Randy asked:
Michele's Response:
As to reading Solstice and Equinox charts, or the Cardinal Ingress charts, it is best to look for books on Mundane Astrology. There are quite of few of them nowadays.
I started with two books.
1) The Astrology of the Macrocosm, edited by Joan McEvers, my edition is dated 1989. In this book you will find a full chapter on The Ingress Chart by Judy Johns. If you go to UAC, check to see if Judy is giving any lectures or workshops on Mundane Astrology. Judy does quite a bit of research for corporate entities, and is on top of anything mundane.
2) Raphael's Mundane Astrology, this is a great book, tiny in size and I have no idea if it has ever been reprinted. It was published in England by W. Foulsham & Co. in 1932. It is excellent. I must assume someone picked up the rights and has republished it.
Then I would say, create some ingress charts for years past. Years where you know the big events that took place. Take the data off the pages, scramble them up and then see what you come up with. Check it against your list of events and see how accurate you have been. This is a great way to learn astrology - mundane or otherwise. In my intermediate classes I call these mystery charts. They are great for building confidence in new astrologers because through your accurate interpretations you realize how much you have learned and know.
Finally if you want to investigate other mundane books, please do. I am certain you will find some by Nicholas Campion, Marc Penfield, Diana Rosenburg, Jim Lewis and other great astrologers.
Here are some of the titles from my library:
Who's Who in Astrology by Marc Penfield
Tables of Planetary Phenomenon by Neil Michelson
Accurate World Horoscopes by Doris Chase Doane
The Astrological Chart of The United States from 1776 to 2141 by Gar Osten (this is a very interesting book, which does not use the ingress but rather the US natal charts for reference, and if you are new to this process you will find it very interesting to note that our nation has just had its progressed Mars go retrograde in an approaching aspect to natal Saturn. This signals internal strife, possible revolution, possible dictatorship and too many other things to go into here. But this alone can be worth your while to research if you are interested in the direction of our nation and also the markets. Most times when there are stock market crashes, depressions and major wars, Mars and Saturn are aspecting, so a progression like this is not to be overlooked.
The Earth In The Heavens by Johndro, Weiser 1973.
Horoscopes of the U.S. Presidents by Doris Chase Doane, 1971.
Now for Fixed Stars, these are the stars that create our constellations. They are called 'Fixed Stars' because they move very slowly, about one degree every hundred years. To realize what this means, you can compare it to the Moon which moves one degree about every two hours or Jupiter which moves thirty degrees about every year.
One of the best sources for mundane information on fixed stars is Ebertin's Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation. If this book has not been reprinted since 1994, you will notice that the degrees it gives for each star is only accurate to the year, 1950 so you will have to use math or a program to get their current degrees.
Other books on fixed stars include:
Brady's Book of Fixed Stars by Bernadette Brady, and
The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology by Robson.
If you wish to understand the nature of the fixed stars through their mythic origins, consider Ariel Guttman & Kenneth Johnson's book titled: Mythic Astrology, 1996. And you may also enjoy The New Patterns in the Sky - Myths & Legends of the Stars by Julius D. W. Staal, 1988.
I hope all of this will help you, as you continue to read, delineate and grow. Please feel free to email or post questions. Though I may sometimes be slow to answer, you can always count on my response.
