Astrologer, scholar, and author Rick Levine joins host Jenn Zahrt while visiting the United Kingdom (and en route to India)! This fast-paced episode breaks the mold and is packed with both astrology and non-astrology books for everyone. Jenn and Rick tackle a lot of ground, including: how Rick came to write a daily astrology column back in the day; the value of reading beyond astrology; and the title you didn’t know every Capricorn needs. All that, plus: C. G. Jung and the four elements, the thing Jackson Pollock and Bob Dylan have in common, and… what do you call a group of astrologers?

Rick Levine joins Episode 111 of Within Orb!

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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 November 2025):

00:12 – Rick Levine is a world-renowned astrologer, scholar, and author. As a Founding Trustee of Kepler College, he continues to be a widely respected voice in the global astrology community, giving professional talks and seminars around the world and in the USA. He has a special gift for bridging gaps between astrology and spirituality, science and religion, the head and the heart. Every month, tens of thousands of astrology students from around the world view his teachings on YouTube. For nearly 20 years, Rick authored Tarot.com’s authentic daily horoscopes published on Yahoo, AOL, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, and many other sites. Find Rick at: https://www.ricklevineastrologer.com/. He’s also @ricklevineastrologer on Facebook and Instagram, and @ricklevine on YouTube. You can find his Patreon here.

00:39 – As a teen, the very first astrology book that Rick ever read was My World of Astrology by Sydney Omarr. Next came Sun Signs by Linda Goodman. But the first “real” astrology book Rick read – and the one that changed his life – was The Astrology of Personality: A Re-Formulation of Astrological Concepts and Ideals, in Terms of Contemporary Psychology and Philosophy by Dane Rudhyar. Look out for a special lab on this seminal Rudhyar book hosted by Lars Panaro on CAELi’s virtual campus!

07:33 – If Rick could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Astrophysical Directions by Michael Erlewine. (But for decades, Rick would have taken Planets in Transit by Robert Hand.)

10:05 – Rick’s second choice would be the I Ching. (Or maybe Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, along with the companion A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake by Joseph Campbell and Henry Morton Robinson.)

12:38 – Will Rick ever write his book Quantum Astrology? We hope so! But for now, the third title Rick would bring is probably a poetry book.

14:14 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

15:00 – The non-astrology books that changed Rick‘s life are many and include the work of Isaac Asimov. Other important books are: The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra, Arthur Young’s The Reflexive Universe: Evolution of Consciousness and The Geometry of Meaning, and Synergetics: Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking by Buckminster Fuller in collaboration with E.J. Applewhite. Rick also mentions that the best book on Pluto is The Dream and the Underworld by James Hillman, and the best one on Chiron is The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden by Robert Johnson. And last but not least, Rick cites Jitterbug Perfume and Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins.

19:09 – For beginners, Rick recommends Taking the Quantum Leap by Fred Alan Wolf, The Inner Sky: How to Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life by Steven Forrest, Astrology For Yourself by Demetra George and Douglas Bloch, Astrology by Ronald Davison, and Grant Lewi’s Astrology for the Millions and Your Greatest Strength.

26:03 – 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 and production by Jen Braun of JJ Boots Productions LLC.