TMA book review

Here is the review published in the latest issue of The Mountain Astrologer magazine.

Horary Astrology: The practical way to learn your fate by Petros Eleftheriadis, The Wessex Astrologer Ltd, 4A Woodside Road, Bournemouth, BH5 2AZ, England. 2017.

146 pp.$16.49 (£12.50) (ISBN 9781910531211). Available from any online bookseller.

Many astrologers who take a serious look at horary become fascinated by it. Petros Eleftheriadis has written a manual clearly demonstrating his approach to horary astrology, which is a fine addition to the literature on the subject. The author serves as Head Tutor for the Qualified Horary Practitioner (QHP) course founded in 1984 by Olivia Barclay and now headed by Barbara Dunn. After practicing astrology for a while, he became convinced that “everything is written in the stars” and that fate is a reality. This refreshingly unambiguous position leads to very explicit guidelines in practice. He adheres to the considerations before judgment, and only asks questions that have a “yes” or “no” answer. Eleftheriadis is not interested in negotiating with one’s fate, but rather accepting it; as the title suggests, horary astrology is the “practical way to learn your fate.”

The book begins with a brief theoretical exposition of horary, and explains the terms before delineating the example charts that form the heart of the book. The 55 charts are divided by topic: Money; Relationships; Career and Achievement; Sport; Health, Sickness, and Death; and Various Issues. As we have come to expect from Wessex, the book is beautifully designed: The relevant chart is displayed, the question and its context are stated, the Querent and other significators are identified, and Testimonies for and Testimonies against are listed. This is followed by the Judgement, the Outcome, and Astrological conclusions – a nice feature that encapsulates the process, e.g., “When the Sun receives the combust planet, especially by domicile or exaltation, combustion is not completely destructive.” There is also a Glossary and a Bibliography.

Although the book is exceptionally well written, it is not particularly a beginner’s book, as it assumes that the reader has some familiarity with horary. (Eleftheriadis includes his thoughts on such matters as the logic behind the sequence of the planets in the Egyptian bounds.) No matter how you currently approach horary astrology, you will learn a lot from Horary Astrology: The practical way to learn your fate.