The most recommended astrology books

Who picked these books? Meet our 21 experts.

21 authors created a book list connected to astrology, and here are their favorite astrology books.
Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

What type of astrology book?

Loading...
Loading...

Book cover of Astrological Signs: The Pulse of Life

Babs Kirby Author Of Love and Sexuality: An Exploration of Venus and Mars

From my list on astrology with a psychological perspective.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a humanistic psychotherapist first and came to astrology later and loved the way it didn’t pathologize and gave insight into our character and how that affects our destiny. I started to gather the charts of my psychotherapy clients (with their permission of course) and while not using this in their sessions, I was inspired by how they spoke their charts. Much of my understanding of how planetary positions and aspects manifest has been discovered by listening. I love how aspect patterns repeat through the generations within a family and what ramifications this has on the individuals. Who’s carrying the families karma?

Babs' book list on astrology with a psychological perspective

Babs Kirby Why did Babs love this book?

It’s hard to pick out my favourite Dane Rudhyar book, but this was the first one of his I read.

His descriptions of the signs of the zodiac are grounded in nature and inspirational. I was blown away by them and went on to read most of his writings. For those wanting to open up their understanding of their sun sign, this is the book to read. 

By Dane Rudhyar,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Astrological Signs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An intelligent metaphysical statement of the human experience expressed through the poetry of the zodiac. Free from the annoying fatalistic tone of some astrological writing, Rudhyar's book is all-inclusive, connecting the 12 astrological symbols to seasonal rhythms in a way that is both plausible from a scientific mindset and respectful of religious traditions.


Book cover of The Modern Text-Book of Astrology

Joseph Polansky Author Of A Spiritual Look at the 12 Signs: An Introduction to Spiritual Astrology

From my list on astrology for beginners.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a full-time practicing astrologer who’s been in practice for over 35 years. There’s a lot of misconceptions about this noblest and holy science and I’ve written extensively over the years to explain things to the best of my ability. I am the author of Sun Sign Success, Pendulum Power, Your Personal Horoscope (a series that is going on for 29 years now), The Magic Stone, A Spiritual View Of The 12 Signs, The Moving Universe, and numerous articles in the astrological press. I live in Florida and I deal with an international clientele.

Joseph's book list on astrology for beginners

Joseph Polansky Why did Joseph love this book?

This is a classic way for a beginner to learn the basics of Astrology. It is written clearly and by an expert. The author has been a professional for many years. I’m not sure if she is still alive. But no matter. This is a must-read.

By Margaret Hone,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Modern Text-Book of Astrology as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It was a long time ago and few alive now remember what life was like in England in the years after World War II. Yes, the Luftwaffe and Vengeance weapons had made a fine mess in the south of the country, but during the war years the Yanks were there, millions of them, seducing the womenfolk, brawling in pubs, and, most importantly, spending their pay with local shopkeepers. May, 1945, the war ended and all the Americans left. Most went home, but a sizeable contingent set up shop in Germany, where, to the best of their ability given the local…


Book cover of The Development of the Personality

Noel Eastwood Author Of Psychological Astrology And The Twelve Houses

From my list on for learning psychological astrology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've had a deep passion for the esoteric world since childhood. I read books on everything to do with ghosts, magic, and astral travel, and began drawing up astrology charts from books I had borrowed from the library as a teenager. I studied astrology back in the mid-1980s when the new age was in full swing. Ten years later I went back to university and studied to become a psychologist. I am a firm believer that an understanding of personality through depth psychotherapy, and the hidden wisdom found in alternative schools of knowledge, can enhance one’s personal and spiritual growth in the difficult times we face today.

Noel's book list on for learning psychological astrology

Noel Eastwood Why did Noel love this book?

I was fortunate to have attended a lecture in 1988 presented by Liz Greene, I didn’t quite understand much of what she said because I was just a beginner, but I loved her passion and how other astrologers held onto every word she spoke. This was one of my first books on psychological astrology and I have bought nearly every book she has ever written since. Understanding the very basics of personality gives astrology an incredible foundation on which to then learn how to read the natal chart. This does just that.

By Liz Greene, Howard Sasportas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Development of the Personality as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Greene and Sasportas focus on psychological complexes and astrological factors that encompass issues from childhood, including the stages of childhood, the parental marriage, subpersonalities and more. An important book helping those in the counseling process.


Book cover of Heaven Knows What

Joseph Polansky Author Of A Spiritual Look at the 12 Signs: An Introduction to Spiritual Astrology

From my list on astrology for beginners.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a full-time practicing astrologer who’s been in practice for over 35 years. There’s a lot of misconceptions about this noblest and holy science and I’ve written extensively over the years to explain things to the best of my ability. I am the author of Sun Sign Success, Pendulum Power, Your Personal Horoscope (a series that is going on for 29 years now), The Magic Stone, A Spiritual View Of The 12 Signs, The Moving Universe, and numerous articles in the astrological press. I live in Florida and I deal with an international clientele.

Joseph's book list on astrology for beginners

Joseph Polansky Why did Joseph love this book?

Grant Lewi was a legendary astrologer. He was the editor of Dell’s Horoscope magazine in the 1930s and '40s. He died in 1951 and this book is most likely out of print, but you can still get it on the Internet. He was such a master that he simplified the casting and interpretation of Horoscopes to a level that beginners could understand. A great entry point into astrology. The legend is that he knew the date of his death from his horoscope and bought a large life insurance policy shortly before that! His heirs did well and he paid next to nothing.

By Grant Lewi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Heaven Knows What as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book by Lewi, Grant


Book cover of Moon Spells for Beginners: A Guide to Moon Magic, Lunar Phases, and Essential Spells & Rituals

Astrea Taylor Author Of Intuitive Witchcraft: How to Use Intuition to Elevate Your Craft

From my list on general witchcraft for beginner from an eclectic witch.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an eclectic witch, and one of my life goals is to empower other witches, especially those who are sensitive to energy. Being a beginner witch isn’t always easy. When I was new, I didn’t have many books — I mostly just relied upon my intuition and awareness of energy. When I finally had the chance to read magical books, I found that many of them had inaccurate information, problematic practices, or questionable spells. However, I also discovered there are just as many wonderful, well-researched books out there. You just have to know which ones are which. I hope this list helps you set a baseline for your future library. 

Astrea's book list on general witchcraft for beginner from an eclectic witch

Astrea Taylor Why did Astrea love this book?

Full moon celebrations are among the first magical practices for many new witches. That’s where I found my first group of witches, and they have a special place in my heart. Of course, there are other phases of the moon, and all of them are meaningful and magical.

Of all the moon magic books I’ve read, this is the most comprehensive. Most of the book is about the moon phases and the magic associated with them, astrology, and spells and rituals. It also has helpful tips, such as how to cast a circle. All around, it’s a great beginner’s book.

By Michael Herkes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Moon Spells for Beginners as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover the magic of the moon with spells for beginners

The moon holds an abundance of energy that witches have harnessed for centuries to manifest their hearts’ deepest desires. Now, modern spellcasters of all skill levels can access the moon’s power, with Moon Spells for Beginners. You’ll find guidance, rituals, and spells to tap into the moon’s cycles, cultivate prosperity, and transform your life.

This moon spells book can help you:

Understand the moon—Explore the history, folklore, and science behind the moon and how it has been used throughout the ages as a source of magic. Learn spellcasting basics—Discover the…


Book cover of Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View

Jackie Slevin Author Of Finding Success in the Horoscope: The Slevin System of Horoscope Analysis

From my list on taking astrology beyond the sun sign.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a Certified Astrologer and Education Director of The National Council for Geocosmic Research, I host monthly webinars with experienced astrologers from around the world who present state-of-the-art lectures on every facet of astrology. I taught astrology in-person and online for 10 years, have consulted professionally for 40, and have written many articles in astrological newsletters and magazines, some of which have been published internationally. For the past 14 years I’ve been a staff writer for Horoscope Guide Magazine, and have been interviewed frequently on talk radio, podcasts, and newspapers, including The New York Post.

Jackie's book list on taking astrology beyond the sun sign

Jackie Slevin Why did Jackie love this book?

