The Astrology Podcast

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Comets in Astrology Aug 15, 2025

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In episode 503 of The Astrology Podcast astrologer Rod Chang joins me to discuss the long and fascinating history of comets in astrology, how astrologers viewed them as omens in ancient times, and creating a new foundation for interpreting them today. While comets are a notable astronomical phenomenon and are famous in legends from ancient times as powerful omens, there has been very little discussion about their meaning or use in modern astrology. Part of the reason for this is that they appear so infrequently, are difficult to calculate, and are not included in most astrology software, which has led to them being largely overlooked by contemporary astrologers. We begin the discussion by exploring the long history of comets in astrology, noting the contrast between the Western tradition and the Chinese tradition. In the West, research into comets was set back for centuries by Aristotle's mistaken belief that they were merely atmospheric phenomena. In the Chinese tradition, however, comets were meticulously documented for thousands of years, where they were often referred to as "broom stars" that could sweep away the old government or indicate the need for reform. This eventually led to a rich history of astrological interpretation, which we are only now beginning to recover and understand. During the course of the episode we talk about what comets are from an astronomical perspective, as well as how their erratic and unpredictable nature became a key part of their astrological interpretation. Traditionally comets were interpreted as omens that signified major disruptions, the death of prominent people, and important turning points in history. Their meaning was often derived from their visual appearance, such as their color or the shape of their tail. While often viewed as negative omens that coincided with natural disasters or the death of rulers, there are also instances where they were interpreted positively. Towards the end of the episode we discuss how contemporary astrologers are now in a much better position to study comets, with new tools that allow us to calculate their positions and go back and research what was happening in the world when major comets appeared in the past. This is a large part of the focus of Rod's new book titled Comets in Astrology, where he identifies some of the most important "Great Comets" in history and documents the events that coincided with their appearance. We hope that this discussion provides a good foundation for a subject that will become an exciting new area of research in astrology in the years to come. Rod's book was just released August 13, and you can get it now: Comets in Astrology on Amazon You can find out more information about Rod on his website: RodChang.com This episode is available in both audio and video versions below. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:01:05 Rod’s journey into studying comets00:02:40 Why comets are overlooked in modern astrology00:07:09 What is a comet?00:10:04 Short-period vs. long-period comets00:16:55 Erratic and unpredictable quality of comets00:19:18 Aristotle’s error vs. Chinese documentation00:24:30 Edmond Halley, Brahe, and Kepler00:28:58 Recent comets: Pons-Brooks00:33:52 Decline of astrology hindered comet research00:36:39 Researching historical comets and mundane events00:39:01 What defines a “Great Comet”00:51:04 Chinese “broom stars” and political significance01:01:06 Comets as omens01:11:47 Death of prominent people01:15:02 Mark Twain and Halley’s Comet01:25:52 Observational astronomy01:36:18 Comet’s tail and directionality01:40:03 Positive interpretations of comets01:43:27 Setting a foundation for comet research01:48:11 Rod’s upcoming work, website, and classes01:51:29 Concluding remarks Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-UtgNIRCnY – Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 503 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

