Friday, 17 February 2017

Review: Hay House Basics - Astrology

Astrology is one of those things I've always wanted to be able to do - particularly because my grandma was an astrologer. Back before the First World War she worked for Alan Leo, who is often called The Father of Modern Astrology. Sadly, my grandma died when I was a child and so never taught me the skills of constructing a birth chart or interpreting one.

Over the years I've read several books with the intention of teaching myself the skills of astrology, but still didn't get the hang of it. In general I found they were either too superficial or too complicated for me to get beyond the basics of what the various zodiac signs and planets symbolise.

However, I am very pleased to say I have finally got over that hurdle. The book that did it for me was Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Your Birth Chart by Yasmin Boland. It is in  the Hay House Basics series, which is a range of reasonably priced books teaching mind, body, spirit subjects in a clear and concise way so that anyone can understand them. I'm a big fan of the series and Hay House Basics - Astrology is possibly my favourite so far.

Right from the start the book gets you working on your own birth chart with practical exercises that you can either fill in on the pages or in a notebook. (I did the latter, as I don't like to deface books.)
It takes everything slowly and explains the principles in easy-to-grasp terms. By the end I felt I was finally able to look at my chart and understand what the lines, rings and symbols on it mean.

Of course, it is a beginner's book, aimed at giving a ground in the subject. Reading it and doing the exercises can only be the first step in actually learning to be an astrologer. And, as Yasmin Boland says in the conclusion, the best thing to do when you have finished is read the entire book all over again - perhaps using it to work on the birth chart of a friend, loved one or family member. I expect I'll be doing that, too.

You can order Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Your Birth Chart via Amazon.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/
http://charts.allstarastrologers.com//form/YB/FREECHART/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/12/review-hay-house-basics-numerology.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/01/review-angels-lead-new-series-of-basics.html
https://www.facebook.com/yasminboland
@HayHouseUK
@hayhouse

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