

The Astrology Podcast
Chris Brennan
A weekly podcast on the history, philosophy, and techniques of astrology, hosted by professional astrologer Chris Brennan.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 26, 2021 • 3h 56min
The Life and Work of Astrologer Helena Avelar
In episode 324 astrologer Luís Ribeiro joins me to talk about the life and work of his partner Helena Avelar, who passed away earlier this year.
Helena was a respected practitioner and teacher of traditional astrology from Portugal, and had influenced many astrologers through works she co-authored with Luís, such as their 2010 book On the Heavenly Spheres: A Treatise on Traditional Astrology.
She was also a scholar of the history of astrology, and obtained PhD from the Warburg Institute in 2018, with a thesis titled "The Making of an Astrologer in Fifteenth-century France. The Notebooks of S. Belle: Lisbon, MS 1711 and Paris, NAL 398."
Her PhD dissertation was recently published by the academic publisher Brill, and the book came out just a few months after she died, under the title An Astrologer at Work in Late Medieval France The Notebooks of S. Belle.
In the first half of this podcast episode we focus on giving a biographical overview of Helena's life and talking about her work and accomplishments, while in the second half we talk about her new book.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Links to Resources Mentioned in the Episode
Here are some links to different resources mentioned in the episode:
First Astra Project Workshop: November 6, 2021
The Academy of Traditional Astrology, Helena and Luís's school
The Astra Project YouTube Channel
Helena Avelar animal fund
Helena PhD Dissertation PDF
Helena Avelar de Carvalho, An Astrologer At Work in Late Medieval France: The Notebooks of S. Belle, Brill, Leiden & Boston, 2021.
Helena Avelar, “Who Wants to Live Forever? Astrological Methods for Calculating Lifespan in Western Culture and Perspectives on Determinism in Astrology,” in: International Journal of Divination & Prognostication, no. 2 (2021), pp. 161–188.
Episode 225 of The Astrology Podcast, Helena Avelar and Luís Ribeiro on Traditional Astrology
Interview with Volker Schendel, published Nov 14, 2020
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lovzhwqedY
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 324 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Oct 16, 2021 • 2h 31min
Aspects in Astrology: The Five Major Configurations
In episode 323 astrologers Chris Brennan and Claire Moon discuss the five major aspects in astrology, and explain what they mean in a birth chart.
Aspects are geometrical configurations which denote different types of relationships between planets, and they are the primary means through which planets interact with each other in a chart.
The five major aspects, also sometimes known as the Ptolemaic aspects, are the conjunction, opposition, trine, square, and sextile.
During the course of the episode we give an introduction to the topic of aspects and then get into what each of the them mean symbolically.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:59 New Introduction to Astrology course
00:01:52 Intro to aspects
00:04:13 Conjunction
00:09:49 Orbs
00:14:23 History of aspects
00:15:19 The 5 major aspects
00:21:01 Sign-based aspects
00:32:40 Aversions
00:37:13 Degree-based aspects
00:39:50 Applying vs. separating aspects
00:50:06 Orbs for aspects
00:51:34 The meaning of aspects
00:51:55 Porphyry on bearing testimony
00:54:56 Basic nature of the aspects
01:00:48 Hard aspects: square and opposition
01:05:55 Conjunctions
01:10:53 Oppositions
01:11:48 Houses and oppositions
01:19:56 Elemental qualities and oppositions
01:20:33 Full Moon and New Moon
01:30:49 Squares
01:33:30 Left side and right side aspects
01:36:44 Interpreting squares
01:44:00 Trines
01:49:39 Sextiles
01:54:02 Aspects in the birth chart
01:54:30 Aspects from transits to the birth chart
01:55:41 George Lucas natal chart
02:03:50 Aspects in synastry
02:08:57 Aspects in mundane astrology
02:15:24 Archetypal Explorer
02:18:40 Aspect patterns
02:25:38 Introduction to Astrology course launch in November
02:25:50 Hellenistic Astrology book
02:26:22 Hellenistic Astrology course
02:26:38 Claire's offerings and website
02:27:49 Concluding remarks
Watch the Video Version of This Episode on Aspects
Watch the video version of our discussion on the major aspects here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chPfPqwFnrw
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 323 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

54 snips
Oct 8, 2021 • 3h 26min
Saturn in Astrology: Meaning and Significations
In episode 322 astrologer Diana Rose Harper joins the show to talk about the meaning of the planet Saturn in astrology, and what it signifies in a birth chart.
