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!
Episodes

Monday Mar 10, 2025
080 | Mark Jones: The Soul’s Unfoldment
Monday Mar 10, 2025
Monday Mar 10, 2025
Astrologer, therapist, and author Mark Jones joins host Jenn Zahrt from Wales in the UK! This deep and personal conversation covers lots of ground, including: how the archetypes evolve, including Saturn’s cultural and historical changes; the observer effect and attention as a moral act; the astrological worldview understood on a serious level; the natal chart as where you start, not where you finish (and the unfoldment of your engagement with it); the humanistic perspective as a grounding for the transpersonal; and Mark’s experience studying with author Jeffrey Wolf Green. Plus: the tree of life and Kabbalistic astrology, the map of the path, and knowing about an experience versus living it!
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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded February 2025):
00:31 – Mark Jones is an astrologer, psychosynthesis therapist and hypnotherapist based in South Wales and works with clients and students all over the world. Mark is a regular speaker and workshop leader in North America. Mark’s first book explains his approach, Healing the Soul: Pluto, Uranus and the Lunar Nodes. Mark’s second book, The Soul Speaks: The Therapeutic Power of Astrology, explores the transformative power of the natal chart reading. Mark has a joint book, Dialogues: Tools for the Working Astrologer, with Frank Clifford. And Mark has contributed chapters in: Astrology: The New Generation; Transpersonal Astrology; and Insights into Evolutionary Astrology. In 2020 Mark published his third book, The Planetary Nodes and Collective Evolution.
00:45 – Mark’s first astrology books were The Astrologer's Handbook by Frances Sakoian and Louis Acker and The Anatomy of Fate: Kabbalistic Astrology by Warren Kenton.
12:35 – If Mark could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas. (He also mentions The Book of World Horoscopes by Nicholas Campion and the work of Liz Greene!)
22:50 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
23:37 – Mark’s second choice would be From Humanistic to Transpersonal Astrology by Dane Rudhyar.
31:55 – The third title Mark would bring is Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul by Jeffrey Wolf Green. (And a hat tip to the work of Howard Sasportas and Stephen Arroyo!)
38:05 – For beginners, Mark recommends Principles of Astrology by Charles and Suzy Harvey and The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest
43:40 – Find Mark – and learn about his classes and trainings – at his website: https://markjonesastrology.com/.
46:14 – 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 Mar 03, 2025
079 | Berna Lee: The Constancy of Change & Chinese Astrology
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Astrologer Berna Lee joins host Jenn Zahrt from London, England to chat about the long lens of history, astrology books, the Chinese sky and more, including: various translations of the I Ching; the 28 lunar mansions; a collaborative research project distilled into a poetic archive for 45 generations; and personal empowerment and growth as a key part of life, healing, and creative inspiration! All that, plus: growing up with a deep astrological lineage, choosing your own adventure, and chameleon synchronicity!
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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded February 2025):
00:31 – Berna Lee, an MA graduate in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, earned distinction for her dissertation on the theory and practice of Chinese astrology in modern Hong Kong. A Chinese astrologer and 45th-generation practitioner, she descends from the Lees of Wong Jim 凰漸李氏, a royal lineage tracing back to the Tang Dynasty. Berna has inherited and preserved the teachings of the Tang royal family, passed down through generations from the esteemed royal astrologer Yang Junsong 楊筠松.
01:40 – Berna’s first astrology book was 通勝 Tung Shing, or The Chinese Farmer’s Almanac.
09:29 – If Berna could bring only three books to a deserted island, her first pick would be the previously mentioned Chinese Almanac! But since that’s her “freebie,” her next choice would be a copy of the I Ching (stay tuned for more)! The discussion kicks off, however, with You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas.
11:48 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
12:34 – More discussion on the I Ching! The version Berna suggests for English readers is Understanding the I Ching: The Wilhelm Lectures on the Book of Changes by Hellmut Wilhelm and Richard Wilhelm.
22:16 – The third title Berna would bring is an unpublished book passed on from her long line of royal astrological ancestors, which Berna describes as a collection of poems of the stars!
30:49 – For beginners, Berna recommends a few, including the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching.
32:18 – Find Berna at her Instagram page: @astromergency. And consider hopping into her Short Course at the Sophia Centre: http://sophia-project.net/lectures-and-seminars/shortcourses/2025-lee-chinese-cultural-a-and-a.php.
33:20 – 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 Feb 24, 2025
078 | Dave Campbell: Forensics of the Future
Monday Feb 24, 2025
Monday Feb 24, 2025
Astrologer, author, and president of the AFA Dave Campbell joins host Jenn Zahrt from Tempe (and Glendale!), AZ! This fascinating conversation covers forensic astrology, book publishing, and more, including: the composite chart of a group; understanding the rising sign; predictive astrology; how asteroids offer detail (including Chiron as a master teacher and astrologer); and pinpointing or eliminating suspects. Plus: the American Federation of Astrologers (AFA), how the stars can help find missing people, and keeping the publishing culture alive!
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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded February 2025):
00:31 – Dave is a full-time astrologer, owner of The Astrology Store in Glendale, AZ and the president of the AFA in Tempe. He has written three astrology books: Forensic Astrology, Interpreting Asteroids, and Amazing Asteroid Stories.
03:49 – Dave’s first astrology book – in third grade – was Sun Signs by Linda Goodman! As a young adult, he found A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator by Llewellyn George. Finally, he shouts out The Rising Sign: Your Astrological Mask by Jeanne Avery.
06:36 – If Dave could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be the previously mentioned The Rising Sign by Jeanne Avery.
07:21 – Dave’s second choice would be Predictive Astrology: Cycles of Change, Seasons of Meaning by Michele Adler.
09:13 – The third title Dave would bring is Asteroid Goddesses by Demetra George with Douglas Bloch.
11:51 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
12:37 – For beginners, Dave recommends The Astrologer's Handbook by Frances Sakoian and Louis Acker and Planets in Transit by Robert Hand. (And enjoy the side convo about The Transiting Planets – also by Sakoian and Acker – as well as info on Helen Adams Garrett’s pamphlets!)
16:17 – Learn more about the AFA at: https://www.astrologers.com/!
17:36 – Find Dave is at his website: https://theastrologystore.com/. On Insta, find him: @the.astrology.store. And on Facebook: @TheAstrologyStore. And join Dave this summer for his 10-week course on forensic astrology!
21:25 – 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 Feb 17, 2025
077 | Alexander Baker: Bringing an Empirical Touch to Woo
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Monday Feb 17, 2025
Astrologer and writer Alexander Baker joins host Jenn Zahrt from Pittsburgh, PA to chat books and more! Rise above the horizon and join the duo for a conversation covering: the decans and faces; fixed stars; divinatory systems; secondary, tertiary, and converse progressions; humanistic roots, and more. Plus: tossing coins in the fountain, less is more, and space-time synesthesia!
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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded December 2024):
00:01 – Jenn introduces the show with a reminder to join her Kepler College Advanced Progressions class with Camm Cassidy, which started yesterday (February 16). It’s not too late to join – enrollment is available until February 19, 2025!
01:10 – Alexander Baker is a writer, astrologer, and vinyasa yoga teacher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose approach blends Hellenistic and modern techniques. His astrology is animistic and relational, using a blend of decanic imagery and psychological application to invite others into deeper dialogue with the Story they find themselves enmeshed in.
03:49 – Alexander’s first astrology books were a combination of pop astrology texts like The Secret Language of Birthdays by Gary Goldschneider and The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk. Early on, he also worked with the Thoth tarot deck, scoured articles online, and dove into the writings of Aleister Crowley.
09:22 – If Alexander could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Austin Coppock’s 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans.
12:27 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
13:13 – Calling in Sun-Uranus energy, Alexander offers a runner-up: Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas.
15:49 – Alex’s second choice would be The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by Geoffrey Cornelius.
16:26 – The third title Alexander would bring is The Astrological Houses: The Spectrum of Individual Experience by Dane Rudhyar.
19:45 – Breaking the rules for another pick, Alex mentions Psyche and Symbol: A Selection from the Writings of C. G. Jung by Carl Jung (edited by Violet S. De Laszlo).
30:47 – For beginners, Alexander recommends… nothing! JK (sort of)! He talks about the importance of looking up charts. But in addition to that, he mentions You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas, Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life by Carole Taylor, and having a Robert Hand on hand (lol)!
33:49 – The best place to find Alex is at his website: https://www.reverieastrology.com/. His YouTube channel is @alexbakerastro. And on IG and Threads, follow: @reverie.unfold.
34:38 – Thanks for listening to Within Orb! If you love the show, please help support it at no cost to you: Follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or write a happy review! And if you’d like to become a CAELi member or support our work with a contribution of any amount, we’d be delighted – thanks!
Show notes by Jen Braun, JJ Boots Productions LLC.

Monday Feb 10, 2025
Reboot 054 | Alberto Forero: A Geminian Plethora of Books!
Monday Feb 10, 2025
Monday Feb 10, 2025
This week, we’re tossing it back to a comprehensive and fun episode! Astrologer Alberto Forero joined host Jenn Zahrt from San Francisco, California to offer a myriad of astrology texts, bolstered by his Gemini sense of curiosity! In this chat, Alberto and Jenn covered 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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2024):
00:01 – Jenn introduces the show and offers some great new classes: Join her for the CAELi Lab on Comparative House Systems starting February 12 and her Kepler College Advanced Progressions class with Camm Cassidy starting February 16!
02:38 – 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.”
03:05– 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.
06:24 – 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.
09:41 – 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!
15:34 – 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.
18:45 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
19:32 – 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!
28:39 – Wondering what fantasteroids are? Learn about them here!
32:31 – 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.
38:02 – 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).
38:33 – 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 Feb 03, 2025
Monday Feb 03, 2025
It’s a treat from the archives this week with astrologer Celeste Brooks (as host Jenn Zahrt continues to roam around Europe, woot)! Celeste joined Jenn from Oakland, CA to chat about books, eclipses, communication styles, quintiles and other minor aspects, forecasting, and more! Plus, Celeste offered a mini-lesson on the Lunar Phase Families – an astonishing technique if this is new to you. Plus: the magic of the number nine, astrology as reading data, and… go Bears!
Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!
Learn more about the CAELi Institute.
Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!
Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!
Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.
Follow CAELi on FB, IG, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Oct. 2023):
00:01 – Producer Jen Braun kicks off the show with a little intro, which felt appropriate since she’s the audio magician for both Celeste and Jenn’s podcasts! Celeste has lots of workshops and classes coming up, so check them out! (And if you’re interested in starting a podcast – or want help with an existing show – you can learn more about Jen and reach out to her here!)
02:03 – Celeste left her 25-year corporate career in sales, marketing, and business development to become an astrologer! She feels called to guide others on their paths, and loves to connect with clients through readings, coaching, group events, and classes. Celeste is the Transit Talk host and OPA Live Manager for the Organization of Professional Astrologers (OPA). She has an undergraduate degree in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley and an MBA from St. Mary’s College. She holds the Practitioner’s Level Horary Certificate from the School of Traditional Astrology.
03:01 – The first astrology book that made an impact on Celeste was The Power of Mercury: Understanding Mercury Retrograde and Unlocking the Astrological Secrets of Communication. Celeste met the author, Leslie McGuirk, at Leslie’s book launch – and Celeste’s interest was piqued! Nothing like entering astrology via Mercury’s invitation to get a new career started, right??
10:25 – If Celeste were to take three important books with her to a remote location, what would they be? First, she’d bring Sue Tompkins’s Aspect in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope. Sue’s work details everything from the planets to aspects to chart patterns and more – all from a psychological perspective.
12:17 – Celeste’s second selection is The Art of Predictive Astrology: Forecasting Your Life Events by Carol Rushman. This book has lots of tools and tricks, going deep into progressions, eclipses, retrogrades, and transits.
14:00 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
15:43 – Lastly, Celeste would take along the invaluable Lunar Shadows III: The Predictive Power of Moon Phases & Eclipses by Dietrech Pessin. This dense, technical book offers so much wisdom about eclipses and the Moon Phase Families that it’s had a huge impact on Celeste’s work!
23:19 – Celeste’s recommendations for beginners are: The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest, The Archetypal Universe by Renn Butler, and Keywords for Astrology: The Essential Guide to Correspondences and Interpretation of Planets, Signs, Houses, and Aspects by Hajo Banzhaf and Anna Haebler.
26:22 – Learn more about Celeste at: https://www.astrologybyceleste.com/. Check out her pod, Celestial Insights Podcast (available on all platforms)! Celeste is also on social everywhere @astrologybyceleste (Insta, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, Bluesky), but note: Instagram is her main platform, where she does live shows three times per week.
27:50 – Thanks for listening to Within Orb! If you love the show, please help support it at no cost to you: Follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or write a happy review! And if you’d like to become a CAELi member or support our work with a contribution of any amount, we’d be delighted – thanks!
Show notes by Jen Braun, JJ Boots Productions LLC.

Monday Jan 27, 2025
Reboot 064 | Azur César: In Love with the Firmament
Monday Jan 27, 2025
Monday Jan 27, 2025
A throwback to Lyon, France with astrologer, poet, and artist Azur César – how appropriate while host Jenn Zahrt is in Paris and Brussels this week! 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?
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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded July 2024):
00:01 – Producer Jen Braun introduces this reboot episode while your host, the other Jenn, is in Europe launching her book (a French translation of her PhD research on astrology in early 20th century Germany)!
01:00 – 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.
03:04 – 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.
05:23 – 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!
11:05 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
11:52 – 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!
20:22 – 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!
23:07 – 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.
26:40 – 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 Jan 20, 2025
Reboot 032 | Daniel Norman: Boundless Awareness for the Future
Monday Jan 20, 2025
Monday Jan 20, 2025
Sending hugs this week to astrologer and podcaster Daniel Norman in this throwback episode as our hearts are with those affected by the LA wildfires. In this one, Daniel slid up the West Coast from LA to join host Jenn Zahrt for a vibrant and fast-paced conversation about books and more! Join them as they discuss: intercepted signs; the lord of the orb; dwar and Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions; the bound ruler of a degree; the hierarchical weighting of essential dignities (or are they equal?); the fantasteroid way; jumping in the deep end of the astrological pool; and thinking about culturally determined significations. All that, plus: Bruce Springsteen, the juicy astrological house debate, and book genies!
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, YouTube, and Bluesky.
Transcripts available upon request.
Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.
*****
Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Jan. 2024):
00:01 – Jenn introduces the show, with a shout-out to those affected by the LA wildfires. (The Theosophical Library burned down, and it calls to mind the irreplaceable documents and books at CAELi. To protect and support our astrological community’s important archives, here's a link to the CAELi Support Drive (awesome mug included for only $35)! And to help with the wildfire relief efforts, please check out this helpful Vanity Fair article, California Wildfires: How to Help Los Angeles From Anywhere in the World, and give what you can.)
02:35 – Daniel is an astrologer, magical practitioner, artist, and lifelong spiritual seeker. They previously pursued careers in music and film while working for 15 years as a bartender in Los Angeles, where they currently reside with their wife and three children. These experiences are an indelible part of Daniel’s approach to divination which seeks to align the inherent mystery of the cosmos with the practical reality of day-to-day life. Check out Daniel’s podcast, What Time Is It?
04:53 – Daniel’s first astrology book was The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest. They read it years before getting into astrology because they were dating an astrologer at the time! (A bonus book worth noting is Understanding Interceptions: A Key to Unlocking the Door by Chris McRae.)
10:33 – If Daniel were stuck on a desert island, which books would they bring? First up: the green book, which has all the stuff you might need in your toolkit, aka Abu Ma'shar Al-Balkhi’s Persian Nativities IV: On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities, translated by Benjamin Dykes. But they’d also take the helpful notes of Dr. Ali Olomi to provide context! (And to hear more on the lord of the orb, visit Episode 5, Camm Cassidy & the Lord of the Orb!)
18:21 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!
19:08 – Daniel’s second selection is the useful and magical Inside Degrees: Developing Your Soul Biography Using the Chandra Symbols by Ellias Lonsdale. It’s been fun to ask friends about their Ascendant degree and amaze them with the book’s accuracy! (And learn about fantasteroids here!)
27:14 – Daniel’s third choice is Austin Coppock’s 36 Faces: The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans, because this hard-to-find text highlights the inherently narrative nature of the significations.
30:20 – Daniel’s recommendations for beginners are: Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum; Astrology and the Authentic Self: Integrating Traditional and Modern Astrology to Uncover the Essence of the Birth Chart by Demetra George (also, a bonus rec is Demetra’s Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess which you can find at CAELi AND hear more about on Episode 7 with Aerin Fogel!); and last but not least, Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor by Alice Sparkly Kat.
37:24 – Find Daniel at their website: https://www.everhappening.com/. They are also on most social media @everhappening!
38:13 – 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!