An Astrological Librarian, with Philip Graves Aug 03, 2025

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In episode 502 of the podcast, I'm joined by astrologer and historian Philip Graves to talk about his work as an astrological librarian and the publication of his new book, Technical and Planetary Developments in Astrology. This is the first volume in a new series, Graves' Studies in the History of Astrology, which showcases the fruits of his decades-long project to build one of the largest and most comprehensive private astrological libraries in the world. Technical and Planetary Developments in Astrology and is available now on Amazon and from other booksellers. The Life of an Astrological Librarian We begin the episode by discussing Philip’s journey into astrology and how he began amassing his vast collection of astrological texts. His library includes not only modern books but also rare original editions from as early as the 16th century, alongside an extensive collection of astrological journals, periodicals, and almanacs. We delve into the fascinating world of antiquarian book collecting, touching on topics such as: The importance of first editions. The challenges of preservation, including issues like "foxing," "worming," and rebinding. How to handle very old books. The limitations of older, poor-quality digital scans and abridged reprints, and the value of comparing them to original source texts. Research from the Library A major theme of our discussion is how having access to this wide range of primary sources allows for a more accurate and nuanced understanding of astrology's history. Philip’s collection serves as a massive research database, enabling him to trace the development of astrological concepts through time. His new book is a collection of essays that demonstrates the value of this approach. Some of the historical questions we explore from his research include: The Development of Uranus: How did astrologers in the early 19th century figure out the meaning of Uranus? We look at surprisingly early and accurate delineations from journals in the 1820s and 1830s, showing the empirical process astrologers used to determine its significations. The Outer Planets: We contrast the empirical approach used for Uranus and Neptune with the more mythological approach applied to Pluto shortly after its discovery in the 20th century. The Meanings of the Houses: Philip’s book contains a detailed survey of the significations of the 12 houses, tracing their continuity and changes from the Hellenistic tradition through the Medieval and Renaissance periods. The History of Minor Aspects: We discuss the timeline of how harmonic aspects were developed, starting with Kepler and being gradually adopted and expanded upon by later astrologers. The Origins of Sun-Sign Astrology: Research from Philip and others has pushed back the origins of newspaper Sun-sign columns much earlier than the commonly cited 1930s date. Ultimately, our conversation highlights how astrology has never been a single, unchanging system, but a dynamic tradition that has always been growing and evolving. Find Out More You can find Philip’s work, including high-quality scans of rare texts and a secondhand bookshop, on his website: Astrolearn.com His new book is titled Technical and Planetary Developments in Astrology and is available now on Amazon and from other booksellers. Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:34 Philip's library and background 00:10:13 Condition and handling of old books 00:17:03 Early significations about Uranus 00:28:08 Uranus in Gemini and the US 00:34:50 Did astrology die out in the 17th century? 00:37:50 More early Uranus significations 00:45:16 Assigning names of gods to planets 00:57:05 Early treatments of Neptune and Pluto 01:06:32 Schism between modern and traditional astrology 01:12:07 Survey of the houses 01:32:47 Lilith 01:36:09 12 letter alphabet 01:49:28 Alan Leo 02:00:59 Laws against fortunetelling 02:03:03 Development of minor aspects 02:19:51 History of astrological journals 02:20:46 Astrological traditions from different languages 02:23:28 Scans and secondhand books on Philip’s website 02:37:14 Academia and astrology 02:43:20 Graves’ natal chart 02:52:10 Conclusion Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOxIVYKVD8M - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 502 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

August Astrology Forecast 2025 Jul 31, 2025

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In episode 501 astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock look at the astrological forecast for August of 2025! We spend the first hour of the episode talking about the astrology of news and events that have occurred since our last forecast, and then in the second hour we transition into talking about the astrology of August, starting at 1 hour and 12 minutes into the episode. The three main alignments this month are a Mars-Saturn opposition, Venus-Jupiter conjunction, and Mercury stationing direct opposite Pluto. Then in the final days of the month we begin to head into eclipse season. Since this is the episode after the 500th episode we also spend some time reflecting on that, and on 10 years of doing forecast episodes together. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:00:54 August quick overview00:03:35 News segment01:07:21 UAC 202601:12:02 August forecast01:23:46 Election for August01:29:29 August forecast continued02:25:59 Wrapping up02:33:04 Credits United Astrology Conference https://uacastrology.com Hellenistic Astrology Course https://theastrologyschool.com Austin’s Website https://austincoppock.com Patreon for Elections and Bonus Content https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast Watch the Video Version of This Episode Watch the video version of our astrology forecast for August on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFi-42KZ5Ew - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 501 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

500th Episode Retrospective Jul 30, 2025

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Celebrating the 500th episode of The Astrology Podcast, and reflecting on how the podcast got started and what I learned from doing the past 100 episodes! In the first part of this episode I talk a bit about how the podcast got started, I look at the founding charts for the podcast, and discuss the outline of what I said that I wanted to accomplish with the show in the very first episode back in 2012. I reflect on how ambitious my original outline for the podcast was, and that I've actually ended up accomplishing quite a bit of what I originally set out to do at this point. Later in the episode I reflect on some of the things I've learned in the process of doing the past 100 episodes in particular, especially over the past couple of years, mainly from a technical standpoint. Finally I conclude by thanking some people, and talking a bit about the future. Thanks for watching or listening to the podcast for the past 500 episodes! Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJbFI8xXxpU - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 500 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

Uranus in Taurus Retrospective: Stories from the 12 Houses Jul 26, 2025

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In episode 499 of The Astrology Podcast I interview a group of people about how the transit of Uranus in Taurus went for them over the past eight years based on the whole sign house it was transiting in their chart. With Uranus having just made its first ingress into Gemini, now is an excellent opportunity to review the last seven to eight years and understand the types of changes and themes that came up in our lives. The focus of this episode is to explore how the transit of Uranus through a specific whole sign house in your birth chart manifested. To do this, I'll be interviewing several people who will share their personal stories of what happened when Uranus transited through various houses in their charts—from sudden changes in their living situations and relationships to radical shifts in career and personal philosophy. We'll examine how these real-life events connect directly to the astrological symbolism. By looking back at these examples, the goal is to better understand the principles of a Uranus transit, as well as what Uranus means in general in astrology. This will help us anticipate and understand what the upcoming seven-year transit of Uranus in Gemini might mean for each of us, depending on which house it will be moving through in our own charts. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:14:25 4th House00:31:00 5th House00:38:44 8th House00:50:03 7th House01:08:22 10th House01:23:41 6th House01:42:24 11th House01:54:29 9th House02:08:35 12th House02:26:33 3rd House02:38:19 Concluding Remarks Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4fiCMQags4 - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 499 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

Back to the Future and Mercury Retrograde Jul 18, 2025

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In episode 498 I discuss how the filming of the movie Back to the Future started during a Mercury retrograde period, and the production experienced notorious delays, including firing the lead actor after 6 weeks of filming. By examining the challenges and ultimate success of the film, we can gain a deeper understanding of what Mercury retrograde truly means in astrology. The story begins with the filmmakers, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, who, after years of developing the script, had their hearts set on Michael J. Fox for the lead role of Marty McFly. When Fox was unavailable, they moved forward with another actor, Eric Stoltz. Filming commenced in late November 1984, precisely as Mercury was slowing down to station retrograde. Mercury retrogrades are often associated with delays, revisions, and the need to redo things. The initial weeks of filming with Stoltz proved to be a prime example of these themes, as his more serious interpretation of the role clashed with the comedic vision of the filmmakers. This led to the difficult and highly unusual decision to recast the lead role in the middle of production. The story of Back to the Future's creation, with its delays and necessary do-overs, serves as a powerful real-world example of Mercury retrograde in action, teaching us that sometimes we must go back to the past to correct our course in order to create a better future. Join me as I break down the astrological timeline of these events and discuss the broader lessons we can learn about navigating our own Mercury retrograde periods. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction: Back to the Future & Mercury Retrograde00:00:28 What Mercury Retrograde Means in Astrology00:00:52 The Movie's Origin Story00:02:11 The Failed Attempt to Cast Michael J. Fox00:03:40 Eric Stoltz is Cast as Marty McFly00:04:36 The Astrology of When Filming Began00:07:23 Filming with Eric Stoltz Isn't Working00:09:20 The Fateful Decision to Recast the Lead00:09:51 Approaching Michael J. Fox During Christmas00:11:47 The Astrology Chart of the Recasting00:13:20 Michael J. Fox's Birth Chart Transits00:16:15 Stoltz is Fired, Fox Starts Filming00:19:03 Michael J. Fox's Grueling Filming Schedule00:23:36 Production Delays & Eventual Success00:25:30 Key Lessons About Mercury Retrograde00:28:27 The Venus Retrograde Connection to Star Wars00:33:23 The Lasting Impact on the Actors00:34:54 40th Anniversary Repeats the Astrology of 198500:37:37 Final Conclusions Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mXmW1AhfEg – Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 498 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

Analysis of a Prediction: Iran Jul 16, 2025

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In episode 497 astrologer Chris Brennan analyzes predictions made about Iran on The Astrology Podcast over the past year, and discusses what we can learn from those predictions in terms of mundane astrology. Starting with the eclipse season that happened last year in April 2024, I began seeing seeing astrological indications that implied a conflict with Iran would escalate over the course of the next year, and we ended up making a number of predictions to that effect in from mid-2024 to early 2025. After those predictions were fulfilled in June of 2025 when Israel and the United States launched a surprise attack on Iran, I went back and looked at the statements we made over the past year in order to see how we did, and ended up making a clip compilation from different episodes. During the course of this episode I present 10 clips from different episodes of The Astrology Podcast over the past year where we talked about Iran and made different predictions based on the astrological alignments we were seeing, and in between each clip I add some commentary in order to contextualize the clip and explain the different stages in our thinking. Putting together all of the clips and statements we made like this is really useful because you can see the evolution of our thinking, as we discovered new things and as new developments took place, and I think there are a number of useful lessons that can be learned from studying the things we got right as well as the areas where we could have done better. My hope is that astrologers can use this as a case study, and apply some of the lessons we learned from this to making other world astrology predictions in the future. Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8oGSA07-NY - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 497 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

Uranus in Gemini and the United States Jul 07, 2025

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In episode 496 astrologer Chris Brennan talks about the transit of Uranus in Gemini, and how astrologers came to associate it with major wars in United States history. The first part of the episode discusses how the astrologer Luke Broughton (1828-1899) seems to have been the first astrologer to have observed the correlation between Uranus in Gemini and major wars in US history, and he used this in order to make predictions in the early 1860s about the start of the Civil War. Later I discuss the astrologer Evangeline Adams (1868-1932), who used the Uranus in Gemini transit to predict the start of US involvement in World War II, in a book that she published in 1931. Later I reflect on one of the earliest episodes of The Astrology Podcast, episode 11 titled The Astrology of Uranus and the United States, where I discussed this transit with Nick Dagan Best and the implication that it predicted another major war after Uranus enters Gemini again in 2025. This is also a followup to episode 376, titled The Uranus Return of the United States, which delves more into what Uranus in Gemini has coincided with in the past in US history. This episode was recorded late in the night of July 6, 2025, just hours before Uranus went into Gemini on July 7, and then released shortly after the ingress took place, with early Gemini rising. My goal was to reflect on the history of astrologers studying this transit and using it for predictions, and to mark the occasion as we head into what is clearly shaping up to be another very important turning point in US history. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:01:07 The 84-Year Historical Pattern of Major U.S. Wars00:05:44 Why This Pattern Exists: The U.S. Birth Chart00:08:03 The Natal Mars-Uranus Conjunction00:11:09 Symbolism of Fireworks on the 4th of July00:13:20 Luke Broughton's 1861 Prediction of the Civil War00:17:38 Reading From Broughton's Astrological Journal00:22:46 The Three Most Significant Wars in U.S. History00:24:52 Evangeline Adams' 1931 Prediction of World War II00:28:24 Reading Adams' Famous Prediction00:36:42 How Long Modern Astrologers Have Anticipated This00:38:38 Clip from 2013 Prediction of a War in 202500:47:05 Current Events: Potential for Internal & External Conflict00:52:26 The Empirical Side of Astrology & Making Predictions00:56:47 Potential Positives: Transformation & Liberation01:02:21 Key Dates to Watch During the Transit (2025-2033)01:14:21 Conclusion Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsuFeSuZeGo – Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 496 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

July Astrology Forecast 2025 Jun 30, 2025

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In episode 495 astrologers Chris Brennan and Austin Coppock look at the astrological forecast for July of 2025! We spend the first hour of the episode talking about the astrology of news and events that have occurred since our last forecast, and then in the second hour we transition into talking about the astrology of July, starting at 1 hour and 3 minutes into the episode. July opens with Uranus entering the sign of Gemini on July 7, which it hasn't visited since the 1940s, and beginning the long-anticipated Uranus return of the United states. In the first half of the month Saturn and Neptune both make their first retrograde station in Aries, and move into a very close conjunction with each other in the sky, coming within less than a degree of orb for the first time since the late 1980s. There is also a Mercury retrograde period in Leo that begins in the middle of the month, and then doesn't conclude until early August. In this episode we also celebrate our 10th anniversary of doing forecasts together! Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:00:57 Quick overview of July00:03:23 News segment00:55:36 United Astrology Conference01:01:37 Hellenistic course discount01:03:02 July forecast02:19:30 Electional date for July02:26:11 Mars-South Node & Venus-Mars02:35:02 New Moon in Leo July 2402:44:34 Wrapping up02:53:04 Credits United Astrology Conference https://uacastrology.com Hellenistic Astrology Course Sale 15% off Chris' Hellenistic course with promo code JUPITER until July 14: https://theastrologyschool.com Austin’s Website https://austincoppock.com Patreon for Elections and Bonus Content https://www.patreon.com/astrologypodcast Watch the Video Version of This Episode Watch the video version of our astrology forecast for June on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc6kr7we5Wg - Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 495 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

Venus Retrograde Repetitions in the News Part 3 Jun 22, 2025

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In episode 494 I share several Venus retrograde repetitions that have happened in the news recently, and summarize what I learned from closely tracking the Venus retrograde recently. Since Venus finally departed from Aries and completed the extended retrograde period earlier this month I wanted to do one final episode to wrap up some lingering 8-year repetition stories that I had found, and also to share some conclusions I drew from this research over the past 6 months. I needed to do this episode in order to bring this series to completion that I started back in January, and this is the third and final installment in the news series. Some repetitions I covered include: Star Wars, Nintendo, the Oscars/Conan, the Rose Garden, and Iran. Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction00:07:31 Star Wars00:16:01 Oscars & Conan00:26:06 Nintendo00:44:40 Rose Garden00:47:41 Iran01:00:49 Miscellaneous Stories01:18:58 What I've Learned01:55:37 Credits Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luI_GV5Ga9I – Transcript A full transcript of this episode is available: Episode 494 transcript Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

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