In this episode, Taylor Shuler offers poetic guidance to a variety of astrology books, many of which she read while living the life of a digital nomad! Join Jenn and Taylor in this in-depth, interdisciplinary discussion of astrological practice. Plus: astrological interpretations from the inside out, permaculture, and creating containers for our grief.

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Song “Wake Up” used with permission by The E-Block Band.

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Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Feb. 2023):

00:32 – A generous hello to our astrological digital nomad this week: Taylor Shuler! Yes, we also bask in the smell of book pages! And here’s a big hip-hip-hooray to woo-woo moms everywhere!

01:33 – The first astrology book Taylor ever read? The Secret Language of Birthdays!

08:33 – What books changed the way Taylor practices astrology? First up: Alice Sparkly Kat’s Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets Through Capital, Power, and Labor. Mic drop on this wonderful discussion of overcoming systems of oppression!

11:30 – What second book had a big impact? Taylor loves Arielle Guttman’s Venus Star Rising: A New Cosmology for The Twenty-First Century. The Venus Star Point is described, and the concept of permaculture has had a big impact on Taylor and her worldview. (And surprise – Taylor considers herself a witch!)

18:26 - Visit our sponsor, Rod Suskin School of Astrology!

19:21 - The next book in Taylor’s list is… a cheat? LOL! It’s really four books! Taylor selected The Elements Series by Steven Forrest (The Book of Fire: The Life-Givers, The Book of Earth: Making It Real, The Book of Air: The Art of Paying Attention, The Book of Water: Healing, Regeneration and Recovery). Lots to dig into here: fertile soil, the joy of audiobooks, “the open house system,” independent study, and a liberal arts approach to astrology.

27:11 – What books for beginners would Taylor recommend? Chani Nicholas’s You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance and Demetra George’s Astrology for Yourself: How to Understand and Interpret Your Own Birth Chart.

27:43 – Beyond beginner level and ready for more? Taylor has LOTS of recommendations! The Archetypal Universe by Renn Butler; Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas; Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice (Volumes I and II) by Demetra George; The Lunar Nodes: Your Key to Excellent Chart Interpretation by Judith Hill; and Planetary Cycles: Mundane Astrology by Andre Barbault.

31:19 – A couple of books on rulerships! Check out The Rulership Book by Rex Bills, and The Book of Rulerships: Keywords from Classical Astrology by Lee Lehman. And what do pine needles and grief have in common?

33:30 – What’s coming up for Taylor? Lots of presentations and good stuff on the horizon! (Note: Some of the presentations mentioned in this episode have passed, but some of the talks would be available if you’re a member of the organization – e.g., the Organization for Professional Astrology webinar, for example.) Also, for the record, both Taylor and Jenn know when Memorial Day weekend is! (They mistakenly associated NORWAC with Labor Day Weekend, when it, in fact, always takes place MEMORIAL day weekend, May 25–29, 2023.) If you’d like to chat with them in person about this slip-up, you can grab a ticket to see Taylor at NORWAC here: https://norwac.net/. And perhaps your 9th-house pilgrimage could include a library, as well! *hint, hint*

35:34 – 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 kind 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.