Within Orb
WITHIN ORB: A podcast featuring interviews with astrologers about the books that changed their lives and practice. Join host Dr Jenn Zahrt every Monday for a new conversation. Each (roughly) thirty minute episode takes you on a journey across the textual territories of astrological publishing, both historical and future. Along the way, you’ll gather insights into the shifting sands of astrological trends, techniques, and the proliferation of practices and praxis. Each episode ends with the guest’s recommendations of books for beginners. Be careful, your tsundoku pile is about to double, or even quadruple!
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Episodes
Monday Sep 23, 2024
Monday Sep 23, 2024
Astrologer, poet, and artist Azur César joins host Jenn Zahrt from Lyon, France! Join the dynamic duo, as they cover Azur’s favorite astrology books and more, including: fixed stars; planetary combinations; astrologer Jean-Baptiste Morin; a sturdy foundation for studying star stuff; should history or techniques come first?; Mars-Jupiter and Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune keywords and phrases; the beauty of haiku delineations; parans; when the Daimon speaks loudly; soldiers and military stars; discussing difficult topics with a client; and books for water signs! Plus: plunging in the deep end, spontaneous outbreaks of peace, and… popcorn, anyone?
Azur César joins Episode 64 of Within Orb!
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.
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Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded July 2024):
00:31 – Azur is an astrologer and student of astrology, an astrolaterand artist from France. Especially interested in fixed stars, astrolatry and astrological magic – with a background and deep interest in psychotraumatology as well as queer and disability studies – Azur can be set off to ramble about ethics exceedingly easily. Find Azur at his website, on Substack, or on Instagram @azuradastra.
02:35 – First, Azur caught the astrology bug through websites and podcasts – which led him to Chris Brennan’s The Astrology Podcast. From there, Azur’s initial astrology book was Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan, which was a great foundational resource.
04:54 – If Azur could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would they be? First up: The Archetypal Universe by Renn Butler, because the keywords and archetypal combinations of planets are amazing!
10:36 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
11:23 – Azur’s second choice would be Star and Planet Combinations by Bernadette Brady. This one is special because it’s the text that Azur uses most often – an underrated cookbook!
19:52 – The third title Azur would bring is Secrets of the Ancient Skies, Volumes 1 and 2 by Diana K. Rosenberg. These tomes struck his heart in the best of ways – there’s so much to dig into and lots of examples!
22:38 – For beginners, Azur recommends You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas, On the Heavenly Spheres by Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro, and Astrology and the Authentic Self: Integrating Traditional and Modern Astrology to Uncover the Essence of the Birth Chart by Demetra George.
26:11 – 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.
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Astrologer and clinical psychologist Frida Rydqvist Ilahi joins host Jenn Zahrt from Sweden to chat about the books she loves! Fly over the North Pole and join the two, as they cover: modern astrology; Uranus transits to the Sun; Taurus and life enrichment; the Plutonian experience; the third Saturn return; a legacy through books; bridging esoteric-based concepts with science; legal restrictions of practicing astrology as a clinical psychologist in Sweden; moving from surviving to thriving; fertility astrology and the Almuten of Pregnancy; ethics; the importance of returning to basics; and the precession of the equinoxes. Plus: the Arctic Circle and Pluto, astrological lineage, and… hey, don’t forget to cite your sources!
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 July 2024):
00:31 – Frida Rydqvist Ilahi is a modern astrologer, clinical psychologist, and final year PhD student in psychology. Frida researches children and adolescents’ mental health and executive functions, while also running a part-time astrology practice. Frida is passionate about ethics and astrology, as well as how to bridge the gap between the evidence-based and the esoteric. She is the author of an upcoming astrology book that discusses the potential integration of modern astrology and evidence-based positive psychology. The book will be released next year, around the same time as her planned doctoral defense in psychology.
00:56 – “You cannot throw away books!” Frida’s very first astrology book was The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest. She received this text during a break-up with an ex!
05:27 – If Frida could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would they be? Her Scorpio Moon votes for a book on Pluto, so first up: The Power of Pluto by Arlene Robertson and Margaret Wilson. This text offers a profound description of the Pluto experience.
17:04 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
17:51 – Frida’s second choice would be the ethical and fascinating Fertility Astrology: A Modern Medieval Textbook by Nicola Smuts-Allsop. Frida loves the great perspective of this one!
23:47 – It’s always helpful to go back to basics! The third title Frida would bring is The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest – she always goes back to it!
27:59 – For beginners, Frida recommends The Inner Sky and The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology by April Elliott Kent.
