Little Wonders: ACS Publications

Monographs from Astro Communications

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	WHAT ARE WINNING TRANSITS - Joyce Wehrman, $3.95 Contents: Introduction; Format of the report; Choosing days; A word on Transpluto; The question of which house system to use; Absolute #1; Absolute #2; Summary; Simplified Winning Transit; Additional winning zodiacal timing information for casino gambling; Cardinal rules; Casino playing; What if your chart is not correct?; A winning example; Postscript from the publisher (Neil Michelsen). Comment: Since Joyce's astro-gambling book was quashed after her death, this little monograph is about the closest we can get to her marvelous system. Gives an adequate, though rather brief sketch of her system & tells where you can get the (rather involved) calculations. (There are, for that matter, no lost formulas in her out of print book. Joyce's system, as described in this tiny monograph, does work, but it requires intelligence & persistence.) Among other notes, I have found that aspects & position of Transpluto often have to do with major wins & winning times. (pg. 6) Absolute no. 1: Transiting Koch house cusps must be in aspect to your natal chart. Absolute no. 2: You must have a transiting planet activating your money and/or gambling placements in your natal chart. You must leave home (or your casino hotel room) at a moment which shows returning with more money than you left with, as each time you leave "home" establishes a new wagering chart. You must enter the casino on a "plus" time. You must begin to play during a "plus" time. You must stop when the "plus" time ends. Failure to strictly adhere to these rules results in financial loss. Under Cardinal Rules: You must know the rules of the game you are playing. You must avoid Neptune, eg, alcohol. You must know why you are gambling (for fun? for money? to loose?). Be reasonable in your greed. Under Casinos: Slots in public view pay better than slots in out-of-sight corners. Slots with three reels have better odds than slots with four or more. Dollar slots pay off better than others. If you are losing when you should be winning, the other side may have a better chart than you do. If so, change dealers, or change casinos, or go home & wait for the next good moment. When you win, you should always tip. Regardless of the game, you must know how to bet, and you must have a birth chart accurate to at least one minute of time (instructions how to do this are included). Michelsen's postscript describes his own Winning experiences. July, 2008: For years, ACS, at Astrocom.com, offered Winning calculations for a modest price. Regrettably, ACS & their calculations are no more. Which is why I didn't put a link to their webpage, as it no longer exists. ACS, small paper, 15 pages.

	TRANSPLUTO - Dukelow & Dhruva, $4.95 Contents: Introduction; Astronomical background; Sign rulership; An interpretation of Transpluto; The sign placement of Transpluto; House interpretation; Transpluto through the houses; Natal aspects to other planets; Example delineation with Transpluto; Transpluto & the Transneptunian planets; Transpluto in Joyce Wehrman's Winning Transits; Some interviews: Maria Kay Simms, Jim Shawvan, Dhruva, Hugh Martin; Concluding comments; Dates of sign ingresses, 1803-2014; Bibliography. Comment: An interpretation: On the level of daily life, Transpluto seems to suggest the personal, cultural & racial background on which our sense of destiny is based. More deeply, its symbolism represents the Universal Feminine (even Dionysus has a strongly feminine quality). Suppressed, this energy can generate disaster like the world famine that Demeter created when Persephone was held too long in the Underworld by Pluto. Released & acknowledged, this energy provides the force & direction for the highest fulfillment & realization. (pgs. 7-8) In interpreting Transpluto, Dukelow conflates three myths: That of Dionysus, god of revelry; Isis, who spent a great deal of her time trying to put the pieces of her son, Osiris, back together; and, Persephone, who was abducted by Pluto. The symbol for Transpluto (shown on the cover) is based on that of Mars. As for rulership, Dukelow gives us John Robert Hawkins's view that Transpluto is a co-ruler of Taurus (author of Transpluto, Or Should We Call Him Bacchus, Ruler of Taurus. Perhaps to his credit, Dukelow says he did not fully understand why & suggests Transpluto may be co-ruler of all three earth signs. He also suggests that in a sun-dominant chart, Transpluto rules Taurus, in a moon-dominant chart, Libra. The example chart is that of Nelson Rockefeller. Average distance from the sun is said to be 77.775 AU (1 AU = 93,000,000 miles), orbital period is about 685.65 years, eg, more than twice as far from the sun as Pluto. The program which ACS uses to calculate its position presumes it has an inclination of 0 degrees (ie, travels exactly on the ecliptic) & has an eccentricity of 0.3, meaning its orbit, like that of Pluto's, is quite elliptical. On May 17, 1938, it entered Leo. On October 18, 2011, it will enter Virgo. ACS, small paper, 31 pages.

	CHIRON IN HOUSES, SIGNS & ASPECTS - Maritha Pottenger, $4.95 Contents: Astronomical background; Mythological background; Astrological associations; Key words; Interpretations; Chiron in the houses; Chiron in the signs; Chiron in aspects; Conclusion. Comment: According to Pottenger, My experience is that the Sagittarius connection fits very well. If we consider that the driving thrust of Sagittarius is a search for ultimate truth, spiritual (and physical) healing could be one of the focuses in a quest for total truth. (pg. 2). Keywords include educational emphasis, idealism, optimism & travel (sounds like a little bit of Jupiter to me). Chiron in the houses is where you expect a lot of ____. Chiron by sign is where you seek the truth ____. In the blank will be such words, as assertively (Aries), solidly (Taurus), through discussion (Gemini), etc. About half the book are delineations of Chiron aspects, from pgs. 16 to 34, which include aspects to the nodes & four major asteroids. ACS, small paper, 34 pages.

	THE EAST POINT & THE ANTIVERTEX - Maritha Pottenger, $4.95 Contents: Astronomical background; Horoscope angles; Diagram of horoscope angles; Calculation; Where do they fall?; Interpretation; House placement; The west side story; Signs; Aspects; Synastry; Summary. Contents: The Anti-Vertex marks the intersection of the ecliptic with the prime vertical in the east. The complimentary western intersection is the better-known Vertex. The East Point is the intersection of the ecliptic with the above unnamed great circle (passing through the east & west points of the horizon & through the north & south poles of the Earth). (pg. 5, and, no I didn't understand that, either.) To calculate the East Point, take your local sidereal time of birth, go to 0 latitude in your table of houses, and find the ascendant: The East Point (you should interpolate to get the degree & minute exact). East Point & Anti-vertex both function as auxiliary ascendants, eg, they offer useful clues to major themes in the nature of the individual. Either angles requires more attention when a planet falls closely in conjunction. This is almost as significant as having that planet conjunct the Ascendant. (pg. 9). The West Point & Vertex, by contrast, relate to that basic self/other polarity.... It is easier to disown & see as "out there" (in other people) the western end. This potential of "giving away" a part of who we are & unconsciously attracting other people to manifest that missing side contributes to what has been called the "fated" quality of the Vertex. (pg. 10) As with her booklet on Chiron (above), the major part of this book is devoted to aspects to these four points, from page 20 to page 35, though without nodes nor asteroids. ACS, small paper, 35 pages.

	WHAT ARE ASTROLOCALITY MAPS - Maritha Pottenger, $4.95 Contents: Background; Interpretation: introduction, rising planets, minor bodies, setting planets, minor bodies, culminating planets, minor bodies, planets at lower culmination, minor bodies; Aspects; Quick guide; Summary; References. Comment: What a relocated chart is & what the lines on Astro*Carto*Graphy maps mean. "Minor bodies" are the four major asteroids, and Chiron. You could use this book as a basic guide to the interpretation of AstroCartoGraphy maps. A brief intro to a subtle & complex field. ACS, small paper, 31 pages.

	INTERPRETING COMPOSITE & RELATIONSHIP CHARTS - Joan Negus, $3.95 Contents: Background; How to interpret; Houses; Planets; Comparison with natal charts; Transits & progressions; Caveats; Bibliography. A quickie overview of composites. (For more detail, see Rob Hand's Planets in Composite.) ACS, small paper, 16 pages.

	COALESCENT HOROSCOPES, A new method of synastry - Dhruva & Dukelow, $4.95 Contents: Introduction; Case one: John Kennedy & Lee Harvey Oswald; Case two: a gay couple; Case three: A grisly murder; Case four: Marie & Pierre Curie; Case five: Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter; Case six: David & Dhruva; Conclusion; A brief listing of aspect meanings in coalescent charts; Bibliography. Comment: To calculate a coalescent chart, 1. find the shortest arc between the same planet in the two charts (as with a composite chart). 2. Divide 360 by this arc, to get the harmonic factor. 3. Multiply this factor by either natal planet's degree position. 4. Subtract 360 from this as many times as necessary to get an answer below 360 (eg, divide & take the remainder). The result is the coalescent position of the planet & will be the same regardless of which of the natal planets is used in step 3. For house cusps, find the coalescent MC & then use Meridian houses based on that sign & degree. North & south nodes are calculated separately & are rarely opposed. Use of the sidereal zodiac leads to radical changes in the coalescent chart, by comparison to the tropical. Instead of delineations, the authors offer sample chart interpretations. The first paring, of Kennedy & Oswald, is an impressive use of many different techniques & many other charts. Some of the fundamentals: The coalescent result of pairs of natal planets / angles less than 12 degrees apart natally may need to be ignored. Planets conjunct the coalescent MC/IC axis are fundamental to the expression of the relationship. Look for configurations in the coalescent chart. Oppositions, in particular, are significant. Look at the nodes. Coalescent nodes for those born less than a month apart will be opposed. If the house cusps are good, look at house placements. Examine transits to coalescent charts for important events. If you're patient, you may find novel things here. ACS calculates these charts (or once did, at any rate). I've also found it lurking in my Solar Fire v.4.17. ACS, small paper, 43 pages.

