Within Orb

031 | Rosanne Finn: Transcended, Transformed & Transported

Astrologer and teacher Rosanne Finn portals over to host Jenn Zahrt for a packed chat about books and so much more! Join the two from Olympia, Washington for: understanding one’s spiritual purpose through the Ascendant; theosophical astrology; the visionaries of the 1860s; Houck’s Law, tertiary progressions, and the dosha sequence; Vedic astrology and death; extreme declination and high declination; the Kuiper Belt as a toroidal field; and Pluto, Hauema, and Makemake. Plus: infusing flower essences into a text, blowing the dandelions around, and Persephone’s Revolution!
 
 
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 Jan. 2024):
 
00:31 – Rosanne has been a practicing astrologer since 1999, combining Western, esoteric, and Vedic astrology. Rosanne’s path to astrology is unusual: She went from a job in engineering, to living in an ashram for four years, to a long road trip that landed her in Massachusetts (where she took an astrology class with Joseph Crane), to finally arriving in Olympia, Washington in 1995. Rosanne holds a Jyotish Visharada certification with the Council of Vedic Astrology, has done readings for thousands of clients, and has also taught hundreds of students. Her book Persephone’s Revolution is being published by Revelore Press and will be available soon!
 
00:54 – Rosanne’s introduction to astrology? When she was living in an ashram, a friend introduced her to The Modern Text-Book of Astrology by Margaret Hone.
 
01:22 – If Rosanne were stranded on the San Juan Islands (keeping her local!) and could only bring three books, what would they be? Her first choice would be Alice Bailey’s dense but deep Esoteric Astrology. Rosanne feels transcended and transformed when reading this one. (Books that helped her assimilate Bailey’s work were Soul Centered Astrology: A Key to Your Expanding Self by Alan Oken and Esoteric Astrology: A New Astrology for a New Millennium by Douglas Baker.)
 
06:58 – Rosanne’s second selection is The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. This book is full of wisdom and Rosanne feels transported to another dimension of reality when she reads it.
 
11:09 – Rosanne’s third choice is the classic Vedic astrology text Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra, which is largely attributed to author Maharishi Parasara. This one is a two-fer for Rosanne: She loves the Sanskrit in here, so could continue her Sanskrit studies while deepening her knowledge of Vedic techniques! (And as a bonus: Hear about James Kelleher’s Path of Light Vedic astrology books and the fascinating, out-of-print The Astrology of Death by Richard Houck.)
 
17:06 – Interlude: Join CAELi  and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
17:52 – Hear about Rosanne’s fascinating journey to becoming an astrologer, and her upcoming book Persephone’s Revolution, about Pluto’s extreme declination cycle and the rise and fall of world empires!
 
28:21 – Rosanne’s recommendations for beginners? Buckle up for a wonderful list, including: Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark by Bernadette Brady; the series The Only Way to Learn Astrology by Marion D. March and Joan McEvers; Astrology and the Authentic Self: Integrating Traditional and Modern Astrology to Uncover the Essence of the Birth Chart by Demetra George; Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand And Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch; Complete Astrology: The Classic Guide to Modern Astrology by Alan Oken; Dynamics of Aspect Analysis: New Perceptions in Astrology by Bil Tierney; Navigating by the Stars: Astrology and the Art of Decision-Making by Edith Hathaway; and the previously mentioned Richard Houck book, all available to read when you visit CAELi!
 
31:14 – Find Rosanne at her website: https://www.astrologywithrosiefinn.com/. And stay tuned for an upcoming virtual book talk at CAELi about Persephone’s Revolution!
 
31:50 – 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.

030 | Sam Oakwell: Astrological Magic & Surgery on the Soul

Astrologer Sam Oakwell joins host Jenn Zahrt this week from the heady clime of Ann Arbor, Michigan! Sam and Jenn sit down for a chat about books and more, including: ancient Atlantean astrology; the soul moving through signs; astrological divination; profections, firdaria, and primary directions; a stochastic philosophical approach; astrological magic; planetary rituals; phenomenology; embodiment and lived experience; and a new way to view chart remediation. Plus: hanging with Santa Cruz hippies, a bridge to the future, and… there’s nothing wrong with your chart!
 
 
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 Jan. 2024):
 
00:31 – Sam Oakwell is an astrologer and independent scholar, whose approach combines Hellenistic, medieval, and modern techniques. They view astrology as a form of divination and engage with it as part of their larger spiritual practice, which draws from a variety of sources including Hellenistic paganism, Zen Buddhism, and contemporary occultism. In a (metaphorical) past life, they studied philosophy at the graduate level, focusing especially on phenomenology and metaphysics. Their website is launching soon, so watch this space for a live link when the magic is unleashed!
 
01:49 – Sam’s first astrology book was 2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future by Mark Borax. They came across this one at a used bookstore, and Sam was intrigued by this strange autobiographical text depicting the author’s experiences with astrologer William (Ellias) Lonsdale.
 
06:40 – If Sam were stranded on a desert island, which books would they take? First up: Abu Ma'shar Al-Balkhi’s Persian Nativities IV: On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities, translated by Benjamin Dykes. This comprehensive text for predictive timing techniques never disappoints.
 
12:02 – Sam’s second choice is The Celestial Art: Essays on Astrological Magic (Western Esotericism in Context), an out-of-print book edited by Austin Coppock and Daniel A. Schulke. Sam enjoys the wide range of traditions and approaches in this seminal text on situating astrology back into occult and magic discourses. Luminaries such as Demetra George, Austin Coppock himself, John Michael Greer, Jason Miller, Freedom Cole, Benjamin Dykes, Al Cummins, Lee Lehman, and Eric Purdue contributed to the volume. If you can’t find a copy become a CAELi member and read it at the library!
 
18:30 – Interlude: Join CAELi  and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
19:17 – Sam’s third selection is Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty. This is a dense but beautifully written tome that emphasizes the role of the living body in philosophy, taking thoughts out of the heady realm of the mind and back into local, lived space. While not an astrology text, the phenomenology presented here will enhance anyone’s astrological practice.
 
31:07 – Sam’s recommendations for beginners? First, they’d suggest Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan. Additionally, Sam mentions that the transcripts from Chris’s The Astrology Podcast are a great way to learn. A Scheme of Heaven: The History of Astrology and the Search for our Destiny in Data by Alexander Boxer also gets a nod because it’s so comprehensive and provides context from the realm of data science. Finally, a philosophy book that’s good for astrologers and magicians is Technic and Magic: The Reconstruction of Reality by Federico Campagna.
 
37:12 – Find Sam at their website: https://www.oakwellastrology.com/.
 
37:39 – 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.

029 | Karen Hawkwood: Singing With the Mermaids

Astrologer, author, and teacher Karen Hawkwood joins host Jenn Zahrt this week! The duo takes parallel tracks to arrive at a conversation filled with books and more, including: the history of Kepler College; living conversations in written form; sly Neptune steering the chat to evade description; the drop going back to the ocean; existential yearning; the true medicine of the sixth house; the beauty and necessity of defenses; and Saturn and Chiron. Plus: mermaid wrangling, paradox, and… is building a Neptunian shelter a good choice or a terrible one??
 
 
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 Dec. 2023):
 
00:31 – Karen, aka KJ Sassypants, graduated from Kepler College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts after a 4-year curriculum that included astrological history and practice. Then in 2013, she completed Martha Beck’s Life Coach Training program. Today, she combines the depth and insight of psychological astrology with effective coaching tools to help clients. KJ is the author of Surviving 30: Waking Up To Your True Self Through Your Saturn Return. She also runs the Paradox School, a 12-month training program for anyone desiring deeper fluency in understanding how people work.
 
04:40 – KJ first encountered astrology in middle school when her best friend’s mom interpreted her chart! She later found Alan Oken’s red-and-gold covered As Above, So Below in a Boulder, CO bookstore. (Extra pod points awarded here, because Jenn and KJ shared the same first astrology text – although Jenn’s had the black, white, and purple cover!)
 
08:39 – If KJ were stranded on a desert island, which books would she take? It’s all about Liz Greene for Ms. Sassypants! Her first selection is Liz’s The Horoscope in Manifestation: Psychology and Prediction, because Liz has an amazing way of teaching the intersection of depth psychology and archetypal astrology.
 
