In episode 59 astrologer Leisa Schaim joins me to talk about common misconceptions about ancient astrology, which is one of a series of podcasts I’ll be doing related to topics I’m thinking about as I go through the process of writing my forthcoming book on Hellenistic astrology.

During the course of the show we talk about both of our experiences in transitioning from solely modern astrology to a more traditional approach, some of the common misconceptions that people hold about traditional astrology before they begin to learn about it, and some of our resulting astrological perspectives today after having gone through that process.

For more information about Leisa please check out her website at LeisaSchaim.com.

Below are notes on some of the topics that we discussed in the episode, followed by the link to listen to the recording of this podcast.

News and Announcements

The price of Chris’ online course on Hellenistic astrology is being raised from $297 to $397 on January 1, so sign up now if you want to get in at the lower price.

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Topics Covered in the Episode

* Technique-driven changes in perspective

* It is often necessary to try out techniques firsthand, which can lead afterwards to broader changes in astrological views

Some Misconceptions Discussed:

* Both astrology and humanity have evolved over time, and therefore the astrology of the past has been superseded by more modern approaches

* Traditional astrology is more fate-oriented and predictive, and both are inherently bad.

* Potential positive and negative views of fate.

* Traditional astrology doesn’t use the outer planets or newer astronomical discoveries and is therefore incomplete.

* Some techniques seeming too simple to work, such as whole sign houses.

* The feeling that if one’s approach already works, then don’t need to learn another approach, or that the other has to be wrong.

Positive Surprises from Learning Hellenistic Astrology:

* The power that lies in simplicity and systematization

* The gain of greater technical distinctions that allow one to see a person’s concrete life circumstances in different areas more clearly

* Greater capability of prediction, which among other things can put the relationships between personal effort and luck into greater perspective

* Some techniques working so well it prompts the need to reevaluate philosophical issues about how astrology and the universe work

* The possibility of learning Hellenistic astrology but still integrating previous astrological learning and tools

Transcript

A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 59 transcript

Listen to This Episode

You can either play this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your computer by using the buttons below: