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 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.
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Astrologer, teacher, and lecturer Kathy Rose joins host Jenn Zahrt to chat books and more! Hop into your proverbial purple chair, and tune in to hear all about: doing astrological research in elementary school; the humanistic approach to star stuff (and a possible resurgence!); why planets don’t “do” things to us; being mindful of the many ways to approach astrology; breaking free from hard-core rules; one-session empowerment; advancing the field with new ideas; unaspected planets; paying attention to the quality of a moment; Frank Clifford’s idea of “Mercury fatigue”; the value of accumulated experience; readings versus consultations; the ethics of telling the future, and the importance of chart synthesis. Plus: past life regression, warm memories and stories of astrologer Noel Tyl, and… how many measurements do you need??
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 – For more than 40 years Kathy Rose has been a full-time consulting astrologer, lecturer, and teacher with a thriving international practice. She brings an intuitive and therapeutic approach to consultations. A highest-honors graduate of Noel Tyl’s Masters Course, Kathy is frequently published in The Mountain Astrologer and maintains a popular YouTube channel; she also hosts The Maverick Podcast. She frequently lectures for Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research & Enlightenment, ISAR, OPA, NCGR, Astrology University, and Kepler College.
01:04 – Kathy’s first astrology book was Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs. And thanks to Kathy’s third-grade teacher for launching her into astrology (and to her mom for purchasing Goodman’s book for her)!
03:35 – If Kathy could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would she bring? The first would be Synthesis & Counseling in Astrology: The Professional Manual by her mentor and friend Noel Tyl. This tome would offer Kathy tons of reading material! (Also mentioned is The Combination of Stellar Influences by Reinhold Ebertin, with translation by Alfred G. Roosedale.)
14:25 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
15:11 – Kathy’s second choice would be The Creative Astrologer: Effective Single Session Counseling by Noel Tyl. Kathy finds this powerful book helpful in guiding consultations.
21:50 – The third title that Kathy would bring is Stephen Arroyo’s Experiments & Experience with Astrology: Reflections on Methods & Meaning. Arroyo’s writing resonates with Kathy! (And a shout-out also goes to Arroyo’s Astrology, Karma & Transformation: The Inner Dimensions of the Birth Chart.)
34:41 – Kathy offers a maverick answer to beginner book recommendations!
37:49 – Find Kathy at her website: https://www.roseastrology.com/! And on social, you can find her: @RoseAstrology on YouTube and Twitter/X; @KathyRose8888 on Instagram; and Kathy Rose on Facebook. And check out the big purple chair in The Maverick Podcast!
38:49 – 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 Jul 22, 2024
Monday Jul 22, 2024
Astrologer and teacher Fernanda Paiva joins host Jenn Zahrt from São Paulo, Brazil to discuss astrology books galore and more! Tune in for this enjoyable chat, which includes: when “wrong” charts work; synchronicity; the living symbols; Neptune transits; bending the rules of starcraft; the defense mechanisms of the planets; forecasting and secondary progressions; astrology throughout history; the upcoming Saturn-Neptune conjunction and the recent Jupiter-Uranus conjunction; deep time twins; underrated beginner books; chart synthesis; and how tarot complements astrology. Plus: mutable ICs, umami astrology, and… your classmates as your secondary progressions!
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 – Fernanda Paiva is an HSP (highly sensitive person), teacher, and practicing astrologer. She holds a certificate from the London School of Astrology, a master’s degree in cultural astronomy and astrology from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and a bachelor’s degree in history. Fernanda has been published by Flare UK, the AA Journal, and at the Astrodienst website, amongst others. Fernanda is originally from Brazil but has lived in the United Kingdom for over 16 years.
01:18 – Astrology captured Fernanda’s heart in the early 1990s via the horoscope magazines in Brazil! The first book she read was Astrology for Lovers by Liz Greene.
02:57 – If Fernanda could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would she bring? The first would be Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by Geoffrey Cornelius, because there’s always something new to grasp!
07:14 – Sneaking in two books, one author! Fernanda’s second choice would be… Liz Greene’s whole collection, lol! The way Greene writes always offers Fernanda a new window to look through. With that in mind, she’d narrow it down to two of her favorites by Greene: The Horoscope in Manifestation: Psychology and Prediction and Barriers and Boundaries: The Horoscope and the Defences of the Personality. There’s a bonus book tossed in for good measure, too: The Astrologer, the Counsellor and the Priest: Two Seminars on Astrological Counselling by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene.
