

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

Feb 24, 2021 • 2h 12min
Defining the Void of Course Moon
Episode 292 features a discussion between astrologers Yasmin Boland and Chris Brennan about the three different ways of defining what it means for the Moon to be void of course in astrology.
This discussion is largely based on definition of void of course that I wrote for The Astrology Dictionary back in 2012, where I noted that there are three different ways that the Moon is defined as being void of course in the western astrological tradition.
Yasmin specializes in the astrology of the Moon in particular, and wrote a popular astrology book in 2016 titled Moonology, and asked to record a discussion with me about the different ways that void of course is defined.
I agreed as long as I could also release it as an episode of The Astrology Podcast, and it ended up being a pretty good discussion not just about the void of course Moon, but also the transmission of astrology and how astrologers define and receive different concepts.
You can find out more about Yasmin on her website:
Moonology.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode on Void of Course
Watch the video version of this episode on the void of course Moon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ4WQExbelI
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 292 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 19, 2021 • 2h 38min
Tarot and Astrology as Forms of Divination
Episode 291 features an interview with T. Susan Chang about some of the parallels between astrology and tarot cards as forms of divination.
Susan is a professional tarot card reader, and the purpose of this discussion was to explore some of the ways that astrology is similar to tarot as a form of divination, versus some of the ways that it is different.
We tried to answer some questions like: how can tarot inform our understanding of what astrology is as a phenomenon? What makes divination divination? What are some different types of divination? What models of reality support the practice?
In some ways this was a nice followup to episode 53 of the podcast with Geoffrey Cornelius on The Moment of Astrology, where we talked about whether astrology is a form of divination or a natural science.
Susan is the co-host the Fortune's Wheelhouse esoteric tarot podcast, as well as the author of the new book 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey Through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.
You can find out more about her work on her website:
TSusanChang.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Here is the video version of this episode on astrology and tarot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ccU6ShBhq0
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 291 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 5, 2021 • 2h 33min
The Early History and Meanings of the Nodes in Astrology
In episode 290 astrologer Ronnie Gale Dreyer joins the show to talk about the early history and meanings of the nodes in astrology, both in the western and Indian astrological traditions.
As discussed in episode 127, in the late 20th and early 21st century the nodes came to be associated with one's past and future life in modern western astrology, but these associations are absent from the tradition if you look back more than a century or so.
The premise of this discussion, then, is what did the nodes mean in the older traditions of astrology if they didn't have to do with past lives?
Ronnie is the author of the book Vedic Astrology: A Guide to the Fundamentals of Jyotish, and she is also a Sanskrit scholar who is currently working on a translation of a 4th century Indian text on applying astrology to the lives of women.
Together we set out to explore and discuss the early history of the nodes in eastern and western astrology.
You can find out more information about Ronnie on her website:
RonnieDreyer.com
The painting featured in the cover art for this episode is by astrologer Shu Yap, and depicts the Samudra Manthan story, which we mention at one point in this episode as being connected to Hindu legends surrounding the origins of the nodes. You can follow Shu on Instagram:
@interpsycle_astrology
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
00:01:00 Ronnie's book and background
00:14:45 History of women in astrology
00:20:39 The nodes and past lives
00:30:54 Interaction between Eastern and Western astrology
00:36:39 Mythology of Rahu and Ketu
00:39:19 Ancient mentions of the nodes
00:48:58 Parashara and nodes
00:57:30 Nodes, malefics, and outcasts
00:59:00 Nodes, the ecliptic, eclipses
01:01:30 Valens on the nodes
01:05:40 Rahu like Saturn, Ketu like Mars
01:07:40 Delineations from Phaladeepika
01:10:00 Houses 3, 6, 10, 11 and Rahu
01:14:18 Houses 4, 5 and Rahu
01:16:00 Rahu and Ketu as malefics
01:20:59 Houses 7, 10, 9, 11 and Rahu
01:24:40 House 12 and Rahu
01:25:00 Houses 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and Ketu
01:29:56 Houses 9, 10, 11, 12 and Ketu
01:32:44 Dragon and the nodes
01:34:49 Exaltations of the nodes
01:37:44 Opinion According to the Chaldeans
01:43:30 Turning point of nodes in history
01:47:25 Persian tradition
01:48:35 More about the dragon
01:51:30 Guido Bonnati on the nodes
01:58:58 More on the Vedic nodes
02:02:25 Rudhyar and evolutionary astrology
02:11:38 Three traditions of the nodes
02:16:21 Outer planets and the nodes
02:19:47 How Chris uses the nodes
02:22:38 Nodes and eclipses
02:27:54 Ronnie's work and website
02:28:44 Closing remarks
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Here is the video version of this episode on the Moon's nodes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjRw8465OhE
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 290 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 30, 2021 • 2h 7min
February 2021 Astrology Forecast: Saturn Square Uranus
In episode 289 astrologers Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan look at the astrological forecast for February of 2021.
