The Celestial Guide has been my basic astrology bible for the year for maybe 25 years. I use their regular Engagement Calendar, where there is room to make notes on important milestones in my life, as well as major events from the news. I add my own personal transits, and I use it daily to keep abreast of celestial rhythms.
The major aspects of the ten major planets, which include sun and moon, are given for the day, along with the sign of the moon. Also given are major celestial events, such as ingresses into new signs, changes of direction, void of course (VOC) moon times, occultations, and eclipses. Printing is very clear and legible, so that it’s easy to see a day at a glance.
Adding to the legibility is that the asteroids are not included, so that the picture is clean and clear. However, at the back of the Guide, after the regular daily ephemeris, there is an abbreviated ephemeris of the asteroids. From it I can see at a glance where an asteroid is in my chart, and about when it will be transiting a sensitive point.
Also at the back of the book are pages for notes, two horoscope blanks, a table of ascendants for 40 degrees north, and a table of sunrise and sunset.
The astronomical data in this guide is accurate, which is not always the case with Llewellyn’s guide, which I reviewed last month.
Because of its clarity, accuracy, and ease of use, Celestial Guide is my daily guide. However, I combine it with Llewellyn’s for my monthly forecasts. For those, I like it that Llewellyn’s has the asteroids and planets together in the ephemeris, so that I can see the whole picture for the month at once. I like it that Llewellyn’s includes minor aspects and asteroid aspects in their daily guide, so that I can round out the energy picture better. If there are discrepancies on times, I’ve learned that Celestial Guide is the accurate choice.
Celestial Guide includes the usual planetary descriptions, sign descriptions, and aspect descriptions to help the novice understand the data. I like that at the front of the book is the year’s essential astronomical information, such as a retrograde table (again, without the asteroids, and again on this score I prefer Llewellyn), eclipses, planetary viewing times, visible meteor showers, and moon information, such as occultations, phases, perigees, and apogees. There is also an easy-to-read world map of time zones, so that times in the guide (Eastern and Pacific) can be easily translated to other zones.
The Celestial Guide is an invaluable book for the novice, as well as for the experienced astrologer. If nothing else, just to use it for the VOC moon times is worthwhile.
The Guide also comes in a pocket size, which I carry with me. And Quicksilver makes a beautiful calendar which has all the same information as the Guide plus more celestial information with a sky map, and a table of planting by the moon. Both the Celestial Guide Calendar and the Llewellyn Calendar grace my kitchen wall, and I use them together for a quick glance at the day.
If I could buy just one astrology book for the year, it would be Celestial Guide. I highly recommend it.
