the curly buddha bookshelf: your astrological self-knowledge toolkit
The Internet hosts a wealth of incredible information about astrology, let’s be clear about that. But SOMETIMES - sometimes you just want a good old fashioned, worn-between-the-leather, hold-it-in-your-hands book to guide you in the direction of astrological self-knowledge.
Thumbnail by @polarbearrs
The Internet hosts a wealth of incredible information about astrology, let’s be clear about that. But SOMETIMES - sometimes you just want a good old fashioned, worn-between-the-leather, hold-it-in-your-hands book to guide you in the direction of astrological self-knowledge.
The Taurean (and nerd) in me loves a tactile learning experience - there’s just something deeply mystical about the process of reading a book, flipping through its pages, and feeling the depth of knowledge being deposited into your pores.
Not to mention that books provide a degree of learned expertise, which is especially important in the Information Age when information can be so easily accessed - and misrepresented.
Below are some books that have helped me tremendously, along with some key things to be aware of depending on what you’re looking for :). Note that these focus on traditional Hellenistic (Western) astrological practices.
If you just can’t be bothered and technology is more your thing (though I’d strongly suggest trying both approaches and switching it up from time to time), check out my social accounts for plugs to Internet astro-folks I fangirl over (and learn a lot from).
the basics: beginning your astrological practice
The Power of Birthdays, Stars & Numbers:
The Complete Personology Reference Guide
By Saffi Crawford & Geraldine Sullivan
This is a CLASSIC. I “borrowed” this book from my Mom for the first time when I was in high school - 10+ years later, her copy remains on my living room bookshelf. :)
Crawford & Sullivan break down all 365 calendar days of the year, providing an astro profile of your birthday complete with compatible soul mate dates, your work & vocation identity, your “secret self”, and even a brief numerological profile. They also touch on more intermediate subjects like decans and fixed stars.
Best for:
- Establishing basic knowledge of the 12 signs
- Understanding your own astrological profile
- Parties/social events, sharing easily digestible & fun astrological info with the people in your life
The Compleat Astrologer
By Derek and Julia Parker
This technicolor science-minded reference book, originally published in 1971, contains “a history of more than 6,000 years, from the astrologer-priests of Babylon to modern interpreters of the Age of Aquarius. Aside from its stunning, psychedelic illustrations, this book covers a wide range of subjects, from planetary progressions to understanding astrology from different locations around the world.
Best for:
- Astronomy & physics enthusiasts (they go in-depth on planetary movements, the solar system, and measuring spatial positions)
- Fans of 70s-era artwork :)
The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need
By Joanna Martine Woolfolk
This is another classic, and while I’m not sure I’d say this is the only astrology book you’ll ever need, it is an excellent one.
This text keeps it simple with info about your sun, moon, and rising signs, and provides guidance on how to build your own birth chart.
There’s also some cool stuff about astrology through history.
Best for:
- Nailing down the astro basics
- A quick reference guide as you build on concepts
The Astrologer’s Handbook
By Frances Sakoian & Louis S. Acker
This book does an amazing job of laying out certain topics - like planet exaltations, planetary aspects, and house placements. It has an in-depth glossary where you can find detailed descriptions of aspects between the inner and outer planets. Some of the descriptions use antiquated cultural references & language (the original version was published in 1973), but the overall message remains timely and relevant.
Best for:
- Learning planetary aspects
- Learning about the houses and how the signs function within and as rulers of them
You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance
By Chani Nicholas
Chani Nicholas is one of modern astrology’s community darlings, and her new book sets a great foundation for understanding astrology on an intuitive level. One thing I love about the way Chani talks about astrology is her emphasis on the ruler of the ascendant as a primary launching point for one’s understanding of their chart. This is a great place to start for a well-rounded astrological practice.
Best for:
- Foundational knowledge of astrology using traditional Hellenistic principles
- Understanding astrology from a holistic perspective
Intermediate study: building upon your foundations
Chart Your Own Horoscope: For Beginner & Professional
By Ursula Lewis
Okay, so this book says it’s for beginners and professionals - but it’s a pretty sophisticated text that may be too nuanced for those just beginning their astrological practice.
I tried finding out more about Lewis because this book is really an amazing tapestry of detailed astro info: signs in the houses, chart distribution patterns, house rulership, and more. Apparently she was a German astrologer but was cited in the Astrological Pioneers of America reference text, written in the 80s. There’s not a lot out there about her on the Internet. If you know anything about her, holla at me.
The most impressive thing about this book imo is the STEP-BY-STEP how-to guides on drawing your own chart. These go in depth.
Best for:
- Professional astrologers, purists, aspiring witches or those who simply have an inherent distrust of tech - learn how to literally draw your own birth chart from scratch
- Fans of geometry & analytical problem-solving
- Getting into the nitty-gritty
advanced astrological exploration
The Astrology of Personality
By Dane Rudhyar
A quote from the 1991 re-edition of this text speaks loudly: “[this is] the pivotal book that launched humanistic astrology and made it clear that astrology was a subject for intelligent and perceptive minds, not merely for fortunetelling.
Dane Rudhyar is often considered one of the “Godfathers” of astrology; this book solidifies his position as such. Equal parts astrology and philosophy, his insights go deep. Prepare to be amazed.
Best for:
- Marrying philosophical and astrological insights
- Blowing your mind
Inside Degrees
By Ellias Lonsdale
This is part 2 of a 3-part book series entitled Inside Astrology - maybe I should recommend the first and last titles as well, Inside Planets and Inside Star Vision, because Lonsdale’s writing is just that immersive.
Lonsdale is not merely an astrologer - he is a philosopher with a poet’s spirit, supported by the Chandra and Sabian Symbols. His work is deeply emotional and evocative - honestly, everything he writes makes me cry, in a good way (or maybe that’s just my Cancer Mars talking).
At any rate, this book provides beautiful descriptions of all 30 degrees of each Sun sign. It presents a new way of thinking about astrology, free from cliches and overused phrasing. I highly recommend it.
Best for:
- Leveling up your practice
- Understanding the astrological degrees from a deep soul level
honorable mentions & subject-specific texts
Linda Goodman’s Love Signs
By Linda Goodman
This is a fun one. Linda Goodman is arguably one of the most iconic astrologers of the 20th century, and her Love Signs is a celebration of, well, love - she provides witty, easily digestible relationship profiles for all 12 signs and their cis het couplings.
Hopefully one day there will be a revival edition with LGBTQ+ combos.
Best for:
- Coffee table chat
- Quick reference for you and your lover
Cosmic Weather Report
By Ellias Lonsdale & Mark Borax
Lonsdale and Borax instantly draw you into their narrative regarding the Cult of Normalcy - which sounds menacing (and it is, when you consider the depths they’ve gone to in order to decompose and decolonize the systems of illusion that keep humanity locked in a virtual - and sometimes actual - cage).
Best for:
- Philosophical study
- Attaining personal breakthroughs
Healing Pluto Problems
By Donna Cunningham
I love this book! If you or someone you love has a particularly Plutonic birth chart (e.g., 1H Pluto, hard aspects between Sun-Pluto [such as the square or opposition], Moon in Scorpio, Pluto conjunct the Ascendant, etc…I should probably make a post on this…) then this book is for you. Control, power struggles, intense emotional responses, abuse, manipulation and other challenging subjects are explored here in detail, with an emphasis on transforming heavier negative energies into opportunities for self-transformation.
Best for:
- Plutonians and the people who love them
- Advanced study
Your Venus Sign: Your Heart's Signature
A philosophical journey into the 12 Venus signs.
Your birth chart is a physical imprint of your soul’s infinite destiny, expressed during this lifetime.
When we talk about your Venus sign, we’re talking about where the planet Venus was in the sky at the time of your birth.
Venus, the second planet in our solar system, is tied to notions of love, beauty, relationships, romance, based on the Western mythology of the Roman goddess, Venus.
Understanding Venus in your chart can help you decode:
how you operate in relationships
your attachment style
what inspires you on an emotional level
the kinds of relationships you gravitate towards
what motivates you in partnership(s)
your friendship style
what turns you off emotionally
how you function in social situations
the best ways to meet a partner or strengthen an existing relationship
Venusian energy by nature is ebullient and seductive. Venus tells us how we seduce others, and how we like to be seduced in return. But to be clear, we’re not talking strictly about sex or our sexual relationships with others - Venus’ seduction influences our platonic relationships, professional relationships, and the connections we make throughout our daily life, even with strangers.
Each Venus sign has its own flavor, its own spiritual signature written upon our souls. For instance, Venus in tender, watery Cancer can operate much differently than Venus in airy, intellectually-inclined and free-spirited Gemini.
The house where Venus lives in our chart can tell us which areas of life our Venusian energy comes into play more significantly.
Aspects between Venus and other planets in our chart can also tell us more specifically how our Venusian energy works with other aspects of our personality - harmonious aspects like the trine and sextile can indicate easier, more instinctual psychological and emotional acceptance of Venus’ energy in our life, whereas more discordant aspects like the square and opposition can make it more difficult for us to access Venusian energy when and where we need it.
Please note: I advocate for radical collaboration between the signs. Read more about what this means here.
Read on for descriptions of each of the 12 Venus signs.
Sun in the Signs
A poetic take on the 12 sun signs, with meditations for each sign.
Thumbnail by @natgeochannel
Sun in Aries
Your core identity is that of strength, determination, drive and quick-witted focus. The consummate competitor, you seek results and rewards, and will pursue opportunities with a fiery passion that is undoubtedly infectious to others. At your core, you are a beacon of energy and inspiration for those around you, using your enthusiasm to take charge of relationships and situations in your life that are key to your inner warrior spirit. Being the first sign of the Zodiac, a fire element, and of a Cardinal modality, trendsetting comes naturally to you. You aren’t just ahead of the crowd - you build the crowd itself, then move on to the next thing while the room fills with people, stopping only for a quick pause in between. Revel in your potent leadership qualities - you have the alchemical magic to create a masterpiece from a blank canvas.
Sun in Aries meditation
I give myself permission to dare, to seek the unknown, and to stretch the limits of what others know to be possible.
Sun in Taurus
You are a sweet morning dew on the most delicate of rose petals, as peace, contemplation, pleasure and movement over time become your personal mantra. Life is a garden to be explored, a veritable cornucopia of colors and flavors for you to savor. Once you find what piques your senses, you stick with it - that is the essence of your fixed earth energy. Beautiful things, beautiful sounds, beautiful smells, and beautiful people are of utmost importance to you, and acquiring those things becomes your birthright as you navigate through a multitude of experiences. To you, simplicity isn’t just a word - it is an ethos. You instinctively know that things take time, and some things (like authentic love, or financial abundance, or professional power) are worth putting in the long hours for, even if that calls for sacrifice. You are the 2nd sign of the Zodiac, the archetypical child, learning to experience and master the physical realm. At the same time, you have an innate understanding of that which cannot be seen - the contrast between the physical realm and the spiritual one is of great interest to you. Know that your gifts aren’t solely based in physical reality, and that sometimes, the things that are most rewarding are the things that can’t be seen with the naked eye or touched with the hand. Release the need to control and let things fall where they may - it’s your birthright.
Sun in Taurus meditation
My refined senses and warm sensitivity lead me towards that which ignites and aligns my highest self.
Sun in Gemini
Your core identity is multitudinous, composed of a tapestry of thoughts and emotions, personas and creative genius to boot. As a mutable air sign, ideas don’t just come and go - they come, do a dance, sing a song, take you to dinner, then whisk you on a trip around the world, all within a few brief moments. Somehow, this makes perfect sense to you (meanwhile entrancing the throngs of friends, colleagues, associates and admirers you curate along your life’s journey). As the 3rd sign of the Zodiac, your archetypical energy is that of the teenager - youthful, filled with enthusiasm, a ballsy perspective, and the courage (and energy) to go for it. Your mind is a wonderland, as you seamlessly connect the dots between seemingly-disparate subject matter. But it’s not just your intellect that serves as the source of your brilliance - it’s your dualistic ability to harness these ideas, and alchemize them into real-life, potent energy. You are a connector and a seer when you choose to accept those gifts as part of you.
Sun in Gemini meditation
I accept all facets of me as the source of my brilliance.
Sun in Cancer
You are a mystic floating along a sea of liquid crystalline dreams, some of which are yours, and some of which find their way into your consciousness, which is seamlessly connected to the consciousness of the collective and of the divine entities that came before you. What do you take with you, and what do you leave behind? As a cardinal water sign and the 4th Zodiac sign, you are comfortable with reaching backward, where imagination and whimsy carry you light as a feather. But, be cautious of indulging too heavily in yesterday’s fantasy, so that you do not become stuck there. There are dreams more beautiful than you can imagine in tomorrow’s story. When it comes to reaching forward, you are as goal-oriented as anyone, and perhaps more in tune to the how’s and why’s too. Let your soul, not your head, be your guide - it’s lived many lives here before already.
Sun in Cancer meditation
My spirit intrinsically guides me. I claim all that came before me and all that lies ahead of me.
Sun in Leo
The world is your playground and you are its puppeteer, dressed in velvet and silk, with glittery eyelids and high heels gilded in 24k gold. Even if you think of yourself as more of a stagehand, the power brewing inside that begs for your - and others’ - attention is unmistakable. But then this begs the question: what to do with all this erudite magnetism? Do you cast your light on those who cannot find it yet for themselves, or do you shamelessly hoard in the hopes it continues to grow in size? As a fixed fire sign and the Zodiac’s 5th sign, your Sun-lit wit, warmth, whimsy and wherewithal are bundled into one action-oriented (and attractive) package. So, choosing anything besides openly sharing the shimmering abundance within you means your ego-self, not the divine entity that is You, is the one calling the shots.
Sun in Leo meditation
I wield my creativity and spark with humility and grace, because that is the true essence of my abundantly generous heart.
Sun in Virgo
Where Mercury sharpens its quill, then fantastically inspects it with meticulous, painstaking scrutiny. As a mutable Earth sign and the 6th member of the Zodiac, you are a soothsayer, a channeler of pure divine wisdom, a bastion of excellence with the credentials to prove it. But when Things Go Wrong and it’s not your fault, where do you go, Virgo? When things feel as if they’re falling apart, outside of your own jurisdiction, of course, do you shrink? Or do you flower like the fragrant garden that you are? See, you are Earth and Earth is you - your grounds are always fertile, even when it doesn’t seem like it. Using your Mercurial tongue like a sword, you pierce through misperception and misconception with ease. How are you both so soft and so sharp at the same time?
Sun in Virgo meditation
I am a clear conduit for divine wisdom, and I tend to my garden so that this wisdom may grow.
Sun in Libra
The polished paramour, the courteous colleague, the consummate global citizen - you wear many hats, Libra, most of which are stylish and somehow perfectly exceptional for the occasion. That is the nature of your cardinal Air energy: curious, focused on the external experience, and ready at a moment’s notice. As the 7th member of the Zodiac, your network of friends, family, and associates creates a web by which you learn to expand into your natural gifts of positive connection and communication with others. What creates authentic joy in your spirit, Libra? Is the wisdom that comes with being the heartbeat of your social groups? Is it a desire for Venusian-fueled pacificm and harmony, both personally and collectively? Understand that your gifts are meant to be used for good - interpersonal trust is sacred, and like the Libran scales, small weights on either side can have disastrous effects if not tended to properly.
Sun in Libra meditation
I expertly strike a thoughtful balance between the personal and the collective, the light and the shadow. In doing so, I reveal the beauty found at the in-between.
