Within Orb

Astrologer and educator Wade Caves joins host Jenn Zahrt from Brooklyn, NY! Join these pals in a profound, accessible, and cheerful episode as they chat astrology books and more, including: sharing versus hoarding (and the urn of Aquarius); Virgo’s wings; a classic text with helpful chart examples; and navigation using the stars. All that, plus: astrology in the 7th-grade cafeteria, the impact of Sailor Moon, and Moon-Mercury aspects!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2025):

00:12 – Wade Caves, based in Brooklyn, NY, is an astrological consultant and educator specializing in horary, electional, and classical astrological technique. He teaches horary and astronomy at the School of Traditional Astrology. Wade also publishes his work on world astrology through Skyscript’s In Mundo publishing desk, and hosts the World Astrology Summit, a conference dedicated to the advancement of mundane technique for diverse audiences. He is the editor and annotator of the 300th anniversary edition of William Lilly’s History of His Life and Times (Rubedo Press, 2015).

01:26 – Wade’s very first astrology book was Love Signs (or possibly Sun Signs) by Linda Goodman. Early on, Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand was also important to him.

08:46 – If Wade could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Astronomica by Marcus Manilius.

11:44 – Wade’s second choice would be all three volumes of Christian Astrology by William Lilly. (Wade also offers a hat tip to Guido Bonatti!)

12:33 – The third title Wade would bring is Al-Magest by Claudius Ptolemy. (Not Tetrabiblos? Correct… unless he couldn’t get off the island!)

20:27 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

21:14 – Wade asks: What three books would Jenn bring? (And lend your ears to Episode 39, Jenn Zahrt: For the Love of Astrology (Books)!)

28:17 – For beginners, Wade recommends Aspects in Astrology: A Comprehensive Guide to Interpretation by Sue Tompkins, The Houses: Temples of the Sky by Deborah Houlding, and Cosmic Loom: The New Science of Astrology by Dennis Elwell.

37:24 – Find Wade at his website: https://wadecaves.com/. And visit the School of Traditional Astrology: https://sta.co/.

38:34 – 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.

Astrologer, coach, and educator Asdrúbal Moreno joins host Jenn Zahrt from Santiago, Chile! Join the ISAR prez and vice prez in this deep and exuberant chat covering astrology books and more, including: patterns, not predictions; the Sun as your personal myth; and Dane Rudhyar’s metaphorical symphony! Plus: ascensional transits, the potential in a seed, and… is the pursuit of happiness alive in nature?

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2025):

00:12 – Asdrúbal Moreno is an astrologer, coach, and educator passionate about integrating astrology, somatic awareness, and personal development. He serves as Vice President of ISAR and Director of the ISAR Affiliated Schools Program, and is also Subdirector and Professor at the Centro Astrológico de Chile. Certified as a Professional Astrologer (CAP-ISAR) and Senior Ontological Coach, Asdrúbal specializes in humanistic astrology, karmic insight, and somatic coaching. He combines ancient wisdom with contemporary science to help individuals and groups grow in self-awareness and transformation.

00:59 – Asdrúbal’s first astrological dip was a board game from when he was a kid, where you had to cast a birth chart! His first actual book was Manual de Astrología Moderna (or, Modern Astrology Manual) by Eloy Dumon.

05:29 – If Asdrúbal could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Tetrabiblos by Ptolemy.

09:33 – Asdrúbal’s second choice would be Apollo's Chariot: The Meaning of the Astrological Sun by Liz Greene.

17:35 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

18:22 – The third title Asdrúbal would bring is The Astrology of Personality by Dane Rudhyar.

29:19 – For beginners, Asdrúbal recommends Dumon’s Modern Astrology Manual and Un Espejo Cósmico (translated: A Cosmic Mirror) by Gonzalo Pérez. (It’s not in English… yet! 😉)

32:47 – Find Asdrúbal on Instagram @asdru_. And you can reach him by email at: asdrubal.moreno.f(at)gmail(dot)com!

34:39 – 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.

