

The Astrology Podcast
Chris Brennan
A weekly podcast on the history, philosophy, and techniques of astrology, hosted by professional astrologer Chris Brennan.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 11, 2022 • 2h 21min
Planetary Stations in Secondary Progressions
In episode 342 astrologers Catherine Urban and Nick Dagan Best join the show to discuss what happens when planets station retrograde or direct by secondary progression, and how this can be used as an important timing technique in astrology.
In secondary progressions each day after a person is born represents an entire year of their life, and the planetary alignments on a specific day will correspond to events and experiences in a given year of life.
In this episode we focus in particular on what happens in a native's life in the years that correspond with planets stationing retrograde or direct by secondary progression, and how this can help to identify some of the most important years in a person's life.
During the course of the show we use a bunch of celebrity and personal charts as examples in order to demonstrate how the technique works in practice.
For more info about Catherine and Nick visit:
CatherineUrban.com
NickDaganBestAstrologer.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on secondary progressed planetary stations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-E6LsFled4
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 342 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Feb 25, 2022 • 2h 6min
March 2022 Astrology Forecast
In episode 341 astrologers Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and special guest co-host Christopher Renstrom look ahead at the astrology of March 2022.
The astrology of March features the second of two Venus-Mars conjunctions, as well as the build up to a conjunction between Mars and Saturn in Aquarius and a Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Pisces.
There is also a New Moon in Pisces early in the month on March 2, and a Full Moon in Virgo on March 18.
At the top of the episode we reflect on the ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction and the archetypal themes of war and peace that have become prominent recently.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
About the Astrologers
You can find out more information about each astrologer on our websites:
ChrisBrennanAstrologer.com
AustinCoppock.com
RulingPlanets.com
Zodiac Buzzed
Our sponsor this month is the Zodiac Buzzed astrology drinking card game!
Drunkendecks.com
Get a copy of the deck by signing up for their Kickstarter which is launching on March 3!
Patreon
Get early access to new episodes and other bonus content by signing up for our Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast
Auspicious Date for March
The most auspicious astrological date for March is:
March 2, 2022 at 10:45 AM local time, with Gemini rising
For more good dates in March see our subscription electional astrology podcast.
For dates later in the year see our 2022 Year Ahead Electional Astrology Report!
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on the astrology of March 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-jRW2hvfg
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 341 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Feb 23, 2022 • 1h 3min
Astrologer or Astrologist: What is the Preferred Designation?
In episode 340 astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim discuss whether the preferred designation for a practitioner of astrology is "astrologer" or "astrologist", and why it is important.
The motivation for this discussion is that there seems to be some confusion among non-astrologers about what the preferred word is to use.
In general, the preferred designation is "astrologer", and this is the word that is used and often strongly preferred by the vast majority of practitioners today.
During the course of the episode we review three informal polls that were done on social media that indicate that between 90–99% of astrologers prefer the term "astrologer" over "astrologist".
Despite the overwhelming preference for the term astrologer, some social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and more recently Twitter have made it so that practitioners can only select the term "astrologist" when listing their profession.
Thus, part of the purpose of this discussion is to raise awareness about this issue among the general public.
While there are occasionally some astrologers who do use the term astrologist, and that is ok, the purpose of this discussion is to clarify that since the vast majority of practitioners prefer the term astrologer, that is the word that should probably be used by non-astrologers when referring to the profession.
This discussion is partially based on an article Chris wrote in 2014 titled Is it Astrologer or Astrologist?
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0W4t5QCCWw
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 340 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Feb 16, 2022 • 3h 13min
Hermeticism and Ancient Astrology
In episode 339 Sam Block joins the show to talk about the ancient philosophy of Hermeticism and its relationship to Hellenistic astrology.
Hermeticism is a religious, philosophical, and mystical movement that arose in Hellenistic Egypt around the first century, and is attributed to the teachings and practices of Hermes Trismegistus.
It represents a popular synthesis of a number of philosophical and religious trends that were popular during the Hellenistic period, including Stoicism, Platonism, native Egyptian religion, and astrology.
The majority of what is known about this philosophical or religious school survives in the Corpus Hermeticum and a handful of other writings from that time period.
During the course of the episode we talk about what is known about the Hermetic philosophical tradition, and how it relates to the technical tradition of astrology that arose during the same time period.
Sam is the author of a series on Hermeticism on his website, which I would recommend checking out for more information on this topic:
https://digitalambler.com/about/hermeticism-posts/
Sign up for our Patreon to get early access to new episodes and other bonus content:
https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Timestamps for different topics covered and parts of the discussion:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:07 What survives from ancient Hermeticism
00:06:12 Religions and philosophies that influenced Hermeticism
00:15:00 The Corpus Hermeticum
00:24:44 Excerpts from the Hermetica
00:34:00 Hermeticism vs. Gnosticism
00:37:00 Excerpts about planets, soul, and fate
00:50:40 Diagram of the spheres of the cosmos
00:52:26 Gnosis meaning
00:55:25 Excerpt about salvation of the soul
01:02:19 Passage from Introduction to Gnosticism
01:03:18 Why astrology recurs as a motif in Hermeticism
01:07:00 A Stoic prayer and fate
01:12:05 Philosophical Hermetica vs. practical Hermetica
01:19:37 Hermetic influence on Vettius Valens
01:24:52 Alchemist Zosimos on fate
01:29:46 The Hermetica had multiple authors
01:50:04 Thoth and Hermes
01:52:36 Hermes and Mercury
01:54:08 Planetary joys scheme originates from Hermetic text
02:01:27 House significations and the Hermetica
02:16:40 Eclecticism and accessibility of the Hermetica
02:27:56 Birth charts in Egyptian temples
02:31:06 Divination in the Mediterranean world
02:35:17 Astrology as divination
02:38:44 Why is Hermes called thrice great?
02:40:30 What is the Way of Hermes?
02:44:51 What to do with birth chart information?
02:49:49 Hermeticism and Christianity
02:52:41 How much of our fate can we change?
02:55:57 Resources about Hermeticism
03:02:59 Book 3 of the Hermetica and astrology
03:09:25 Patrons and sponsors
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on Hermeticism here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KupaADzq88g
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 339 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Feb 2, 2022 • 1h 39min
Changing of the Gods: An Astrology Documentary Series
Episode 338 features an interview with Kenny Ausubel, director of a new astrology documentary series called Changing of the Gods.
Changing of the Gods is a 10-part series on astrology that is being released later this month, starting on February 22, 2022.
The series is based on the work of the astrologer Richard Tarnas, and his 2006 book Cosmos and Psyche.
The focus of the series is the cycle of Uranus and Pluto, and how the alignments of these two planets coincide with major world events and changes.
The series draws on Tarnas' work in order to show how Uranus-Pluto alignments have coincided with historical events in the past, and then compares them with the most recent alignment, which was a square between 2007 and 2020.
Each episode focuses on different facets of how these alignments have manifested in different levels of society and culture.
During the course of the interview we talk about the production of the series, some of the topics covered, and what the overall vision and message of the series is.
Find out more about the series at:
ChangingOfTheGods.com
Sign up to watch the series for free when it premieres on February 22 here:
https://www.j8d2trk.com/7QDDDL/55M6S/
This episode is available in audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on Changing of the Gods here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpinqJFnaPo
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 338 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Jan 27, 2022 • 2h 22min
February 2022 Astrology Forecast
In episode 337 astrologers Chris Brennan, Austin Coppock, and special guest co-host Patrick Watson look ahead at the astrology of February 2022!
The astrology of February features a stellium of planets piling up in Capricorn, with Venus and Mercury stationing direct there, and Mars having recently ingressed into the sign.
Mid-month Mars will catch up to Venus and form a conjunction in Capricorn, and then later in the month the United States has the first of three exact Pluto returns.
The lunations this month include a New Moon in Aquarius and a Full Moon in Leo.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Our Websites
More info about Austin, Patrick, and Chris:
AustinCoppock.com
PatrickWatsonAstrology.com
Patreon.com/AstrologyPodcast
Ephemeris.co Birth Chart Necklace
This episode is sponsored by Ephemeris, which creates custom birth chart necklaces:
Ephemeris.co
Use the promo code ASTROLOGYPODCAST to get a 10% discount.
February 2022 Astrology Alignments
New Moon in Aquarius on February 1
Mercury stations direct in Capricorn February 3
Sun-Saturn conjunction on February 4
Mars trine Uranus on February 8
Mercury conjunct Pluto on February 11
Mercury moves into Aquarius on February 14
Full Moon in Leo February 16
Mars conjoins Venus exact on February 16
Jupiter sextile Uranus on February 17
Sun moves into Pisces on February 18
US Pluto Return exact on February 22
Mars sextile Neptune February 23
Venus sextile Neptune February 24
Auspicious Date for February
The most auspicious astrological date for February is:
February 2, 2022, at 8:15 AM, with Pisces rising
For more dates in February see our subscription electional astrology podcast.
For dates later in the year see our 2022 Year Ahead Electional Astrology Report!
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on the astrology of February 2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KjT-M_iPX8
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 337 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

13 snips
Jan 20, 2022 • 3h 43min
Pluto in Astrology: Meaning and Significations
In episode 336 astrologer Richard Tarnas joins the show to talk about the meaning of the planet Pluto in astrology.
In astrology Pluto is generally associated with power, control, manipulation, intensity, the underworld, taboos, transformations, destruction and regeneration, death and rebirth, making big things small and small things big.
Richard is the author of the 2006 book Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View, and he previously appeared on episode 84 of The Astrology Podcast in 2016 to talk about the book on its 10 year anniversary.
At the beginning of the episode we talked a bit about the recent conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in 2020, how it coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, and how Richard felt about having discussed that cycle in Cosmos and Psyche in retrospect. Some of this was tied into a discussion in episode 254 titled Misconceptions About Mundane Astrology in the Media.
Later we get into the discovery of Pluto, discuss how astrologers establish the meaning of new planets, and then read through some passages from different astrologers that talk about the meaning of Pluto.
Later in the episode we also touch on how to deal with skeptics of astrology, and how to demonstrate the validity of astrology in general.
We also discuss a new astrology documentary series based on Richard's work titled Changing of the Gods, which will be released next month.
Find out more about Changing of the Gods series at:
https://changingofthegodsseries.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Timestamps for when we discuss different topics in the episode:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:25 Welcoming Richard + Changing of the Gods series
00:08:25 Uranus-Pluto alignments
00:11:10 Reflections on the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of 2020
00:32:07 How do astrologers establish the meaning of new planets?
00:57:00 Pluto significations in Reinhold Ebertin
01:05:09 Robert Hand's Pluto significations
01:12:48 Richard Tarnas' Pluto significations
01:31:30 World events coinciding with Pluto's discovery
01:38:45 Pluto return of the United States
01:46:40 Depth psychology and Pluto
02:05:47 Pluto makes big things small and small things big
02:11:02 Venus-Pluto aspects
02:25:05 Jupiter-Pluto aspects
02:33:25 Orbs and Archetypal Explorer
02:43:04 Dealing with skeptics of astrology
02:57:35 The goal of Cosmos and Psyche
03:08:10 Experience vs. intellectual argument for convincing skeptics
03:15:30 Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet
03:30:46 Astrology as a gift from the cosmos
03:36:09 Changing of the Gods documentary
03:39:16 Concluding remarks, patrons, and sponsors
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on the meaning of Pluto on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyRJGctu_zc
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 336 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Jan 12, 2022 • 2h 39min
Artificial Intelligence and Astrology
In episode 335 astrologer Kent Bye joins Chris in the studio in Denver to talk about artificial intelligence and consciousness through the lens of astrology.
Kent is the former host of the Voices of AI Podcast, and has conducted hundreds of interviews with different specialists in AI over the years.
During the course of the episode we cover topics such as whether it will ever be possible to replicate human consciousness with artificial intelligence, what planetary alignments in the future might coincide with this if it was possible, and whether astrology itself could be used as a model for consciousness.
This conversation was recorded the day after our previous episode on virtual reality and astrology, and was originally intended to be more of a casual discussion about artificial intelligence only available to patrons of the podcast, but the discussion went so well that I decided to release it as a full episode of The Astrology Podcast.
For more about Kent check out the Voices of VR Podcast:
Voicesofvr.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:18 Chris gets a VR headset after last episode
00:11:30 Artificial intelligence
00:19:30 Kent's birth chart
00:23:40 The astrology of artificial intelligence
00:34:14 The Turing test
00:38:12 Alan Turing's natal chart
00:39:15 Litmus tests for AI
00:42:47 Human relationships with AI
00:48:30 Stoicism, fate, and free will
01:04:06 Synthesizing planetary placements and AI
01:24:18 Horary astrology
01:30:00 The challenge for astrology in the next decade
01:33:40 Is astrology a language?
01:44:50 Consciousness and AI
01:56:22 Dystopian scenarios with AI
02:17:46 Different qualities of divination systems
02:20:59 Electional charts of AI
02:23:54 Electional chart of the episode
02:28:16 Outer planet cycles in 2030-2050
02:34:05 Kent's podcasts
02:35:59 Concluding remarks and sponsors
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on astrology and artificial intelligence:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qM0ojuz4rA
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 335 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Jan 8, 2022 • 5h 31min
2022 Yearly Horoscopes for All 12 Zodiac Signs
In episode 334 astrologer Chris Brennan presents a set of year ahead horoscope forecasts for each sign of the zodiac for the entire year ahead of 2022.
This is meant to take some of the general transits that we talked about in our year ahead astrology forecast for 2022 and personalize them, by talking about them in the context of what houses the planets are moving through for each of the rising signs.
I would recommend listening to the zodiac sign that matches your Ascendant or rising sign, although you can also listen to the your Sun sign, especially if you were born during the day, or your Moon sign, especially if you were born at night.
Video Versions of the Horoscopes
I originally recorded these as video horoscopes for my YouTube channel, and there are some fancy visual elements that you may miss if you only listen to the audio version, so I would recommend watching them on my channel here:
2022 Year Ahead Horoscope Videos
Or here are direct links to the video for each sign:
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Timestamps for the Audio Version
Here are timestamps for where I talk about each sign in the audio version.
Aries - 00:02:00
Taurus - 00:19:10
Gemini - 00:38:08
Cancer - 00:57:29
Leo - 01:18:49
Virgo - 01:44:30
Libra - 02:16:01
Scorpio - 02:49:48
Sagittarius - 03:23:47
Capricorn - 03:55:14
Aquarius - 04:28:53
Pisces - 05:00:32
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 334 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below:

Dec 30, 2021 • 4h 56min
Virtual Reality and Astrology, with Kent Bye
In episode 333 Kent Bye of the Voices of VR Podcast joins me in the studio to talk about virtual reality and its relevance to astrology, as well as the ways in which astrologers will use and incorporate virtual worlds in the future.
During the course of the episode we talk about the history of technology, and how important turning points have historically lined up with major outer planet alignments in the past.
We also spend a bit of time talking about the future, and about some upcoming outer planet trends, and expectations about astrology and virtual reality that are coming up.
Kent wrote an article on astrology and virtual reality in 2017 for the Archai journal titled The Archetypal Cycles of Virtual Reality.
This episode was partially motivated by some of the recent discussion about the Metaverse over the past year, as well as Facebook's announcement that it was changing its name to Meta in October when Jupiter and Saturn stationed direct in Aquarius.
Kent flew out to Denver for a couple of days to record this conversation, as well as another on artificial intelligence that will be released as an episode of The Astrology Podcast next month, and this episode ended up being a sweeping 5-hour discussion where we covered a lot of areas related to astrology and technology.
There are timestamps below so you can see all the different topics we covered.
Kent's virtual reality podcast:
VoicesOfVR.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Timestamps
Timestamps for when we talked about different topics in this episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:10 Kent's background in astrology
00:11:25 Uranus-Pluto conjunction of 1960's and technology
00:16:30 First Virtual Reality prototype in 1968
00:18:12 Three waves of Virtual Reality
00:28:20 A century of technology diffusion
00:30:35 Outer planet transits 1880-2073
00:40:20 Embodied experience of Virtual Reality
00:44:30 The classical four elements and VR
00:47:48 Chris' VR experience
00:51:40 Philosophical implications of VR
00:56:40 Importance of firsthand experience in astrology and VR
01:03:36 The difference between in-person and Zoom conversations
01:07:08 Philosophy of time: kairos vs. chronos
01:10:32 VR and serendipitous interactions
01:13:00 How divination works
01:16:06 AR: Augmented Reality
01:22:00 Turning point in 2012
01:27:24 History of Oculus
01:36:55 Voices of VR Podcast
01:42:52 Kent's natal chart
01:55:10 Kent's zodiacal releasing website
02:00:00 Oculus headset experience and Meta/Facebook
02:14:35 Outer planet transits 1951-2051
02:34:10 Jupiter-Neptune and AR
02:41:30 How astrologers can use VR in the future
03:12:50 Social aspect of VR
03:20:04 VR through the houses - 1st house
03:26:14 Second house
03:30:12 Third house
03:33:24 Fourth house
03:34:55 Fifth house
03:41:05 Sixth house
03:45:48 Seventh house
03:50:10 Eighth house
03:52:33 Ninth house
04:06:04 Tenth house
04:10:42 Eleventh house
04:13:00 Twelfth house
04:17:44 Headset Kent recommends
04:19:50 Convergence of astrology and VR
04:20:50 Wonder Bright
04:25:43 Future outer planet transits
04:44:16 How to choose VR experiences
04:46:30 Psychedelics, astrology, and VR
04:47:40 Kent's work, Patreon, and podcast
04:52:00 Closing remarks and sponsors
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Watch the video version of this episode on astrology and virtual reality:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUMo1WFxS64
-
Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 333 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can play the audio version of this episode of the podcast directly from the website or download it as an MP3 to your device by using the buttons below: