054 | Alberto Forero: A Geminian Plethora of Books!

Astrologer Alberto Forero joins host Jenn Zahrt from San Francisco, California to offer a myriad of astrology texts, bolstered by his Gemini sense of curiosity! In this comprehensive chat, Alberto and Jenn cover some wonderful territory, including: fixed stars and constellations; bringing astronomy into astrology; the Uranus/North Node conjunction in Taurus; symbolism and metaphors; when astrology went underground; balancing temperament; physiognomy and cultural biases; astro charts with thumbprint patterns; Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta; sensitive degrees; extending ephemerides; a hypothetical map of astro migration and data visualization; fantasteroids; creating degree symbols; and geomancy. Plus: rethinking book cover designs, reporting from humanity’s living room, and… a degree system based on David Bowie albums!

 

 

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.

 

*****

 

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2024):

 

00:31 – Alberto Forero has studied and practiced astrology since 2017, practicing both traditional and modern techniques in bringing ancient wisdom to clients. His interest in astrology emerged from several threads: fascination with symbolism, psychology, and alchemy. Alberto serves as President of the San Francisco Astrological Society and is the co-host of the YouTube astrology game show “Astrology Deathmatch.”

 

00:57 – Alberto found astrology when a work colleague did a reading for him, and he got the astro-bug! His very first book was Parker's Astrology (New Edition): The Definitive Guide to Using Astrology in Every Aspect of Your Life Paperback by Julia and Derek Parker.

 

04:17 – If Alberto could pack only three books on a long trip, what would he bring? The first one would be the voluminous Secrets of the Ancient Skies, Vol. 1 and 2 by Diana K. Rosenberg. This text offers a massive amount of knowledge, and the historical info is vast. It also offers good info on fixed stars and constellations.

 

07:35 – Alberto’s second choice is The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, and translated by John Buchanan-Brown. This one is like popcorn for your mind, and it helps Alberto with the symbolic understanding of reality!

 

13:28 – The third title that Alberto would bring is the wonderful Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum, because it helps get a good baseline sense of a person.

 

16:39 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

 

17:25 – Alberto also shared some Gemini bonus books! A hat tip goes to: Your Destiny in Thumb: Indian System of Thumb Reading by R. G. Ra; Ephemerides of the Asteroids: Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, 1900-2000 by Eleanor Bach; the controversial Rules for Planetary Pictures (Uranian System): Adapted from the Teachings of Alfred Witte by Hans Niggemann; Astrology and the Modern Psyche by Dane Rudhyar; and Astrolabium Planum by Johann Engel. And Jenn gave a shout-out to A Graphic Ephemeris of Sensitive Degrees also by Eleanor Bach!

 

26:32 – Wondering what fantasteroids are? Learn about them here!

 

30:25 – For beginners, Alberto recommends The Geomancer's Handbook: Divination and Magic by John Michael Greer, and Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life by Carole Taylor.

 

35:55 – Find Alberto at his website: https://www.translationoflight.org/. And he’s also the curator of @MuseumAstro on Twitter/X (the visual history of astrology).

 

36:27 – Thanks for listening to Within Orb! If you love the show, please help support it at no cost to you: Follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or write a happy review! And if you’d like to become a CAELi member or support our work with a contribution of any amount, we’d be delighted – thanks!

 

Show notes by Jen Braun, JJ Boots Productions LLC.