On the Heavenly Spheres

Recently saw this book on Amazon and the reviews seem rather glowing. It seems to be a presentation of traditional techniques in a way that is easily grasped for the modern reader. Looking through the table of contents, it seems pretty darn comprehensive (the only thing that I didn't see listed were predictive techniques).

Looking at what this book has to offer for such a relatively low price, I'm pretty interested in buying it, specifically as a supplement for Christian Astrology.

Would anyone here that owns or has read this book recommend it?

Yes-I consider it to be the best explanation and elaboration of the Traditionalist model, available in English, in one book. However, the Ben Dykes book, "Traditional Astrology for Today", is also a good introduction.

Fantastic start to working with traditional techniques, with Frawley's The Real astrology as a follow up to get a more rounded idea of what traditional astrology is all about

A further note: once you have studied these books (which are ABOUT the concepts and methods of the Traditionalist stream) obtain and study the ORIGINAL MATERIAL (that is the actual books by the original oldtime authors)

I agree, only use the modern books as an introduction, an 'initiation', if you will.

The original books contain many more things. Every book is coloured by the author's thoughts and nature. The introduction book will most likely be coloured after the modern writers' experience and perception of the techniques, just as the traditional authors will have differences among each other, despite being from a similar tradition.

Exactly!
For example: use of pitted and elevated degrees, masculine/feminine degrees, and bright/dark degrees, receives at best a passing notice in contemporary books on Traditionalist methods: yet we find these considerations as part and parcel of practice, in the original texts of the oldtime authors: now, these degree considerations were not ESPECIALLY emphasized, as other considerations were; HOWEVER, neither were these degree considerations ignored: they were PART of the delineative toolkit of (many if not most) of the oldtime authors practice (eg bright and dark degree delineative influences-also including "void" or "neutral" degrees-were described from Antiochus of Athens through Abu Mashar to Ibn Ezra and as late as the 17th century texts by Blagrave and William Lilly) The specific statements, the varying points of emphasis and the special insights of each original author, should never be overlooked...

sworm09 said:

Recently saw this book on Amazon and the reviews seem rather glowing. It seems to be a presentation of traditional techniques in a way that is easily grasped for the modern reader. Looking through the table of contents, it seems pretty darn comprehensive (the only thing that I didn't see listed were predictive techniques).

Looking at what this book has to offer for such a relatively low price, I'm pretty interested in buying it, specifically as a supplement for Christian Astrology.

Would anyone here that owns or has read this book recommend it?

Click to expand...

This book was the first purchase I made into the literature (not the internet) on traditional astrology. That said, after studying for several years there is much I can see that is either missed, or misrepresented. The authors are married to a certain house system and gloss over much of the richness of the tradition, perhaps because the book was first published before we were graced with the English translations of some very important long-lost works.

It is a wonderful introduction, but when reading it I would urge to use it as a launching pad for further study rather than as a Bible for traditional astrology.

A better suppliment for CA would be Ben Dykes' Introductions to Traditional Astrology. It's a heavy textbook, but well worth the investment, containing way more information than Spheres.