32:37 – Find Frida at her website: https://www.esotericadventures.com/. On Instagram, her handle is @esoteric_adventures.
32:59 – 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.
Monday Sep 09, 2024
Monday Sep 09, 2024
Astrologer Blaze-Maximus joins host Jenn Zahrt from Orlando, Florida for a chat covering traditional astrological texts and more! Join the duo, as they discuss: differing translations of the same text; word choice for planetary indications; world astrology; a love of conjunctions; predictions and forecasting; the recent Libra eclipse; Jupiter in Gemini; book bans and preserving knowledge; measuring the Mars-Jupiter and Jupiter-Saturn cycles; the dawr of Jupiter in Libra; how the influence of the larger world supersedes one’s nativity (or does it?); the prenatal syzygy; and taking it to the bounds! All that, plus: moms who love astrology, plagues of locusts, and… the history of Martin Luther’s fake birthday!
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 July 2024):
00:31 – Blaze-Maximus is a queer Latin astrologer from the Bronx, New York living in Orlando, Florida studying and practicing Hellenistic and Medieval Islamicate astrological traditions. Following in the lineage of ancient and medieval astrologers, Blaze brings ancient astrology alive in their consultations with clients, on their Patreon, and through their writing and educational content. Blaze also connects with others on social media platforms by hosting live {Twitter} Space discussions where anyone can listen in on a conversation about astrology around the world, and at in-person events, bringing the tradition of astrology to a wider audience.
01:05 – Blaze’s very first (heart-shaped!) astrology book was Love Signs: Who's the One for You? by Laurie Reid. (Thanks, Mom!) Later, Blaze dove into Astrology: A Cosmic Science by Isabella Hickey. And two texts that helped Blaze learn traditional astrology were William Lilly’s Christian Astrology and Chris Brennan’s Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune.
06:08 – If Blaze could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would they be? Their first choice is The Great Introduction to the Science of the Judgments of the Stars by Abū Maʿshar Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, translated by Benjamin Dykes. This is such a foundational title! (And a nod to the work of Dr. Olomi!)
10:32 – Blaze’s second choice would be The Book of Religions and Dynasties by Abu Ma’shar (edited by K. Yamamoto and C. Burnett). There is significance in studying world astrology, and this one provides a good framework.
15:01 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
15:48 – The third title Blaze would bring is The Astrology of Sahl b. Bishr: Volume I: Principles, Elections, Questions, Nativities by Sahl Ibn Bishr and translated by Benjamin Dykes. This text has great treatments on identifying the situations and circumstances of a person’s life through astrological configurations. (And a hat tip to Jenn’s mention of No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies by Naomi Klein.)
31:16 – For beginners, Blaze recommends On the Heavenly Spheres by the late Helena Avelar and the living Luis Ribeiro and Brennan’s previously mentioned Hellenistic Astrology.
34:10 – Find Blaze at their website https://astrobymax.com/, where you can also find links to their social and Patreon!
35:23 – 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.
Monday Sep 02, 2024
Monday Sep 02, 2024
Astrologer and teacher Amy Green joins host Jenn Zahrt from Maine to discuss books and more! Tune in to hear a wide-ranging chat that covers such topics as: interdisciplinary combinations; plants with the nature of Jupiter; college professors in the know about Project Hindsight; the historical arcs of ephemerides from past centuries; Babylonian astrology; Great Conjunctions; phase cycles of Venus; electional astrology; conditions for the Moon; remediation; complex adaptive systems theory; and the evolution of relationship with each planet. Plus: the fall of the Roman Empire, interpreting the moment, and asking a favor!
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 July 2024):
00:31 – Amy Green has been a consulting astrologer since 2016, merging current best practices for direct support work with advanced astrological techniques. Astrology helped Amy navigate out of family violence towards safety and belonging in their own life. Trained as a family advocate, Amy supported hundreds of children and caregivers through traumatic events. Now they teach for Austin Coppock’s FOA Program and co-host Consideration Before Judgment, an accessible membership for astrological support, facilitated groups, and private tutoring. Amy also has Rising Sign Meetups and other interactive learning spaces that are always worth checking out!
04:20 – Amy’s very first astrology book was Culpeper's Complete Herbal by the eponymous Nicholas Culpeper. Then, after getting hooked on the astro.com website, they bought Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand!
07:13 – If Amy could bring only three books on a trip to Greenland, what would they be? Their first choice is Mathesis by Julius Firmicus Maternus, which has been translated into English by James Herschel Holden (AFA) and also Ben Dykes (Cazimi Press) – it’s Amy’s go-to text! (And the runner-up is Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas!)
12:54 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
13:41 – Amy’s second choice would be Carmen Astrologicum by Dorotheus of Sidon (which you can find translated by either Benjamin Dykes or David Pingree). This one would occupy Amy’s time; they often return to it because it’s so good!
18:03 – The third title Amy would bring is The Celestial Art: Essays on Astrological Magic, edited by Austin Coppock and Daniel Schulke. This collection of essays offers unexplored territory, with lots of approaches under one roof!
20:27 – For beginners, Amy recommends Visionary Activist Astrology by Caroline Casey and Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand and Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch.
22:06 – Find Amy at their website: https://amygreensastrology.com/. On Twitter/X, Amy’s handle is @frog_yama; on Instagram and Threads, it’s @amygreensastrology.
24:00 – 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.
Monday Aug 26, 2024
Monday Aug 26, 2024
Astrologer and teacher Giorgia Pecora joins host Jenn Zahrt from Berlin, Germany! Danke schön and grazie mille to Giorgia for sharing her knowledge of international astrology books and more, including: crafting astrological masks; astro-shamanism; family constellations and astrology; going on a quest; “astrologia morpurghiana”; imaginary experiences of being on your Neptune line; evolutionary astrology; Moon and Saturn keywords; the struggle of the soul; Saturn in the 12th house; karma and metaphysics; astro-genealogy; and releasing control. Plus: speaking German, a feast of stones, and a three-dimensional experience!
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 August 2024):
00:31 – Giorgia Pecora is a modern astrologer, astrogenealogist, writer, shamanic practitioner, and woo-woo explorer. Since starting her practice in Berlin in 2016, she’s met countless people to discuss all things astrology. She lectures at conferences, writes, teaches at her school Visionary Astrology, and offers workshops across Europe. Giorgia’s approach – marked by clarity, compassion, and humor – integrates astrology with somatic work and shamanic practices.
05:28 – Giorgia’s very first astrology book was Lezioni di Astrologia by renowned Italian astrologer Lisa Morpurgo. Morpurgo wrote three books that Giorgia enjoyed, which focused on planets, aspects, and houses – foundational astrology but at a deep level. Giorgia hasn’t finished Morpurgo’s fourth book quite yet, Il Convitato di Pietra, which translates to “the stone guest,” but it keeps traveling from place to place with her!
10:02 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
10:49 – If Giorgia could bring only three books to the Azores, what would they be? The first mention goes to Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul, Volume 1 by Jeff Wolf Green, because Green writes in a way that reaches everyone!
14:38 – Giorgia’s second choice would be anything by Dane Rudhyar! She’d love to bring his whole archive (https://www.khaldea.com/rudhyar/). But the books that appeal to her most are Rudhyar’s Person Centered Astrology and The Twelve Astrological Houses: The Way of Creative Accomplishment (the latter one is edited by Michael R. Meyer). Giorgia finds Rudhyar’s work to be mind-opening! (Also, an honorable mention goes to Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope by Sue Tompkins.)
18:01 – The third title Giorgia would bring is the classic Astrology, Karma & Transformation by Stephen Arroyo, which expands Giorgia’s awareness.
19:05 – ¡Hola! Extra book alert! For a fourth text, Giorgia points to the Spanish book Luces y Sombras del Arbol Genealogico (“Lights and Shadows of the Geological Tree” by Daniel Dancourt. Giorgia is into transgenerational astrology, and this one is a gem.
19:58 – For beginners, Giorgia recommends: Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand and Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch; The Twelve Houses: Exploring the Houses of the Horoscope by Howard Sasportas; and The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest.
21:30 – Find Giorgia at her website: http://visionaryastrology.org/. She is also active on Instagram, where her handle is @visionary.astrology.
22:57 – 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.
Monday Aug 19, 2024
Monday Aug 19, 2024
Astrologer John Zambarano joins host Jenn Zahrt from Rhode Island to discuss astrological traditions, books, and more! Join Jenn and John as they cover: fixed star Spica and heliacal rising; the importance of the source text Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra (aka BPHS!); reading Sanskrit; working with Mars on Tuesday; the value of knowing your lineage; research on polyamory and non-monogamy; triplicity rulers of the houses; divisional charts (and dividing a sign into 300 segments!); the Dodecatemoria; numerology; planetary efficacy; Venus and Mars remedies; the Dasha system; and tertiary progressions. Plus: mantras, the far side of the Moon, and… nothing wrong with Libras!!
