“Astrology is a marvellous vehicle for wise action and deep understanding. I do not see how any astrologer could be an atheist or agnostic. I believe that God intends certain experiences for each of us. Astrology is God’s way of letting us read His overall plan for our lives.”
— Joan Quigley, astrologer to Ronald and Nancy Reagan¹
This site has two general aims.
First, it’s an astrology blog. I write blog posts on various astrological topics, such as horoscopes of celebrities and newsmakers. I try to make these posts educational and interesting. But not too complex for the novice.
Secondly, it’s an educational resource. It provides information about astrological tools and techniques.
You’ll also find a few other things on this site. Such as book reviews, and how to arrange an astrological reading with me, about your horoscope.
I’ve been studying and teaching astrology since about 1993.
I eventually gained the Practitioner Diploma from the Federation of Australian Astrologers (F.A.A). And over the years have given presentations at F.A.A. national conferences (2018, 2020) and the Victorian branch, the V.A.A.
My V.A.A. talks have been about:
- The astrological life and times of Jim Jones and Marshall Applewhite – two cult leaders, born just a few days apart in 1931
- Simon Forman (1552-1611) Elizabethan medical astrologer, and larger-than-life character
- The year 2020, when we move into a ‘new era’ according to the principles of the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycles.
I also co-organised the two iterations of the Regulus Astrology Conference. Ths was a small conference dedicated to promoting ‘traditional astrology’ (see below). At one of those conferences I presented on herbalist/astrologer Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654). At the the other I spoke about Jupiter-Saturn conjunction cycles.
On Twitter you’ll find me at @astro_school and on Facebook head to https://www.facebook.com/astrologyschool.net/
I also post responses to astrological questions on Quora.com.
My astrological approach
Astrologers tend to fall into one of two philosophical viewpoints: ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’.
Modern astrology dates (roughly) from about 1900 onwards. It takes a broadly psychological perspective. It views us as having considerable ‘free will.’ And it often incorporates ‘new age’ spirituality, myths and Jungian concepts such as archetypes.
Traditional astrology focuses on the astrology as practiced prior to 1900. In particular in the 17th century and earlier, right back to the 2nd century.
English astrologer William Lilly (1602-1681) is a significant figure in traditional astrology, and one of my heroes. His textbook, Christian Astrology (1647) remains a classic. It’s incredibly detailed, but classy in terms of the knowledge imparted.
Superficially, traditional astrology can seem ‘fated’, determinstic and rule-driven. But … once embraced, it has a depth and scope missing from modern astrology. Traditional astrology embraces a more complete body of knowledge. It can be complex and challenging, but also richly rewarding for those who persist.
Modern astrology is a simplified subset of traditional knowledge. Although a modern astrologer will likely disagree with this statement! They might argue that modern astrology is more ‘evolved’, and more in line with contemporary society than ‘traditional.’
There has been a renewed interest in traditional astrology during the past thirty years. And many former modern astrologers (e.g. Robert Hand, author of seminal Planets in Transit) now incorporate traditional techniques into their practice.
I personally believe astrology was ‘dumbed-down’ in the early 20th century, by astrologers such as Alan Leo. This dumbing-down kept astrology alive (at a time when it was nearly extinct).But came at a price.
But in doing so, it discarded valuable astrological ideas and techniques. Thankfully, many of those techniques are now back with us. And thanks to personal computers, the previously complex manual chart calculations are now done instantly.
My philosophical position (and that of this website) is a blend of the above: about 75% traditional, 25% modern. Traditional astrology offers a fuller palette of techniques used for over a 2000 years. It is far more rigorous than modern open-ended approaches.
Traditional techniques are not difficult to learn. Modern astrology does have (a few) good things to offer us. And there are many fine astrologers out there using just modern astrology.
So while this site might seem to have a modern astrology focus, that’s really mostly just to keep it simple and appeal to a wider audience.
But anyway, that’s enough ranting from me! You can read more on my FAQ page.
— Charles
¹Quote is from:
Quigley, Joan. What Does Joan Say? My Seven Years as White House Astrologer to Nancy and Ronald Reagan. Birch Lane Press, 1990, p71-72