12:28 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
13:14 – The third title that Fernanda would bring is Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas. Tarnas’s comprehensive research would keep Fernanda inspired!
19:47 – For beginners, Fernanda recommends: The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook: An In-Depth Guide to Interpreting Your Horoscope by Sue Tompkins, Chart Interpretation Handbook: Guidelines for Understanding the Essentials of the Birth Chart by Stephen Arroyo, The Twelve Houses: Exploring the Houses of the Horoscope by Howard Sasportas, Getting to the Heart of Your Chart: Playing Astrological Detective by Frank Clifford, and Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark by Bernadette Brady.
27:02 – Find Fernanda at her website: https://www.fernandapaiva.co. On social, Fernanda uses the following handles: @Hitchhiking_Stars on Instagram; @HitchhikingStars on YouTube and Facebook; and @HitchhikingStar on Twitter/X.
27:43 – 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 Jul 15, 2024
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Astrologer Alberto Forero joins host Jenn Zahrt from San Francisco, California to offer a myriad of astrology texts, bolstered by his Gemini sense of curiosity! In this comprehensive chat, Alberto and Jenn cover some wonderful territory, including: fixed stars and constellations; bringing astronomy into astrology; the Uranus/North Node conjunction in Taurus; symbolism and metaphors; when astrology went underground; balancing temperament; physiognomy and cultural biases; astro charts with thumbprint patterns; Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta; sensitive degrees; extending ephemerides; a hypothetical map of astro migration and data visualization; fantasteroids; creating degree symbols; and geomancy. Plus: rethinking book cover designs, reporting from humanity’s living room, and… a degree system based on David Bowie albums!
Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!
Learn more about the CAELi Institute.
Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!
Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!
Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.
Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2024):
00:31 – Alberto Forero has studied and practiced astrology since 2017, practicing both traditional and modern techniques in bringing ancient wisdom to clients. His interest in astrology emerged from several threads: fascination with symbolism, psychology, and alchemy. Alberto serves as President of the San Francisco Astrological Society and is the co-host of the YouTube astrology game show “Astrology Deathmatch.”
00:57 – Alberto found astrology when a work colleague did a reading for him, and he got the astro-bug! His very first book was Parker's Astrology (New Edition): The Definitive Guide to Using Astrology in Every Aspect of Your Life Paperback by Julia and Derek Parker.
04:17 – If Alberto could pack only three books on a long trip, what would he bring? The first one would be the voluminous Secrets of the Ancient Skies, Vol. 1 and 2 by Diana K. Rosenberg. This text offers a massive amount of knowledge, and the historical info is vast. It also offers good info on fixed stars and constellations.
07:35 – Alberto’s second choice is The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, and translated by John Buchanan-Brown. This one is like popcorn for your mind, and it helps Alberto with the symbolic understanding of reality!
13:28 – The third title that Alberto would bring is the wonderful Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum, because it helps get a good baseline sense of a person.
16:39 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
17:25 – Alberto also shared some Gemini bonus books! A hat tip goes to: Your Destiny in Thumb: Indian System of Thumb Reading by R. G. Ra; Ephemerides of the Asteroids: Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta, 1900-2000 by Eleanor Bach; the controversial Rules for Planetary Pictures (Uranian System): Adapted from the Teachings of Alfred Witte by Hans Niggemann; Astrology and the Modern Psyche by Dane Rudhyar; and Astrolabium Planum by Johann Engel. And Jenn gave a shout-out to A Graphic Ephemeris of Sensitive Degrees also by Eleanor Bach!
26:32 – Wondering what fantasteroids are? Learn about them here!
30:25 – For beginners, Alberto recommends The Geomancer's Handbook: Divination and Magic by John Michael Greer, and Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life by Carole Taylor.
35:55 – Find Alberto at his website: https://www.translationoflight.org/. And he’s also the curator of @MuseumAstro on Twitter/X (the visual history of astrology).
36:27 – Thanks for listening to Within Orb! If you love the show, please help support it at no cost to you: Follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or write a happy review! And if you’d like to become a CAELi member or support our work with a contribution of any amount, we’d be delighted – thanks!
Show notes by Jen Braun, JJ Boots Productions LLC.
