The Inner Planets: Building Blocks of Personal Reality (Seminars in Psychological Astrology) [Paperback]

Liz Greene (Author), Howard Sasportas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1993 | Series: Seminars in Psychological Astrology (Book 4)

The inner planets--Mercury, Venus, Mars--are the foundations of what psychology calls the ego, the sense of personal self. In this fourth volume in the Seminars in Psychological Astrology series, Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas discuss the value of the inner planets as they symbolize important aspects of personality. We are not trained to give value to our private needs, feelings, and qualities. Indeed, because of their intensely personal nature, they are often suppressed or overlooked as irrelevant to society. Likewise, the inner planets have tended to be given less attention by psychological astrologers--for they are the personal planets. The authors show us that in order to give the most that we can to our interactions with the rest of the world, we must first understand our own needs and have a healthy ego-- a personal authenticity. Their book teaches us the process of understanding how these three planets actually represent our individuality, and how they directly color the energy of the rest of our horoscope. Greene and Sasportas blend the processes of astrology and psychology in a unique and important way in this in-depth insight into the archetypes represented by the inner planets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Samual Weiser (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877287414
• ISBN-13: 978-0877287414
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Self-Help
  • #58 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Astrology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful & Inspiring, October 17, 2009

By 

Mid Century "NY" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Inner Planets: Building Blocks of Personal Reality (Seminars in Psychological Astrology) (Paperback)

My husband gave me this book from my wish list. I am very interested in astrology & have great respect for other works by Liz Greene.

I cannot put this book down. And I absolutely must read the previous volumes. Then I will read this Vol 4 again!

Because it is a transcription of a seminar there are references to the previous volumes, expecting the reader to have knowledge of what came before. Yet it is very informative on its own.

Astrology claims we are primarily our sun-sign yet when dealing with personal issues it always seems the focus is on an outer planet's aspect to our inner planets. In isolation.
Understanding how an individual's planets in sign, house & aspect are integrated is difficult because of seeming contradictions. By looking at these 3 planets as psychic components of the personality the authors add personality & character to the planets. My Ah-Ha moment was this statement by LG "One simple definition of Mars is that it is the fighting principle for the Sun, and in a sense the fighting principle for all the inner planets which lie within its orbit." I now have an image of a armored (or amour-ed) warrior defending the Queen (or King) filled w/ nuance of character flaws and strengths.
Of course the planets are discussed in many other forms: mythology, current beliefs, audience participation and reference charts. The author's blending of the spiritual, the science of psychology, and the purely personal makes for a valuable resource in understanding and tolerance. The subtitle "Building Blocks of Personal Reality" is misleading as the work actually removes the block-concept and helped me to see a more cohesive personal whole. 3 down 9 to go.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for the student of astrology, August 2, 2011

By 

SkeinJane - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Inner Planets: Building Blocks of Personal Reality (Seminars in Psychological Astrology) (Paperback)

I originally read this book when I checked it out of the public library. I loved it so much, I knew I would have to eventually find a copy of my own. This is a great book for the novice. Liz Greene's writing style is compelling. Her indepth descriptions of mythological archetypes and the planets they represent make it all make sense. Further discussion of the (inner) planets in relation to their location in your birth chart, and the various astrological aspects are helpful in understanding and how they affect our personalities and the circumstances we are born into. It is a lot of information. I could read it many times and continue to learn more about the basics of astrology and gain greater understand of myself and the people in my life. If you are new to astrology, order the book, then go on-line and get a natal chart done (many can be found for free, so you will have your chart data to compare with her description before your book arrives, as this is not a book that shows you how to calculate!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Preliminary Book for defining the really personal planet of the Zodiac, May 5, 2010

By 

Gregory P. Garceau "Spiritual Critic" (Vancouver, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Inner Planets: Building Blocks of Personal Reality (Seminars in Psychological Astrology) (Paperback)

This is a great introductory book for Professional and Beginning Astrologers Alike. I would suggest it for anyone who has even the very basic interest in Astrology. Very Well-written with some great exercises for learning about Astrology.