13:04 – Interlude: Join CAELi  and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
13:51 – KJ’s second choice is Liz’s brilliant tome The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption. Neptune is strong in KJ’s chart, and when she reads this book, she feels seen!
 
24:00 – KJ’s third selection is Liz’s Barriers and Boundaries: The Horoscope and the Defences of the Personality. How can our pain shape us? This cloth-covered, hidden gem unfolds the defensive structures that the human psyche puts in place to protect itself.
 
29:19 – Liz just released her first book in 20 years, so hop on the book bus as Jenn and KJ discuss Chiron in Love: The Astrology of Envy, Rage, Compassion and Wisdom.
 
30:31 – KJ’s recommendations for beginners? She once trained with Steven Forrest, so The Inner Sky gets a vote. But her main rec is Liz Greene’s Relating: An Astrological Guide to Living With Others on a Small Planet. This accessible book introduces the collective unconscious and the idea of projection. One caveat that KJ always shares, however, is that because this text was published in the 1970s, it feels a bit dated with its heteronormative and gender-binary language. It’s a rare book to find, though! (Hint: CAELi has a copy – one more perk of becoming a member!)
 
34:55 – Find KJ at her website, http://www.karenhawkwood.com/, where you can learn more about her and the Paradox School. Also, join her on Facebook: @kjsassypants.
 
35:32 – 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.

028 | Bear Ryver: Embodied Empowerment & Grounded Growth

Award-winning astrologer Bear Ryver joins host Jenn Zahrt with tin can phone in hand from Olympia, WA! Together, the CAELi colleagues cover: book terrain, elemental imbalances, fixed stars, firdaria, Jupiter in Taurus, Sabian symbols, observational astronomy, degree theory, the Boomer-Millennial Saturn/Uranus connection, and more. All that, plus: dial-up modems, Battlestar Galactica philosophy, and… learning that dinner doesn’t always have to be an accomplishment!
 
 
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 Oct. 2023):
 
00:31 – Bear won the Organization for Professional Astrology’s Most Promising Astrologer award in 2018! As a queer astrologer with a focus on Intersectionality, Bear uses compassion and humor to help his clients hone strategies for grounded growth and embodied empowerment by bringing them back to the BASICS – bravery, authenticity, sovereignty, courage, and stewardship. Bear has lectured at conferences like NORWAC and ISAR. He holds certifications in Hellenistic, electional, and horary astrology, and was a teacher for the Portland School of Astrology.
 
01:16 – The first astrology book that Bear received was from his grandma! It was a little pocket astrology book about Leos (Bear and Grandma share that sign). Later, as a teen, Bear discovered two books by Stephen Arroyo: Astrology, Psychology, and the Four Elements: An Energy Approach to Astrology and Its Use in the Counseling Arts and Astrology, Karma & Transformation. Here’s to astrology-loving grandmas everywhere! (Bonus side conversation: Check out Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum.)
 
05:27 – If Bear were lost in the Olympic Mountains, what books would he bring? First up (and in order of print date), he would bring his 1911 copy of Star Lore of All Ages by William Tyler Olcott. Bear appreciates Olcott’s approach to cultural astronomy.
 
07:36 – Bear’s second choice is Abu Ma'shar Al-Balkhi’s Persian Nativities IV: On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities, translated by Benjamin Dykes. This is an essential text on timing techniques; Bear uses it when prepping for clients.
 
15:52 – Enjoy the conversational trip to Georgia Stathis’s Pushing Through Time: Synodic Cycles and Their Developing Phases and Robert P. Blaschke’s Sabian Aspect Orbs (Astrology: A Language of Life, Vol. 2). Both books cover synodic cycles!
 
17:56 – Interlude: Join CAELi  and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
18:42 – Bear’s third selection is about lunar mansions and more: Shams al-Ma’arif: The Sun of Knowledge, An Arabic Grimoire: A Selected Translation by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni and translated from the Arabic by Amina Inloes, PhD, with commentary and illustrations by J.M. Hamade. (And check out episode 27 from last week, J.M. Hamade: A Starry Tour Guide’s Travelogue!)
 
30:49 – Bear’s recommendations for beginners? For those who want to nerd out on history and do some homework, Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques by Demetra George is a wonderfully approachable entry point. For the super-duper newbie, check out Chani Nicholas’s You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance. A favorite of both Bear and Jenn is On the Heavenly Spheres by Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro. For the intermediate student, the previously mentioned Persian Nativities IV is a must. Finally, for those interested in history and mundane astrology, Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas is the one to have.
 
34:22 – Find Bear at his website: https://www.bearryver.com/. And his handle on social media is @bearryver.
 
35:05 – 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.

027 | J.M. Hamade: A Starry Tour Guide’s Travelogue

Astrologer, artist, and author J.M. Hamade joins host Jenn Zahrt as they set their sights on a tour through astrology books from cultures around the world! Navigate by the stars, as the two discuss: astrologies (plural!), deep time questions, lunar mansions, stories of the Vedic deities and nakshatras, bibliomancy, embodied stars, the 260-day Mayan calendar, star treading, and more. Plus: the roller coaster of our life, spontaneous mental gymnastics, and a two-Jennifers analogy!
 
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 2023):
 
00:31 – J.M. is a talismanic artist, florist, diviner, writer, and teacher who lives in New York City. He approaches astrology in an “imagistic” and imaginative way, while seeking to bridge contemporary aesthetics with time tested magical techniques rooted in astrological magic. J.M. wrote commentary for and illustrated the book Shams al-Ma’arif: The Sun of Knowledge, An Arabic Grimoire: A Selected Translation by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni and translated from the Arabic by Amina Inloes, PhD.
 
05:57 – The first books that helped J.M. enter astrology-land were also philosophical texts: The Light of Egypt by Thomas H. Burgoyne and The Holy Science by Sri Yukteswar Giri. Other formative books that got him thinking about deeper cycles of time and lost civilizations were Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock and The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids by Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert.
 
13:45 – If J.M. were stuck in a cave in a fjord, what books would he bring along? First up: Nakshatra: The Authentic Heart of Vedic Astrology by Vic DiCara. Lunar mansions are J.M.’s thing, and this text digs into the mythology around the deities associated with the nakshatras.
 
20:46 – J.M’s second choice is Babylonian Star-Lore: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-Lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia by Gavin White. Each read brings a new insight!
 
22:23 – Interlude: Join CAELi  and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
25:53 – Thirdly, J.M would pack Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars by Susan Milbrath. This one is near and dear to his heart because the Mexican side of J.M.’s family is from Yucatán. He considers this academic text the bible for Mayan astrology.
 
30:59 – J.M. also has two runner-up books! One is Mayan Calendar Astrology: Mapping Your Inner Cosmos by Kenneth Johnson… with the caveat that this is from an outsider’s perspective! But it’s a good book to get into Mesoamerican astrology. The second shout-out book is Pacing the Void: T'ang Approaches to the Stars by Edward H. Schaefer. This one offers info on star stepping and the T’ang dynasty in China; it’s as much a study of poetry as it is a study of stars.
 
40:27 – J.M.’s recommendations for beginners? For Mesoamerican astrology, the previously mentioned Mayan Calendar Astrology and Star Gods of the Maya. Demetra George’s Astrology and the Authentic Self was a great formative book for J.M., so he suggests that one. For Vedic astrology and lunar mansion info, check out the earlier mention of Nakshatra: The Authentic Heart of Vedic Astrology. For lunar mansions, fixed stars, and their magical applications, read Christopher Warnock’s books. And last by not least, check out J.M.’s book: Shams al-Ma’arif: The Sun of Knowledge, An Arabic Grimoire: A Selected Translation by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni and translated from the Arabic by Amina Inloes, PhD, with commentary and illustrations by J.M. Hamade.
 
42:22 – 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.

026 | Rod Suskin: On the Textual Nexus of Commanding Space & Time

We compleat-ly welcome astrologer and teacher Rod Suskin, beaming in from Cape Town to chat with host Jenn Zahrt! Rod was Jenn’s mentor once upon a time, so join the comfy chat as the two settle in to discuss: books that make you feel like a magician; censorship in South Africa in the 1970s; triplicity rulers of the houses; building astrological foundations; “astrologies” and cultural context; and texts that bring both stability and refreshment. All that, plus: heroic journeys of secret self-published poetry, commentaries that help us understand lost works, and standing on the shoulders of giants!
 
 
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 Oct. 2023):
 
00:31 – Rod is well known as an astrologer and sangoma in Cape Town and has been in practice for over 30 years. His interest is in traditional medicine both in the African and European contexts; his interest in medical astrology led him to study the history of medicine and its relationship with cultural belief systems about health and healing. He has lectured regularly at both the University of Cape Town and University of Stellenbosch medical schools on traditional medicine, history of medicine, and integrative medicine. Rod is the author of several books including Cycles of Life and Synastry. Jenn met Rod when they were both pursuing their MA degrees in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology and Culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She later attended his school, Rod Suskin School of Astrology!
 
03:14 – Astrology entered Rod’s life as a preteen, when he went on vacation with his aunt and uncle, and they ran into a friend who was drawing charts by hand! The friend told Rod to buy The Compleat Astrologer by Derek and Julia Parker. (Later, this came to be known as Parkers' Astrology: The Definitive Guide to Using Astrology in Every Aspect of Your Life.) Rod found himself exposed to the power and accuracy of astrology via this text.
 
08:39 – Ta-daaa! If Rod could only bring a few books with him on a trip, his first pick would be Ben Dykes’s translation of Book of Astronomy by Guido Bonatti. Even today, Rod returns to this one over and over. It’s also useful for finding footnotes! (Enjoy the side trip to the works of William Lilly, Robert Zoller, and Robert Hand.)
 
12:09 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
12:56 – Rod’s (pretend) second choice is Christian Astrology, Vol. 2 by William Lilly. All the sample charts are wonderful for random astro questions, so it’s a gold mine.
 
14:17 – Rod’s (true) second choice is John Frawley’s The Real Astrology. This one is like a fresh wind because it has such a clarifying influence. (Runner-up status goes to Frawley’s other books, The Real Astrology Applied and Sports Astrology.)
 
16:30 – Finally, Rod would bring along The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by Geoffrey Cornelius. This philosophical text covers the concept: Is astrology simply timing, or is it divination?
 
19:56 – Rod’s recommendations for beginners? His focus is to learn history so that context is understood. Therefore, his choice is the two-volume set A History of Western Astrology by Nicholas Campion.
 
26:52 – Learn more about Rod’s astrology courses, books, and consultations at https://www.rodsuskin.com/. Check out his regular column in The Mountain Astrologer, “Thinking Like an Astrologer.” And we look forward to learning more about the not-memoir that Rod is now not so secretly writing!
 
27:47 – 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.

025 | Adam Elenbaas: On Daily Practice, Devotion, Divination, & Donation

Astrologer, author, and teacher Adam Elenbaas joins host Jenn Zahrt to chat books, astrology, ayahuasca, and more! In this episode: Sun signs as the astrology gateway; horary and conditions against judgment; serial reading to understand a text anew; astrology as a form of divination; and leaning into Hellenistic with a modern twist. Plus: wrong charts that work, Saturn in your ears, and the Lord of the Rings!
 
 
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 Sept. 2023):
 
00:31 – As an astrologer, author, and yoga instructor, Adam’s style of astrology stems from a deeply grounded, spiritual, and devotional approach to everyday life. He began practicing in 2010 and has completed more than 12,000 birth chart readings and led hundreds of students through his natal and horary astrology instruction programs. He also shares regular content on his popular YouTube and Instagram channels!
 
00:43 – The first astrology book Adam ever read was in 2006 or so: Your Sun Sign as a Spiritual Guide by Swami Kriyananda. He’d just been on an ayahuasca journey, and this archetypal exploration of the 12 Sun signs was deeply impactful. Tune in to hear about Adam’s intriguing path from ayahuasca to astrology, and how NYC astrologer Rebecca Gordon pushed him out of the nest!
 
10:25 – If Adam were stranded on a desert island, what three books would he take? First up: Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View. Author Richard Tarnas’s fascinating mapping of mundane transits through such a wide arc of history stems from deep roots in psychedelic, holotropic breathwork – literally “breathtaking in its scope” – mirroring part of Adam’s own journey into being a professional astrologer and public figure.
 
