The first thousand steps
The first thousand steps are the hardest.
BOOKS
Go to the Resources section at the start or top section of the Astrology Forum.
You will find several/many books listed there. Realize before you start your studies that you will be buying lots of books -- 15 or 25 to start, more later. Be very discriminating about what you choose. I would suggest:
** One book that provides an overview of astrology.
** One book on sun signs.
** One book on planets and their aspects.
** One book on planets in houses.
MAGAZINES
** Each month, pick up one of those "cheesey" how-to-fall-in-love horsocope magazines. They typically have a section where an astrolger deliniates charts to answer a question about moving, finding a new job, dealing with a boss, getting over a relationship, etc.
** Subscribe to a serious astrology magazine such as the Mountain Astrologer which covers an amzaing amount of topics. Is printed every two months.
SOFTWARE
** Start off by using an on-line chart calculation service. Try two or three, using each one to create your own natal chart. Compare them. Choose one and then stick with it. Using several will get you mixed up interms of how to use them and enter data to get specific charts as each of their features will differ in many small ways.
** As soon as you can, purchase your own software. I would recommend using Halloran's software because you can go to their site and download a free copy that offers basic services. If you like it and wish to, you can purchase the whole system for under two hundred US dollars.
** Find the Astrodatabank site of Louis Rodden. Although they sell an expensive research database, you don't have to buy it but can instead use the several hundred available listings of famous people -- you can print out their charts and read biograghies and generated computer analysis. All of this will show you how to interpret charts.
Now, this is just the start of things -- it will get you started in learning about natal or birth charts. Later you will want to study relationships (synestry) and composite charts, progressed charts (secondary and solar arc) to see how your life will likely develop in terms of trends, transits to see what might happen on a day to day basis. This will round out your basic introduction to astrology.
Later you may wish to explore mid-points, solar returns, sabian symbols, arabic parts, mundane or political astrology, predictive astrology, health and medical applications, weather prediction, etc.
Good luck. Dave
