Within Orb

Astrologer, artist, and author J.M. Hamade joins host Jenn Zahrt as they set their sights on a tour through astrology books from cultures around the world! Navigate by the stars, as the two discuss: astrologies (plural!), deep time questions, lunar mansions, stories of the Vedic deities and nakshatras, bibliomancy, embodied stars, the 260-day Mayan calendar, star treading, and more. Plus: the roller coaster of our life, spontaneous mental gymnastics, and a two-Jennifers analogy!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2023):

00:31 – J.M. is a talismanic artist, florist, diviner, writer, and teacher who lives in New York City. He approaches astrology in an “imagistic” and imaginative way, while seeking to bridge contemporary aesthetics with time tested magical techniques rooted in astrological magic. J.M. wrote commentary for and illustrated the book Shams al-Ma’arif: The Sun of Knowledge, An Arabic Grimoire: A Selected Translation by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni and translated from the Arabic by Amina Inloes, PhD.

05:57 – The first books that helped J.M. enter astrology-land were also philosophical texts: The Light of Egypt by Thomas H. Burgoyne and The Holy Science by Sri Yukteswar Giri. Other formative books that got him thinking about deeper cycles of time and lost civilizations were Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock and The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids by Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert.

13:45 – If J.M. were stuck in a cave in a fjord, what books would he bring along? First up: Nakshatra: The Authentic Heart of Vedic Astrology by Vic DiCara. Lunar mansions are J.M.’s thing, and this text digs into the mythology around the deities associated with the nakshatras.

20:46 – J.M’s second choice is Babylonian Star-Lore: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-Lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia by Gavin White. Each read brings a new insight!

22:23 – Interlude: Join CAELi  and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

25:53 – Thirdly, J.M would pack Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore, and Calendars by Susan Milbrath. This one is near and dear to his heart because the Mexican side of J.M.’s family is from Yucatán. He considers this academic text the bible for Mayan astrology.

30:59 – J.M. also has two runner-up books! One is Mayan Calendar Astrology: Mapping Your Inner Cosmos by Kenneth Johnson… with the caveat that this is from an outsider’s perspective! But it’s a good book to get into Mesoamerican astrology. The second shout-out book is Pacing the Void: T'ang Approaches to the Stars by Edward H. Schaefer. This one offers info on star stepping and the T’ang dynasty in China; it’s as much a study of poetry as it is a study of stars.

40:27 – J.M.’s recommendations for beginners? For Mesoamerican astrology, the previously mentioned Mayan Calendar Astrology and Star Gods of the Maya. Demetra George’s Astrology and the Authentic Self was a great formative book for J.M., so he suggests that one. For Vedic astrology and lunar mansion info, check out the earlier mention of Nakshatra: The Authentic Heart of Vedic Astrology. For lunar mansions, fixed stars, and their magical applications, read Christopher Warnock’s books. And last by not least, check out J.M.’s book: Shams al-Ma’arif: The Sun of Knowledge, An Arabic Grimoire: A Selected Translation by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali al-Buni and translated from the Arabic by Amina Inloes, PhD, with commentary and illustrations by J.M. Hamade.

42:22 – 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.

We compleat-ly welcome astrologer and teacher Rod Suskin, beaming in from Cape Town to chat with host Jenn Zahrt! Rod was Jenn’s mentor once upon a time, so join the comfy chat as the two settle in to discuss: books that make you feel like a magician; censorship in South Africa in the 1970s; triplicity rulers of the houses; building astrological foundations; “astrologies” and cultural context; and texts that bring both stability and refreshment. All that, plus: heroic journeys of secret self-published poetry, commentaries that help us understand lost works, and standing on the shoulders of giants!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Oct. 2023):

00:31 – Rod is well known as an astrologer and sangoma in Cape Town and has been in practice for over 30 years. His interest is in traditional medicine both in the African and European contexts; his interest in medical astrology led him to study the history of medicine and its relationship with cultural belief systems about health and healing. He has lectured regularly at both the University of Cape Town and University of Stellenbosch medical schools on traditional medicine, history of medicine, and integrative medicine. Rod is the author of several books including Cycles of Life and Synastry. Jenn met Rod when they were both pursuing their MA degrees in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology and Culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She later attended his school, Rod Suskin School of Astrology!

03:14 – Astrology entered Rod’s life as a preteen, when he went on vacation with his aunt and uncle, and they ran into a friend who was drawing charts by hand! The friend told Rod to buy The Compleat Astrologer by Derek and Julia Parker. (Later, this came to be known as Parkers' Astrology: The Definitive Guide to Using Astrology in Every Aspect of Your Life.) Rod found himself exposed to the power and accuracy of astrology via this text.

08:39 – Ta-daaa! If Rod could only bring a few books with him on a trip, his first pick would be Ben Dykes’s translation of Book of Astronomy by Guido Bonatti. Even today, Rod returns to this one over and over. It’s also useful for finding footnotes! (Enjoy the side trip to the works of William Lilly, Robert Zoller, and Robert Hand.)

12:09 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

12:56 – Rod’s (pretend) second choice is Christian Astrology, Vol. 2 by William Lilly. All the sample charts are wonderful for random astro questions, so it’s a gold mine.

14:17 – Rod’s (true) second choice is John Frawley’s The Real Astrology. This one is like a fresh wind because it has such a clarifying influence. (Runner-up status goes to Frawley’s other books, The Real Astrology Applied and Sports Astrology.)

16:30 – Finally, Rod would bring along The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by Geoffrey Cornelius. This philosophical text covers the concept: Is astrology simply timing, or is it divination?

19:56 – Rod’s recommendations for beginners? His focus is to learn history so that context is understood. Therefore, his choice is the two-volume set A History of Western Astrology by Nicholas Campion.

26:52 – Learn more about Rod’s astrology courses, books, and consultations at https://www.rodsuskin.com/. Check out his regular column in The Mountain Astrologer, “Thinking Like an Astrologer.” And we look forward to learning more about the not-memoir that Rod is now not so secretly writing!

27:47 – 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.

Astrologer, author, and teacher Adam Elenbaas joins host Jenn Zahrt to chat books, astrology, ayahuasca, and more! In this episode: Sun signs as the astrology gateway; horary and conditions against judgment; serial reading to understand a text anew; astrology as a form of divination; and leaning into Hellenistic with a modern twist. Plus: wrong charts that work, Saturn in your ears, and the Lord of the Rings!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Sept. 2023):

00:31 – As an astrologer, author, and yoga instructor, Adam’s style of astrology stems from a deeply grounded, spiritual, and devotional approach to everyday life. He began practicing in 2010 and has completed more than 12,000 birth chart readings and led hundreds of students through his natal and horary astrology instruction programs. He also shares regular content on his popular YouTube and Instagram channels!

00:43 – The first astrology book Adam ever read was in 2006 or so: Your Sun Sign as a Spiritual Guide by Swami Kriyananda. He’d just been on an ayahuasca journey, and this archetypal exploration of the 12 Sun signs was deeply impactful. Tune in to hear about Adam’s intriguing path from ayahuasca to astrology, and how NYC astrologer Rebecca Gordon pushed him out of the nest!

10:25 – If Adam were stranded on a desert island, what three books would he take? First up: Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View. Author Richard Tarnas’s fascinating mapping of mundane transits through such a wide arc of history stems from deep roots in psychedelic, holotropic breathwork – literally “breathtaking in its scope” – mirroring part of Adam’s own journey into being a professional astrologer and public figure.

14:12 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

14:59 – Adam’s second selection is The Moment of Astrology: Origins in Divination by Geoffrey Cornelius. This philosophically meaningful work offers the worldview of astrology as a form of divination rather than simply empirical science.

