The Career Astrologer 1 2013 | Page 6

{ A B o o k b y A r l a n W i s e } 77777 T his is a good book. This is actually a very good book. It is one of those books that change how you think and by the time you have finished it you will look at a chart in a different and more productive way. You’ll find that this book is useful for your own self-growth as well as in working with clients. You will feel educated, and relieved that this is not just another astrology book, one that maybe you could have written. The book is enjoyable to read and hard to put down. It is one you will keep on your desk for future reference. Those reading this who are acquainted with Greg Bogart know that he is a kind man, gentle but strong, quiet but forceful, soft and solid. Humor glints from his eyes and he says so much to you with those eyes. His aura of spirituality encompasses him and you feel that this is a man you can trust. His years of experience and hard work have brought him to this point of writing this excellent book. Greg says in his introduction: “I’ll consider this book a success if it activates you, brings your path into clearer focus, and helps you become committed to your own potentials” Greg puts himself into the book. He shares his life experiences as examples of what he is writing giving an honest and humble disclosure of his life. As we read the details, we get to like him more and more. His core of spirituality colors his words and his thinking. We see how he lives a spiritual life and how he is an example of one’s level of consciousness O P A R e v i e w  influencing one’s work as an astrologer. In his words: “The biggest lesson: that the power of astrology doesn’t come from techniques, but from the clear consciousness, wisdom, and articulate words of the astrologer.” Greg shares his dreams with us and in doing so really walks his walks as a therapist. Although the title has the word “predictive” in it, this is not a book about predicting. Greg makes a clear distinction between predicting what a transit may bring and being proactive on how to best use the energy of that transit. He urges his reader to look for meaning in a possible event and to anticipate trends, then to prepare instead of acting and reacting. He teaches the active approach, not the passive view that things happen to us. He wants us to store water, buy extra food, and secure all outdoor furniture instead of sitting by and letting the big storm come and cause problems. Greg turns the lens so that we see prediction from a different perspective, one of process. The Organization for Professional Astrology 6 “Predictive methods enable astrologers to anticipate trends and prepare in advance to meet life’s challenges. But it’s not just about predicting, but also about acting, and responding to the planets.” Greg gives techniques from his book Astrology and Meditation to help the reader walk through this process. And, he has a whole chapter on Dane Rudhyar! Greg knew Rudhyar and corresponded with him and he shares Rudhyar's words and thoughts with us. Rudhyar is hard to read. Greg translates Rudhyar's teaching so that one who has never heard Rudhyar speak or who is not familiar with his writings can understand them. Dane Rudhyar’s work is valuable and Greg has given us a gift in making an excellent summary of the themes and making the concepts easy to understand. There is so much more in this book. Greg teaches us about astrology and mental health, he gives us tips on astrology and psychotherapy and the pros and cons of using therapeutic astrology. There are chapters on crisis counseling, couples counseling, and how to use transits and progressions with his personal descriptions of the planets in action. [C ONTINUED ON P AGE 7] THE CAREER ASTROLOGER SPRING 2013