Astrology Course for Beginners

Study the Stars

I’ve always had an interest in astrology, but over the years Tarot always took precedence. But when Benebell Wen’s Astrology Course for Beginners was released I couldn’t resist.  At only $65 it’s a steal as it includes hundreds of pages of material, delivered to you in digital format:

  • Introductory Video
  • PDF Workbook (Two Volume Set)
  • PDF and DOCX files of the template and structural organization for your astrology studies journal
  • PDF and DOCX files of references and handouts for your astrology grimoire starter kit
  • Zip file folder of dozens of birth charts for public and historical figures to practice on

(Includes both Whole Sign and Placidus systems)

Course contents

From Benebell’s website:

  • Understanding the differences between a Placidus and Whole Signs chart
  • Understanding the Tropical zodiac (cf. Sidereal zodiac)
  • Chart shape analysis
  • The foundational building blocks of astrological theory (the binary, the three modalities, and the four elemental triplicities)
  • How to read a Placidus chart
  • How to read a Whole Signs chart
  • Understanding the twelve zodiac signs
  • Understanding the twelve astrological houses
  • The Sacred Seven (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn)
  • Key personal sensitive points (ascendant, midheaven, the north and south lunar nodes)
  • Modern astrological considerations, including Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron, Juno, and Ceres
  • Popular asteroids (Hygeia, Pallas, and Vesta, etc.)
  • Understanding angular aspects
  • How to read a chart specifically for romantic prospects, career prospects, health concerns, personal spirituality, and shadow work
  • Preview of intermediate topics, such as working with planetary rulers, decan rulers, essential dignities, and Arabic Parts (or Hermetic Lots)
  • Your astrology grimoire starter kit

All of the materials are delivered digitally and if you don’t mind working from a computer or iPad file,  you don’t have to print a thing. Or, if – like me – you prefer more of a workbook style manual, then send the files to Lulu and have them printed. The cost was minimal and worth it as I made lots of notes throughout the course of study.

A Typical Study Session

My friend, Fred West, purchased the course at the same time so we decided to create a two-person study group to make our way through the massive amount of material. (I admit, it can look overwhelming when you see a beginner’s course weighing in at over 600 pages!).

Our first step was to create our own study syllabus, then set up Monday night meetings. We divided the course into what we felt were easily digestible pieces, then set aside a couple of hours each Monday to go over our homework from the previous week. About week two we both realized that we wanted to be able to quickly and easily generate astrology charts to study (in addition to the ones that Benebell includes with the course).  We each purchased the Astro Gold app, which I believe was around $30. The cost was well worth it as each week to generated charts of our friends and family to better understand the week’s topic.

Fortunately, our good friends were willing to be our guinea pigs so it made it a lot easier for us to correlate the chart with the person.

To Buy or Not to Buy?

If you have even the slightest interest in astrology, I doubt that you’ll find a better course for the money – particularly one that goes into such detail on topics such as the asteroids, aspects, and using astrology for spiritual work. So yes, get over there and buy the course!

Remember, you don’t have to have an astrology app or program – we just added it because we wanted to do charts on the fly. Also, decide once you get into the material whether you want to use Whole Signs or Placidus, as it can make a difference. For Fred, his planets stayed in the same house regardless of system; for me it shifted everything one house over. Trust me, there’s a huge difference between a hunk of your chart sitting in the sixth house vs. sitting in the seventh. Only you will be able to tell which house fits you best.

What About Tarot?

No, astrology hasn’t superseded Tarot in my life. But it has added an additional layer of understanding not only people but some of my decks that contain astrological symbols. I also have a much better feel for the planets assigned to the Majors; for example, I totally get why the Hermit (Major IX) corresponds with Virgo, a sign of solitary reflection and analysis.

So pop over and pick up the course. And please find a study buddy along the way; trust me on this one – Fred and I both have said that doing this alone would have been much harder.

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