Customer Reviews

Key Words for Astrology

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This little book cuts to the astrological chase in a concise, clear, exciting style. Banzhaf is a German-language writer (in translation here) whose clipped-to-the-point descriptions of all the basic astrological positions and combinations are steeped in a deep knowledge not only of the subject at hand, but of Jungian psychology, classical mythology, numerology, and Tarot. While many authors who have written valuable books on chart analysis carry on at great lengths to discuss each element of the horoscope, Banzhaf is in every case clear, concise, illuminating, and almost best of all, he supplies us with brief, pithy, mythology or psychology-derived titles for nearly every combination here--titles such as Moon in Aries--the Amazon. While this may sound simplistic on the surface, Banzhaf's deep knowledge of mythology, tarot, and depth psychology make his labels instantly clear and applicable--and separates him from many of the light-weight pop-mythologists who have littered the literary landscape in past years with their myth-lite treatises on Goddesses, etc. Astrology as a symbolic language is subject to positive and negative readings, and Banzhaf is careful to supply both the positive and negative polarities of all situations. This is a mature, insightful, serious thinker and writer, and I wish more of his books were available in English. I'd recommend this one without reservation for anyone interested in Astrology, beginner through expert.

This is a gem of a book as the previous reviewer stated from beginners to more advanced. The Key words ,ie; memorable descriptive imagery, is given as well as further information because in my opinion some will need further explanation.

ex; " Moon in Aries- (as a mother) The vigorous individual."

Well many might want to have a little more input as to what the author means be "vigorous", and so it is given. Also the keywords are not just for the rudimentary planet, signs & houses but the planets IN the houses and the planet energies combined in aspect. Also included are positive and negative manifestaions.

I especially like the endearing method of apect interpretation in the back of the book. There is a lot of knowledge condensed here for your money here from wise and learned practitioners. A very good resource.

One of the best interpretive astrology books out there. It's not a "basic" book in the sense that it teaches you how to construct a natal chart; it won't walk you through the steps of finding your moon-sign, nor will it tell you if you have a grand-cross or a fire-trine, etc (I suggest spending some time in the FREE HOROSCOPES section of [...] if you need those things, or picking up a copy of PARKER'S ASTROLOGY)...however, when you are ready to sit down and figure out what it means when you have moon-in-Taurus-conjunct-Mars-in-the-6th-house, this book CAN'T be beat. The interpretations of placements are bold, assertive, and confident--a rare combination indeed! Most astrologers are too scared to crank out a strong interpretation because one placement might seem to contradict another, or there might be a placement that indicates a fondness for violence in someone that's an avowed pascifist...and so on. News flash: people are walking, talking contradictions! It's what makes us individuals! The authors of KEY WORDS know that only too well and, rather than hide from it, they revel in it. An excellent work for anyone who (a) enjoys astrology and (b) enjoys THINKING about astrology.

I expected something concise, easy to use. Instead, the descriptions of the different astrological concepts, signs, etc. are similar to what you can find in more commonly available titles that also provide a more detailed background. In other words, with this book if you need something brief, you are presented with a host of sometimes completely unnecessary data; but if you want to know more you have to go to a different book. Instead, when I need a keyword reference, I want to see something like Diane Cramer's medical dictionary of astrology, Dictionary of Medical Astrology, concise and to the point.