AstroBookReview: The Art Of Predictive Astrology

Since I keep acquiring books on this subject, I figured I'd review a few. Or at least go into how easy/hard they are to follow. Plus, well, my results when it comes to trying to use the techniques.

I'm pretty fond of this one, as it seems less complicated (though still pretty complicated!) than other stuff I've seen so far.

First, Carol Rushman goes into detail about analyzing someone's natal chart, figuring out their drivers (what drives them in life), issues and psychological profiles. Then she goes into the natal promise- i.e. the things that won't happen if they aren't allowed for in your chart. This applies to how many marriages you can make, whether or not you can get divorced and what aspects lead to divorce, how many children you can have, whether or not you'll ever be lucky enough to win the lottery, whether or not you'll ever attract violence or rape into your life (if it's not promised, you won't, and if you do have that promise, she tells you how to use your energy for a more positive result), and vocational indicators.

She does NOT go into detail about death or health predictions, other than to say that if bad health isn't promised in the natal chart, it won't be an issue. It's kind of frustrating because it seems like everything I've read says something like, "I'm afraid to predict that stuff. But some other people will do it!" Good luck finding WHO, though, 'cause I haven't seen anything anywhere on the subject.

As for me, I could get married twice because I have two applying aspects from my Sun, but divorce is screaming on my horizon because I have divorce aspects (strong and bad natal Uranus aspects, which make you want to break free and do your own thing). Well, isn't that depressing. And yet, I have a Taurus/Scorpio axis going on, which means it should be almost impossible for me to divorce... Uh, which one here? See, this is why predictive astrology is confusing. It seems like everything conflicts sometimes.

Next, you get to the prediction part. First, she goes into progressions and aspects  of the Sun, Mars, and Venus, ``and what they're likely to mean.

Then there's a chapter on "the importance of the progressed moon" and how it influences you for the two years it spends in each sign, and the effects it will have on you while in each sign. It also goes into the aspects the progressed moon can make and how those will affect you. She also goes into what Critical Degrees are. (Lucky me, my Neptune is smacking a Critical Degree right now. Whee, crisis city!)

There's a chapter on progressed house cusps, but to be honest, this goes beyond my ability to comprehend it. It has something to do with axises, that's all I got.

Next there's the coverage of the transits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and what the aspects mean.

Checking my chart:

• Saturn aspects: "If Saturn is not making good aspects, a parent can be a responsibility." Whee.
  
• Uranus aspects Venus: "In some way the pattern of income will change. Sudden losses or sudden windfalls are to be expected. Personal values may be altered. Love can enter your life suddenly and in an unusual and unexpected way. The person will not fit into the old mold of what you have attracted before. This person can also leave just as quickly as he or she appeared. What will remain, however, is a change in the love consciousness, and what was learned from the relationship will benefit you forever."
• Uranus in the fifth house: "It can bring a sudden love alliance. You will be drawn to people and situations that are different and special in some way, but the involvement may be fleeting, ending as quickly as it started. If you are normally quite conventional, you may present yourself in an more unusual manner and may no longer want to conform at all." Reading this, I can't help but think I'm supposed to go BATSHIT INSANE.
• Neptune in the fourth house: "I also observed a friend's parent get Alzheimer's disease when Neptune entered my friend's fourth house and made very difficult aspects." That figures that it'd be an illness in the family thing. Checking ephemeris.com, It goes into Neptune around the time where my dad had to retire due to the disease fucking with his speech.
  
• Pluto in the second house: Again, "the pattern of income is changed. The aspects will tell you how it will change. You could become extremely wealthy or go bankrupt." (Luckily for me, only positive aspects seem to be happening there. I did get a raise this year, and I guess some kind of inheritance might be a factor?) "A lot will depend on the reinforcing progressions and other transits that are active at this time. A magnficent love obsession can also take place at this time. I call Pluto transits to Venus the fatal attraction aspect. If the aspect is positive and the progressions and natal aspects are positive for love, it can be wonderful, but Pluto always takes things to extremes." Oy.
  

Later chapters cover stationing and retrograde planets and lunations and eclipses, both of which I don't get too much about.

So, to sum it up, this one's useful in most areas, or at least I can fairly understand it. Which is a plus.