Page 26 - Talented Astrologer • Volume 2 Number 1 • Winter 2019

Signs, Essential Dignities, by J. Lee Lehman (1989) had a similar, far- reaching impact on astrology as we knowittoday.Thiswasthefirstmodern book to give serious consideration to the Essential Dignities. It was the first book to consider the differences between modern and traditional rulerships. And it was the first book to explore the meanings and uses of the other four Essential Dignities: Exaltation, Triplicity, Term,
and Face.
In her follow-up
to Essential Dignities, Classical Astrology for Modern Living (1996), Lehman expands on her
initial research on Essential Dignities, integrates a
number of other core concepts from traditional astrology, and explores
how it all can work with
a present day approach to
natal chart interpretation.
For me, personally, Classical
Astrology for Modern Living may be the most important book in my library. It formed my personal foundation and understanding of Essential Dignities, which started me on the path that led to teaching my first astrology classes in 1999, and to the publication of my first
book, Astrology: Understanding the Birth Chart, in 2001.
After working with the Essential Dignities in natal interpretations for more than a decade, my focus changed. Evaluating the relative power of a planet in a natal chart based on its dignity
or debility had limited practical value. On the other hand, shifting the focus to the planets with Essential Dignity—the “Board of Directors” — unlocked a wealth of detailed, specific, practical information. I explore and demonstrate this modern approach to incorporating Essential Dignities in a natal chart interpretation in my book, Principles of Practical Natal Astrology: Talented Astrologer Training
Book 1, as well as in the classes I offer through
The Real Astrology Academy.
Hellenistic Astrology: The
Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennan
The biggest challenge (for me, at least) with reading the translations of the traditional astrology source material is that the language and terminology is unfamiliar. The writing is often imprecise and confusing, and without
a clear understanding of context, both
26 Talented Astrologer