The Changing Sky: A Practical Guide to Predictive Astrology [Paperback]

I have been interested in understanding astrology for a long time, but my experience in finding books that don't overload me with too much often-contradictory information has been difficult. This is often because too many books about astrology are nothing more than "cookbooks" that list large amounts of information in lengthy lists intended to help the reader interpret the meanings of when particular planets appear in specific signs or houses in an individual's birthchart. Sometimes, they will include similar interpretations about aspects between planets in the birthchart. Less often, they might include interpretations about transiting planets, but usually nothing about progressing planets. What results too often from these astrology "cookbooks" is confusion for readers because few of these "cookbooks" describe how to identify what the important significant parts of a birthchart are or how to synthesize the information into a meaningful whole. Without such an understanding, it becomes impossible to tackle the more difficult concepts of predictive astrology.

Recently I read Steven Forrest's 1983 book "The Inner Sky: How To Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life". In this book, Mr. Forrest provided an elegant set of guidelines that enable novice students of astrology to grasp what the most important features in a birthchart are so that a concise synthesis of the lengthy amount of information contained within it can be effectively navigated and understood without falling prey to information overload. Being greatly inspired by this book, I decided to read Mr. Forrest's next book, "The Changing Sky: A Practical Guide to Predictive Astrology", which was first published in 1986. As in the "The Inner Sky", Mr. Forrest provides a definitive set of guidelines in "The Changing Sky" that are highly beneficial. In order to gain any meaningful information from predictive astrology, both transiting and progressing planets must be compared to an individual's birthchart. As the birthchart is a snapshot of the sky when a person is born, transits are the actual locations of the planets at a time later in the individual's life. Hence, transiting planets make aspects with the locations that the planets were in at the time of an individual's birth. These transiting aspects can mark significant events that most people experience (such as the first Saturn return at about the age of 30 or a transmitting outer planet making a conjunction with a natal Ascendant, Midheaven, Sun or Moon, for example). Understanding progressions is a bit more difficult than transits because (1) there are multiple progression techniques used by astrologers and (2) progressions don't necessarily relate directly to actual locations of planets. Progressions are created by astrologers using a symbolic time frame of reference. The most common progression technique that astrologers use (and is what Mr. Forrest explains very well in "The Changing Sky") is called "secondary progressions". In secondary progressions, the movements that the planets experience in one day relate to one year's life for an individual based upon that individual's birth time. In this way, as the slow-moving outer planets can influence people for years at a time, in progressions, the fast-moving inner planets slow down and have similar influences that can affect people for years at a time. This is actually one of the key factors used in predictive astrology: the longer a transiting or progressing planet can aspect with a significant natal planet, Ascendant or Midheaven in an individual's birthchart, the greater the impact that a transiting or progressing planet can have. This concept helps to form the basis for the four "nets" that Mr. Forrest describes in the eleventh chapter of "The Changing Sky". By understanding how long a particular planet can transit or progress through an aspect with the birthchart (as well as knowing which transmitting/progressing planets are the most important), particular transits and progressions can be divided into different nets that represent different levels of importance, either over long periods of time or shorter periods. A progressing planet changing signs and/or houses may also be significant. Fast-moving transiting inner planets may act as triggers within the larger scheme of the longer-lasting transits and progressions.

Mr. Forrest separated the 13 chapters contained within "The Changing Sky" into five parts. The first part (two chapters) focuses on the "root prediction", which is the birthchart. The second part (four chapters) focuses on transmits and includes discussions of the teacher & trickster sides of the outer planets, as well as the meanings of the transiting inner planets. The third part (three chapters) is an overview of progressions and includes the teacher & trickster sides of the inner planets, except the Moon, which still moves too quickly when progressed. Instead, an entire chapter (Chapter 9) is used to describe the progressed moon's meaning in signs and houses in a "cookbook" style. The fourth part (one chapter) is a "cookbook"-style description of all the possible aspects that the progressed inner planets (except the Moon), Midheaven and Ascendant make with all of the natal planets, natal Midheaven and natal Ascendant. Mr. Forrest's inclusion of this "cookbook"-style information is highly beneficial since I have never seen any other "cookbook"-style book ever include any progressed planet information. The fifth and final part (three chapters) is a synthesis of all of the information in the previous four parts and includes an interesting astrological analysis of the life of Vincent Van Gogh.

Overall, I rate Steven Forrest's book "The Changing Sky: A Practical Guide to Predictive Astrology" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding a methodological approach to predictive astrology. In my opinion, this book and Mr. Forrest's earlier book, "The Inner Sky: How To Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life", are probably the best first books to read to begin a study of astrology. I also recommend that you read "The Inner Sky" before reading "The Changing Sky" to gain the most benefit from both books.

For a book on intermediate astrology, this one is the best. It covers a lot of material in an easy-to-understand way. It also makes an excellent reference book.

Among Forrest's many strengths, he is a master of 'synthesis', the art of putting together various astrological pieces to create a coherent story about what is going on. His approach, which focuses on the questions life is asking you versus what you are going to passively experience, is brilliant, and successfully bridges between an individual's inner and outer worlds.

I have been teaching astrology for many years, and this is the book I use to introduce my students to timing and forecasting. I wish more astrology books were of this high quality.

I'm a practicing astrologer and have published several astrology articles. I still refer to this book regularly and recommend it--and Forrest's other books--to anyone interested in learning about astrology. Aside from his hands-down expertise in astrology, Forrest is a hell of a good writer and an excellent psychologist--what more could you ask for when you're trying to understand how astrological cycles affect real people in real life?

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