Astrologer and professor Michelle Brisebois joins host Jenn Zahrt from the Niagara area of Ontario, Canada! Join the duo for this fun and lively chat about astrology books and more, including: an approachable read on progressions; juicy predictive techniques; and investigating specific degrees related to career! Plus: learning to cast charts by hand, the art of winemaking, and… create your future, don’t predict it!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2025):

00:12 – Michelle Brisebois studies and uses astrology and Qabalistic Pathworking to work with clients to help them build a life and career path that brings them joy. She’s a part-time marketing professor, teaching marketing to winemaking students at Niagara College, and is writing her first book about the Egyptian Bounds.

00:40 – Michelle’s first astrology book was The Compleat Astrologer’s Love Signs by Derek and Julia Parker. But the initial one that taught her about how the archetypes work was a tarot book (which included some astrology) called Jewels of the Wise: Self-Mastery Through the Tarot, published by the Holy Order of Mans.

04:27 – If Michelle could bring only three books to a deserted island, her first pick would be Progressions by Robert Blaschke, edited by our dear Jenn, and published in a new second edition with an expanded ephemeris by Revelore Press!

06:53 – Michelle’s second choice would be Predictive Astrology: Cycles of Change, Seasons of Meaning by Michele Adler.

08:00 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

08:46 – The third title Michelle would bring is The Wheel of Life or Scientific Astrology by Maurice Wemyss. (If you want to pack light, Michelle also shouts out The CAELi Review, edited by Camm Cassidy! And hey, check out Episode 5 while you’re at it, Camm Cassidy & the Lord of the Orb!)

18:53 – For beginners, Michelle recommends Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas, You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas, Astrology: An Illustrated Guide with editor Kim Farnell, and The Combination of Stellar Influences by Reinhold Ebertin.

21:29 – Find Michelle at her website: https://textrixmarketing.com.

22:29 – 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 and production by Jen Braun of JJ Boots Productions LLC.

Kevin DeCapite, astrologer and founder/developer of LUNA Astrology, joins host Jenn Zahrt from Portland, Oregon! Tune in as Jenn and Kevin chat about astrology books and more, including: astrology as the study of all human experience; the practice and art of inquiry; change as the only constant; and Dane Rudhyar’s vast body of work. Plus: analysis paralysis versus trusting intuition, innate creativity, and… what does it mean to be human?

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded May 2025):

00:12 – Kevin DeCapite is the founder and developer of LUNA Astrology, a cloud software platform for students and practitioners. He studied astrology and meditation with transpersonal astrologer Jim Sher in Los Angeles, CA, and currently resides in Portland, OR with his wife Sharon.

00:48 – Kevin’s first astrology book was Llewellyn's Complete Book of Astrology: The Easy Way to Learn Astrology by Kris Brandt Riske.

08:51 – If Kevin could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Astrology as a Spiritual Path: Birth of the New Human by Jim Sher.

12:49 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

13:36 – Kevin’s second choice would be The I Ching or Book of Changes, translated by Richard Wilhelm and Cary Baynes.

19:25 – The third title Kevin would bring is The Essential Rudhyar: An Outline and an Evocation by Leyha Raël. (Or he’d bring whatever Rudhyar book he happens to be reading!)

25:25 – For beginners, Kevin recommends that any introductory astrology book can get you started; follow your gut! He also enjoys the work of Liz Greene, Dane Rudhyar, and Jim Sher. Or, check out Astrology, Psychology, and the Four Elements: An Energy Approach to Astrology and Its Use in the Counseling Arts by Stephen Arroyo.

29:42 – Find Kevin at his website: https://www.lunaastrology.com/.

30:19 – 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.

Astrologer and author Rebecca Gordon joins host Jenn Zahrt from New York City! Together, Jenn and Rebecca chat books, an ecosystems approach to astrology, and more, including: a consideration of historical patterns; the tapestry of fixed stars; medical astrology; and the importance of the elements. Plus: a pride of Leo risings, thoughts on the Berlin Wall, and… what’s your heliacal rising star?

