The Inner Sky: How to Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life [Paperback]

Steven Forrest (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2007

WINNER OF THE 1985 PAI AWARD (Professional Astrologers Incorporated) "for outstanding activities in furthering the goals of Astrology." Published to almost immediate critical acclaim. Assuming intelligence, motivation and ignorance of the subject on the reader's part, the book introduces all the astrological basics--signs, planets, houses, aspects--and pulls them together in a strategy for synthesis. We receive frequent praise from astrology teachers working with this book. Seven Paws Press, trade paperback, 303 pages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beautifully written in simple language, yet amplified with stunning verbal imagery throughout, the book is a reading experience worth savoring. Throw in the fact that it is undoubtedly one of the clearest, simplest astrology primers ever written and you begin to glimpse the miracle Steven Forrest has wrought." --Richard Noelle, for Dell HOROSCOPE

"A truly outstanding new book. The best part is that it's intelligent, well-written & actually fun." --Esquire Magazine

"Steven Forrest's down-to-earth approach is refreshing, funny, and void of pompous claims." --Los Angeles Times

From the Back Cover

Steven Forrest's timeless astrology classic The Inner Sky remains a groundbreaking exploration into an astrology based on freedom and choice rather than deadening predictions. Still one of the best and most frequently recommended astrology primers for beginners, The Inner Sky guides the reader into a profoundly rich and empowering evolutionary cosmology that frames life within a context of possibility, hope and wonder.

"Absolutely hypnotic, educational writing by a spiritual, well-versed wordsmith and professional astrologer. You'll never look at a newspaper sun-sign column again after learning from this metaphysical master." -H. Fairchild (Amazon) 

"Forrest's approach...stops the blame game in its tracks...we're warriors fulfilling our turbulent evolutionary paths."

-O: The Oprah Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Seven Paws Pr; Reprint edition (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979067715
• ISBN-13: 978-0979067716
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age > Astrology

More About the Author

Steven Forrest is the author of several astrological bestsellers, in-cluding THE INNER SKY, THE CHANGING SKY, THE BOOK OF PLUTO, THE NIGHT SPEAKS, and the new astrology classic YESTERDAY'S SKY.

Steven's work has been translated into a dozen languages, most recently Chinese and Italian. He travels worldwide to speak and teach his brand of choice-centered "evolutionary" astrology, which integrates free will, grounded humanistic psychology and ancient metaphysics.

Along with his busy private practice, he maintains active astrological apprenticeship programs in California, Australia, North Carolina, and Switzerland. He is a founding member of the Ethics Committee of the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR).

The musician Sting calls Steven's work "as intelligent and cogent as it is poetic." DELL HOROSCOPE describes him as "not only a premier astrologer, but also a wise man." Callie Khouri, who wrote the screenplay for the mega-hit film Thelma and Louise, praises his "humor, insight, poetry, and astute, articulate observations of human nature." O: THE OPRAH MAGAZINE describes his philosophy this way: "Forrest's approach...stops the blame game in its tracks...we're warriors fulfilling our turbulent evolutionary paths." Actor Robert Downey Jr. says, "I marvel at the accuracy of Steve's readings. He insists that nothing is so grave as to be beyond repair, and correspondingly that there is no rainbow that won't be evaporated by poor judgment in the now. I can't recommend him highly enough." And Rob Brezsny, in his popular "Real Astrology" column, simply calls him "the most brilliant astrologer alive."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Useful & Methodological Approach to Understanding Astrology September 1, 2005

By M. Hart

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As someone who has been interested in understanding various concepts in astrology, I have often been displeased with the amount of information overload that is all too often given in typical "cookbook"-type astrology books. Many astrology books provide lengthy lists of descriptions that explain the meaning of when particular planets appear in specific signs or houses in an individual's birthchart, as well as some information about aspects between planets. Unfortunately, too many of these "cookbook"-type astrology books don't provide sufficient (or any) explanations as to how to synthesize the information from the numerous lists into a concise and unconfused birthchart interpretation, or how to recognize which features in a birthchart are more important than others.

Thankfully, this is not the case with Steven Forrest's 1988 book "The Inner Sky: How To Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life". In his book, Mr. Forrest provides an elegant set of guidelines that enable novice students of astrology to grasp what the most important features in a birthchart are so that a concise synthesis of the lengthy amount of information contained within it can be effectively navigated and understood without falling prey to information overload. (In my opinion, information overload is probably the single largest impasse that most students of astrology face when attempting to interpret a birthchart.) Mr. Forrest advises that to begin a birthchart interpretation, an individual should only focus initially on three key features: the sun, moon and the ascendant; which is what he refers to as the "primal triad".... By using the archetypes of the signs in which the sun, moon and ascendant occur, a basic understanding as a starting point for developing a more comprehensive interpretation of a birthchart can be more easily remembered as more features of the birthchart are slowly and methodically taken into consideration. This includes something that no "cookbook"-type astrology book that I had previously read effectively addresses: how to understand a planet's position in a sign and house taken together. The next step that Mr. Forrest suggests is to then consider whether the birthchart in question has any hemispheric emphasis by observing how many planets are contained within each birthchart hemisphere. Then, one of the most beneficial descriptions (in my opinion) that Mr. Forrest describes in the book comes into play: identifying the focalizers. Focalizers are those planets within a birthchart other than the sun and moon that should be given greater emphasis (or priority) in interpretation. No "cookbook"-type astrology book that I had previously read had ever provided a clear way to identity which planets in a birthchart should be regarded as the most important. This alone makes "The Inner Sky" stand out as an extremely useful resource. Other guidelines that Mr. Forrest suggests should follow understanding the primal triad, the hemispheres and the focalizers include understanding the moon's nodes and looking for common themes among everything that has been studied thus far. Mr. Forrest also addresses how to resolve seemingly irresolvable conflicting bits within a birthchart because his approach to interpreting a birthchart involves psychology, not fortune telling; and is commonly referred to as evolutionary astrology.

Before Mr. Forrest discusses the interpretive techniques that I listed above, he begins "The Inner Sky" with some basics in his first part of the book that he names "The Territory", which contains three chapters. The second part, named "Words", contains four chapters where he gives vivid and extremely useful understandings of the individual signs, planets and houses. The third and final part, named "Sentences", contains five chapters and is where Mr. Forrest explains the guidelines as I mentioned in the previous paragraph and then proceeds to give a well-written interpretation example.

Consequently, with its 12 chapters, four appendices, comprehensive glossary, index and wonderful writing, I rate Steven Forrest's book "The Inner Sky: How To Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding a methodological approach to interpreting astrological birthcharts. In my opinion, this is probably the best book to read first to begin a study of astrology. Read more ›

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for serious beginning students of astrology January 27, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

An excellent book by a highly regarded author, "The Inner Sky" takes the reader through a gradual, systematic approach to weaving together the elements of the birth chart. Though this book is dense with information, author Steven Forrest strikes an easy-going and engaging tone that encourages rather than overwhelms the reader. Some information is given on the mechanics of how to cast a natal (birth) chart, but the primary focus is on understanding the characteristics of the houses, signs and planets, and how they interact with each other. Major aspects are covered, as well as the influence of retrograde planets. Rather than providing lists of rigid interpretations for each configuration, "The Inner Sky" teaches the reader what questions to ask, and where in the chart to look for the answers. The author takes the view that an astrological chart indicates inclination and opportunity, not irreversible fate. Most importantly, you will learn to organize the wealth of information present in the birth chart in a way that enables you to give a professional, fluid and intuitive interpretation without losing the structure of the chart. After practicing the methods outlined in the book, you should be able to do an "in person" chart interpretation without having to stop and consult reference materials. You will learn to identify the seeds of opportunity present in whatever chart you are looking at; you will be able to articulate, for each individual, the early warning signs that they are getting 'out of balance' with themselves; and you will discover what experiences, in which life arenas, will help them re-connect with their essential self.... If you could only buy one book to learn natal astrology and the basics of chart interpretation, "The Inner Sky" would serve you well. For those interested in further reading, "The Inner Sky" contains an appendix of books recommended by the author, Steven Forrest, all of which are reputable and handily broken into "beginner's" and "advanced" categories. Read more ›

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to the depth and breadth of astrology August 25, 2002

By Molly Cliborne

Format:Paperback

"The Ram. Horns down, charging. Fierce. Unyielding. Will the Ram crack his skull? He doesn't care. Nothing can intimidate him. Nothing can force him to swerve. Victory-- or self destruction in the effort to attain it: two destinies. One will claim him."

If you like this very descriptive, provocative, and sensual passage, you'll like The Inner Sky. It reads like a movie trailer at times, but it does have lots of good information that helps you get a "feel" for astrology. There's a wonderful section on just what astrology is and what it can tell us. A good introduction to the basics of chart interpretation. He approaches astrology as a foreign language, which I really like. Good for you if you're looking for concepts rather than details.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Anything by this author is worth reading May 7, 2002

By James Bellefeuille

Format:Paperback

Steven Forrest writes simply without dumbing down his material.
He does not force his philosophies or worldviews down your throat
and in fact explicitly warns against would-be astrologers doing the same. He presents astrology as a tool (not religion) for helping humans choose to live more consciously.
It's a far cry from the "All Cancers are great cooks and parents" nonsense that litters our bookshelves. Steven Forrest's
writing are firmly grounded in everyday experience, where people actually change and interact with a complicated world.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best beginner astrology book March 25, 2006

By Jacob Mirman, MD

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Steven Forrest introduces what he calls evolutionary astrology. The main idea is that astrology is not fortune telling. It is a tool to happy and fulfilling life. The horoscope is a map to follow to achieve your highest potential. I have used astrology for years, and believe this is the only way to use it. Nothing in the chart is good or bad, it is there only to point the way.

The book is written in a poetic, easy to understand style. It takes the reader thru the process of reading natal charts, step by step. You will not be able to be a professional astrologer after reading this book, but if you spend enough time and energy reading charts with the tools provided in the book, you'll be well on the way.

I just love this book!