The Best Astrology Books for Beginners in 2023

If you’re here because you’ve been listening to The Stellium Astrology Podcast, I’d like to take the opportunity to say thank you for tuning in!

Starting out on your astrological journey can be daunting as there’s such a huge amount of information available – I personally didn’t know where to start and was overwhelmed with the variety of subjects to explore.

That’s why I decided to dedicate an episode of my podcast to sharing my go-to astrology books which I consider the best for getting started and taking your learning from the basics to more advanced techniques with relative ease.

No matter how ‘advanced’ an astrologer you are, returning to the basics and considering any newly acquired knowledge in this context strengthens your core astrological knowledge, building confidence and developing your connection to the craft.

The great thing about all of these books is their staying power – I’ve been using most of them since year one of my astro-studies, and continue to use them to this day – when writing the horoscopes for ELLE Magazine, these were the books I’d often refer to.

I had to giggle to myself when writing descriptions for each of my book recommendations; I’d started practically every one with the statement: “This book is a firm-favourite of mine“. So rather than repeat myself throughout and to spare your boredom, please assume that all of the following books are my firm-favourite go-to astro books.

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➡️ Listen to Episode #004 Learn Astrology Book Recommendations

I’ll be updating this post with other books I want to recommend as time goes by (there are so many fab books out there), so consider this post a work in progress.

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My Top Books for Beginner and Intermediate Students of Astrology

The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook by Sue Tompkins 
Textbook

This book really covers everything you need to know when starting out as a beginner, or as an experienced astrologer looking for inspiration.

Even now I constantly refer to this book when forming ideas and revisiting the basics and one of the things I really love is that Sue’s voice really speaks through the pages in her writing style (I’ve been fortunate to have classes with her).

Her articulate and detailed exploration of astrology, plus her humour and love of language makes this book an interesting and thorough exploration of the building blocks.

With cook-book style houses and aspects section as well as a breakdown of the signs and planets, this book is a fantastic all-rounder for astrological students of all backgrounds.  

Getting to the Heart of Your Chart by Frank C Clifford
Textbook/Workbook

GTTHOYC is a textbook and workbook with pages at the back that you can photocopy or write straight onto (if you’re that way inclined).

Following the work sheets, the reader is able to dissect your horoscope and identify signatures and subtleties which may not be immediately obvious, enabling you to journey deeper into the mystery of your own natal chart.

The basics are covered with living examples of astrology in celebrity charts. This is a wealth of information presented by an exceptionally talented astrologer.

Astrology For Dummies by Rae Orion
Dummies Guide

I bought this book when starting my very first beginners classes with Mary English and was still very much a newbie.

Thanks to the clear and straightforward writing style and the many useful pointers throughout the book, I was able to understand some of the key concepts which can be hard to grasp without having an expert explain things to you.

As mentioned on the podcast, I leant my copy of this book out and didn’t get it back (the cosmic lending library) so can’t reach for this one until I buy a new copy.

However, I still recommend it as a great starting place for the astrologically curious.

Key Words For Astrology by Hajo Banzhaf & Anna Haebler
Cookbook/Astro-dictionary

Now, this book really is a top favourite of mine, and will be one of yours too. Put simply, this book is SO easy to use and really breaks the signs and aspects down into very well thought out and understandable bitesized nuggets.

As far as astrology books go, this is more of a cookbook/ astro-dictionary with some great ways to think about the planets, signs and houses that enable the reader to really explore the symbolism and take their imagination beyond the usual realms of astrological cookbook.

This was always by my side when writing the horoscopes and I would often get distracted by the quality of content in this book which makes it difficult to put down.

It’s a great book to wow your friends with once you know their chart ‘make-up’.

Planets in Transit Rob Hand
Cookbook

Moving into slightly more advanced territory, this book by Hand will not leave yours!

Revered as a must-have by astrologers worldwide, this book covers transiting planets and the many potential aspects they will make to your personal placements.

This is a great book to make sense of the difficulties you face, and offers a window into the potentials and predicaments posed by the celestial dance.

Planets in Aspect Robert Pelletier
Cookbook

When talking on the podcast, I mistakenly said this book was written by Rob Hand when it is actually written by Robert Pelletier! So please forgive my slip.

This is another fab book which explores natal aspects on a deeper level.

Aspects in Astrology by Sue Tompkins
Cookbook

Another fantastic book by Sue, this book is an expanded version of the aspects covered in The Contemporary Astrologer’s Handbook.

Detailing the many symbolic planetary combinations in the natal chart, this book helps the reader develop their astrological vocabulary and articulation skills when interpreting aspect combinations in the natal chart.

The Twelve Houses By Howard Sasportas

This extensive book on the houses is another great cook-book to help you explore the houses, and planetary placements within them.

Though the houses are a controversial discussion in astrology, this will at least help you to identify and differentiate between the different expressions of planets when placed in the 7th house compared to the 8th house, for example.

From that point you can decide which house system works best for you (yes, you get to choose!)

This is the go-to book and a great starting point for anyone seeking understanding around the heavily-debated house systems adding context and develop the story of horoscope, bringing it to life.

Planetary Cycles at a Glance*
By Astrid Fallon

I honestly can’t rave enough about this book enough! If you’re a visual person who trips-off into imagination land when you look at geometric patterns, then definitely invest in this book!

Being able to see the patterns that planets make when dancing around the zodiac is stunning and fascinating.

The beautiful geometric patterns drawn out in our skies by the celestial bides above us are fantastically demonstrated in this book. I get a real sense of awe and wonder at the magnitude of the planets and their movements which have been going on long before, and will continue long after the lives of anyone reading this post. Truly humbling!

This is a great visual tool and may look a little complicated to beginners. However, it’s well worth having a copy of this book on your bookshelf as the visual patterns and straightforward layout of planetary data will definitely enrich your astrological (and astronomical) understanding of the planetary movements.

*If you don’t have much luck with the link, check out Astrid’s website: http://www.fallonastro.com/bookletpc.html

The American Ephemeris Trans-Century Edition 1950-2050 (Midnight and Noon)
Michelsen and Pottenger

Though it may feel as though you’re staring directly into the matrix when flipping through the pages of The American Ephemeris, this book really is an essential piece of kit for all astrologers.

Don’t let the name fool you – this book can be used anywhere in the world, not just America! I live in the UK and own the purple copy on the left. All times in the book are in Universal Time (UT) and in the Midnight ephemeris the planetary positions stated in the book are precise at 00:00 UT of each day.

My American friends tell me they prefer the midday ephemeris as their time zone differs greatly from GMT. It is easier to know which day applies to them based on their location, as midnight in the US is hours behind midnight in the UK making it easier for them to know they’re reading from the right day!

Raphaels Ephemeris

Forget your little black book of numbers – this petite and lightweight booklet is the only little book of numbers you’ll need when on the go.

It has all the planetary information you need for the year, and I like to highlight when planets will be aspecting my own chart (it helps when planning ahead!).

I always have a copy of the Raphael’s ephemeris on me, and I also carry the coming year’s edition as well as the previous one, too.

Listen to the Podcast

➡️ If you can’t listen to the podcast right now, you can read the transcript here

I would love to know what you think – do you own these books and if so, do you love them as much as I do?

Are there some other astrology books that I didn’t mention which you think deserve to be on this list?

Tell me in the comments below! 👇

Buy the Books

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