astrology

Shamanic Egyptian Astrology: Your Planetary Relationship to the Gods

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

If you’re looking for an astrology book that tells you if this is your month to fall in love or what day to play the lotto, then you should skip this review and skim to the back pages of Cosmo. However, if you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on seeking aid from Egyptian gods, all while understanding how the elements of your sign can be used to make you a more spiritual being, then Shamanic Egyptian Astrology is a must-have for your personal library. As a Leo, are you like the jackal-headed god Anubis who’s greatly misunderstood by others, or does the Scorpio in you channel the cat goddess Bast, all thanks to your fiery temper? Rather than exploring the too common traits about the signs, the authors pair them with their Egyptian counterpart, showing us how our matched characteristics can be used to clarify our purpose in life.

While some horoscope books expect readers to browse countless pages about how they’re destined to be something they’re not, Shamanic Egyptian Astrology provides examples on how the formation of planets, coinciding with Egyptian mythology, points at one’s strengths and weaknesses. Wolf and Falconer studied President Barack Obama’s birth chart, revealing why he has the makings of a leader. “Anubis the Shaman King and Ptah both emanate strongly in Barack Obama’s birth chart,” they reveal. “Together, these two principles describe the road Barack walks in his lifetime, that of embracing his true divinity and stepping into his role as visionary co-creator with others who also embrace their divinity. Partnership with like-minded individuals who share his vision is necessary for the embodiment of his Soul Purpose.”

In other words, Obama can only flourish if he surrounds himself with others who’re also ready to express their ideas and take command when necessary. In the case of Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem, Bast is found in her chart, which explains how this inspirational writer can be both the Playboy bunny and powerful advocate for women’s rights. Fortunately, the focus of Shamanic Egyptian Astrology isn’t on celebrities, but rather how we can rediscover ourselves.

The major perks of Shamanic Egyptian Astrology are the personalized rituals and quick invocations that Wolf and Falconer provide for each sign to channel with the appropriate gods and goddesses that can better guide us in our spiritual journey. “Saying the invocation or practicing the ritual, or both, for that neteru will activate something within you that needs to come forth,” they explain. No extravagant altars are necessary to meet Ma’at, The Spinx, or Ptah. The writers discuss how merely embracing the warmth of the sun, taking deep breaths, or lighting candles can help you communicate with the ancients.

The daily horoscope provided by Madame X in our newspaper has us thinking twice before we wear red on a Friday or call an angry beau to apologize on the first week of June, but they aren’t enough to show us a better understanding of our role in this universe. Shamanic Egyptian Astrology provides us the tools we need to befriend the gods and goddesses, ask for their aid, and discover how our traits can be used to better ourselves. Both a guide for the advanced student and beginner, Wolf and Falconer’s teachings are grossly underrated and deserve a standing ovation just for its intensive research alone. We can walk like an Egyptian rather than feeling very superstitious.

Written by: Stephanie Nolasco, July 17th 2010

Pagan Astrology: Spell-Casting, Love Magic, and Shamanic Stargazing

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:01:00 +0000

By Raven Kaldera

Destiny Books

Astrology and magic have been topics that I have been interested in over the years. I had my chart done years ago, and found the correlations between my sign and my personality amazingly accurate (I am truly an Aquarius). What interested me about Raven Kaldera's book, Pagan Astrology: Spell-Casting, Love Magic, and Shamanic Stargazing, was that different magic is used depending on the astrological alignment.

If you have never read anything on pagan astrology, this book can look overwhelming. Since the magic Kaldera discusses refers to charts, knowing a little about them beforehand can help greatly. Kaldera starts with a chapter on charts, explaining deciphering to beginners and goes into detail about the different glyphs on the chart. For people already quite knowledgeable, he also includes a more advanced chapter.

For each of the planets, Kaldera has in depth explanations about the planetary magic, when during the astrological cycle each planetary spell is performed, and what is the significance of each spell; for example, Jupiter magic brings out the different gifts, such as courage or ingenuity. There are spells for the eight moon phases (New, Crescent, Waxing, Quarter, Gibbous, Full, Disseminating, Waning, Quarter, and Balsamic), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (Kaldera includes an author's note in the beginning of the book regarding Pluto). Further into the book, Kaldera describes planetary altars, which change on which sign the planet is in. Kaldera also includes magical prescriptions for Western readers, which are used for positive and negative transits of the planet.

When I started reading Pagan Astrology, I felt a tad overwhelmed, due to a lack of previous knowledge. However, Kaldera does a good job explaining every detail, making it easier for astrology amateurs, like myself, to catch up. Having your natal chart while reading this book, which can be done online, definitely helps with understanding the material. For anyone interested in pagan astrology, Pagan Astrology is an excellent resource for spells, altars, and magical prescriptions.

Written by: Elizabeth Stannard, February 16th 2010

2010 Complete Tibetan Calendar

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:46:00 +0000

By Nitartha International, Nalandabodhi

Snow Lion Publications

The 2010 Complete Tibetan Calendar is, as calendars go, pretty nifty. It features an astrological forecast for each day of the year, determined by a combination of three factors: element combination, ruling conjunction, and auspicious combination. If you do not know what any of these things are, don’t worry; located at the end of the calendar, in the “About This” section, is a wonderfully constructed chart that explains what each astrological indicator is and how it affects a person’s daily life. The indicators are listed in both English and Tibetan, giving the calendar a nice cultural flare. There is also a key that tells one how to read all the information listed on each day’s calendar square, making it all very easy to use and understand. In addition, there are also a few paragraphs on Buddhism and Tibetan astrology that, while not deeply detailed, are still informative and educational.