February features the first of three exact Saturn-Uranus squares this year, plus a stellium of planets in Aquarius, and a Mercury retrograde in Aquarius.
We spend the first 30-40 minutes giving an overview of some of the major themes that have been occurring since our last forecast in mid-December, and then we get into a more detailed breakdown of the transits for February.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
2021 Auspicious Elections Report and Astrology Calendars
The Astrology Podcast has released our annual electional report and calendars!
2021 Electional Astrology Report
2021 Astrology Calendar Posters
The Mountain Astrologer Magazine
Our sponsor for this episode is The Mountain Astrologer magazine:
The Mountain Astrologer magazine
Current Offerings From Kelly, Austin, and Chris
You can find out more about our work on our websites:
KellysAstrology.com
Kelly: Guiding Lights: Your Ascendant Ruler and Sect Light
Kelly's Astrology Guide Monthly
AustinCoppock.com
Sphere + Sundry
ChrisBrennanAstrologer.com
Chris' book on Hellenistic Astrology
Chris' online course on ancient astrology
Auspicious Astrological Date for February
The most auspicious astrological date we could find in February is:
February 21, 2021, at approximately 11:00 AM local time, with Gemini rising
There are a few other charts for February that will present on our private subscriber-only electional astrology podcast.
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for topics covered at different points in the episode:
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:14 Visuals of February
00:04:42 Overview of February
00:05:07 Saturn Uranus square
00:06:03 Mars in Taurus January 6
00:08:10 Saturn Uranus themes
00:13:41 Stock market volatility
00:24:06 January 6 riots/insurrection
00:30:19 Mars Uranus Inauguration day
00:32:28 Saturn Jupiter conjunction
00:37:33 Aquarius assembly/stellium
00:45:55 Mercury retrograde in Aquarius
01:06:57 Venus enters Aquarius Feb 1
01:13:41 Sun Mercury conjunction Feb 7
01:14:24 Mercury retrograde into Mars Feb 10
01:15:37 New Moon in Aquarius Feb 11
01:18:52 Venus Jupiter
01:22:23 The morality of Aquarius
01:23:36 Aquarius in birth charts
01:31:11 Mercury conjunct Venus Feb 12
01:31:30 Mercury conjunct Jupiter Feb 14
01:32:10 1st Saturn Uranus square Feb 17
01:36:42 Sun enters Pisces Feb 18
01:37:02 Mercury direct Feb 20
01:37:25 Venus squares Mars Feb 19
01:39:37 Auspicious election chart
01:44:30 Venus enter Pisces Feb 25
01:46:45 Full Moon in Virgo Feb 27
01:52:38 The Mountain Astrologer magazine
01:56:48 Upcoming projects
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
You can watch the video version of our February astrology forecast here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkvgBTy9Rzc
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Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 24, 2021 • 2h 21min
Explaining Astrology to Non-Astrologers
Episode 288 features a discussion where an astrologer tries to explain what astrology is about to two people who are curious about the subject but somewhat skeptical.
Last week Ian and Shaye from the comedy podcast Camp ReEducation reached out to me to see if I would be on their show, where they do interviews with people from different fields and try to familiarize themselves with new topics and reexamine their preconceptions.
I agreed to do it as long as I could also release the recording as an episode of my podcast, and it ended up being a good discussion about trying to figure out how to explain astrology to a couple of non-astrologers who are skeptical about the subject but willing to listen and ask questions.
Figuring out how to communicate what astrologers do to the general public has always been one of my interests, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try doing that with them, and I think it ended up being a great discussion.
You can find out more info about Ian and Shaye and their podcast at:
CampReEducation.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
Here is the video version of my talk with the guys from Camp ReEducation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG3ETNYNTXs
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 288 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 23, 2021 • 2h 12min
Reception: A Mitigating Condition in Birth Charts
Episode 287 features a lecture by Chris Brennan on the concept of reception in traditional astrology, and how it can be used as a powerful mitigating factor in birth chart interpretation.
Broadly speaking, reception occurs when one planet is placed in a sign ruled by another planet, and the ruler of the sign aspects the guest planet.
Since the signs of the zodiac were originally conceptualized as the homes or dwelling places of the planets, reception was conceptualized as what happens when a host planet welcomes and supports guests staying in its home.
Medieval astrologers often treated reception as a powerful mitigating factor, which could make aspects from benefics even more positive, or alternatively make difficult aspects from malefics more constructive.
In the first part of the lecture I talk about the history and philosophy behind this concept, while in the second half I present a bunch of contemporary chart examples to demonstrate how the technique works in practice.
This episode is available in both video and audio versions below.
Watch The Video Version of this Episode on Reception
Here is this video version of this episode on the concept of reception in astrology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNTivlTws8
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 287 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 6, 2021 • 2h 7min
Co-Star and the Making of a Popular Astrology App
Episode 286 features an interview with astrologer Banu Guler about the popular astrology app that she founded called Co-Star.
Co-Star is an app for iPhone and Android that calculates your birth chart and provides some basic interpretations, as well as daily transit notifications.
The app was launched in late 2017, and quickly became one of the most popular astrology apps in the world, with Co-Star estimating that approximately 20% of young people in the US have downloaded the app.
Despite its popularity, the app has also been the subject of criticism within the astrological community, for things ranging from the appropriateness of certain delineations, to questions about the extent to which astrologers were involved in its creation.
Last month Banu did an impromptu Ask Me Anything thread on the astrology page on Reddit, to answer some questions about the app.
I myself noticed the AMA and asked some questions, and I was impressed enough with the answers that I asked Banu if she wanted to come on the podcast to talk about the history of the app and address some of the controversies.
It ended up being a really interesting two-hour conversation where we talked about a range of different topics.
You can find out more about Co-Star on their website at:
Costarastrology.com
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
You can watch the video version of my interview with Banu on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN0AtSHxN6Q
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 286 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 28, 2020 • 3h 17min
2021 Horoscopes: Year Ahead Rising Sign Forecast
In episode 285 astrologer Chris Brennan presents a set of year ahead horoscope forecasts for 2021 for all twelve signs of the zodiac.
The horoscope for each sign is about 15 minutes long, and they are meant to be looked at from the perspective of your Ascendant or rising sign, although you can also listen to the ones for your Sun sign or Moon sign as well.
I mainly focus on the movements of the outer planets through the signs and houses, especially Jupiter and Saturn having recently moved into Aquarius, Uranus squaring Saturn this year from Taurus, and eclipses taking place in Gemini, Sagittarius, and Taurus.
There are audio or video versions of each horoscope available below.
The video versions are in separate videos on YouTube, and the audio ones are all in a single audio file, although I will put timestamps below so that you can jump to specific signs.
2021 Electional Astrology Report and Posters Released
We recently released our 2021 Electional Astrology Report, as well as our 2021 Astrology Calendar Posters!
Watch the Video Versions of This Episode
You can watch the video versions of my 2021 horoscopes through the links below:
Aries 2021 Horoscope
Taurus 2021 Horoscope
Gemini 2021 Horoscope
Cancer 2021 Horoscope
Leo 2021 Horoscope
Virgo 2021 Horoscope
Libra 2021 Horoscope
Scorpio 2021 Horoscope
Sagittarius 2021 Horoscope
Capricorn 2021 Horoscope
Aquarius 2021 Horoscope
Pisces 2021 Horoscope
Timestamps for the Audio Version
Here are the timestamps for each sign for the audio version:
00:02:00 Aries
00:16:23 Taurus
00:30:08 Gemini
00:45:41 Cancer
01:02:43 Leo
01:19:31 Virgo
01:35:19 Libra
01:52:33 Scorpio
02:10:11 Sagittarius
02:26:45 Capricorn
02:43:19 Aquarius
02:59:12 Pisces
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 19, 2020 • 3h 35min
2021 Year Ahead Astrology Forecast
In episode 284 astrologers Kelly Surtees, Austin Coppock, and Chris Brennan look ahead at the astrology of 2021, and provide an overview of some of the major planetary themes that will play out over the course of the next twelve months.
The astrology of 2021 opens in the wake of the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, and features three exact squares of Saturn and Uranus, plus a series of eclipses in Gemini and Sagittarius.
We spend the first 40 minutes talking about some of the biggest transits and shifts happening in 2021, and then we break up the year into quarters and talk about the astrological highlights of each month.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
2021 Auspicious Elections Report and Posters
The Astrology Podcast just released our annual electional report and posters!
2021 Electional Astrology Report
2021 Astrology Posters
Sponsors
Our sponsors for this episode are:
Honeycomb Collective Personal Astrological Almanac + Wall Calendar
The Mountain Astrologer magazine
Kelly, Austin, and Chris
You can find out more about our work on our websites:
KellysAstrology.com
AustinCoppock.com
ChrisBrennanAstrologer.com
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
You can watch the video version of this episode on the astrology of 2021 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8LMySh6CuI
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Transcript
A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 284 transcript
Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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 15, 2020 • 3h 32min
Saturn Return in Capricorn Retrospective
In episode 283 astrologers Chris Brennan and Leisa Schaim review some stories that were sent in by listeners about their recent Saturn return in Capricorn, and look at their birth charts to see what lessons can be learned from them.
Saturn first moved back into Capricorn in December of 2017, and it is just getting ready to complete its transit through that sign of the zodiac this month, and it will leave Capricorn and move into Aquarius on December 17.
In the first 30 minutes of the episode we spend some time reviewing our basic approach to interpreting Saturn returns and determining what they will coincide with in a person's life.
Then we spend the rest of the episode going through a bunch of listener-submitted stories describing what happened in their lives over the past three years during their Saturn return.
We tried to structure the episode by going through each of the 12 houses and dividing the stories based on which house Saturn was placed in in the listener's chart.
This episode is available in both audio and video versions below.
Saturn Return Resources for Further Study
Here are some resources for further study about Saturn returns:
SaturnReturnStories.com
Leisa's Saturn Returns and Sect Lecture
Episode 24: Understanding Your Saturn Return
Episode 131: Saturn Return in Sagittarius Retrospective
Chris’s book Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune
Chris' online course on ancient astrology
Timestamps
Here are some timestamps for different parts of the discussion:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:57 Review of basic principles of Saturn returns
00:26:44 First house examples
00:42:18 First/Twelfth house examples
01:05:08 Second house examples
01:25:43 Third house examples
01:36:18 Fourth house examples
02:07:30 Fifth house examples
02:11:48 Sixth house examples
02:25:55 Seventh house examples
02:35:37 Eighth house examples
02:43:56 Ninth house examples
02:51:20 Tenth house examples
02:55:18 Eleventh house examples
03:03:55 More twelfth house examples
03:16:40 Saturn in Aquarius coming up
03:25:57 Further resources for study
03:28:44 Conclusion
Watch the Video Version of This Episode
You can watch the video version of this episode on Saturn returns in Capricorn here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzb1X2lXwpY
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Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode
You can either 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: