Mythastrology: Exploring Planets & Pantheons

As I read each planet/sign that applies to me I find myself 'laughing knowingly, nodding sheepishly, and thinking hard about myself and my motives.' Very enjoyable, educational and UNIQUE.

The accuracy and creativity of this book blows me away. When you consider that the planets themselves are gods, you realize what an awesome task it is to comb a pantheon of hundreds of gods from vastly different cultures, and pick the deity which channels its energy through each of the planetary gods in the twelve zodiac signs. To make the right discrimination 120 times (twelve signs x 10 planetary gods) is a phenomenal undertaking - the author's statement in the introduction that the gods helped him to do it seems wholly credible. Hands down, this is my favorite book by Kaldera. It avoids some of the flawed perspective I've encountered in some of his other work. Its an asset to any astrologer, regardless of religious affiliation. It is also the first time I have seen a serious contribution to astrology by a neo-pagan thinker. Other neopagan authors have touched on various topics in astrology, but I can't think of anything this comprehensive until now. I am pagan and self-taught in astrology, with an avid interest in both western and Vedic astrology, and my experience has been that the pagan and astrology subcultures do not mix and mesh well, largely because serious astrologers have a tendency to look down on the lower level of scholarship from many pagan authors. On its own, this book may start to alter this perception, bringing neopaganism more firmly into mainstream astrological thought. Besides this, the stories are easy to read. Although one may find themselves re-reading, absorbing deeper levels of meaning over two or three perusals. This book belongs on the home bookshelf of books that are constantly refered to. It may also disappear off that shelf rather quickly if one is not careful. Encourage your friends to get their own copy.

I absolutely adore this book. It has become one of my all time favorites for research and pure pleasure. As an astrologer with a consuming interest in mythology, I am in awe of the author's depth of knowledge of both subjects. However, it's not just Kaldera's impeccable scholarship and amazing astrological insight that draws me back to his wonderful book again and again. More than anything, it's the fascinating and eminently readable tales of gods and goddesses from various cultures and diverse pantheons. I must confess that each time I reread a portion of MythAstrology (which is really quite often) I can't help but wish that I had written it. Highly Recommended.

Each astrological transit or planet sign combination has a specific meaning. People who study astrology spend years and even lifetimes exploring these meanings. There are volumes of personal understandings of the Planets and Zodiac signs; however most of us learn the abbreviated versions. Yet, how accurate are these meanings? How deeply can we go into meanings to understand how these astrological signs really affect our lives? Mr. Kaldera sums it very nicely in the opening preface of his new book: "If you're a professional astrologer, you've probably already discovered how difficult it is to interpret a chart for someone who knows nothing at all about astrology." "Your clients may not understand what an Aquarius Moon means, but the story of Mwuetsi will probably make them laugh knowingly, or nod sheepishly, or at least think hard about themselves and their motivations." I am afraid I am just beginning to study and understand Astrology. It is a much neglected item in my path, but this book has opened a few doors to understanding that I had a hard time grasping. Rather than going from the usual road of 'this path ascending into what house means your whole life is... something', instead the Zodiac signs and planets are discussed from the texts of the myths and legends of Deities that gave birth to these signs. This makes sense to me. Were not these signs given these names because of their associations to various aspects of the Gods and Goddesses? Mr. Kaldera draws from a plethora of pantheons to give each planet and each sign a unique yet appropriate story from which to draw meaning, morals and inspiration as we study our own birth signs and associations to current astrological events. The book is divided into 10 chapters, each one covering a planet, the sun and moon. These are then broken down into the astrological influences: Sun in Aries or Neptune in Pisces as examples. For a book without an index, the table of contents gives us all we need to navigate through this book. Uranus in Pisces: Pandora -- gives us a very good idea of what the subsection is all about. There is no need here for a more detailed index, in my opinion. But the jewels here are the actual mythology stories, expertly told by Raven Kaldera so that they apply to the current time and moment. Mercury in Gemini: Hermes -- is a good example. There is a brief introduction to Mercury, Gemini, and then we go into Hermes, who He is, what He looks like, and His personal story. Then we discover how Hermes relates to Gemini, focusing on the major aspect of this particular sign; duality in relationships. But that is a poor summary of the story. Because the story is actually much more complex, as are the aspects of Mercury in Gemini, and this is what Mr. Kaldera brings to light in his book. The meanings of these astrological signs go much deeper than a quick synopsis. The meanings are complex, as people are, as the Gods and Goddesses are, and there are many shad

In ancient times, priests, poets, and astrologers studied the movements of the planets to understand the cycles of life. Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune-the planets themselves are named after gods and goddesses of civilizations past. MythAstrology by Raven Kaldera is a groundbreaking guide to understanding the archetypal expression of planetary energies through each of the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Accessible to those new to Astrology, having your birth chart is all that is needed to explore this fascinating book. Archetypes are patterns that humans live out on a daily basis. Like grooves in a record, we unconsciously play out these themes. This is why myth, fairy tale, and cinema are so compelling: we recognize the familiar patterns of personal, relational, and universal dramas. Perhaps you are used to playing the Warrior. Or, maybe archetypes like Wounded Child, Teacher, Detective, or Clown are a part of your own personal patterns. Many archetypal patterns "dance" with one another: Knight with Damsel, Victim with Bully, Child with Mother, and so on. Archetypal themes even play out on the political, social, and religious stage. Astrology is a discipline that attempts to explain some of these universal archetypal patterns. In MythAstrology, the author goes a step further by correlating myths from diverse mythologies (including Celtic, Hindu, Yoruban, Japanese, and Sumerian) with each planet/sign combinations. For example, if you have Uranus (the Sacred Trickster) in Libra, you may wonder why you've always felt like an outsider...an outcast. Eris, the Greek goddess of Chaos and Strife, knew what it was like to be an outsider. She wasn't invited to the wedding between Thetis and Peleus, but she made an "appearance", nonetheless. Throwing a golden apple titled "for the fairest" among the goddesses, Eris sat back, smiling cynically, as the childish bickering and immaturity among the goddesses proved that they were not as independent or powerful as they claimed to be. In Libra, the apple cart that Eris tends to upset is that of love and justice. Or perhaps you have Mercury in Scorpio. Like the Irish triple goddess The Morrigan, you are a keen mental detective who knows how humans tick, what pushes their buttons, and how to make them change. Using your tongue like a scalpel, you have a vitriolic command of language when you desire to wound. But The Morrigan isn't entirely negative; Kaldera writes: "A Mercury in Scorpio has the gift of slicing through the glitter and fluff, through layers of illusion and self-defense, to the naked and often ugly truth below. Morrigan's raves perch on their shoulders, croaking warnings into their ears. Hear them. They are the measure of our own desperation." Is your Moon in Aquarius? You'll discover the myth of the Moon Man Mwuetsi, a tale told among the Wahungwe Makoni tribe in Africa which explains Mwuetsi's emotional detachment and yearning to belong to a tribe-- at the expense of those near and dear to him, as well as