Topics in Astrology

"Immensely Entertaining!"A delightful smorgasbord of three dozen essays on a wide variety of astrological topics ranging from practical, hands-on advice to technical issues to humor and satire. Topics in Astrology is chock-full of original tips and guidelines for experienced practitioners (it may be a bit advanced for beginners; but even they will find parts of the book fascinating). Partial Contents: The natal horoscopes of Philadelphia hippie guru-cum-murderer Ira Einhorn and polygamist Mormon guru-cum-murderer Ervil LeBaron are thoroughly analyzed; as is the abortive romance between Nobel laureate William Butler Yeats and the unattainable beauty Maud Gonne. Exhaustive, in-depth discussions of how transits, primary directions, and secondary progressions work are illustrated with scores of examples taken from the horoscopes of notables. How to use astrolocality (employing astrology to find favorable and avoid unfavorable places to live or visit) is described in detail. The traditional rules of horary astrology are examined and evaluated in the cases of the Titanic disaster and the Nixon resignation. The rules of electional astrology are illustrated in a chapter on how to pick winning lottery tickets. The validity of eclipses and comets is examined; and technical issues such as how house systems are constructed are discussed in depth. Oh yes - Bob pokes fun of astrology too, with convincing analyses of the natal horoscopes (including predictions which came true!) for a couple of fictional characters. This is Bob Makransky at his insightfulest ... Don't miss it!"The sheer scope of the work is mind boggling. Bob Makransky has thought deeply and cogently on the subject and it shows. He is one of our most prolific of astrology writers. ... In typical Makransky fashion he takes an axe to some of our most cherished assumptions. After the shock wears off, we are forced to consider what he says and go deeper in our own understanding. .... I haven't even begun to cover everything he deals with in this book. Impossible in any review. He is a beautiful writer and as always, you get a good read regardless of whether or not you agree with him. He shows aspects of Astrology that are outside the current mainstream. A very recommendable book for the serious astrological student." - Joseph Polansky, Diamond Fire magazine"Makransky expounds on numerous subjects of interest to astrologers in his anthology of published articles, Topics in Astrology. Makransky's plainspoken writing style is direct, full of absolutes, and thought-provoking. Beginners will enjoy and frequently refer to many of the articles. With his wide-ranging interests, Makransky offers something for everyone." - Chris Lorenz, Dell Horoscope magazine