In Cosmos and Psyche, a massive tome based on thirty years of astrological research, psychologist and cultural historian Richard Tarnas has written a sensational synthesis of astrological, psycho-spiritual, and humanistic studies. Sun signs and other horoscopic explanations are not included. This masterpiece begins and ends with the psyche, the human condition, and, most especially, the modern mind, and how it is screaming to be reunited with the soul of the universe. 

Tarnas writes that modern science has de-anthropomorphized cognition and thus the modern world is disenchanted and ultimately disconnected. In the disenchanted cosmos, nothing is sacred, but if one is involved in the “participation mystique” the universe is truly enchanted, hence everything is sacred. Highly recommended for advanced students and practitioners.

By Richard Tarnas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cosmos and Psyche as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A groundbreaking book that explores how astrology can inform our understanding of the events that have shaped our world—the inspiration for the docuseries Changing of the Gods.

In these pages, distinguished philosopher and cultural historian Richard Tarnas traces the connection between cosmic cycles and archetypal patterns of human experience. Based on thirty years of meticulous research, and on thinkers from Plato to Jung, Cosmos and Psyche explores the planetary correlations of epochal events like the French Revolution, the two world wars, and September 11.

This brilliant book points to a radical change in our understanding of the cosmos, shining new…


Book cover of Ptolemy’s Geography in the Renaissance

Toby Lester Author Of The Fourth Part of the World: An Astonishing Epic of Global Discovery, Imperial Ambition, and the Birth of America

From my list on geographical ideas behind the age of discovery.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a writer and an editor with eclectic interests. I’ve published two books of popular history—Da Vinci's Ghost (2012), about Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, and The Fourth Part of the World (2009), about the map that gave America its name. I’ve also written extensively for national publications on such topics as the sociology of new religious movements, privacy protection in the Internet age, the Voynich manuscript, the revisionist study of the Qur’an, the revival of ancient Greek music, and alphabet reform in Azerbaijan. I’m presently a senior editor at the Harvard Business Review and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. From 1988-1990, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Yemen.

Toby's book list on geographical ideas behind the age of discovery

Toby Lester Why did Toby love this book?

In the first century A.D., the ancient Greek polymath Claudius Ptolemy produced a work known today simply as the Geography. Ptolemy described the world as the Greeks and Romans knew it at the time—and he did so using latitude and longitude. The Geography largely disappeared from view in Europe during the Middle Ages, as did latitude and longitude on maps, but in the early 1400s the humanists of Florence rediscovered and revived the work, in ways that dramatically improved their understanding of the ancient world and their ability to explore and map it in the present. Shalev and Burnett present a set of scholarly essays that trace the history and the influence of the Geography during that momentous century.

By Charles Burnett, Zur Shalev,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ptolemy’s Geography in the Renaissance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The rediscovery of Ptolemy’s Geography has long been hailed as a key moment in the emergence of Renaissance culture, symbolizing a new rational spatiality, and preparing the way for the Age of Discovery. And yet, the process of the Geography’s introduction, integration and impact in western Europe, as the essays in this volume collectively suggest, was more complex and less predictable than has been traditionally assumed. Whereas previously Ptolemy’s maps attracted most scholarly attention, in this volume the textual tradition of the Geography – Ptolemy’s text, added prefaces, annotations and treatises – stand at the centre. Bringing together a wealth…


Book cover of Exalted

Julia Argy Author Of The One

From my list on women grinding their way through late capitalism.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a novelist with my debut, The One, out in April 2023. I’m interested in stories about the role of gender, technology, and privacy in our contemporary culture. We spend so many hours at work, yet often the literature we read spends so little time discussing what that experience is actually like. As I wrote my own novel with a narrator flailing so aimlessly through her early post-grad years that she ends up on a reality dating show, I craved other books that tackled what it was like to have to earn a living at the forefront of the text, rather than a nebulous character detail in the background. 

Julia's book list on women grinding their way through late capitalism

Julia Argy Why did Julia love this book?

Exalted follows two women, Emily, an Internet astrologer, and Dawn, a lesbian waitress looking for a connection of any sort.

Dorn’s writing is sharp and funny as she tracks the way that both women are forced to scrape together a living. I love to see a character at work, and Emily’s wry sense of humor as she manipulates viral trends and conjures somewhat bogus readings is a powerful engine for the story.

As the novel progresses, the main characters’ lives begin to overlap, and you begin to wonder whether some destinies are really written in the stars as any good astrologer would insist. 

By Anna Dorn,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Exalted as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A brutally funny and observant ride through astrology culture, love, and self-discovery." —NYLON's Most Anticipated Books of 2022


"A depressed Millennial astrologist, a self-hating lesbian with a rage (and drinking) problem, and profound questions of connection and destiny make Exalted an unforgettable read. Clear your schedule and consult your horoscope because Anna Dorn's novel will make you cackle and gasp, and you won't be able to put it down."
—Edan Lepucki


Emily Forrest runs Exalted, the hottest astrology account on Instagram, from her studio apartment in Los Angeles. Burned out on meme-making and listicles, Emily’s passion for astrology is waning…


Book cover of Linda Goodman's Sun Signs

Jackie Slevin Author Of Finding Success in the Horoscope: The Slevin System of Horoscope Analysis

From my list on taking astrology beyond the sun sign.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a Certified Astrologer and Education Director of The National Council for Geocosmic Research, I host monthly webinars with experienced astrologers from around the world who present state-of-the-art lectures on every facet of astrology. I taught astrology in-person and online for 10 years, have consulted professionally for 40, and have written many articles in astrological newsletters and magazines, some of which have been published internationally. For the past 14 years I’ve been a staff writer for Horoscope Guide Magazine, and have been interviewed frequently on talk radio, podcasts, and newspapers, including The New York Post.

Jackie's book list on taking astrology beyond the sun sign

Jackie Slevin Why did Jackie love this book?

This is the book that ignited my spark of interest in astrology, along with so many other practitioners. How anyone could pinpoint characteristics of people from the month of their birth astounded me, and from this premise I continued to read every astrology book I could get my hands on. One of the most user-friendly books in this field, anyone from any walk of life can glance through it and, knowing only their birthday, learn their place in the scheme of the heavens. In addition to her piercing insights, Linda Good was an exceptionally good writer who keeps you turning the pages. 

By Linda Goodman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Linda Goodman's Sun Signs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Your sun sign is determined by the day and month of your birth and dictates your zodiac personality. Taking each of the twelve signs in turn, Linda Goodman explains the importance of the sun in astrology. She explains the charactersitics of each sign and how these can be used to really get to know the men, women, children, bosses and employees in your life.

Before 1968, astrology as we know it had a very limited following in the United States and around the world. It was the 1968 publication of Linda Goodman's Sun Signs that changed that forever, bringing metaphysical…


Book cover of Nero: The Man Behind the Myth

Humphry Knipe Author Of The Nero Prediction

From my list on Nero (the man and the myth).

Why am I passionate about this?

The deeper I looked into Nero’s history the more references I found to astrology about which I knew nothing except that it was a “pseudo science”. Then an idea hit me like the proverbial lightning bolt. It didn’t matter that astrology was mere superstition. All that mattered was that Nero and his contemporaries believed in it. Nero’s birthday and time are known so it must be possible to re-create his horoscope. With this mysterious wheel in hand, anyone familiar with ancient astrological lore should be able to make some very intelligent guesses about what Nero’s astrologer would have been advising his imperial client on perhaps a daily basis.

Humphry's book list on Nero (the man and the myth)

Humphry Knipe Why did Humphry love this book?

Written by a veteran London Times journalist this exciting book reads like a fast paced thriller. What I found most interesting is his detailed description of Nero’s most notorious action, the murder of his mother. He writes “It is in the realm of abnormal psychology that an explanation may lie.” He is clearly unaware that what best explains the spooky full moon melodrama played out on a cosmic stage was the blind faith both Nero and his mother had in astrology (see Nero's astrology chart here). 

By Richard Holland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nero as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Richard Holland's biography looks at Nero from a different perspective and encourages readers to see the man rather than the monster.