When did a book last promise to explain the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? On that occasion the answer was 42 which left most of us none the wiser. This book is very different. Its 300 pages contain tutorial items and deeply philosophical essays which make it an invaluable resource for the student and the proficient astrologer alike.
The core teachings of Bruno and Louise Huber are familiar to most of us through the eight key texts that form a ‘must read’ for newcomers to the Huber approach and an essential reference library for practitioners. However these teachings are not a static doctrine but are the foundation for a dynamic, evolving and, above all, living form of modern astrology.
AstroLog 1: Life and Meaning gives English-language readers access to over 20 of the most thought-provoking and influential articles published in AstroLog, the German-language magazine that has documented this continuing development for more than a quarter of a century. The translation has been due to a generous bequest by Agnes Shellens, whose enthusiasm for the Huber’s work led her to translate much of their writing for the first time for an English-speaking audience.
The book is divided into four parts that take the reader through developments in Astrological Psychology, into the existential arena of Life and Meaning, on a journey in Age Progression and then to the core dynamic of Growth and Transformation. This is therefore a book that allows a straight read through or one you can dip into time and time again, each time emerging with more insights and greater wisdom.
AstroLog 1: Life and Meaning contains an extraordinary wealth of material. I’d like to share just a few of the thoughts I had as I read. The first chapter is entitled simply Astrological Psychology by Bruno Huber. This is the most concise yet comprehensive description of the Huber method that I’ve read and I’ve annotated its 3½ sides as an essential read for anyone interested in Astrological Psychology. However, it’s within Psychosynthesis and Astrology that Bruno says “…it is the insight that something could be better that initiates the search for meaning…setting in motion chain reactions in the consciousness that cannot be stopped”. This search for meaning can bring us to astrology and Bruno comments that our conscious observation of ourselves may sometimes lead to a wish that we’d never got involved in astrology “…in order to become completely ‘normal’ again”. It’s too late for most of us, but this remarkable chapter explores how we can draw on concepts from psychosynthesis to enhance our astrological practice.
There are a number of articles on the transpersonal planets and, in particular, Pluto. As many astrologers hypothesise about the possible changes that Pluto’s ingress into Capricorn may bring, it’s timely to read two chapters about Pluto’s status as a planet. As Harald Zittlau comments, the correlation between the movements of the classical planets and events on earth have been meticulously observed for centuries yet, due to its much later discovery, mankind has consciously observed less than half an orbit of Pluto.
This book contains something for everyone. There are chapters that stimulate deep thinking, including one where Louise Huber reminds us to laugh – “…laughing is a healing energy because it stops us taking ourselves so seriously, no longer seeing everything in terms of our EGO and reacting negatively to every failure”. In addition, some chapters explore basic concepts in a way that will make you relook at your own chart and re-evaluate it. As an example, try looking at Moon Node – Ascendant by Ruth Schmidhauser.
This book would make a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. It has been translated, edited and published with care. The commitment of the team of people who have brought us AstroLog 1: Life and Meaning h as given us a volume you will want to return to; to read for research, for growth and to promote personal reflection; and a book that offers you a way to come back to your daily life with a new perspective and the knowledge your reading has been time well spent.
Kathy Rogers, Conjunction 43, 2008
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