Astrology for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Understanding & Interpreting Your Chart [Paperback]

William W. Hewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997

This book contains all you need to teach yourself the science and art of astrology. ASTROLOGY FOR BEGINNERS will teach you what astrology is and how it works. It discusses signs, planets, houses, and aspects; teaches how to interpret a birth chart; explains easy methods for calculating accurate horoscope charts; and makes suggestions for further study.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William W. Hewitt was a freelance writer, the author of eight books and several hypnosis audio tapes published by Llewellyn.  He spent more than thirty years as a professional writer and editor in the computer, nuclear power and mining industries.  He was a certified clinical hypnotheriapist and frequently lectured on hypnosis, mind power, self-improvement, metaphysics, and related subjects.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875423078
• ISBN-13: 978-0875423074
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William W. Hewitt was a freelance writer, the author of eight books and several hypnosis audio tapes published by Llewellyn. He spent more than thirty years as a professional writer and editor in the computer, nuclear power and mining industries. He was a certified clinical hypnotherapist and frequently lectured on hypnosis, mind power, self-improvement, metaphysics, and related subjects.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book!, April 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Astrology for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Understanding & Interpreting Your Chart (Paperback)

I read this book not to long ago, and it is one of my favorites. It gives you an overall view for astrology and basic interpretations of planets in signs, aspects, houses, ect. I especially reccomend it for beginners.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for ANYONE interested in Astrology, October 8, 2004

By 

Niki Li (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Astrology for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Understanding & Interpreting Your Chart (Paperback)

What can I say? It's the absolute best, must have book for ANYONE who has even a slight interest in Astrology. I've been an Astrology enthusiast for over 10 years now and even though my level is more in the intermediate to advanced range, I still find this as an invaluable, handy reference. It perfectly "walks" you through this fascinating, yet complex science in a simple and easy to understand format. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to go beyond those fun, yet very general and vague daily horoscopes you find in the paper. It even includes a mail in offer to get your own chart done! (At least my old copy does, not sure about the new edition)
This book will help you understand and interpret your chart to give you an enlightening and informative understanding of yourself.
It includes chapters that explain and interpret the meanings of all the twelve houses, the signs and their characteristics, the planets and their rulerships, even meanings to all possible aspects of your natal placements.
I really wish I had this book when I first developed an in-depth interest in Astrology. Again, A MUST HAVE FOR ANY ASTROLOGY ENTHUSIAST!!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but not sufficent, September 12, 2006

By 

Carol A. Hunt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Astrology for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Understanding & Interpreting Your Chart (Paperback)

This book is a good reference for anyone interested in refreshing basic astrology, but it is a poor choice to use as a beginner's first book. One of the books major irritations is that the author changes the positions of planets which would traditionally be considered well placed, and does not provide an explaination for why he breaks from convention. For example, Mars is not considered dignified in Scorpio in this book and Venus is well placed in Aquarius?

I found it curious that he uses his own chart as the example, which would have been fine in itself, only by the end of the book I doubted his ability to be impartial about it. In his description of Cancer he claims that it is the most misunderstood sign (not Aquarius?), but mentions nothing of the Cancerian tendency to believe that they are misunderstood when they are not. He also says almost nothing good about Scorpio (he doesn't have any placements in Scorpio himself), and spends the majority of his time on his own positions while neglecting everyone else's. Perhaps, the negative trait of his own Leo rising?

Another amusing thing about this book is that the chart he does provide as the example for the book is incorrect. In my version of this book, figure 1 has Hewitt's Mars in Scorpio conjunct Neptune in Leo which is conjunct the Leo Ascendent. Well, it does not take a mathematician to figure out that Leo can only be conjunct Cancer or Virgo, or that Scorpio cannot be the sign on the 4th house cusp if Mars is in Scorpio in the 1st. Hewitt mention numerous times about how intelligent Gemini makes people( he has a stellum himself), but seems to forget the Gemini negative trait of spreading misinformation. He writes that Taurus people are not self aware, a statement usually true, but does not notice his own lack of self-awareness.