20:26 – Finally, Adam would bring along William Lilly’s famous text on horary astrology, Christian Astrology. Every time he reads this one, he sees what Lilly is saying in new ways.

25:11 – Adam’s recommendations for beginners are many! Two massive texts for folks studying Hellenistic astrology are Demetra George’s Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques (Volumes I and II), and Chris Brennan’s Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune. To study archetypes, Adam offers Liz Greene’s works, and mentions the Center for Psychological Astrology. For modern astrology, no one can tell a story like Steven Forrest, so Adam suggests Forrest’s books – but especially The Book of the Moon: Discovering Astrology’s Lost Dimension. A good intro to traditional astrology is On the Heavenly Spheres by the late Helena Avelar and the still-living Luis Ribeiro. For those interested in horary, check out Derek Appleby’s Horary Astrology: An Introduction to the Astrology of Time and John Frawley’s The Horary Textbook – Revised Edition. Last but not least, for mundane astrology, the previously mentioned Cosmos and Psyche is a keeper.

28:06 – Learn more about Adam at https://nightlightastrology.com/. And if you like his work, here’s his Kickstarter!

28:38 – 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.

Astrologer, coach, and intuitive Celeste Brooks joins host Jenn Zahrt from Oakland, CA to chat about books, eclipses, communication styles, quintiles and other minor aspects, forecasting, and more! Plus, don’t miss Celeste’s mini-lesson on the Lunar Phase Families – an astonishing technique if this is new to you. Plus: the magic of the number nine, astrology as reading data, and… go Bears!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Oct. 2023):

00:31 – Celeste left her 25-year corporate career in sales, marketing, and business development to become an astrologer! She feels called to guide others on their paths, and loves to connect with clients through readings, coaching, group events, and classes. Celeste is the Transit Talk host and OPA Live Manager for the Organization of Professional Astrologers (OPA). She has an undergraduate degree in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley and an MBA from St. Mary’s College. She holds the Practitioner’s Level Horary Certificate from the School of Traditional Astrology.

01:29 – The first astrology book that made an impact on Celeste was The Power of Mercury: Understanding Mercury Retrograde and Unlocking the Astrological Secrets of Communication. Celeste met the author, Leslie McGuirk, at Leslie’s book launch – and Celeste’s interest was piqued! Nothing like entering astrology via Mercury’s invitation to get a new career started, right??

08:53 – If Celeste were to take three important books with her to a remote location, what would they be? First, she’d bring Sue Tompkins’s Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope. Sue’s work details everything from the planets to aspects to chart patterns and more – all from a psychological perspective.

10:45 – Celeste’s second selection is The Art of Predictive Astrology: Forecasting Your Life Events by Carol Rushman. This book has lots of tools and tricks, going deep into progressions, eclipses, retrogrades, and transits.

12:27 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

14:10 – Lastly, Celeste would take along the invaluable Lunar Shadows III: The Predictive Power of Moon Phases & Eclipses by Dietrech Pessin. This dense, technical book offers so much wisdom about eclipses and the Moon Phase Families that it’s had a huge impact on Celeste’s work!

21:47 – Celeste’s recommendations for beginners are: The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest, The Archetypal Universe by Renn Butler, and Keywords for Astrology: The Essential Guide to Correspondences and Interpretation of Planets, Signs, Houses, and Aspects by Hajo Banzhaf and Anna Haebler.

24:49 – Learn more about Celeste at: https://www.astrologybyceleste.com/. Check out her pod, Celestial Insights Podcast (available on all platforms)! Celeste is also on social everywhere @astrologybyceleste (Insta, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook), but note: Instagram is her main platform, where she does live shows three times per week.

26:17 – 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.

Astrologer and author David Leskowitz sits down with host Jenn Zahrt to chat about centaurs, asteroids, and books! Learn about: using the Davison chart with centaurs; the outer planets and humanity’s readiness to work with that archetype; stationary Vesta in Aquarius; a Pholus story; when the planetary symbol and the poetic symbol coalesce; relocating a progressed chart; black holes; bibliomantic divination, and more! Plus: when the planetary gods find you; Bucky Fuller’s geodesic dome; and… are we our parents’ transits crystallized in human form?

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Nov. 2023):

00:31 – David is a beyond modern astrologer with an interest in the Centaurs and outer planets. He believes that Chiron and kin are more than just symbols in a birth chart, but life-affirming guides to the Cosmos. (We’re excited that he also has an anthology coming out on this topic! More below!) Additionally, David has practiced meditation and energy healing for much of his life.

01:30 – What was David’s first meaningful astrology book? He initially remembers reading a Vedic astrology text by Bepin Behari. Later, Dane Rudhyar’s The Magic of Tone and the Art of Music made its way into his orb. Finally, Noel Tyl’s intro to astrology books [namely, The Principles and Practice of Astrology series] helped David get his bearings from a psychological, humanistic worldview.

05:49 – Should David find himself stranded on M87, the first book he’d bring with him would be The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption by Liz Greene. His Piscean nature feels the call!

07:10 – David’s second selection is The Yavanajataka, an ancient book in Indian astrology. Finally, he’d have the time to study this text and give it the attention it deserves!

07:39 – Thirdly, David would take along Inside Planets by Ellias Lonsdale, a book which Ellias channeled with his departed beloved; this one examines the consciousness of the planets. (Enjoy the side trip to Jenn’s mention of A Graphic Ephemeris of Sensitive Degrees by Eleanor Bach.)

13:03 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

13:49– Our duo discusses David’s work with the Centaurs and sensitive degrees.

22:45 – David’s class on the DRC (Davison Relationship Chart) method can be found here.

24:31 – Another book that David loves is Astrology: A Language of Life, Volume 1 – Progressions by Robert Blaschke. It’s wonderful; dense, but short!

28:04 – David will soon be publishing an anthology of the Centaurs, Sideways From Saturn: Astrological Guidance From the Centaurs, which is currently available for preorder from Praesepe Press. You can catch him soon for a book talk about this project at CAELi! (One more reason to become a CAELi member! 😊)

28:22 – Lastly, David’s recommendations for beginners include: Inside Degrees: Developing Your Soul Biography Using the Chandra Symbols by Ellias Lonsdale; the Pleiadian degree series (The Circular Temple) by John Sandbach; Chiron and the Healing Journey by Melanie Reinhart; Chiron: The Wisdom of a Deeply Open Heart by Adam Gainsburg; Steven Forrest’s work, especially Yesterday’s Sky; and the work of Jeff Green.

37:04 – Learn about David’s work at: https://centaurs.space/ and https://centaurhealing.earth/.

37:29 – 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.

Astrologer, teacher, and author Freedom Cole joins host Jenn Zahrt to chat about Vedic astrology texts and much more! In this episode, our lovely duo offers food for thought on: various schools in the Vedic tradition, elections, death calculations as a practical technique, horary astrology, medical astrology, converse progressions, Jenn’s experience with a fasting remedy, time lords in your parents’ chart, and the stars and planets as a big clock. Plus: triple Ganesh song bursts, philosophical musings on time in the Vedic tradition, and teaching you how to think!

View full show notes at our Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Oct. 2023):

00:31 – Freedom is a practitioner of Jyotish, Yoga, Āyurveda, and the Vedic Sciences. He loves to teach traditional Vedic astrology in a practical way, integrating modern astrology with ancient wisdom. As an expert in the Indian astrological tradition, Freedom kicks off today’s show highlighting Ganesh!

02:56 – Astrology was chasing Freedom from a young age! His first introduction was an Indian numerology text by Harish Johari which used the planets to reveal the meaning of numbers. Then, The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk made a brief appearance. However, once Freedom took a medical astrology class, the fire was lit! The book that really calls to him is Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra, which is largely attributed to author Maharishi Parasara.