Saturn is the furthest planet that is visible to the naked eye, and so it is the last of the traditional planetary bodies in our ongoing series on the planets.
In astrology Saturn is generally said to signify contraction, constraints, rejection, exclusion, time, tradition, age, that which is old, confinement, depression, structure, seriousness, authority, concrete reality, and that which is cold and slow.
During the course of the episode we read through a variety of passages from ancient and modern astrologers in order to understand how astrologers have conceptualized Saturn in the past, and then we used that as a jumping off point for discussing what it means today.
For more information about Diana visit:
ddamascenaa.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:19 Diana's Saturn credentials
00:03:17 Diana's natal chart
00:04:30 Saturn symbol and diagram
00:07:13 Vettius Valens significations
00:10:51 Benefits of Saturn
00:13:10 Saturn vs. Mars
00:14:28 Positive side of malefics
00:15:50 Visibility and slowness of Saturn
00:25:10 Saturn and actionable realism
00:28:50 Saturn and healthy fear
00:31:16 Saturn, mastery, and consequences
00:38:40 Elders
00:39:40 Depression
00:44:32 Austerity, reticence, and preservation
00:50:37 Benefits to native at expense of others
00:55:38 Deception
00:56:47 Restraints and imprisonment
00:59:12 Saturn's rings
01:01:52 Freedom and limits
01:03:33 Boundaries
01:05:20 Farming and gardening
01:08:33 Karma
01:12:00 Death
01:17:32 Beauty and the Beast
01:17:56 Abu Ma'shar significations
01:25:51 Gravitas and deliberateness
01:29:10 Asceticism
01:31:13 Saturn is feminine?
01:42:50 Herding
01:46:30 Embargos
01:48:22 Water motif
01:50:49 William Lilly significations
01:55:20 Clowning
01:58:46 Domicile rulership diagram
02:02:43 Profound in imagination
02:03:50 Dignity and sect
02:08:31 Dave Grohl's chart
02:15:33 Using celebrity charts
02:16:44 Reinhold Ebertin significations
02:22:30 Inhibition
02:24:34 Chris' Saturnian personality
02:27:48 Stinginess
02:31:29 Normalizing hardship
02:34:43 Steven Forrest significations
02:40:45 The Greatness of Saturn book by Robert Svoboda
02:42:50 Dark night of the soul
02:45:27 Limitations and finality
02:51:00 Coldness
02:51:25 Richard Tarnas significations
02:59:00 Progressed moon and Saturn cycles
03:01:26 Diana's Saturn return story
03:06:00 Saturn return cycle
03:10:20 Astrology Podcast episode 24 on Saturn returns
03:11:24 Saturn and time lord techniques
03:14:10 Saturn Venus and Venus exalted in Libra
03:17:18 Other Astrology Podcast episodes with Saturn references
03:19:00 Diana's work and offerings
03:21:30 Concluding remarks
Watch the Video Version of This Episode on Saturn
You can watch the video version of this episode on the meaning of Saturn here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4KGWESejNs
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 322 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Sep 27, 2021 • 2h 11min
October Astrology Forecast 2021
In episode 321 astrologers Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan look ahead at the astrology and planetary alignments for the month of October 2021.
The astrology of October features a Mercury retrograde in Libra, plus Saturn and Jupiter stationing direct in Aquarius, and a New Moon in Libra and Full Moon in Aries.
At the very end of the month Mars moves into Scorpio, beginning the climactic sequence that takes us into the end of the year.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
The Mountain Astrologer Magazine
Our sponsor this month is the Mountain Astrologer Magazine, which is a quarterly publication for students and professionals of astrology.
Kelly, Austin, and Chris
Youtube.com/KellysAstrology
AustinCoppock.com
HellenisticAstrology.com/book/
Planetary Alignments for October
Mercury stationed retrograde on September 27
New Moon in Libra October 6
Pluto stations direct October 6
Venus moves into Sagittarius October 7
Mercury retro conjoins Sun October 9
Saturn stations direct October 10
Jupiter stations direct October 18
Mercury stations direct October 18
Full Moon in Aries October 20
Sun into Scorpio October 23
Mars moves into Scorpio on October 30
Auspicious Astrological Date for October
Chris forgot to mention this in the episode, but the auspicious date this month is:
October 24, 2021, at 3:10 PM, with 21 Aquarius rising
There's several other charts for October available in our electional astrology podcast.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:36 October astrology overview
00:02:00 Update from Kelly
00:06:39 September astrology review
00:19:58 October 3-9 weekly astrology graphic
00:20:44 Mercury retrograde
00:23:25 Pluto significations
00:39:20 More on Mercury retrograde
00:41:04 Sun-Mars conjunction and New Moon in Libra
00:46:20 Mars in Libra examples
00:53:12 Mars-Sun conjunction
00:54:55 Venus enters Sagittarius on October 7
00:57:49 Venus conjunct South Node
01:02:30 Mercury-Mars conjunction
01:04:41 Mountain Astrologer magazine
01:11:36 Direct stations of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury
01:22:40 Libra planets trine Aquarius planets
01:24:37 Intensification of Saturn when it goes direct
01:26:10 Jupiter in Aquarius
01:27:50 Time to re-balance before November difficulties
01:32:19 Venus sextile Saturn
01:33:00 Sun trine Jupiter
01:33:20 Venus sextile Mercury
01:33:34 Jupiter and Mercury both go direct on October 18
01:34:08 Full Moon in Aries on October 20
01:34:58 Mars square Pluto
01:43:29 Sun enters Scorpio on October 23
01:44:50 Venus Jupiter
01:45:55 Neptune and illusion as a motivating factor
01:47:08 Mars enters Scorpio on October 30
01:49:10 Fixed signs heat up
01:52:03 Uranus
01:56:38 Get supply chains in order in October
01:59:35 Libra season
02:01:06 Kelly's upcoming events
02:03:21 Austin's upcoming events
02:05:07 Chris' book and course
02:06:54 2022 astrology conferences
02:09:22 Closing remarks
Watch the Video Version of the October Forecast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgWF-bQGGtE
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 321 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

66 snips
Sep 23, 2021 • 3h 23min
Uranus in Astrology: Meaning and Significations
In episode 320 astrologer Rick Levine joins Chris in the studio to talk about the meaning of the planet Uranus in astrology, and what it signifies in a birth chart.
In general, Uranus is said to signify sudden and unexpected events, revolutions, innovation, eccentricity, erraticness, disruption, unpredictability, sudden breakthroughs, quirkiness, rebelliousness, electricity, advancement through technology, rapid growth, and uncommon pursuits.
Uranus was first discovered on March 13, 1781, and within a century or so astrologers had worked out most of its meanings and incorporated it into astrology.
Since Uranus is the first outer planet in our series, we spend a bit of time in the beginning of the episode talking about how astrologers figured out the meaning of newly discovered planets.
One access point was understanding some of the events that happened around the same time as the discovery, such as the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the culmination of the Enlightenment period.
Our first attempt to record this episode was cut short when the power went out about a minute into the recording. We released a separate outtake of that power outage on YouTube, and also included a brief clip from it at the end of this episode.
For more about Rick check out his YouTube channel:
Youtube.com/RickLevine
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:14 Uranus snafu
00:02:08 Rick's Uranus placement
00:02:45 Rick's natal chart
00:05:33 Uranus glyph
00:07:26 Historical background of Uranus
00:11:21 Uranus and technology
00:12:45 The invisible becomes part of scientific domain
00:18:09 Unique developments at time of Uranus' discovery
00:22:55 Empirical vs. mythological approach to naming planets
00:27:15 Uranus almost named George
00:27:46 Prometheus mythology a better fit for Uranus
00:34:22 Empirical basis for naming Uranus
00:40:17 Sepharial's significations
00:46:40 Electricity and suddenness
00:55:06 Ebertin significations
00:58:20 Uranus and USA Sibley chart
01:02:22 How outer planets have taken away from traditional planets
01:04:09 Rob Hand on Uranus' association with Aquarius
01:06:22 Outer planets changed view of signs
01:15:12 Grant Lewi significations
01:25:22 Complaints traditional astrologers have about outer planets
01:30:47 Steven Forrest significations
01:36:30 Uranus Saturn
01:38:49 Eccentric
01:41:40 Uranus and fate
01:43:18 Uranus and Saturn glyphs
01:46:00 Uranus eccentricty in the personality
01:50:29 Uranus Jupiter
01:58:06 Uranus' only job
02:02:35 Steve Jobs natal chart
02:04:49 Richard Tarnas significations
02:08:59 Uranus' association with astrology
02:12:20 Rick's experience with a Uranus transit
02:18:22 Chris' experience with a Uranus transit
02:19:00 Astrology on the outskirts of science
02:20:25 How to work with Uranus
02:25:41 Uranus transit episode
02:26:22 Space travel and futurism
02:27:10 People not fitting a mold
02:28:10 Ram Dass natal chart
02:31:58 Uranus Venus
02:35:55 Uranus Mars
02:36:40 Angela Davis natal chart
02:39:11 Muhammad Ali natal chart
02:40:27 USA Sibley chart
02:42:36 Uranus Jupiter
02:45:15 Uranus Saturn
02:48:10 Bob Dylan natal chart
02:56:34 Uranus and rigidity
02:58:26 Uranus Pluto
03:00:16 Kurt Cobain natal chart
03:02:44 Uranus Neptune
03:09:08 Uranus Mercury
03:11:10 Johannes Kepler's natal chart
03:12:12 Uranus Sun
03:13:10 Uranus Moon
03:16:00 Rick's YouTube, Patreon, and Instagram
03:18:00 Episode #80 about Rick's horoscope writing
03:18:52 Closing remarks and Uranus snafu outtake
Watch the Video Version of the Uranus Episode
You can watch the video version of our episode on Uranus here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfY8Du9xD54
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 320 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

56 snips
Sep 13, 2021 • 1h 35min
Jupiter in Astrology: Meaning and Significations
In episode 319 astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds joins the podcast to talk about the meaning of Jupiter in astrology, as part of our ongoing series on the significations of the planets in a birth chart.
In astrology Jupiter is generally said to signify growth, expansion, wisdom, abundance, justice, freedom, religion, philosophy, faith, righteousness, success, fecundity, and aggrandizement.
Jupiter is said to rule the signs of Sagittarius in Pisces, have its detriment in the opposite signs of Gemini and Virgo, and to have its exaltation in Cancer and fall in Capricorn.
During the course of the episode we read through some passages from different ancient and modern astrologers in order to understand how Jupiter has been conceptualized in the astrological tradition, and use that as a jumping off point for further discussions.
Some of the different astrologers we read through during the course of the episode are Vettius Valens, Abu Ma'shar, William Lilly, Reinhold Ebertin, Steven Forrest, and Richard Tarnas.
Find out more about Sam on his website:
UnlockAstrology.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:45 Vettius Valens on Jupiter
00:25:25 Abu Ma'shar on Jupiter
00:42:58 William Lilly on Jupiter
00:52:20 Reinhold Ebertin on Jupiter
01:08:57 Steven Forrest on Jupiter
01:16:02 Richard Tarnas on Jupiter
01:30:31 Concluding Remarks
Watch the Video Version of the Jupiter Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on the meaning of Jupiter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdsQSITPn68
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 319 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

84 snips
Sep 9, 2021 • 3h 38min
Mars in Astrology: Meaning and Significations
Episode 318 features a discussion with astrologer Sylvi Osland about what Mars means in astrology, where we talk about the significations of the planet and especially what it means in a birth chart.
Mars is generally said to signify things like action, impulsiveness, forcefulness, assertiveness, fighting, anger, war, severing, separation, inflammation, intercourse, fires, discord, robbery, and courage.
This is the fifth episode in our series on the planets in astrology, where we do a deep dive into the meaning of each of the planets, by reading through some passages from ancient and modern astrologers to anchor the discussion.
The passages we read through this time included astrologers such as Porphyry of Tyre, Vettius Valens, Abu Ma’shar, William Lilly, Reinhold Ebertin, Steven Forrest, and Richard Tarnas.
You can find more information about Sylvi on their website:
SylviOslandAstrology.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:54 Sylvi's background
00:02:22 Mars diagram
00:03:46 Content warning
00:06:40 Porphyry significations
00:12:22 Mars in the night sky
00:14:20 Mars and redheads
00:16:11 Iamblichus significations
00:19:17 Venus Mars contrast
00:23:00 Fighters with Mars in detriment
00:24:53 Ares: God of War
00:30:50 Mars as "ride or die" friend
00:32:17 Valens significations
00:37:50 Preparing for a Mars transit
00:40:00 Mars Saturn analogy
00:41:40 Valens significations part 2
00:53:26 Abu Ma'shar significations
01:00:20 Mars Mercury
01:05:12 Dignified malefics
01:09:09 Sylvi's Chart
01:10:40 Sect
01:13:45 Remediation
01:18:09 Mars and the Body
01:20:46 William Lilly significations
01:27:51 Courage
01:31:42 Machine gun vs. sniper rifle analogy
01:33:51 Obscenity and Swearing
01:36:48 Defiance
01:39:22 Reinhold Ebertin significations
01:42:00 Vitality
01:46:55 Mars in Capricorn and Mediation
01:48:35 Detriment vs. Fall
01:49:48 Steven Forrest significations
01:53:26 Trump - Mars conjunct Ascendant
01:55:27 Mars in 1st - health problems, injuries
02:01:10 Tattoos
02:02:07 Richard Tarnas significations
02:04:46 Mars Mercury
02:08:22 Mars Moon
02:11:49 Mars Sun
02:14:40 Mars Venus
02:17:34 Sex and Sexuality
02:23:04 Mars Jupiter
02:29:00 Mars Saturn
02:32:38 Mars Uranus
02:37:02 Mars Neptune
02:41:00 Mars Pluto
02:44:43 Mars synodic cycle
02:50:10 Mars in the 1st House
02:52:18 Mars in the 2nd House
02:55:29 Mars in the 3rd House
02:58:39 Mars in the 4th House
03:01:05 Mars in the 5th House
03:03:15 Mars in the 6th House
03:06:37 Mars in the 7th House
03:10:34 Mars in the 8th House
03:14:14 Mars in the 9th House
03:18:15 Mars in the 10th House
03:21:35 Mars in the 11th House
03:25:10 Mars in the 12th House
03:32:45 Sylvi's work and contact info
03:36:04 Closing Remarks
Watch the Video Version of This Episode on Mars
Watch the video version of this episode on the meaning of Mars here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QavCb5e4QPA
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 318 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Aug 31, 2021 • 2h 13min
September Astrology Forecast 2021
Episode 317 features our astrology forecast for September 2021 with astrologers Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and special guest co-host Rick Levine.
The astrology of September features Mercury stationing retrograde in Libra, a new Moon in Virgo and a Full Moon in Pisces, and ingresses of Venus into Scorpio and Mars into Libra.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Archetypal Explorer
Our sponsor this month is Archetypal Explorer, which is an online astrology program that allows you to visualize transits through colorful graphs:
ArchetypalExplorer.com
Sign up today for a 7-day free trial of the program!
September Astrology
Here are the major astrology transits for September:
Mars opposes Neptune September 2
Mercury trine Saturn September 4
Venus square Pluto on September 5
New Moon in Virgo on September 6
Sun trine Uranus on September 7
Venus moves into Scorpio on September 10
Mars moves into Libra on September 14
Venus square Saturn on September 16
Full Moon in Pisces on September 20
Sun moves into Libra on September 22
Venus opposite Uranus on September 23
Mars trine Saturn on September 25
Mercury stations retrograde in Libra on September 27
Sun trine Saturn on September 29
Venus square Jupiter on September 30
Auspicious Astrological Date for September
The most auspicious astrological date for September is:
September 9, 2021 at 6:15 PM with 24 Aquarius rising
There are several other charts for September that are available in our subscription electional astrology podcast.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:30 September astrology calendar
00:01:30 Welcoming Rick and Austin
00:04:09 August astrology retrospective
00:05:24 Fall of Afghanistan around Uranus station
00:12:05 Milk crate challenge
00:22:20 Uranus station and OF debacle
00:30:33 First week of September astrology
00:31:28 Mars-Neptune opposition September 2
00:39:20 New Moon in Virgo September 6
00:52:26 Auspicious election on September 9
00:56:37 Weeks 2 and 3 of September
00:57:18 Venus moves into Scorpio September 10
01:05:45 Venus squares Saturn + opposes Uranus
01:08:30 Mercury trine Jupiter and more
01:09:29 Mars in Libra
01:28:40 Archetypal Explorer
01:30:50 Full Moon in Pisces September 20
01:48:10 Mercury retrograde in Libra
02:03:14 Final thoughts on September
02:07:05 Mid-term elections 2022 astrology
02:08:18 Rick's YouTube channel
02:08:52 Austin's upcoming stuff
02:09:57 Chris' upcoming stuff
02:11:07 Ending
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Here is the video version of this episode on the September astrology forecast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMQclhkMSSA
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 317 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

6 snips
Aug 25, 2021 • 2h 19min
Ancient Philosophy and Astrology
In episode 316 of the podcast Dr. Justin Sledge and Chris Brennan talk about the relationship between astrology, philosophy, and religion in the ancient world.
Our main focus is on discussing the ways in which astrology influenced some of the different philosophical and religious schools in the Greco-Roman world, from the Hellenistic era through the time of the Roman Empire and into the early Medieval period.
We also discuss questions like what was the philosophy underlying the practice of astrology in antiquity? To what extent did ancient astrologers articulate a personal philosophy? What was the purpose of practicing astrology in the ancient world?
During the course of the discussion we ended up touching on topics such as what is the mechanism underlying astrology (whether it works through signs or causes), issues surrounding fate, free-will, determinism, as well as the role of various schools such as Platonism, Aristotelianism, Stoicism, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Christianity, and more.
This was originally an interview for Justin's Esoterica YouTube channel, where he interviewed Chris based on his book Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune, but afterward we agreed to release the discussion as an episode of The Astrology Podcast simultaneously because it ended up being such a fantastic discussion that is very relevant to both of our audiences.
