Customer Reviews

Horoscope Symbols

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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.

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.

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.

Robert Hand succeeds in distilling the essense of astrology in one master volume. Expect difficult subjects handled in such a manner as to make them learnable by even the layperson. Hand skillfully sweeps away the traditional confusing metaphorical language and lays bare the core of the primary astrological symbols. First class treatment is given to the planets, aspects, and signs, as well as a plethora of other subjects. Hand gives the reader insight into symbols based on a mixture of traditional teaching re-explored, and his own extensive experience.I have returned to this book again and again, never to be disappointed and always to come away with new insight. A must for the serious astrologer.

Hand's thorough discussion of the signs, planets, and aspects that make up modern astrology is second to none. It is a must for the serious astrologer and a good foundation for a novice. (Although this should not be the first book on astrology you read, or even the third- it can overwhelm a beginner).

Hand describes his view of each astrological element in detail (each has several pages)and with a great deal of insight. What I really appreciated, though, is that along the way he explains how his approach developed over his decades of experience, and why his repeated observations led to his conclusions. Because of this, I was able to compare Hand's experience to my own, and that of other astrologers. (Hand's theories held up, although I'm still not sure about his orbs.)

I think that this book sometimes is overlooked in favor of older astrological texts, which are seen as "classics" but are often just outdated. Buy this one, read it, I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it

An essential guide to learning astrology. Includes in depth research on the luminaries, their positions, and how they help make your distinct personality.

Unlike most astrologers I am not a huge fan of Rob Hand. But I must admit I am very impressed with this book. It's better than most general astrology books, even though I don't want to say that. A must have for any student of astrology, whether a beginner or a professional.

Dude is serious about his horoscopes.. a little too serious lol.. no but its a good read, although it has a lot of scientific numbers in it that the average human being will draw a ??. I had to skip almost half the book because of all the useless information.. like I said, this book is for the extremely advanced, and I was very knowledgable on my horoscopes before reading this book. other than that its a good read, opinionated, but I learned a few things.