Astrologer and teacher Erica Jones joins host Jenn Zahrt from Vashon Island, Washington for a conversation about books and more! Take the elevator to meet this duo, and hear about: archetypal astrology; how philosophy and astrology hold hands; the parable of two suitors; responding, not reacting; the thrill of discovery; Moon planting; delicate empiricism; Neptune as a place that’s not literal; how memory is a creative act; starting where what astrologers agree; and Mars-Pluto suggestions. Plus: the numinous, a mic drop moment, and… no mechanical metaphors allowed!

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Transcripts available upon request.

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

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Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Feb. 2024):

00:31 – Erica Jones is an astrologer, a teacher, and an intuitive engaged with metaphysics and consciousness studies since 2006, with a special emphasis on ecopsychology, astrology, and psycho-spiritual growth. The archetypal astrology of Richard Tarnas is her foundational astrological influence, and she enjoys frolicking among the many varieties of astrologies. Her latest work involves using the heart as an organ of perception to gather astrological knowledge from the anima mundi, moving beyond a two-dimensional contemplation of abstract star maps and into a multi-dimensional experience of the cosmos as a wild, living being brimming with intelligence and sentient beauty.

01:29 – Erica’s first astrology book was Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas. This tome was an awakening for Erica; she was supposed to read the first 50 pages for a college class, but wound up reading the whole thing!

10:45 – If Erica were stuck in an elevator at UAC 2012 (hah!), what three texts would she bring with her? First up: the previously mentioned Cosmos and Psyche, which is a dense gift that keeps on giving.

08:39 – Erica’s second title would be Astrological Gardening: The Ancient Wisdom of Successful Planting & Harvesting by the Stars by Louise Riotte (with a hat tip to Louise’s Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening). A well-deserved thanks to CAELi: Erica was a recent visitor and found a treasure trove of books on astrological gardening, which helped her write a professional column on the topic! (Other books mentioned: What Is Biodynamics?: A Way to Heal and Revitalize the Earth by Rudolf Steiner, Planetary Influences upon Plants: Cosmological Botany by Ernst M. Kranich, and The Metamorphosis of Plants by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.)

19:11 – Interlude: Join CAELi as a trial member and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

19:57 – Erica’s third text is The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption by Liz Greene; she finds it to be a thoughtful compilation of a visionary, and a text you can push back on when trying to pin down what Neptune means.

30:29 – Erica recommends several books for beginners: Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope by Sue Tompkins; The Combination of Stellar Influences by Reinhold Ebertin (translated by Alfred G. Roosedale); and Astrology, Karma & Transformation by Stephen Arroyo.

39:25 – Find Erica at: https://www.realimaginal.com, or @realimaginalastrology on Instagram and Facebook.

40:44 – 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.