Find many more videos on ancient philosophy and mysticism on Justin's channel:
YouTube.com/ESOTERICAchannel/
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:05:50 The Hellenistic World
00:07:50 Astrology and coping philosophies
00:08:50 Mundane astrology
00:09:18 First birth charts dating to 410 BCE
00:13:57 How a Hellenistic astrologer would define astrology
00:19:00 Fate in the Hellenistic world
00:21:33 Stoic philosophy and Hellenistic astrology
00:29:02 Internal and External Fate in Astrology
00:32:20 Impact of Plato's Timaeus and Myth of Er on astrology
00:39:20 Names of gods applied to planets
00:47:21 Astrology of causes: Aristotle and Ptolemy
00:56:00 Stoic eternal recurrence model of the universe
00:58:16 Ptolemy and determinism
01:02:55 Backlash against determinism from Christianity
01:16:10 How Justin would teach Greek philosophy
01:18:10 How astrology was used to justify the birth of Jesus
01:20:00 The birth chart of Jesus controversy
01:21:30 Length of life technique
01:24:10 Astrological magic tradition
01:28:05 Increase in popularity of astrology
01:33:24 St. Augustine's criticism of astrology
01:38:12 Different levels of astrology in society
01:39:38 Ronald Reagan's astrologer
01:40:40 Levels of magic in society
01:43:30 Technical Hellenistic manuals translated into verse
01:44:55 Lost 1st century BCE source texts
01:47:33 Astrological texts in verse
01:53:34 Dorotheus verse example
01:55:10 Origins of horary astrology
02:02:15 Astrology straddling line between science and religion
02:05:03 Astrology a practical technology
02:06:40 Future discussion: philosophical challenges to astrology
02:07:29 21st century practice of astrology
02:08:11 Addressing ancient skeptical critiques of astrology
02:14:20 Closing Remarks
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on ancient philosophy and astrology:
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 316 transcript
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Aug 21, 2021 • 3h 14min
Venus in Astrology: Meaning and Significations
In episode 315 astrologer Becca Tarnas joins the show to talk about the meaning of Venus in astrology, and how ancient and modern astrologers conceptualized it.
Venus is traditionally thought to signify things like beauty, love, relationships, desire, sensuality, romance, harmony, pleasure, art, marriage, and other topics.
This is the fourth installment in our series on each of the planets, where we do a deep dive into their meaning in astrology.
We anchored the discussion by reading through a series of excerpts about Venus from different ancient and modern astrologers, including Vettius Valens, Abu Ma’shar, William Lilly, Reinhold Ebertin, Steven Forrest, and Richard Tarnas.
We then used these passages as jumping off points for an extended discussion about some of the deeper meanings of Venus, and the role that it plays in birth chart interpretation.
You can find out more about Becca on her website:
BeccaTarnas.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:49 Vettius Valens Significations
00:07:17 Venus as Benefic
00:10:34 Venus Glyph
00:11:35 The seasons of Taurus and Libra
00:15:55 Venus, the Moon, and the feminine
00:22:16 Redefining planets based on current cultural norms
00:24:00 Tradition isn't static
00:24:48 Aphrodite
00:30:04 Archetypes manifesting through different cultures
00:33:50 Venus the brightest star
00:38:00 Venus Mars relationship
00:41:48 Diagram of Venus opposite Mars
00:42:58 Venus and Jupiter in night sky
00:45:00 First Principles
00:50:10 Venus' connection to religion and breath
00:53:44 Myth of Annona
00:58:54 Venus Synodic Cycle
01:06:15 Abu Ma'shar Significations
01:20:00 Venus on the Ascendant
01:22:05 Venus aspects and beauty
01:24:53 Venus and Music
01:28:33 Venus and Relationships
01:31:55 Venus Saturn
01:35:05 Venus Mercury
01:37:16 Venus Sun
01:38:35 Venus Moon
01:41:31 Fred Rogers Chart
01:42:50 Venus Mars
01:47:06 Venus and Friday
01:50:21 Venus Jupiter
01:51:40 Beyonce's Chart
01:58:33 Venus Saturn
02:00:54 Venus Uranus
02:02:13 Katy Perry's chart
02:08:23 Venus Neptune
02:10:55 Tolkien's chart
02:13:46 George R. R. Martin's chart
02:16:37 Venus Pluto
02:17:17 Frida Kahlo's chart
02:21:22 William Lilly Significations
02:33:56 Reinhold Ebertin Significations
02:41:02 Gary Kasparov's Chart
02:43:37 Steven Forrest Significations
02:49:00 Venus placement variations throughout life
02:52:04 Richard Tarnas Significations
02:58:41 Becca Tarnas Significations
03:00:45 Becca's Chart
03:09:31 Becca's website
03:10:02 Becca's upcoming courses
03:12:15 Closing remarks
Watch the Video Version of This Episode on Venus
Watch the video version of our episode on the meaning of Venus in astrology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x0srgNjvzU
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 315 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:


