Hi all
I am fairly new to astrology...basically all i really know is the signs of the zodiac...through reading horoscopes...i was wondering if anyone could tell me where a complete beginner would start...what books would you recommend...what software would you recommend...etc...
any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi,
If that's the extent of your knowledge at the moment, I'd suggest starting with something like Parker's Astrology. I don't think it's currently in print and there's a 'new' copy on Amazon UK going for astronomically silly money. However there are second hand copies out there which can be ridiculously cheap. Nick Campion wrote a similar book called 'The Practical Astrologer'.
The advantage of these books is that they take you through everything a beginner needs to know, including how to cast a chart. All necessary tables are provided and there are examples of the procedures.
Both books also give you the necessary run down on planets, signs and houses and some basic interpretations.
These books are not the only introductory books, you will find a lot more in the resources thread and new introductory books are being published at regular intervals, so it may well be that more will be added.
Astrology in the west has become a very dynamic area in the last twenty to twenty five years and there has been an awakening of interest (or at least a widening of interest) in both its tradition and in Jyotish or Vedic Astrology - the Astrology practiced in India, which is actually related to the early tradition in the west.
Thus twenty years ago it was assumed that a beginner in Astrology was interested solely in natal Astrology and solely in that branch of natal Astrology that looked at character analysis. Now some form of character analysis has always existed in natal Astrology. It's almost impossible to practice natal Astrology without it. However it was rarely practiced for its own sake. It was a means to an end and that end involved prediction.
Changes in attitudes and especially the law relating to 'fortune telling' meant that the revivial of Astrology in the early twentieth century had to avoid the prediction side. Although that is no longer the case, thank goodness, several decades of self denial still mean that prediction is still seen as of very much secondary importance in some quarters.
The revival of interest in the tradition has led to a shift here, there's now more interest in 'event' oriented Astrology rather than simply an analysis of character. So at some point you will need to decide what you want to use Astrology for. Don't rush into that, take your time and try and get an idea of what Astrology actually covers beyond the natal dimension.
Once you feel confident in putting a chart together and making very simple interpretations. Then you might consider doing some reading around on the history of Astrology both in the west and some awareness of Jyotish. That will help you make your choice in terms of direction and help to set the pattern of your further reading.
There's only one software program I'd recommend to the absolute beginner who wants to keep their costs down. That is Morinus, a free download. If you are willing to pay a little for a program, then Halloran Software's Astrology for Windows is very good. I've also come across another freeware program called Planetdance by Jean Cremers. I've not really tested it to destruction but it's worth a look, especially as there are versions for tablets and phones (I helped in the beta testing).
None of the above programs will 'help' you with interpretations, like some of the really expensive stuff but that's not a bad thing. It's best to try your own based on whichever books you are using. To begin with you will be using the software as a check on your own calculations as you learn to construct a chart. Later on the calculations will go and you will reach for the software first. Don't forget the lessons from constructing your own charts though, as human error can dog even the best software. I've entered the wrong times in the dialogue boxes and got the wrong chart too many times in the past to trust my own competence in data entry. But I do know that a chart for someone born around midday, should have the Sun near the top of the chart and not hiding down in the bottom. If it is, they I know I entered the wrong time.
One last point. Don't forget to ask questions here if you get lost or things don't make sense. So I look forward to further questions from you - Good luck.
Resources
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=15205
http://sourceforge.net/projects/morinus/files/Morinus/8.0.5/
http://www.halloran.com/allsoft.htm#ast4win
http://www.halloran.com/allsoft.htm#ast4win
You can download a free version of Astrology for Windows but it is very limited (I think the number of allowed charts is very small) but if you are considering the full verion it is worth checking out the freeversion first. If I remember correctly the version I had many years ago was great but for one thing. It did not allow the use of Whole Sign Houses and was thus of virtually no use in Jyotish or Medieval Astrology. It also had very few (well, no) features that enabled its use for a traditional approach - even its expensive big brother failed on that, which is why I reluctantly switched to the even more expensive Solar Fire. Even that proved to be insufficient for my needs, not because it wasn't sophisticated enough but because some of the basics of the tradition were missing. Morinus for nothing, includes those basics. It just shows that you don't really need to shell out loads of cash.
