Review: Astrology Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Interpreting Your Birth Chart & Revealing Your Horoscope

Astrology Made Simple: A Beginner's Guide to Interpreting Your Birth Chart & Revealing Your Horoscope by Alyson Mead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book, Astrology Made Simple, reinforced for me the validity of the field of astrology. As a child, then a teenager, I loved to explore astrology and how it purportedly defined who I was becoming. As an English teacher with a penchant for Elizabethan lit, I was fascinated at Shakepeare's references to the stars and the Elizabethan acceptance of astrology as science. Reading this book opened a portal to a better understanding of both astrology and myself.

First, the title is a misnomer. There is nothing “simple” about what author Alyson Mead writes. Instead, the reader finds that Mead, one page at a time, unfolds the complexities of the birth chart and the characteristics determined by the sun, moon and planet positions at the time of birth. I never realized that my sign was so multi-faceted and actually individualized. I was particularly intrigued by the aspects and transits, as they attempt to explain inner conflicts and external forces at work upon us respectively. Know that after reading, you won't be able to create your own chart, but you most certainly WILL be able to interpret one you might commission.

The book is extraordinarily well organized, and the structure lends to a deeper level level of understanding, as one chapter builds upon the next in a vertical approach to learning. ..Chapters 1-7 each end with a Dig Deeper activity that encourages readers to apply what they've just read. Beginning with Chapter 9, a DIY section replaces the Dig Deeper and again guides the reader through a hands-on activity that activates prior knowledge and applies what was just learned in that chapter.

All in all, this was not an enjoyable leisurely read, but rather a complex read that required great concentration and continued reinforcement to add layers of knowledge as I read. I did, indeed, learn so much and have already ordered my own birth chart. When it arrives, I will again crack these pages to help me interpret what I see--and I'm confident in my ability to apply what I've learned.

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