I get asked the following question all of the time :
“Do you have any book recommendations/resources for learning more about astrology?”.
The answer?
“Crap! I don’t, because I didn’t read any books on it at all.”
I am sure there are fabulous ones out there I just don’t have any to personally recommend! I need a short answer to explain the following but for now, since I don’t have any references to share, I will try to explain how I would suggest going about learning Astrology using the internet…
I personally learn based on intuition and relating things back to people and feelings. So, I started by learning my own chart (I used Astrotheme to pull up my chart). Instead of reading and trying to memorize each rising sign, I’d learn about mine. Instead of learning what each planet meant, I instead just read about what a placement I personally had (like Mars in Capricorn for example) was like. By understanding what my Mars in Capricorn meant, I would be like - “Oooooh, I get what Mars represents in a chart”. I then was able to start learning and understanding how Mars was like in other signs (Cafe Astrology is a great beginner online source!). Instead of learning what each house meant, I would read about what my personal placement of Venus in the 10th house meant by google searching it- eventually the 10th house meanings would click. Y’all feel me?
Let’s be real. We all selfishly want to learn about ourselves. When we learn about our chart first, layer by layer, planet by planet, we can validate what we are learning, because we know if it is true for us or not. Once you get confident with your own chart, move onto close friends and family (with their permission, of course!) since we can validate our learning by already knowing them well or by talking with them about it. After you have that down, you not only have a really cool party trick in your back pocket, you likely are becoming more empathetic and understanding of the people in your life. If you still want more - time to start testing your skills on strangers!
Astrology is SO complex and has so many layers. It takes a lot of interest and dedication to stick with learning it - so my advice would be to follow what you are most curious about first! Love? Learn your Venus placement and then open that up into learning what Venus is like in each sign, then what it is like in each house, etc. You may just get hooked on learning more and more!
“Lauren, that’s great and all but I need a freaking concrete answer on where to start!”
I feel y’all. A good place to start is by simply learning each sign’s personality (find this on the internet from any source you’d like, y’all). Why? Because you'll find that each planet and house is directly connected to a sign.
Aries - 1st house, Mars
Taurus - 2nd house, Venus
Gemini - 3rd house, Mercury
Cancer - 4th house, Moon
Leo - 5th house, Sun
Virgo - 6th house, Mercury
Libra - 7th house, Venus
Scorpio - 8th house, Pluto
Sagittarius - 9th house, Jupiter
Capricorn - 10th house, Saturn
Aquarius - 11th house, Uranus
Pisces - 12th house, Neptune
The houses are tough to learn bc they represent so many different things but if you know the signs well, it clicks way better. Let me break it down “…like Uh, 24 karat, 24 karat magic…”
For example :
Taurus - consistent, lovers of quality over quantity, security (both financially and comfortability) is a driving force for them, determined, hard working, reliable, doesn't like change, protective, strong sense of values, love and appreciation for beautiful things/the finer things in life - good food, good wine, cozy blankets, etc.
The 2nd house - Each house has literal and figurative themes. The 2nd house is the house of money and our values. It is how we make money and how we value it (hold on to it, how we spend it). It represents security not only in a financial way but also in a - what makes me feel safe and comfortable type of way (love, food, material needs). As far as value goes, it's not just the value of material things but it is also how we value ourselves so it becomes the house of self worth as well.
Planets falling in the 2nd & what sign is ruling the 2nd house - will determine how someone is with money, their views on it, what makes them feel safe & secure, and what provides or hinders their self worth.
Transits to the 2nd house - will have a literal impact on the money we make or impact figurative themes like our self worth or feelings of security.
Venus - (planet that rules Taurus) - represents money, value, beauty, enjoyment, venetian things - good food, good wine, nice decor. Venus is also the ruler of Libra so that’s why is also represents our love language, charm, relationships, negotiations, art, music, parties, creativity, fashion, makeup & beauty.
See how they are all connected??! By finding and understanding the through-line of themes that parts of astrology shares, it will save you a lot of time! This is something I wish was broken down for me when I was learning because I didn’t see the connection till after the fact! I hope this helps as a starting point for anyone interested in learning!
xx Lauren