14:12 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
14:59 – Adam’s second selection is The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by Geoffrey Cornelius. This philosophically meaningful work offers the worldview of astrology as a form of divination rather than simply empirical science.
 
20:26 – Finally, Adam would bring along William Lilly’s famous text on horary astrology, Christian Astrology. Every time he reads this one, he sees what Lilly is saying in new ways.
 
25:11 – Adam’s recommendations for beginners are many! Two massive texts for folks studying Hellenistic astrology are Demetra George’s Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques (Volumes I and II), and Chris Brennan’s Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune. To study archetypes, Adam offers Liz Greene’s works, and mentions the Center for Psychological Astrology. For modern astrology, no one can tell a story like Steven Forrest, so Adam suggests Forrest’s books – but especially The Book of the Moon: Discovering Astrology’s Lost Dimension. A good intro to traditional astrology is On the Heavenly Spheres by the late Helena Avelar and the still-living Luis Ribeiro. For those interested in horary, check out Derek Appleby’s Horary Astrology: An Introduction to the Astrology of Time and John Frawley’s The Horary Textbook – Revised Edition. Last but not least, for mundane astrology, the previously mentioned Cosmos and Psyche is a keeper.
 
28:06 – Learn more about Adam at https://nightlightastrology.com/. And if you like his work, here’s his Kickstarter!
 
28:38 – 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.

024 | Celeste Brooks: Moon Phase Families, Eclipses, & Celestial Insights

Astrologer, coach, and intuitive Celeste Brooks joins host Jenn Zahrt from Oakland, CA to chat about books, eclipses, communication styles, quintiles and other minor aspects, forecasting, and more! Plus, don’t miss Celeste’s mini-lesson on the Lunar Phase Families – an astonishing technique if this is new to you. Plus: the magic of the number nine, astrology as reading data, and… go Bears!
 
 
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 Oct. 2023):
 
00:31 – Celeste left her 25-year corporate career in sales, marketing, and business development to become an astrologer! She feels called to guide others on their paths, and loves to connect with clients through readings, coaching, group events, and classes. Celeste is the Transit Talk host and OPA Live Manager for the Organization of Professional Astrologers (OPA). She has an undergraduate degree in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley and an MBA from St. Mary’s College. She holds the Practitioner’s Level Horary Certificate from the School of Traditional Astrology.
 
01:29 – The first astrology book that made an impact on Celeste was The Power of Mercury: Understanding Mercury Retrograde and Unlocking the Astrological Secrets of Communication. Celeste met the author, Leslie McGuirk, at Leslie’s book launch – and Celeste’s interest was piqued! Nothing like entering astrology via Mercury’s invitation to get a new career started, right??
 
08:53 – If Celeste were to take three important books with her to a remote location, what would they be? First, she’d bring Sue Tompkins’s Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope. Sue’s work details everything from the planets to aspects to chart patterns and more – all from a psychological perspective.
 
10:45 – Celeste’s second selection is The Art of Predictive Astrology: Forecasting Your Life Events by Carol Rushman. This book has lots of tools and tricks, going deep into progressions, eclipses, retrogrades, and transits.
 
12:27 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
14:10 – Lastly, Celeste would take along the invaluable Lunar Shadows III: The Predictive Power of Moon Phases & Eclipses by Dietrech Pessin. This dense, technical book offers so much wisdom about eclipses and the Moon Phase Families that it’s had a huge impact on Celeste’s work!
 
21:47 – Celeste’s recommendations for beginners are: The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest, The Archetypal Universe by Renn Butler, and Keywords for Astrology: The Essential Guide to Correspondences and Interpretation of Planets, Signs, Houses, and Aspects by Hajo Banzhaf and Anna Haebler.
 
24:49 – Learn more about Celeste at: https://www.astrologybyceleste.com/. Check out her pod, Celestial Insights Podcast (available on all platforms)! Celeste is also on social everywhere @astrologybyceleste (Insta, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook), but note: Instagram is her main platform, where she does live shows three times per week.
 
26:17 – 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.