Each month of the calendar features a drawing of an Arhat, a person who, in layman’s terms, is an elder in the Buddhist religion who has reached enlightenment. These particular drawings were done by the Seventeenth Karmapa Orgyen Trinley, a current spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. The sketches are very rudimentary with a minimum of lines and colors, but it is this very simplicity that gives them their charm.

One really wonderful thing about the calendar is that it marks Buddhist holidays, as well as the traditional Western ones for countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. All the astrological information is conveniently located at the bottom of the square for each day, leaving plenty of room to write in appointments, birthdays, reminders, and other important notes. This feature makes it useful as a functioning calendar, as well as an astrological chart.

The 2010 Complete Tibetan Calendar is created by Nitartha International and Nalandabodhi, two non-profit organizations which strive to preserve the traditions and culture of Tibet.

Written by: Victoria Kroeger, November 30th 2009

Zodiac Girls: Discount Diva

admin — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:06:00 +0000

By Cathy Hopkins

Kingfisher

Discount Diva is a fun book for pre-teens eager to read as a hobby. The main character in the book, Tori, who is a Tarus, comes from a poor family and longs to have the finer things in life. When Tori finds out she is a Zodiac Girl, she thinks her days of wearing secondhand clothing is over, but is it? In the age of technology, I know I find myself reading my horoscope to find out what my day, month, and year will be like. But it’s not that easy. In _Discount Diva _it’s up to each girl to listen to the stars and turn her dilemma into a moment to shine.

Best selling author Cathy Hopkins does a wonderful job at writing for young adults. Before becoming a writer she worked as an aroma therapist and was a singer in a rock band. This book is a great read for any pre-teen girl who has an active imagination.

Written by: Tamekia Fain-Lovett, December 27th 2007

Zodiac Girls: From Geek to Goddess

admin — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:44:00 +0000

By Cathy Hopkins

Kingfisher

Zodiac Girls: From Geek to Goddess by Cathy Hopkins is a re-telling of one of the oldest stories around. Girl goes to new school where she doesn’t know anyone, gets picked on by the school bully and fails to make the team, or in this case, the school play. Eventually, through misadventures and valuable life lessons, she comes to love herself, make friends and stick it to the aforementioned bully. What makes this re-telling different from all the others? Astrology. The heroine of From Geek to Goddess, Gemma, is chosen to be a Zodiac Girl. This means that for one month the planets, stars and a few Greek gods will help her on her journey from loner loser to queen bee.

Great premise, but the execution of the actual story was lacking. Hopkins tries to shove too many events into too few pages. Instead of just a couple of main events, we get several small, quick adventures that don’t really connect, giving the book a disjointed feeling. Also, for a book that’s supposed to involve magic and mythology, there’s not that much in the way of the supernatural that happens. It’s hinted at that several characters are Greek gods, but we never get to see them do anything superhuman. Most of the otherworldly help Gemma receives is via a magic cell phone and website, and even then, she is mostly just given vague, daily horoscopes that she could have read in the newspaper.

Still, the book does have its merits, the biggest of which being the character of Gemma herself. Outgoing, impulsive and fairly confident, Gemma does not mope when things go wrong, but instead looks for new and different ways to makes friends and improve her social life. She is positive and self-reliant, neither a goody-goody nor a brat. A good role model for any young girl.

Though not destined to become a classic, From Geek to Goddess would probably be an entertaining read for a child interested in Greek mythology or astrology. Even if they are not impressed with the story, the astrology wheel and Gemini Fun Facts page at the back of the book should be enough to make it worth their while.

Written by: Victoria Kroeger, July 1st 2007

Zodiac Girls: Recipe for Rebellion

admin — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:40:00 +0000

By Cathy Hopkins

Kingfisher

Cathy Hopkins has sold millions of books, most of them written for teenage girls. After reading her latest book, Zodiac Girls: Recipe for Rebellion, I credit her popularity with a tone that both accurately captures the anxieties of adolescent life, and also achieves a likeability of character that is the key to most of today’s popular literature. Formerly an art school student, rock singer, aromatherapist and teacher of meditation techniques, Hopkins has an edge to her, a wit and style only found in people who have lived life outside of the lines to a certain degree. And this comes through in her characters.

Recipe for Rebellion is the story of Danu Harvey Jones, a motherless thirteen-year-old whose father has left for the archeological expedition of a lifetime and foisted her off on his sister, a workaholic attorney. Danu hates having to leave her home, her pets and her friends, and hates the cold high rise her aunt lives in. So, she plots to get herself sent back home by dreadlocking her hair, adopting a scowl and acting out in class. Unfortunately these tactics only increase her loneliness and isolation, until she meets a magical stranger who informs her that she is this month’s "zodiac girl."

While the plot and characters are interesting and engaging enough to stand up on their own, the key to the Zodiac Girls series is that each book is centered on an astrological sign, Recipe’s being Sagittarius. And through the foil of fantastical characters - people who represent planets and all live together in one small, needless-to-say very funky town - Hopkins manages to give a solid overview of astrology to her reader. Anyone not familiar with astrology would have a much better idea of what it is all based on and how it all works after reading a book in this series. That in and of itself is a reason I’d recommend this over most other teen chick-lit books. It is informative as well as incredibly entertaining.

Written by: Jen Wilson Lloyd, June 19th 2007