Customer Reviews

How to Read Your Astrological Chart: Aspects of the Cosmic Puzzle

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I was reluctant to buy Donna's book. My bookshelves are already overflowing with astrology books - many of them unread. But I was captured by her premise. "If you have been practicing for a year and don't feel comfortable reading an actual horoscope, then this is the book you need!" I still get the stunned deer look when confronting a chart for the first time. I start trying to dig through remembrances of past cookbooks I have read. Donna's anti-cookbook approach teaches you how to reason astrologically so you can deduce the delineations yourself. It is not a primer. You need to have the basics firmly in hand that you learned in the cookbooks. What she does is show you how to cut through the clutter, find and read the essential themes in the chart. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has studied astrology for a while and is ready to consolidate their book learning into more easy, flowing interpretations.

I've been reading charts since the 1960s and still found much to savor in this book. Cunningham is a master of sorting out the important from the background noise.

The more we learn and the more astrological factors we know about, the more complex it can become to read a chart. Cunningham takes us back to the basics in a way that brings new richness to every chart you will read.

Thanks Donna!

Donna Cunningham has written a brief and thoughful book about how astrologers think. She set out to avoid the typical "cookbook" approach and instead focuses on how astrologers combine key factors to interpret a chart. She has succeeded at her task. Donna gives step by step examples of how she arrives at a delineation so that the reader can follow her example when confronting a new chart. This text reminds me of a book I once read about how to learn a new language. It does not teach the language but rather gives helpful advice on how to structure your studies for maximal effect. My only regret is that Donna did not include more examples so that we could see more of her method in action. I would highly recommend this book to astrologers at any level of expertise.

I have only been reading charts for a couple of years now, but I always knew I was missing something the astrological "cookbooks" couldn't teach me. Ever since I read Ms. Cunningham's book, I realized that what I was missing out on was not technical expertise but the ability to get a feel for the chart just by looking at it, rather than immediately having to resort to a book for explanations of planets in signs, houses, etc. The creative presentation of the material along with the author's straightforward writing style really helped me to begin thinking astrologically. I can now approach a new chart with confidence (instead of flat-out terror!) and start to interpret on my own. I can't recommend this book enough to people like me who have a firm grasp of the basics and want to move up to the next level.

This book is past the beginner stage, but defnitely appropriate for those that have the basic understanding of the planets, their energy in signs and in houses. What distinguishes Donna Cunningham's work is her ability to accurately measure a chart. By that, I mean.... so many books treat each thing weighted the same. That is kind of like baking a cake with a cup of all ingredients - it would be the world's saltiest cake if you did. Not all things inside the chart are weighted equal and it is the complex blend of aspects and their degree of orb, and the patterns created within the chart that define more fully the bigger picture. Donna Cunningham teaches you to respect that and to utilize a multi-textured process to refine your understanding of the chart. A must have on your shelf.

I bought this book, based on reviews, because I really need a more advanced book. I have quite a few basic books but I didn't have a book to show me how to put everything together. This is one of the books that helps me do that. The book is really about critical thinking and putting everything together. The signs, houses and aspects. Looking at the chart as a whole.

I'm only halfway through. I'd say that my only issue so far is that Donna Cunningham does not consider Virgos to be Mercurial and does not consider Tauruses to be Venusian. This means that she does not place any focus on Virgo or Taurus aspects. While I do not have any of these aspects in my own chart, I will be lacking when I have to read for some people. I personally, agree with her, although I think she should have given an alternate interpretation or planet, rather than ommit these two signs altogether.

This is likely the most helpful book I've gotten on how to go from astrological symbols to interpretation. Granted, it is only the first step along the path, but the first step is the hardest. I recommend it.

Very glad i have this book! Helped me very much to learn more about astrology! Thanks Donna!