Monday Jul 08, 2024
Monday Jul 08, 2024
Astrologer and educator Amanda Moreno joins host Jenn Zahrt from Seattle, Washington to chat books and more! Tune in for a wide-ranging discussion, which includes: astrology, magic, and shamanism; using star stuff to address worldwide issues; the evolution of human thought; planets squaring the nodes as skipped steps; tackling what we’d rather not look at; visions of Lilith; the archetypes of the zodiac; past- and early-life healing and shadow integration work; living in a time of great change and collective liberation; time as multidimensional; and understanding the biases of our craft. All that, plus: buying Aquarian posters at a teen hot spot, Italian restaurant bathrooms, and… can astrology tap into future lives??
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 – Amanda Moreno is an astrologer, soul worker, writer, and educator who has been helping folks connect more fully to their place in the universe since 2010. Her astro-roots are in the evolutionary, archetypal, and humanistic branches of the craft. She specializes in soul spelunking and long-term support. Her master’s degree in depth psychology focused on ways astrology can help people navigate personal and collective rites of passage. Amanda speaks at conferences, has worked with astro organizations and schools, and is most passionate about helping folks understand astrology as a living system and relational way of knowing.
01:53 – Thanks, Claire’s Boutique! Astrology first captured Amanda’s attention as a teen when she saw a poster about the sign of Aquarius. (Does she still have it? You betcha!) The first astrology book that Amanda ever got her hands on was Linda Goodman’s Love Signs. But the first one that she read cover-to-cover was the comprehensive Astrologik: The Oracular Art of Astrology by Antero Alli.
07:18 – If Amanda could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would she bring? The first one would be Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas. Tracking collective movements fascinates her, and she values the idea of using astrology to navigate our current paradigm shift.
09:44 – Amanda’s second choice is Understanding Karmic Complexes: Evolutionary Astrology and Regression Therapy by Patricia Walsh. Amanda believes that narrative astrology is important, and she appreciates this compilation of case studies from past-life regression combined with evolutionary astrology.
11:48 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
12:35 – The third title that Amanda would bring is Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess by Demetra George. Again, the storytelling is critical, but this one is also a good resource and includes journal questions which are great for integration.
16:58 – Let’s circle back to Understanding Karmic Complexes!
20:20 – For beginners, Amanda recommends: Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand and Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch; Healing the Soul: Pluto, Uranus and the Lunar Nodes by Mark Jones; Making the Gods Work for You: The Astrological Language of the Psyche by Caroline Casey; Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor by Alice Sparkly Kat; and The Archetypal Cosmos: Rediscovering the Gods in Myth, Science and Astrology by Keiron Le Grice.
27:40 – Find Amanda at her website: https://www.aquarianspirals.com/. You can also connect with her on Instagram: @AquarianSpirals!
28:21 – 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 Jul 01, 2024
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Astrologer and author Linda "Moonrabbit" Zlotnick joins host Jenn Zahrt from St. Paul, Minnesota to chat all things books – including Moon’s upcoming groundbreaking book on death charts and moving through loss! Don’t miss this mini-lesson on death charts, as the two cover that and more, including: accessing the elements with integrated thinking; Uranus transits and freedom; Saturn, limitations, and internalizing authority; past lives and evolutionary perspectives; how the past isn’t disengaged from the present; eclipses, growth, and change; the 8th house; progressions as reinforcement; and working with folks who have experienced loss. Plus: 1970s library treasures, building blocks, and keeping it simple!
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 – Linda “Moonrabbit” Zlotnick has been a Twin Cities professional astrologer for 47 years, with a focus on astrology as a source of illumination and healing. Moon began studying astrology in 1973; after formal training with Zipporah Dobyns in 1977, she began her full-time practice. Her experience with grief as a motherless daughter and twinless twin called her to write the book Star Sisters: An Astrologer's Memoir of Twin Loss. In 2015 she began her pioneering study of astrological death charts, which she uses now in her work with clients as a healing tool for the loss of a loved one. Stay tuned in 2025 for the release of her next book, which has the working title Death Charts: Using Astrology to Heal Grief.
01:01 – The first astrology book that Moon ever read was A To Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator by Llewellyn George; it was the only book under “astrology” in the public library in 1975! Another early favorite was Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements: An Energy Approach to Astrology and Its Use in the Counseling Arts by Stephen Arroyo. Moon loved the psychological orientation of this one and the wealth of info about the elements.
