a good idea of different factors used: * Nabhasa Yogas: involving all planets in the chart in certain placements. * E.g. all planets in fixed signs. * Mala “rosary” Yoga: The angles occupied by benefics. * Sarpa “serpent” Yoga: The angles occupied by malefics * All planets in one sign, two signs, etc. * “Akriti” yogas – means shape or form. * Similar to 20th century western idea of planetary patterns * Goes back to the Yavanajataka. * Various house placement and rulership combinations. * E.g. Sringataka “mountain having three peaks” Yoga: All planets in the lagna, 5th and 9th. * Other types of more specific yogas * Solar yogas * Lunar yogas * Kemadruma yoga. Equivalent to the western concept of void of course. * Chandra “Moon” Yoga: The 10th lord in an angle, trine, or 2nd from the Moon * Lagna yogas. * Malika yogas * Misc * Karika “elephant” Yoga: All seven planets in the 7th, 10th, and 11th * Mridanga “tambour” Yoga: The lagna lord strong and the other six planets in angles, trines, own or exaltation rasis.

In episode 110 of the podcast astrologers Kelly Surtees and Austin Coppock join the show in order to talk about the astrological forecast for June of 2017. This month features Mars moving into Cancer, Jupiter stationing direct in Libra, a Mercury-Sun cazimi in Cancer, and much more. Later in the show I highlight one auspicious electional chart will be useful for launching different types of ventures and undertakings, using the principles of electional astrology. The artwork for this episode comes from the 2017 Planet Watcher astrology calendar. Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. Sponsors and Giveaway for May At the top of this episode I briefly talk about our sponsors for this month, which are: * Solar Fire 9, a popular desktop astrology program produced by Astrolabe Inc. * Astro Gold, an advanced astrology software app which is available for both iPhones and Android devices. Listeners of the podcast can get a 15% discount on Solar Fire when they use the promo code AP15 when purchasing the program through the Astrolabe website. For more information about these programs and our monthly giveaway see the May description page. Podcast Listener Meet and Greet at NORWAC Chris will be doing a book signing at the Northwest Astrological Conference after his talk at the end of the day on Friday, May 26. If you are a podcast listener and you would like to come say hi and meet some other listeners then please drop by and see us that day. Astrological Alignments for June of 2017 Here are some of the major alignments that we talk about for this coming month: * Mars ingresses into Cancer June 4 * Venus into Taurus June 6 * Mercury intro Gemini June 6 * Jupiter stations direct in Libra June 9 * Full Moon in Sagittarius June 9 * Neptune stations retrograde in Pisces June 16 * Mercury into Cancer June 21 * Sun into Cancer June 21 * New Moon in Cancer June 23 Electional Chart for June Here is the primary auspicious electional chart that we highlighted for June: * June 3, 2017 at 3:15 PM in Denver, with 13 Libra rising We also talked about this chart in a video promo this month on YouTube: * June 3 2017 auspicious electional astrology chart promo video There are three more electional charts that we found for June, which we talk about in our private subscriber-only podcast on auspicious elections this month. If you would like to get access to that then all you have to do is become a patron of the show on the $5 or $10 tier through our page on on Patreon, and then you will immediately and get access to the 45-minute auspicious elections podcast, which is available in both audio or video format. Timestamps Here are some timestamps for those who would like to skip ahead to the forecast section of this episode of the podcast: * 00:00 – 22:00 – preliminary discussion, monthly promo and giveaway announcements, etc. * 22:00 – 1:13:00 – initially reviewing some astrological things from the past month, an then moving into the forecast for June.

In episode 109 of the podcast astrologer Samuel Reynolds joins the show to talk about his recent appearance on the new Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World in order to defend astrology. During the course of the episode we discuss some of the different arguments that were made for and against astrology, as well as what Sam learned from the experience. For more information about Sam’s work see his website: UnlockAstrology.com Below you will find the show notes, followed by links to download or stream the recording of this episode of the podcast. Sponsors and Giveaways for May At the top of this episode I briefly talk about our sponsors and giveaway prizes for May: * A copy of the popular desktop astrology software program Solar Fire 9. * A copy of the mobile astrology app called Astro Gold, which is available for both iPhones and Android devices. Listeners of the podcast can get a 15% discount on Solar Fire when they use the promo code AP15 when purchasing the program through the Astrolabe website. For more information about the giveaway and how to enter see the May description page. Episode Outline Here are some of the points that we touched on during the course of the episode: * New Netflix series called Bill Nye Saves the World * Released April 21, 2017 * Wikipedia description: “The series focuses on science, and investigates its relationship with politics, pop culture, and society. The first season explores topics such as climate change, alternative medicine, and video games from a scientific point of view, while also refuting myths and anti-scientific claims.” * Sam appeared on season 1, episode 11: Malarkey! * Panel with Sam: 9:25 – 18:00 * Episode primarily focused on issues related to confirmation bias. * Sam was on a panel that featured him + three other skeptics. * The focus of the panel was pseudoscience. * Nye throws out several different statements right from the start, which confuses the discussion: * “You know I don’t believe any of it?” “Do you know why?” * “It just never has anything to do with anything” * “You’re telling me that there is only twelve types of people” * “What about the wobbling of the earth, and what used to be a Sagittarius is now a Capricorn” Referring to precession. * Ophiuchus/the 13th sign is brought up. * Sam says that he doesn’t believe that astrology is a science, but argues that it is a language. * Discussion about whether astrology has any objective validity, and Sam’s position about the objectiveness of reality in general. * Discussion about the term “science” being used as a stand in word for “truth”. * Various other topics. 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: