Horoscope Symbols

Rating:
Summary: Substantial visionary overview by a modern master!
Review: Although I discovered this after many years of involvement with astrology, I was immediately impressed by how much high quality information is packed into this one volume. There is a deep understanding and wisdom here that goes way beyond many other first class introductory texts. In fact it is as much for advanced astrologers as it is for beginners.

The very first chapter, "The Horoscope: A Map of the Psyche" lays some philosophical foundations that every astrologer could do well to take on board, especially in the area of personal choice and how we create our reality. From then on it's an inspired journey through all the features of a birth chart. Scientific, historical and psychological perspectives are all considered as Hand works his way through the planets, aspects, mid-points and signs of the zodiac, all in depth. The section on the houses is one of the most complete summaries I have ever seen in print, each house being assessed on internal, relational and external levels.

Like Hand's classic "Planets In Transit", "Horoscope Symbols" will continue to make its mark for many years to come. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: The best book on modern astrology ever written.
Review: Robert Hand is acknowledged everywhere as the greatest living astrologer, and this is his overview of the field. The title may be a bit misleading, and likely that was intentional. Hand's great classic is "Planets in Transit," of course, and that is a very accessible book for those with little or no background. It may be that he meant "Horoscope Symbols" to be an attempt to synthesize astrology from a very serious, even philosophical stance.

Not entirely for the beginner. It is a very serious treatment. Its fascination lies in its depth; hence it would appeal to those who are hooked by good books and good thoughts, and who are bored with the oversimplifications of magazine horoscopes. It is for the skeptic, as well.

A thinking person's astrology. The best astrology book this astrologer has ever read.

Rating:
Summary: A valuable exploration of the symbols behind astrology
Review: This is an exciting and challenging work. Hand, one of the leading astrologers of our era, goes back to the basics to try to discern the essence of each astrological symbol. His discussion of why the planets mean what they mean is amazing; his analysis of signs is equally revealing and fascinating. I really recommend this book whole-heartedly on the basis of those sections alone, but I knocked off a star because I thought that other parts were much less convincing. He roots his explanation of aspects in harmonics, which is essentially numerology, virtually ignoring the elemental basis of astrology which he lays out quite clearly when he deals with signs. And his treatment of houses seems almost willful in its claim that these symbols have nothing to do with the signs. Nonetheless, this is a great book, and one I would recommend to the non-believer: It gives a sense of the depth and complexity of astrological symbolism, which has a beauty and a spiritual meaning that is independent of the question of whether birth times correlate with personalities.