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded June 2025):

00:12 – Rebecca Gordon is an author, visionary astrologer, futurist, and systems thinker who bridges astrology with governance, business, ecology, and cultural evolution. Rather than studying astrology in isolation, she explores its role in shaping human systems, integrating celestial cycles into real-world applications that influence everything from leadership models to environmental frameworks. Her pioneering Ecosystems Astrology method reframes astrology as an interconnected, living system—an approach she’s shared through global retreats, workshops, and thought leadership. Rebecca has collaborated with organizations such as Google, Aman Hotels, The NED, NeueHouse, and even Christian Louboutin bringing astrology into the worlds of business, fashion, technology, and hospitality through keynotes and team building events. Rebecca has spoken at leading conferences on astrology, futurism, and interdisciplinary thought, engaging in conversations on AI, quantum mechanics, and social transformation. Through retreats and immersive experiences, Rebecca invites participants to engage with astrology as a tool for systems thinking, ecological awareness, and cultural innovation, weaving the ancient axiom as above, so below into the fabric of modern life.

01:12 – Rebecca’s first astrology book was Parkers’ Astrology by Julia and Derek Parker, which she loved! Around the same time, she also encountered The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk – but Parkers’ gets the hat tip!

06:21 – If Rebecca could bring only three books to a deserted island, her first pick would be Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View by Richard Tarnas.

16:09 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

16:55 – Rebecca’s second choice would be Brady's Book of Fixed Stars: The Invisible Force and Influence of Constellations in the Natal Chart by Bernadette Brady.

24:20 – The third title Rebecca would bring is Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan.

25:16 – For beginners, Rebecca recommends Astrology, Psychology, and the Four Elements: An Energy Approach to Astrology and Its Use in the Counseling Arts by Stephen Arroyo and The Astrology Sourcebook: A Guide to the Symbolic Language of the Stars by Shirley Soffer. Rebecca also offers two Irish poets that have been meaningful to her – John O'Donohue’s book Beauty: The Invisible Embrace and the work of David Whyte.

31:08 – Jenn asks Rebecca about her text Your Body and the Stars: The Zodiac As Your Wellness Guide, co-authored with Stephanie Marango. Tune in to hear the deets!

33:26 – Find Rebecca at her website: https://www.rebeccagordonastrology.com/.

36:40 – 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.

Research astrologer Chris Knutson joins host Jenn Zahrt from Vietnam! Join the two for a lively and deep discussion of astrology books, time, identity, and more, including: directing a Lunar Return; looking at first trade charts; and digging into the TNPs (trans-Neptunian planets). All that, plus: Saturn on the Midheaven, interfacing with your progressions, and primary directions!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded April 2025):

00:12 – Chris Knutson is a research astrologer with an interest in the history and evolution of astrological technique from the Babylonian period up to the modern day, with a particular focus on the Uranian or symmetrical school stemming from the work of Alfred Witte and collaborators. His specific area of study at this time is the history and use of primary directions and other time fractals in concrete, event-oriented astrology for predictive work and rectification. He maintains a limited list of clientele for consultations on a referral basis.

00:38 – Chris’s first astrology book was The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk.

04:40 – If Chris could bring only three books to a deserted island, his first pick would be Astrologia Gallica (volumes 21–24) by Jean-Baptiste Morin and translated by James Holden.

10:56 – Chris’s second choice would be Planetary Stock Trading by Bill Meridian. (And Jenn references The Progressed Horoscope by Alan Leo.)

16:58 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

17:44 – The third title Chris would bring is Alfred Witte’s Rules for Planetary Pictures: The Astrology of Tomorrow, with the revisions by Friedrich Sieggrün, Ludwig Rudolph, and Hermann Lefeldt. (And CAELi has a rare third edition of the earliest version of the Rules from 1935!)

24:55 – For beginners, Chris recommends enrolling in the Foundation and Diploma Course in Medieval Astrology by Robert Zoller! He also suggests reading Primary Directions: Astrology’s Old Master Technique by Martin Gansten and Woolfolk’s previously mentioned The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need. (And an honorable mention goes to author Rumen Kolev’s three books on primary directions.)

27:31 – Reach out to Chris via his email: chrisjknutson2000(at)yahoo(dot)com. On Facebook, he’s @Chris KG.

27:20 – 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.

Astrologer Michelle Craft joins host Jenn Zahrt from Alameda, California! Join the two for a chat covering traditional astrology and more, including: a method-based, interactive way to make judgements; tracking the profection lord between the nativity and the solar return; and dispelling myths about Mesopotamian culture. Plus: medal-winning planetary extremes, considering the firdaria periods, and deus ex machina tropes!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded March 2025):

00:12 – Michelle Craft is a swimmer and astrologer living in Alameda, California. She primarily uses Medieval Islamicate techniques and Hellenistic traditions in her practice. Michelle especially loves to engage with predictive astrology. She has given talks for the Association of Young Astrologers and the San Francisco Astrological Society.

