Astrologer and author Heather Roan Robbins joins host Jenn Zahrt from Ronan, Montana! Lend your ears as these two pals connect about books and more, including: the pattern and rhythm of the natal chart; Llewellyn George, founder of the first Portland School of Astrology; worldwide myths and fairy tales as an intro to the cosmos; choice-based astrology; how you can’t escape your chart, but you can evolve it; planetary handoffs and the relay race of the birth chart; third house struggles; lived, direct planetary experience and learning; the importance of knowing how to draw a chart; the evolution of astrology; myths, repetition, and iterations of the same pattern; and celestial remedies, paths, and lessons. Plus: potato stamps, telephone operators masquerading as astrologers, and... Heather's new book drops on June 11!

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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 May 2024):

00:31 – Heather Roan Robbins, M.Th., is a ceremonialist and practical, intuitive, choice-oriented astrologer and palmist with over 40 years' experience. She has an active online astrology practice, writes a weekly astrological column called "Starcodes," and is the author of Moon Wisdom, Everyday Palmistry, Starcodes Astro Oracle: A 56-Card Deck and Guidebook, and the soon-to-be-released Starcodes: Navigate Your Chart with Choice-Based Astrology.

01:05 – Heather began reading about astrology at age 14, and her first astrology book was A To Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator by Llewellyn George. Big high-five for the fascinating telephone operator story!

04:46 – If Heather were in the middle of nowhere, which three books would she bring? Her first choice is the obscure Planets in Containment: A Study of 990 Combinations by John Sandbach and Ronn Ballard. This text offers delineations of every planet by considering what planet is on either side throughout the chart! This one taught Heather a new way to understand the planetary flow of the birth chart.

09:22 – The second title that Heather would bring is Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets through Capital, Power, and Labor by Alice Sparkly Kat. This challenging and delicious perspective pushes Heather’s brain farther – something she often seeks out!

10:19 – Heather’s third selection is Secrets of Predictive Astrology: Improve the Scope of Your Forecasts Using William Frankland's Techniques by Anthony Louis. Although she hasn’t read it in full yet, this new-ish text seems intelligent and accessible, and Heather appreciates Louis’s approach.

11:24 – Interlude: Join CAELi and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

12:11 – The books and authors that have influenced Heather the most (which are different than the books she would bring) include: Liz Greene, Howard, Sasportas, Alan Oken, Arielle Guttman, and texts on evolutionary astrology. One specific title that really pushed Heather is MythAstrology: Exploring Planets & Pantheons by Raven Kaldera; she loves how this one challenged her to think of the position of a planet in a broader, more mythic way!

15:04 – Exciting! On June 11, Heather’s latest book will be released: Starcodes: Navigate Your Chart with Choice-Based Astrology. Starcodes is designed to give folks a clear entrance ramp into astrology. (And check out Heather’s card deck, too: Starcodes Astro Oracle: A 56-Card Deck and Guidebook.)

18:20 – Heather would also suggest two other books for beginners: The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest, and the previously mentioned A To Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator.

24:48 – Find Heather at her website: https://www.roanrobbins.com/.

25:03 – 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.