	YOUR DOG & ASTROLOGY - Marian Futterman, $3.00 Contents: Dogs through the zodiac, and the cusp, which are said to be mongrels. Comment: To summarize, Scorpio dogs bite, Aries are terrors, Taureans behave like cats, Aquarians think you're stupid, Virgos house-train easily, Leos pout, etc. Sharp observations. This tiny book has by far the best writing about pets that we've seen. Includes brief sections on cusp dogs, and a background of astrology. Here's the complete text for Sagittarius: "The Sagittarius dog will often run away from home, so always check all the local pounds not just the one in your neighborhood, as distance means nothing to this loner. He will come back for awhile and then be off again, so don't be too heartbroken. It has nothing to do with your treatment, they just like seeking new places to play. Extremely docile when brought home, he makes you feel protective towards him. These dogs love games, so take them to the local park or beach & throw balls or sticks for them to catch & retrieve, and this will keep them around for awhile. Certainly keeps you on your toes, which is healthy for you. Needless to say this is the perfect companion for the outdoorsman. They are courageous and adaptable to any situation." Unpaginated, 2 pages per sign, one of text and one for an example picture. Jay publishing (not ACS, it just kind of snuck in here), very small paper.

	DOG STARS: Astrology for dog lovers - Sherene Schostak & Wendy Lam, $19.95 Contents: Acknowledgments; Introduction Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces Conclusion References, Index Comment: Your dog, by Sun sign. I don't normally bother with sun-sign books, but actual horoscopes for dogs are rare, so sun-signs are the best we can do. If you don't know or can't guess your dog's sun sign (or, ideally, its ascendant or moon), the authors also organize breeds by the sign that best represents them. Well, why not? Aries: Dachshund, Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier Taurus: Bulldog, Bassett Hound, French Bulldog, Saint Bernard Gemini: Mutts Cancer: Great Danes, Cavailier King Charles Spaniel, Scottish Terrier etc. There's also helpful checklists. If your dog is feisty, vain, independent, impatient, self-absorbed, courageous, yappy, heroic, etc., you've got an Aries. For each of the twelve possibilities, the authors divide the texts into sub-sections appropriate to the sign. (Rather than the more common one mold that fits everyone.) What does an Aries dog dream about? chasing cars, beating up other dogs twice their size, being your hero. (pg. 1) Subheads for Aries include, Bark like it's hot!, Put up your dukes, dogs!, Bark loudly & carry a big stick, Macho, macho dog, My way or the highway. If an Aries dog could talk, it would say, Take me out NOW! No NOW, idiot! I'm counting to ten and then I'm leaving without you. I'm bored. I want to be a macho man. I'M right, you're wrong! Me! Me! Me! Me! Walk faster! Can't touch this! Excuuuuuuuse me, but I was here first. You're so slow, mo! (pg. 5) The Aries chapter continues with What an Aries Dog Wants in an Owner (Hot diggety human, Bark your mind), How to earn brownie points from an Aries doggie, and the essential Aries dog / human owner sun-sign compatibility guide. The chapter concludes with a "delineation" of a purebred example of the sign. For the Aries dog, the dachshund. If there's one flaw to the book, it's that the authors are city folk. They have no idea what dogs can do in the country. Lavishly illustrated, but, regrettably, paper & printing are cheap & do not do the photos (by Wendy Lam) justice. Typically books like this go through one or two print runs & are then abandoned by their publisher, ie, this book will be out of print by 2010, probably sooner. If you're a dog lover, or know someone who is, get this now. This is not a "little wonder", I just wanted to put it next to Futterman's small masterpiece, above. Viking Studio, 224 pages.

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