I get this question a lot so I thought I’d make a list of some books that I’d recommend for someone who is completely new to astrology. This list is for people who are basically just vaguely aware of star signs and some planets but are not really sure how to put all those things together into an astrological analysis.

For this list, I stayed away from books that are basically just lists of different planets in signs or planets in houses or aspects with delineations because I think that a good book teaches you how to delineate for yourself instead of doing it for you. A delineation is the work of doing astrology. You would be robbing yourself if you just took in what other people said about your chart instead of applying your own experiences to your interpretations.

Also, this list is overwhelmingly white. There aren’t that many published astrology books written by people of color. There was a list on goodreads that listed astrology books by black authors and there were only 11? I think there’s been more since but still. Anyway, here’s a list of foundational books all by white people and do what you like with it. Interpret the information in them how you like and empower yourself to do your own astrology and, if you want to, write your own books.

Astrology and the Authentic Self by Demetra George

This is a really great primer. It’s a workbook so there’s a lot of doing that comes with reading this book. A lot of really great astrologers out there started off with this book.

The first thing George walks you through is a basic grammar of astrology. It’s very clear, concise, and useful. Then, she shows you how to determine planetary condition, moves you through the rising sign, Sun, and Moon, before going into timing. The third part of the book is about building the structure of astrology, where George elaborates on lunations, aspects, solar returns, profections, and more. Then, George gives you some really great guidance on astrological counseling.

Demetra George is most known for her work with asteroids and traditional techniques so this book gives you a bit of both. A lot of what we know about the astrological asteroids comes directly from George and, if you’re interested in knowing more about them, she also has a book on just asteroids. Her framework is traditional and she uses mostly traditional techniques, with lots and time lords, but she leaves a lot of room for contemporary astrologers.

On the Heavenly Spheres by Helena Avelar and Luis Ribeiro

This is the book that I started with. It’s incredibly comprehensive. It has stuff from Hellenistic, medieval, and modern astrology. It also has a lot of great diagrams. Something that it encourages you to do, as a good manual should, is think about the chart as something that’s in motion. I think that, a lot of the time, the differences between an applying and separating aspect are forgotten about by the astro content you see on the internet. A lot of concepts, such as void of course moon, rely on this distinction and it’s important that you understand it. On the Heavenly Spheres spends a lot of time laying out the motions and mechanics behind a chart.

Reflections and Meditations on the Signs of the Zodiac by Louise Huber

Now, there’s a lot of info about the sign archetypes on the internet. This was one of the first astrology books I read and taught me a lot about the sign by sign archetypes. I didn’t find the meditations themselves to be that useful but enjoyed descriptions of the signs from different facets. Huber takes you through how each sign is differentiated from the preceding sign, the opposite sign, how the sign glyph shapes it, and the seed ideas within each sign. Even if you feel like you know everything there is to know about all the signs, I’d still recommend picking up this book.

Horoscope Symbols by Robert Hand

Robert Hand is one of the biggest names in astrology. This book is his very detailed encyclopedia on the core meanings of the three biggest components of western astrology—planets, signs, and houses. It’s definitely worth taking a look through if you’re beginning to get into astrology and want to look at an experienced astrologer’s thoughts. He also has a section on angles and midpoints, including a 90º dial tool for calculating aspects that was probably very handy before computer programs were invented.

Hand provides a lot of good mechanisms for looking at astrological phenomena, such as looking at the aspects as harmonics. His interpretations of the houses follow traditional causes. His descriptions of the planets are pretty rich. If you’re a beginner in astrology, you should definitely take a look.

The Rising Sign by Jeanne Avery

So, this is a book that’s not on a lot of lists for beginner astrologers but it’s one that I think should be. Not only is it a fun read but it was also an important read for me when I was learning contemporary interpretations of the houses. And this is the only book on this list that is going to be a book full of delineations. The reason why it’s on here is because Avery relates each house back to the ascendent, which is something that I find to be missing on astrology content online.

It’s important to remember that a sign in a house only has significance because of the sign that’s on the horizon—that the meanings of all the signs relate back to the rising sign. For example, an Aries fifth house isn’t just an Aries fifth house. It’s an Aries fifth house for a Sagittarius rising. If you’re just beginning to learn the houses, take a look through this book and see if you can create your own interpretations for how each house relates to a rising sign.