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 July 2024):
00:31 – John is a queer Jyotiṣī and Hellenistic Astrologer on a journey to fuse both astrology from the East and West to provide a holistic view of the natal promise.
01:06 – Scorpio power! John’s very first astrology book was The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Woolfolk. Once in college, John learned his Moon sign, which led him down a path to learn more – and his mom joined him for the astro ride!
03:12 – If John could bring only three books to a deserted island, the first one he’d pack would be Science of Light, Volume 1 by his teacher Freedom Cole. John considers himself a Vedic astrologer and looks at this text every day. (And check out Freedom Cole’s appearance on Within Orb: Episode 22, Freedom Cole: Learning & Synthesizing!)
11:48 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
12:35 – Keeping in the Vedic realm, John’s second choice would be Varga Chakra by Sanjay Rath. Rath was Cole’s teacher, and John finds value in the detailed divisional chart info!
20:16 – The third title John would bring is the rich and profound Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume 2 by Demetra George. John gets something new out of this one every time he reads it! (Also mentioned here is the out-of-print book The Astrology of Death by Richard Houck.)
24:27 – For beginners, John recommends Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan, and Crux of Vedic Astrology: Timing of Events by Sanjay Rath.
25:50 – Find John at his website: astrolojohn.com. On Twitter/X and Substack, his handle is @astrolojohn. And on Instagram, find him @john.on.jupiter.
27:39 – 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.
Monday Aug 12, 2024
Monday Aug 12, 2024
Astrologer, podcaster, and teacher Helena Woods joins host Jenn Zahrt from Finland, sharing her knowledge of locational astrology, while connecting about books as well! Together, the two dive into astro*carto*graphy and more: planetary condition and mutual reception; chart sect; giving a great consult; understanding the origins of Hellenistic astrology; when it’s appropriate to have Mars in the 4th house; the heart-centered way to view a chart; astro mapping and house systems; the power of accumulated local space lines; the work of Jim Lewis and Michael Erlewine; the granularity of astro-locality; the secret of parans and orbs of influence; relocated charts and aspects to angles; historical moments as predictions for the future; and geodetic mapping. Plus: bookstore appreciation, the comfort of not living on a planetary line, and the “open house” system!
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 July 2024):
00:31 – Helena is a world-traveling astro*carto*grapher living out of her suitcase full-time to explore her different aspects of consciousness – astro*carto*graphy! She helps her clients and students unlock their promise in the world by being in places that best support them for life and travel. When she’s not traveling, she lives with her husband in France. Helena is currently writing her second book; she also records her adventures on her podcast Cosmic Compass.
02:41 – The early days: At age 16, Helena was obsessed with the book The Secret Language of Birthdays by Gary Goldschneider and Joost Elffers. And how cool: As a baby, Helena’s mom had a chart interpretation packet made for her; she also took Helena to see astrologers as a kid!
05:46 – If Helena could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would she take? The first one would be Astrology and the Authentic Self: Integrating Traditional and Modern Astrology to Uncover the Essence of the Birth Chart by Demetra George. Helena loved this text so much that after reading it on her Kindle, she bought a hard copy, too! (Also, shout-out to George’s Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques – especially Volume 2!)
08:08 – Helena’s second choice would be the beautiful textbook Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan. This one reads well and is packed with wonderful info!
08:56 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
09:43 – Yay, more on astro*carto*graphy! (And a mention of Planets in Locality: Exploring Local Space Astrology by the late Steve Cozzi. Sadly, Steve recently died of COVID-19.)
21:30 – The third title Helena would bring is The Psychology of Astro*Carto*Graphy by Jim Lewis, with contributions by Kenneth Irving. And tune in to hear fascinating information on paran lines and astrolocation – and how to calculate and incorporate them into your work.
29:30 – For beginners, Helena recommends: Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas; Geodetic Astrology for Relocating and World Affairs by Chris McRae; Astrology Made Easy: A Guide to Understanding Your Birth Chart by Yasmin Boland; and the previously mentioned Astrology and the Authentic Self by Demetra George.
32:33 – Find Helena at her website: https://helenawoods.com/.
33:00 – 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.
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Astrologer and teacher Ursidae joins host Jenn Zahrt from La Paz, Baja California Sur in Mexico to connect about books and more! Check out this lively conversation, where the duo cover: accessing esoteric astrology; growth points, not fixed points; shoring up certifications; embodying texts; the history of the name Within Orb; the beauty of storytelling; Chiron’s key; the individuation process and the importance of psychological awakening; understanding life cycles; the IC as our root system; evolutionary astrology; breaking down power systems; the Pluto return of the US; and what the Moon and angry breakfast cereal have in common! All that, plus: surfing on Lake Michigan, van life, and… the tail that wags the dog of the 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 June 2024):
00:31 – lauren k. hickman, MSW (affectionately known as “bear”) of Ursidae Healing Arts is a mindfulness teacher and spiritual guide, specializing in intuitive counsel, astrological interpretation, and comprehensive Reiki training and mentorship. Since 2013 she has offered professional readings and trains students pursuing Reiki practices. A resident of Milwaukee since 2020, she often works in residency as a partner provider at National Geographic’s top spas in the Midwest, Kosa in Madison, and provides astrological sessions at KIN in Des Moines, Iowa; she also travels to host healing workshops and retreats. Her healing journey has included a twenty-plus year practicum in Usui Reiki, a bioenergetic and spiritual practice originating in Japan, as well as containing a life-long relationship with astrology. She utilizes her background in Tibetan Buddhism, meditation, and experience in naturopathic nutrition to inform her work and support clients. She recently received a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. Social justice and a decolonized framework form foundational pillars in all her offerings. bear writes a bi-monthly astrological musing newsletter, The Moon Mailer, and produces The Inspired Astrology Podcast. She is co-authoring a book with integrative astrologer Ryan Evans, and lives part-time in La Paz, Baja California Sur in Mexico.
04:01 – Aquarian babysitters FTW!! Ursidae’s first astrology book was The Secret Language of Birthdays by Gary Goldschneider and Joost Elffers; child minder Dorothy often had that text available! Ursidae’s mom later studied star stuff, specifically Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, so that was also influential. The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest was the first book Ursidae read cover-to-cover when taking the practice more seriously. And Astrology for Dummies by Rae Orion also gets a mention here!
10:48 – If Ursidae could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would she take? First up: the well-written and deep Chiron and the Healing Journey: An Astrological and Psychological Perspective by Melanie Reinhart, because she would like some more time with it!
16:16 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
18:55 – Ursidae’s second choice would be Robert Hand’s classic Planets in Transit: Life Cycles for Living. This seminal text rebirths itself again and again.
20:38 – The third title Ursidae would bring is Evolutionary Astrology: The Journey of the Soul through the States of Consciousness by Raymond A. Merriman. Ursidae’s mom introduced her to this one, and it taught her the importance of chart angles.
23:47 – A bonus book! Ursidae would also pack Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor by Alice Sparkly Kat. This important text helps Ursidae in decolonizing her own spiritual practice.
31:38 – For beginners, Ursidae recommends: The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest; Astrology Illumined: Revealing Soul Through Astrology by Donna Mitchell-Moniak and Sara Traub; and Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand.
37:04 – Find Ursidae at her website: www.ursidae.us.
38:10 – 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.
Meet your host!
Jenn Zahrt PhD is an author, artist, publisher, poet, translator, and teacher of cultural astronomy and astrology. She researches the many forms of astrology emergent across human cultures past and present, with a special focus on early twentieth century German culture.
In 2012 she completed her doctoral thesis, The Astrological Imaginary in Early Twentieth Century Germany, at the University of California, Berkeley. From 2017–2022 she was appointed as an Honorary Research Fellow at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, after receiving her MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology (2015).
She has taught and lectured domestically and internationally in places such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. She’s an emerita of the board of trustees for Kepler College, as well as the Association for Young Astrologers. Her volunteer work for the community continues with her 2023 appointment as a Board Director for the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR).
Zahrt is the founder of Revelore Press, the creative director of the Sophia Centre Press, and the deputy editor of the peer-reviewed journal Culture and Cosmos. In 2021 she founded the Celestial Arts Education Library Institute in Olympia, WA, where she currently lives.
Celestial Arts Education Library Institute
CAELi is a global, virtual community with a brick & mortar base of operations and a deep passion for studying astrology, cosmology, and starlore in its many forms.
Located in the ancestral land of the Coast Salish people, the Nisqually and Cowlitz tribes, CAELi was founded as a member-supported, non-circulating research library in 2021. As a cultural institute, your membership supports essential research, critical conversations, and accessible workspaces for the astrological community.
Onsite and virtual members can access thousands of books, journals, and newsletters, some of which can only be found in a handful of locations throughout the world. We encourage our members to explore new realms of celestial arts research.
Thank you for joining us – we’re delighted to have you within orb!