Sun in Scorpio
Guardian of the veil. Fixed Water…. ice. Slinking into tattered, skin-tight black velvet, placing your fingertips into inky blue-black paint, collecting fragments of soul messages and weaving them into truth serum. As the 8th sign of the Zodiac, your mission is a powerful one, Scorpio: to transmute the darkest corners of consciousness into soaring, searingly colorful expansiveness of the magnificent phoenix. However you understand darkness is yours to know, but if you choose to share, know that your sacrifice will be rewarded. Let your inner compass guide you through dark waters and open skies, and if you can, bring a (trusted and loyal) friend along (yes, despite your protestations) Being alone isn’t the same as being lonely.
Sun in Scorpio meditation
My uncanny ability to peer fearlessly into the unknown is my most potent skill and my path to salvation.
Sun in Sagittarius
Like a shimmering tiger with springs in its tail, you bounce effervescently from here to there, stopping only to meet a friend for a cocktail (or three), or perhaps an afternoon bowl of ice cream, because why not. Once the buzz or sugar high wears off, where to next? Perhaps to sit down long enough to pen a bestselling novel, compose a love ballad, tell a joke, or place your tiger paws against someone else’s. The innermost core of you vehemently believes that honesty, not patience, is a virtue - and so you quickly and eagerly move forward with your version of the truth, expansively sharing it with everyone in your circle until it becomes their truth as well. The funny thing about this is, muddled versions of the truth can sound believable when you say them enough times. As a mutable fire sign, and the Zodiac’s 9th sign, your energy is magnanimous, ebullient, and energized. Harness it in ways which benefit rather than hinder your soul’s continued elevation.
Sun in Sagittarius meditation
I fearlessly lead life’s adventures with personal and collective integrity.
Sun in Capricorn
A goat in a business suit. How about a spiritualist in dress robes? Contrary to popular (or your ego-self’s) belief, Capricorn, the spiritual veil is not far beyond your realm of Earthly perception. As a cardinal Earth sign, and the Zodiac’s 10th sign, you are no stranger to putting one foot in front of the other for as long as it takes to reach your promised land. But what happens when you get there, dear Capricorn? Do you take a deep breath atop the mountain, poised to inhale the fresh air and take a rest? Do you pause briefly, then look for more mountains to conquer? Or do you struggle with reaching the apex, in fear of not being able to see it first? Let your ambitious wings carry you through to the heights you crave, and let the fears that accompany you fall gently by the wayside. Thanks to Saturn, your charm, wit and humor only get better with time.
Sun in Capricorn meditation
I release the fears and anxieties that clip my glorious wings, so that I may soar. When I arrive, I speak prayers of gratitude.
Sun in Aquarius
What is 2+2, Aquarius? Would you tell me it was four, or would you first explain a complex web of theory to discern why it is four, based on years of personal research and findings, along with references from previously undiscovered geniuses? Sometimes you show what you know, other times you tell, and then still, sometimes your silence speaks volumes on its own. As the Zodiac’s 11th sign, ruled by Uranus, and a fixed air sign, you are a dazzling tapestry of contradictions, of which the masses are both inspired and befuddled by. Focused on the collective, it is easy for you to understand why people are the way that they are. You are the quintessential friend-of-all-friends, finding inspiration in the mundane and the extravagant, the banal and the urbane. But, dear Aquarius, do you understand why you are the way you are? Your innermost workings matter just as much as your appetite for unification does.
Sun in Aquarius meditation
I use my brilliance and universality to open doors and clear the air.
Sun in Pisces
The End of the Line. A river runs through it. Do you get off or keep riding, Pisces? The answer to that question is a bit of a trick, because you know that the last stop is really the beginning of something new. Somehow you are both here and there, under and over, between worlds, between nothingness. Poetry is a part of your ethos, and to you, living poetically means dancing on the spine of your whims and intuitive sensibilities. In fact, many of the things you call “ideas” are really intuitive nudges from beyond - your spirit is a supercharged antenna able to pick up notions from elsewhere. As the Zodiac’s 12th and final sign, and a mutable water sign, understand that occasionally, your antenna will pick up information that does not make you feel very light. You have the gift of regeneration; let it take you where you need to go, without interruption.
Sun in Pisces meditation
I clear my vessel as a form of self-honor and collective gratitude. My boundaries are fluid but my mission is firm: I am here to heal and be healed.