01:27 – Michelle’s first astrology book was Sun Signs by Linda Goodman.

04:56 – If Michelle could bring only three books to a deserted island, her first pick would be Abu Ali Al-Khayyat’s The Judgments of Nativities, translated by James H. Holden.

09:18 – Michelle’s second choice would be Abu Ma’shar’s Persian Nativities IV: On the Revolutions of the Years of Nativities, translated by Benjamin Dykes.

11:31 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

13:37 – The third title Michelle would bring is The Heavenly Writing: Divination, Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture by Francesca Rochberg.

20:55 – For beginners, Michelle recommends On the Heavenly Spheres by Helena Avelar and Luis Campos Ribeiro, Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan, You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas, and Mastering Traditional Astrology: A Depth of Beginning in the Celestial Art by Mychal Bryan.

24:12 – Find Michelle at her website: https://www.soulhealingwithmichelle.com/. On Instagram and Bluesky, her handle is @crystalsoulheal.

27:20 – 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.

Astrologer, teacher, and author Catherine Urban joins host Jenn Zahrt from Ohio! Enjoy this cheerful gabfest covering astrology books and more, including: blending traditional and modern techniques; temperament theory; the building blocks of the universe; kids and family chart patterns; and planetary cycles through the ages. Plus: astrology and costume design, annuals versus perennials, and… our birth charts are not random!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out the latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded April 2025):

00:12 – Catherine Urban (NCGR-PAA IV, ISAR-CAP) has been immersed in astrology for over 15 years. Her practice is steeped in classical, medieval, natal, and horary technique, centering compassion for human experience. Specializing in solar returns and forecasting, Catherine empowers her clients to become alchemists of their own charts while gaining confidence and clarity on their path. Catherine is an astrology teacher, a mama of two, and the author of Your Astrological Cookbook: The Perfect Recipe for Every Sign. She offers weekly forecasts on Instagram and YouTube!

01:41 – Catherine’s gateway into astrology was the horoscope columns in Teen Beat magazine! But her first astrology book was Astrology: A Cosmic Science by Isabel Hickey.

03:25 – If Catherine could bring only three books to a deserted island, her first pick would be The Great Introduction to the Science of the Judgments of the Stars by Abū Ma'shar. (And in the runner-up category, she mentions Temperament: Astrology's Forgotten Key by Dorian Gieseler Greenbaum.)

08:45 – Catherine’s second choice would be Saturn and Melancholy: Studies in the History of Natural Philosophy, Religion, and Art by Raymond Klibansky, Erwin Panofsky, and Fritz Saxl.

15:58 – The third title Catherine would bring is The Astrology of Family Dynamics by Erin Sullivan.

21:12 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

21:58 – More on children, birth charts, and (birth, chosen, and adoptive) familes!

29:29 – Catherine recommends The Great Introduction by Abū Ma'shar for intermediate students and Cycles of Becoming: The Planetary Pattern of Growth by Alexander Ruperti for beginners.

33:14 – Find Catherine at her website: https://www.catherineurban.com/. On Instagram and YouTube, her handle is @astrocatherine, and on BlueSky it’s @astrocatherine1.

34:44 – 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 and production by Jen Braun of JJ Boots Productions LLC.

The inimitable astrologer, author, publisher, and teacher Frank Clifford joins host Jenn Zahrt from London for our second podiversary!! Make a cuppa and join the duo for a fun episode filled with books, personal stories (The Mountain Astrologer! Tad Mann! Steven Forrest! Lois Rodden! Solar Fire! Melanie Reinhart!), and more, including: devouring data texts; navigating astrological politics; selecting the name for the Astro-Databank; deets on the London School of Astrology; correcting misleading online astro info; and books for the thinking astrologer! All that, plus: hand reading, Mars on the Midheaven, and… what do you want your legacy to be??

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded April 2025):

00:01 – Happy birthday, Within Orb!