14:01 – The first book Freedom would bring with him to a desert island is Prashna Marga by Harihara. This is a practical, 16th century text that explains concepts in a simply way and doesn’t waste words.

17:05 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress-relief ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

17:52 – Freedom’s second book selection is Kalaprakashika, which is a Bengali text that offers info about elections, as well as nuggets about general chart utilizations. This one still beautifully challenges Freedom, even many years later.

20:27 – Freedom’s third pick would be the previously mentioned Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (the critical edition!). Freedom teaches this book in his classes, and it still reveals itself to him. (Tune in for a fascinating side conversation about the directionality of time!)

28:53 – Freedom suggests a few texts for beginners: Crux of Vedic Astrology: Timing of Events by Sanjay Rath; Astrology of the Seers: A Guide to Vedic/Hindu Astrology by David Frawley; and Light on Life: An Introduction to the Astrology of India by Hart de Fouw and Robert Svoboda. Finally, for someone interested in diving into the deep end of Vedic astrology, Freedom recommends his books: Science of Light, Volumes 1 & 2.

30:29 – Although Freedom is not currently seeing clients, you can learn about his classes at: https://www.scienceoflight.net/.

30: – 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.

Astrological titan Baris Ilhan joins host Jenn Zahrt from Bodrum, Turkey for a fascinating, one-of-a-kind chat! Baris is an astrologer, author, publisher, translator, researcher, teacher, and founder of the Ilhan Astrology Institute. This not-to-be-missed episode covers: the 8th house, self-actualization, blending modern and traditional astrology, Ottoman astrological research, the intersection of mysticism and philosophy, and more. Plus: learning from each other, using the planets while alive, and finding the symbolism of the planets within the field of ethics!

View full show notes at our Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Oct. 2023):

00:31 – Baris has been a professional astrologer since 1993. In 1997, she founded her publishing house, helping to translate and bring to bookstores about two dozen texts. She is also the author of two books: The Puberty Age of Adults: Planetary Cycles and Astrology Lessons, which is a textbook for her students.

00:54 – Baris’s first astrology text is a bit of a mystery! She remembers buying astrology books from American soldiers at a military base near her home; the almanacs offered interesting info about the signs. Then there was a book printed in Turkey, perhaps called something like Astrology: Your Future. Linda Goodman’s books made a brief entrance, too, but the one that caught her attention the most was The Astrologer's Handbook by Frances Sakoian and Louis Acker.

05:52 – Which books have influenced Baris’s practice the most? Two of Stephen Arroyo’s books make the list: Astrology, Psychology, and the Four Elements: An Energy Approach to Astrology and Its Use in the Counseling Arts and Astrology, Karma, & Transformation: The Inner Dimensions of the Birth Chart. Howard Sasportas’s The Twelve Houses also earns a spot on the roll. Astrologer Michael Lutin gets a nod for his lectures (not a book, but good stuff nonetheless). Finally, Jeff Green’s Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul and Steven Forrest’s The Inner Sky make the cut.

07:50 – Tune in to hear Baris’s instrumental role in the transmission of astrological knowledge into Turkey, and her journey in opening her own publishing house!

13:24 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

14:11 – Baris explains how a 1998 conference with Rick Tarnas and Stanislav Grof led her to look at her own culture. She then began a period of research into the Ottoman Empire and studied 13th-century astrologer and author Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, translating his books (and others!) from Persian into Turkish and English over many years. This is an ongoing project, as she’s currently translating a horary book into Turkish, and then plans to translate it into English. Wow, and thank you, Baris!

21:36 – For beginners, Baris invites you to learn the basics through her previously mentioned textbook, as well as via her planetary cycles book.

21:59 – Find Baris on her popular Instagram channel, and via her website.

23:16 – 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.

Astrologer, teacher, and historian Gary Lorentzen joins host Jenn Zahrt in this sweet reunion episode: Gary was Jenn’s first astrology teacher in high school! Join the warmth as Gary and Jenn chat about must-know books, archetypal shifts in history, the intersection of synchronicity and physics, the four humors, humanistic psychological approaches, the eight phases in progressions, the Barbault index, and more. Plus: humans as meaning-making creatures; measuring time vs. marking time; and… can you guess what the least lucrative form of astrology is?

View full show notes at our Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2023):

00:31 – Gary has been studying astrology since 1972. He takes not only a psychological approach to interpretation, but also focuses on what he dubs “astro-history” (the mundane studies of history and geopolitics). He’s an educator who is trained as a historian, with a graduate degree in Medieval Germanic Linguistics. Gary was one of the original founders of Kepler College, and helped to develop the curriculum for Kepler’s bachelor program. He also served as president of the Washington State and Oregon Astrological Associations.

00:48 – Gary remembers initially buying two astrology books back in the day. First up: Dane Rudhyar’s The Astrology of Personality, which gave Gary a practical way of looking at astrology and observing its applications. He also purchased Marc Edmund Jones’s Astrology: How and Why It Works; this one is a wonderful, and challenging, philosophical text. (And did Gary write the date and time he bought these texts on the inside covers? Yes, he did – a budding astrologer for sure!)

04:46 – What other books changed Gary’s astrology life? Three Books on Life by Marsilio Ficino, who basically did modern psychological astrology in the 15th century! In this text, Gary sees the intellectual threads that led to Rudhyar and humanistic psychology. Also, the tome Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas makes the list.

14:16 – Gary explains how he became an astro-historian, which differs from mundane astrology.

15:27 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

16:13 – The books that helped Gary develop his practice with astro-history include: Planetary Cycles: Mundane Astrology by André Barbault; The Book of World Horoscopes by Nick Campion; and Cycles of Becoming by Alexander Ruperti. (Included is a lovely side trip to Cosmobiology: The Engine of Destiny by Marc Robertson, where Gary gives an elegant description of the eight phases of any two planets in the progressed chart.)

25:14 – For beginners, Gary would recommend something formulaic, like Joanne Wickenburg’s The Spiral of Life: Unlocking Your Potential With Astrology. This one offers a great foundation!

28:38 – Find Gary at his site: http://garylorentzen.com/. And check out the blog post he references, Planetary Pairs and the Aspects in the Eight Phases of their Synodic Cycles.

30:10 – 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.

Astrologer, artist, and academic Jenny Montgomery sits down with host Jenn Zahrt from Missoula, Montana to chat about books (both real and imagined!) and more: correspondences, primary directions, archetypes, archaic instincts, synchronicity, zodiacal releasing, and Neptune remediation. Plus: conjuring up a graphic novel for Project Hindsight, walking the Prague zodiac, and… are a plethora of Jennifers the secret to the universe??

View full show notes at our Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded Oct. 2023):

00:31 – As a graduate student at Columbia University, Jenny focused on the history of esoteric sciences in the medieval Greco-Arab world. She then traveled on a Fulbright-Hayes Dissertation Research Fellowship to study in Cairo, Istanbul, and Oxford for her PhD thesis, which examined the relationship between Greek and Arabic astrology as practiced by the 11th century Egyptian physician Ali Ibn Ridwan.

01:31 – The first astrology book that Jenny read was a colorful, illustrated kid-friendly book from the 1970s! Unfortunately, she no longer has that exact book, but a similarly delightful one would be Heaven on Earth by Fritz Wegner. (Tabs we can pull? A pop-up with wheels that spin? Count us in!) Another that was influential was Ali Ibn Ridwan’s commentary on Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos.

07:04 – If Jenny were going to a remote place, which three books would she bring? Waving a magic wand, she would love to conjure up a text that doesn’t exist: the book on astrology that C. G. Jung would have written had he not been embarrassed to talk about it! Enjoy the side trip to Liz Greene’s two-volume Jung’s Studies in Astrology and Clare Martin’s Alchemy: The Soul of Astrology.

12:24 – Interlude: Join CAELi’s inaugural annual support campaign and snag yourself a Saturn stress ball. (Yes, you read that right!)

13:10 – Jenny’s second selection also arrives on the imaginary bus: the unwritten books by Robert Schmidt of Project Hindsight. Currently, Robert’s work is in hard-to-find audio form. Time, philosophy, and wonderful idiosyncratic theories all take the stage here.

16:52 – Jenny’s final pick is a deep dive into the intriguing city of Prague, which is laid out according to the zodiac! Check out Praga Mysteriosa: The Secret of the Prague Solstice by Milan Spurek. Take a trip to Prague and walk your birth chart! (Hat tip to Michal Maryška, who will soon release a series of books about the Prague zodiac.)

20:28 – For beginners, Jenny recommends: the previously mentioned Heaven on Earth; Rex Bill’s The Rulership Book (with bonus points for Jenn’s mention of The Book of Rulerships by Lee Lehman); Key Words for Astrology by Hajo Banzhaf and Anna Haebler; and Sun Sign, Moon Sign: Discover the Personality Secrets of the 144 Sun-Moon Combinations by Charles Harvey and Suzi Harvey.

24:54 – Jenny's website is: http://www.jenny-montgomery.com/.

25:28 – 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.

Astrologer and writer SJ Anderson joins host Jenn Zahrt from Albania! SJ and Jenn get within orb, offering a fascinating book chat and more: from dispositor trees, to Jupiter cycles that lead to new relationships and careers, to confirmation bias, to Mars and Venus synodic phase returns, to calling in our celestial birthright. All that, plus: the planetization of consciousness, the times it might be appropriate to toss astrology in the junker, and… you’re a beautiful time slice, doncha know!

View full show notes at our Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute.

Visit our bookshop.org page to support CAELi and purchase books mentioned on the show!

Become a CAELi member or renew your membership!

Love the show? Support our work with a financial contribution or book donation.

Follow CAELi on FB, IG, and YouTube.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded July 2023):

00:31 – SJ Anderson went down the rabbit hole of astrology after meeting Jenn! He’d previously studied the esoteric and occult world of tarot. Check out SJ’s popular X channel and YouTube channel for more.

02:33 – SJ’s first astrology book was really 40 astrology books! (Hats off to public libraries everywhere!)

07:34 – One title that does stand out from back in the day, though, is Kevin Burk’s Astrology: Understanding the Birth Chart. SJ loved how this book taught him rulership. Also, drawing his dispositor tree helped him to see his chart in a whole new way; it’s still essential to how he does his work.

10:44 – SJ’s desert island picks include two ancient texts: Vettius Valens’s Anthology (books 1 and 2 in the series), as well as reading by Ptolemy. And…

11:52 – … let’s break down SJ’s third selection, New Mansions for New Men. In this book, author Dane Rudhyar ties together the ancient ways of thinking with the challenges of the modern world. SJ found Rudhyar’s distillation of the planets and houses helpful, and appreciates his writing style.

22:08 – Visit our sponsor: The AstroMagia Online Conference hosted by JD Kelley (November 16-18, 2023)!

34:43 – If someone were crushing on astrology as a newbie, what books would SJ recommend? For sure the previously mentioned Astrology: Understanding the Birth Chart by Burk. Also, Traditional Astrology for Today: An Introduction by Benjamin Dykes, which is a small book and a great primer on traditional core concepts. Finally, Demetra George’s Astrology and the Authentic Self: Integrating Traditional and Modern Astrology to Uncover the Essence of the Birth Chart, which offers useful personal application.

37:58 – 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.