Within Orb

066 | Frederick Woodruff: The Astrological Matrix

Astrologer, author, and podcaster Frederick Woodruff joins host Jenn Zahrt from Vashon Island in Washington for a comprehensive, buoyant chat that includes must-have astrology (and non-astrology) books, musings on Saturn and writing, and more! Tune in to hear about: working with Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson as a teen; the mystery of unfoldment; questions related to the mechanism of divination; horary astrology; falling in love with “wrong” astrology; pondering the origin of consciousness; consultation styles; quadrant versus whole sign houses; using a psychological lexicon; the hidden prescreening upside of pop astrology; how writing about Saturn is like pulling teeth (Hah! Good one, Saturn!); and posthumous astrology. Plus: Princess Diana’s (incorrect) chart, breaking up with a serial killer, and… did women invent astrology?
 
Want to get in on Time Climb? The “astrology gym for your brain” at CAELi? Check out more info at this link. See you there!
 
Frederick Woodruff joins Episode 66 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!
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Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
 
*****
 
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Aug. 2024):
 
01:23 – Frederick Woodruff uses astrology as next-level psychoanalysis… of the culture, the arts, and the individual. He’s the House astrologer for Corridor Menswear NYC. Frederick’s fictional romance novel on Jeffrey Dahmer will be arriving soon, so stay tuned!
 
02:25 – Frederick’s very first astrology book was Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs, which was available in his house as a kid; the idea of having insight into people because of birth signs intrigued him. Later, the musical Hair captivated him (with “the age of Aquarius”) and led him on an odyssey of tracking down an astrology teacher!
 
06:06 – If Frederick could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would they be? First up would be The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by the late Geoffrey Cornelius, because it offers a “before” and “after” in the ladder of astrological learning.
 
12:25 – Frederick’s second choice would be one that is not specifically focused on astrology! William Irwin Thompson’s Coming Into Being: Artifacts and Texts in the Evolution of Consciousness is a rich text offering fascinating insights into the topic of consciousness.
 
16:12 – The third title Frederick would bring is The Astrology of Transformation: A Multilevel Approach by Dane Rudhyar. This good, solid read is the culmination of Rudhyar’s cosmology. (And enjoy the throwback which is mentioned – Episode 51, Travis Black: On the Least Worst Astrology & More!)
 
19:47 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
20:33 – For beginners, Frederick recommends Astrology for Lovers by Liz Greene. Why the unusual pick? The first part of Greene’s book encapsulates astrology in a gifted way. Also, the exploration of the signs is unmatched!
 
26:11 – Learn about Frederick’s upcoming romance novel about Jeffrey Dahmer!
 
34:57 – Find Frederick at his website: www.frederickwoodruff.com. Learn about his upcoming Dahmer book on his Substack page. And check out his podcast, The Rage of Aquarius!
 
36:04 – 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.

065 | Rose Blakelock: Distilling the Stars

Astrologer, musician, and podcaster Rose Blakelock joins host Jenn Zahrt from New Mexico to wrestle with fate versus choice and chat about astrology books! Join them for a lively discussion, which includes: growth through the midlife transits; feeling seen through reading; digging into planetary aspects; Grünewald's triptych panels; the Jupiterian buoyancy of making it through the second Saturn return; talking to a client about Moon-Pluto, Mars-Pluto, or Saturn-Pluto aspects; teaching on Zoom; the concept of inverting the houses; hearing the voice of the author; and a blueprint to follow the houses. Plus: hippie parents, curmudgeons, and…Houlding a Hand, lol!
 
Want to get in on Time Climb? The “astrology gym for your brain” at CAELi? Check out more info at this link. See you there!
 
Rose Blakelock joins Episode 65 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.
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):
 
01:23 – Rose Blakelock is a queer astrologer, musician, and podcaster currently living in so-called New Mexico. She believes astrology is a powerful symbolic language that can help us discover our true potential and cultivate a greater understanding of the rhythms and cycles unfolding around us. She is the host of the podcasts Mutual Reception and Big Dyke Energy and publishes bimonthly forecasts and horoscopes. She is currently taking new clients and is available for individual consultations, readings for couples, and more.
 
01:50 – Rose’s very first astrology book was Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes by Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox. But her parents also had Linda Goodman’s Love Signs at her house while growing up!
 
04:33 – If Rose could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would they be? Dane Rudhyar’s An Astrological Triptych is first on the list, because it’s succinct and satisfying. Also, this text was the one that first helped her make sense of the houses. (And to hear more on Rudhyar, lend your ears to Episode 15, Lars Panaro: Scattering Karmic Stardust!)
 
08:29 – Rose’s second choice would be The Astrology of Midlife and Aging by Erin Sullivan, who recently passed away. Rose likes this one because she’ll be getting older on the island and will need the info – plus, it offers a wonderful, pragmatic breakdown of midlife! (And a shout-out also goes to Sullivan’s Saturn in Transit.)
 
14:42 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
 
15:29 – The third title Rose would bring is Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope by Sue Tompkins. Rose still goes back to this one; it helped her learn how the planets talk to each other.
 
22:03 – For beginners, Rose recommends: Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand; The Astrological Houses: The Spectrum of Individual Experience by Dane Rudhyar (yes, it’s out-of-print… but it’s at CAELi, so become a member for access!); The Astrology of Fate by Liz Greene; and The Gods of Change: Pain, Crisis and the Transits of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto by Howard Sasportas. Honorable mentions go to The Art of Chart Interpretation: A Step-By-Step Method of Analyzing, Synthesizing and Understanding the Birth Chart by Tracy Marks and the previously mentioned Aspects in Astrology by Sue Tompkins.
 
33:58 – Find Rose at her website: https://roseblakelock.com/. She’s also on Substack. On Instagram, her handle is @mutable_cross.
 
34:32 – 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.

064 | Azur César: In Love with the Firmament

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.
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 – 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.

063 | Frida Rydqvist Ilahi: Thriving with Modern Astrology

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.

062 | Blaze-Maximus: Bringing World Astrology to Life!

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.

061 | Amy Green: Time Magic

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.

060 | Giorgia Pecora: Embodying the Celestial Quest

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.

059 | John Zambarano: Sciences of Light

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.