Astrologer Kelly Surtees joins the podcast in this episode to discuss some recommendations for learning astrology and eventually becoming an astrologer.
The conversation is based in part on a post I did on my blog several years ago titled 10 recommendations for understanding astrology. (Update 8/18/2018: watch also my video on five short beginner astrology recommendations.) I wanted to revisit the subject in order to dig a little deeper into some of the suggestions and add a few new ones.
Kelly and I take you from the very first steps you need to take in order to begin your studies in astrology, assuming you know nothing or very little about it, all the way to the intermediate and advanced phases of learning about the subject, during the course of the show.
The end result is a 3-5 year framework for how to become an astrologer, and by the end of the program, we’ll have gotten the listener to the stage where they should be able to transition into professional astrology practice.
I’ve included an outline of some of the subjects covered in the program below, but please visit the original blog post linked at the top of the page for a full article with all of the links.
In This Article...
Studying Astrology: Episode Outline
Kelly’s three key astrological learning suggestions are as follows:
- Readbooks/blogs/websites/journals.
- Make contact with other people who are interested in astrology. Meetups, local astrology groups, and online astrology groups are all options.
- Educate yourself and get official training. Choose a person you can meet in person or an online course that interests you.
Tips for learning astrology in particular:
- www.astro.com can provide you with a copy of your birth chart.
- If at all possible, double-check your birth time.
- Learn the symbols for the zodiac signs, planets, aspects, and more.
- Kelly provides a free handout with the icons for the planets and zodiac signs.
- She also has some more astrological handouts for beginners here.
- Make use of free online resources. Blogs, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Reddit, and other social media platforms
- Dictionary of Astrology
- Reddit’s Astrology section
- For astrology videos, go to Chris’ YouTube account.
- Get yourself a few astrology books. Here are some decent books for beginners:
- April Elliott Kent’s The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology
- Derek and Julia Parker’s Astrology is a book on astrology.
- Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro’s On the Heavenly Spheres
- Richard Tarnas’ Cosmos and Psyche
- Stephen Arroyo’s Chart Interpretation Handbook
- Principles of Practical Natal Astrology, by Kevin Burk, is his most recent book.
- The Mountain Astrologer magazine is available for subscription.
- On their website, they also feature a fantastic beginner’s series.
- Learn to read an ephemeris if you don’t already have one.
- The free online ephemeris from Astrodienst.
- Learn how to use an ephemeris in our guide.
- With Astro.com’s unique daily horoscope, you can start tracking your transits.
- Begin by charting the Moon’s path through your houses or making aspects to planets in your birth chart.
- Examine the horoscopes of your friends, family, and celebrities.
- AstroDatabank has birth information for a number of celebrities.
- Use online forums to connect with other astrologers.
- Skyscript, Astrodienst, Facebook, and other similar services are available.
- Meet up with astrologers in your area. Meetup.com, the NCGR, and a Google search are all good places to start.
- Start your own meetup if there isn’t one already.
- Take an astrological course, either online or in person.
- Kepler College, The International Academy of Astrology, The Faculty of Astrological Studies, The American College of Vedic Astrology, or classes taught by Chris or Kelly are all good places to start.
- Kelly delivers A Beginner’s Online Astrology Course: Practical Astrology.
- Chris teaches ancient astrology through his online course.
- Become a member of an astrological organization.
- AAGB, ACVA, AYA, FAA (in Australia), NCGR, ISAR, AFA, AFAN, OPA, AAGB, ACVA, AYA, FAA (in Australia), and so on.
- Attend a conference on astrology.
- Next week, NORWAC will be in Seattle.
- Obtain certification (?)
- Certification’s benefits and drawbacks.
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What steps do I need to take to become an astrologer?
10+2 in any stream is the minimum need for entrance to courses leading to a career as an astrologer.
- The meaning of the signs, planets, houses, aspects, transits, and progressions should be well-understood by an astrologer.
- They must also be able and willing to work on their own personal development, as seen by the program’s requirement of individual counseling.
- They should have a solid educational foundation and communication skills, as well as empathy, honesty, and a sense of accountability.
- Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University, Udaipur, J.R.N.
- New Delhi’s Bharti Institute of Vedic Astrology
- Udaipur’s Maharshi College of Vedic Astrology
- Jaipur’s Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University
How to become an Astrologer/Astrologist?
To become an astrologer, one must take the following steps:
After obtaining a baseline certificate, one can pursue a bachelor’s degree in related areas such as Philosophy or attend The Institute of Professional Astrology, which offers a one-year astrology training school that excludes humanities studies. This is a preferable alternative for someone who already has a college diploma.
What does it take to become a certified astrologer and how long does it take?
The certification track, as well as the four-year curriculum in general, were established to provide astrology students with an organized course of study, with materials chosen expressly to enable them feel confident reading a chart at the end of the program.
We hand-pick the reading materials and instructors that will best educate you to interpret charts and filter through the most critical approaches so you may give a client, friend, or family member an empowered reading, consult, or coaching session.
Our certification route requires you to complete all of the program’s courses (or test out of those you are able to).
Students pursuing certification must complete homework assignments, quizzes, and tests, including written and oral exams. Testing is a crucial component of learning and retention. One of the most common issues with self-study is that we rarely challenge ourselves to put what we’ve learned into practice. We soon forget if we don’t start working with the content immediately away, and then we become distracted by learning yet another new or compelling approach that we don’t incorporate. This is why we meet students who claim to have studied for 20 years yet still struggle to read a chart.
Our testing is designed to assist you in achieving your goals, and we will be there for you every step of the way. If you’re having trouble with testing, we’ll work with you to discover out why and develop your abilities and confidence.