01:12 – Frank Clifford has built an eclectic, 35-year career as the writer of a dozen books, a consultant astrologer and palmist, a publisher/editor, a researcher of birth data, and the Principal of the London School of Astrology, which has branches in China and Japan. In 2012, he was the youngest recipient of a lifetime honour from the Astrological Association for his contribution to astrology, and a writing award from ISAR and various ISAR and Regulus Award (UAC) nominations have since followed. In mid-2025 he is relaunching The Mountain Astrologer magazine as a multi-media publication.

03:59 – Frank’s first astrology books included two from Linda Goodman (Sun Signs and Relationship Signs), texts by Bernard Fitzwalter, and Derek and Julia Parker’s The Compleat Astrologer.

08:11 – If Frank could bring only three books to a henge in northern Scotland, his first pick would be Profiles of Women: A Collection of Astrological Biographies by Lois Rodden.

11:34 – Can you work in the remote location? You betcha! Bringing an editing pencil, Frank’s second and third choices would be his very own British Entertainers: The Astrological Profiles and The Book of Music Horoscopes.

13:16 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

14:02 – Frank shares his experience creating data books!

17:47 – Hear about the London School of Astrology, home to 14,000 students!

18:51 – For beginners, Frank’s top three recommendations are: The Contemporary Astrologer's Handbook: An In-Depth Guide to Interpreting Your Horoscope by Sue Tompkins, The Knot of Time: Astrology and Female Experience by Lindsay River and Sally Gillespie, and Cosmic Loom: The New Science of Astrology by Dennis Elwell. But a hat tip also goes to Astrology in the Year Zero by Garry Phillipson (once published by Frank’s own Flare Publications and soon to be released by the Sophia Centre Press!) and True as the Stars Above: Adventures in Modern Astrology by Neil Spencer.

26:34 – Find Frank at The London School of Astrology website: https://www.londonschoolofastrology.com/.

29:28 – 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 and production by Jen Braun of JJ Boots Productions LLC.

Astrologer and librarian Jessica Irene joins host Jenn Zahrt from Washington, DC! Pull up a chair and lend your ears to this convo covering books and more, including: the human experience as a vehicle of the divine; tarot and astrology; the Lunar Mansions; and comparative philosophy. Plus: moving away from atheism, Mercury crafts, and the taxonomy of astrology texts!

Visit CAELi’s Within Orb pod page!

Learn more about the CAELi Institute and check out their latest lab offerings.

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, YouTube, and Bluesky.

Transcripts available upon request.

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

*****

Episode timestamps (conversation recorded March 2025):

00:12 – Jessica Irene is a Washington, DC-based astrologer and has been providing consultations for four years following her formal studies with Nightlight Astrology School. Jessica has been a writer-contributor to the CHANI astrology app and has presented for both Nightlight Astrology School, OPA, AYA and AFAN. Astrology, for her, is a means to intimacy with a living, divine world. Apart from astrology and other esoteric things, she works full-time as a librarian in digital preservation, enjoys bodybuilding, and lots of sunlight.

00:36 – Jessica’s first astrology book was Parkers’ Astrology by Julia Parker and Derek Parker.

04:18 – If Jessica could bring only three books to a deserted island, her first pick would be The Archetypical Universe: Astrological Patterns in Human Culture, Thought, Emotion and Dreams by Renn Butler.

05:22 – Jessica’s second choice would be The Game of Saturn: Decoding the Sola-Busca tarrochi by Peter Mark Adams.

12:03 – Interlude: Join the CAELi Support Drive and for only $35, you can enjoy your morning beverage out of a gorgeous CAELi mug!

12:50 – The third title Jessica would bring is Procession of the Night Theatre: An Exposition on the Lunar Stations by J.M. Hamade.

17:25 – Runner-up texts include: The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies by Thomas McEvilley; Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Daoist Thought: Crossing Paths In-Between by Katrin Froese; and the coffee table book Fortune: “All Is But Fortune” by Leslie Thomson and produced in conjunction with an exhibition at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

27:00 – For beginners, Jessica recommends Butler’s formerly mentioned The Archetypical Universe, Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques by Demetra George, and You Were Born For This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance by Chani Nicholas.

29:02 – Find Jessica at her website: https://www.dendraletheia.com/. On socials, her handle is @dendraletheia.

29:33 – 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.