02:43 – If Moon could bring only three books to a deserted island, what would she bring? The first one would be the current manuscript she’s finishing, tentatively titled Death Charts: Using Astrology to Heal Grief. Moon’s innovative work on death charts came about through the profound experience of losing her twin in 2005. Moon finds that working with clients using a loved one’s “last breath chart” helps foster greater understanding and perspective for them in revealing a path forward.
07:01 – Join the OPA Retreat 2024 in Utah (October 16 – 21, 2024), where Moon will be part of the faculty, teaching her course “Death Charts: A Healing Tool for the Bereaved.”
08:16 – Moon’s second choice is Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene. Moon finds that Greene can connect archetypal themes to planets in a helpful way, and this text would be a good intellectual support system (after breaking her kneecap this past winter)!
11:11 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
11:58 – The third title that Moon would bring is Steven Forrest’s Yesterday’s Sky: Astrology and Reincarnation, because she likes the teachings on nodal patterns in the birth chart. (Enjoy the quick side trip to Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul by Jeffrey Wolfe Green!)
15:43 – Moon shares more on her work with death charts, including bringing in eclipses, and how they impact the griever’s birth chart. Example included!
22:36 – For beginners, Moon recommends the series The Only Way to Learn Astrology by Joan McEvers and Marion March, Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand and Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch, and The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest.
24:33 – Find Moon at her website: https://astrologybymoonrabbit.com/.
24:46 – 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 Jun 24, 2024
Monday Jun 24, 2024
Astrologer, magician, and bodyworker Travis Black joins host Jenn Zahrt from Seattle, Washington to chat books and more! Together, the duo tackle a lot of ground, including: decoding planetary magic; Vedic astrology; the Plutonian elements of a famous TV reboot; Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions; planetary cancellation conditions; finding the least worst astrology; ritual and timing recipes; Jupiter in Gemini and Lemminkäinen; myth knowledge and cultural exploration; barycenters; astrology as an access point to philosophy, science, psychology, divinities, literature, and more; citing your sources; observational astronomy; telescopes and theodolites; images of synodic cycles; Dark Moon Lilith; and getting comfortable with not knowing. Plus: Twin Peaks, the “Gideon” ephemeris, and… it’s the water!
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 – Travis Black is a Seattle-based astrologer, magician, and bodyworker with shamanic tendencies. As a student and practitioner of the occult for 30 years, his decades-long private practice has been informed by initiations into traditions such as Western Esotericism, Hermetic Qabalah, Gnosticism, British Folk Magic, New Thought, Taoism, Tantra, Yoga, and Shamanism. He is currently a psychotherapist-in-training researching occult interventions for mental health, and he’s also an advocate for the rights and dignity of sex workers. He aims to integrate mental health care with alternative healing modalities to provide services to the community at the highest level.
02:11 – Travis initially went searching for a book on how planets can open portals (thanks, Twin Peaks!), and so his first astrology book was Planetary Magick: Invoking and Directing the Powers of the Planets by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips.
06:35 – A throwback to the OG! If Travis could bring only three books to a desert island, his first choice would be a deep dive into Book V of Carmen Astrologicum by Dorotheus of Sidon, (which you can find translated by Benjamin Dykes or David Pingree). Travis finds this treatise on electional astrology so important that he returns to it every year. Also, perhaps with good timing techniques, Travis could generate a rescue effort off the island!
13:04 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)
13:50 – Travis’s second text is MythAstrology: Exploring Planets & Pantheons by Raven Kaldera. Travis loves how this one gives him room to dream, instead of feeling confined by chart configurations.
22:46 – The third title that Travis references is not quite nailed down yet, but it would be something related to observational astrology or an in-depth book on teaching oneself astronomy, because he wants to work more deeply with this topic. (Other books mentioned here are Progressions & Directions by Charles Jayne, and Tables of Planetary Phenomena Paperback by Neil F. Michelsen with revisions by Rique Pottenger and illustrated by Maria Kay Simms.)
30:20 – For beginners, Travis recommends Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand and Interpret Your Own Birth Chart by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch and You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas.
32:50 – Find Travis at his website: https://bathhousemystic.com/. You can also find him everywhere on social @bathhousemystic.
33:17 – 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.
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!