I loved Mindful Astrology: Finding Peace of Mind According to Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign by Monte Farber and Amy Zerner. Highly recommended. #MindfulAstrology #NetGalley

A simplified yet elegant beginner's guide to astrology, with easy to understand explanations and lovely graphics. I found it very useful and inspirational.

It is good for those who do have an interest in reading their chart and for others. Sections into Sun, moon, and rising Sun and not combines them which can be helpful.

This is a beautiful book with lots of helpful insight. By focusing on three key elements of a birth chart, it avoided becoming overwhelming, and the last chapter tied things together well.

Great book. Loved reading every page. Highly recommend for a gift for someone interested in the topics.

This is a good resource for someone starting out learning astrology and needs to know importance of their sun sign, moon sign and rising sign location. Mindful astrology mostly focused on how these three birth aspects represent themself in 12 zodiac signs, spending more attention on sun sign position. I was hoping that since the name of this book is Mindful Astrology, authors would explain more about moon sign and its influence on person's emotions. The chapter covering moon signs as well as beautiful illustrations were my favorite part of this work.

People are always asking you, "What is your Sign?" If your not sure, then this is the authoritative book for you. First of all it instructs you to create a birth chart and gives you the resources to do so. Your birth chart can give you your zodiacal birth sign as well as your sun and moon signs, which the book defines quite well. The book goes into great detail for each sign, as to characteristics, positive and negative, work and relationships. This is a most excellent reference book for anyone who is just curious about their own birth sign as well as that of others, or wishes to pursue further knowledge of Astrology and the Zodiac and it's influence upon our lives.

Book Review: Mindful Astrology: Finding Peace of Mind According to Your Sun, Moon and Rising Sign by Monte Farber and Amy Zerner
Genre: Religion and Spirituality / Health, Mind and Body
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group - Rock Point
Release Date: 27th April, 2021


Today’s book review is not a Wicca or Witchcraft specific book, it’s astrology. I wanted to include it in my reviews because it’s a topic that I’m interested in and I know a lot of Wiccans and Witches are too. However, if you are here as a non Wiccan or Witch; just someone with an interest in astrology, welcome, this review is also for you.

About the Authors
The authors of this book are described as ‘best-selling master astrologers’. They are a couple who know a lot about their subject and have plenty of experience in this area. As well as astrology, they also specialise in tarot, oracle and other areas of divination. They have been part of spiritual guidance teaching since 1988. That’s over thirty years of experience.

Farber and Zerner have written many other best-selling books together. Some of the titles include: The Enchanted Tarot, Astrology for Wellness, An Astrology Cookbook and The Wild Goddess Oracle deck.

About the Book
Obviously the book is about astrology, but what particular aspect does it look at? The title is ‘Mindful’ Astrology so for me I think about mindfulness and a self-care vibe. It’s about being more aware of what’s going on around you and being in the moment. Along with that, the book is described as teaching you, ‘how to use the essentials of astrology to more mindfully navigate your life and your relationships’.

The introduction explains a little more about the mindfulness aspect of the book and the authors see astrology as being part of a mindfulness practice in everyday life. Therefore, the purpose of the book is to use astrology as a tool to get to know yourself better to benefit your life and relationships.

It is split into sections. Section one gives the background and theory; looking at things like, what astrology is, how it works, and an explanation of exactly what the sun, moon and rising signs are along with what they can tell us about ourselves.

Furthermore, they give a brief explanation of how the birth/natal chart works. This is the chart that shows the alignment of the sun, the moon and the planets at the time we were born. To explain this in more detail the authors use reference to a pizza being cut into slices. The analogy didn’t really work for me, but it can be a tricky topic so I understand why they were trying to simplify it that way.

The next three sections or chapters focus specifically on the sun, moon and rising signs. They have allotted a chapter for each of the above. The idea is that you read the section of each chapter that corresponds to your signs. For example, for me my sun sign is Pisces so I read the Pisces section in the sun chapter. My moon is Taurus so I read that section in the moon chapter and my rising sign is Sagittarius so I read the Sagittarius section in the rising section.

The book is definitely good for beginners; people who are wanting to know that little bit more about astrology. You are probably already familiar with the sun sign (the position the sun was in when you were born). It’s usually what you say when people ask you what your sign is. The book works from that point and adds a little bit more to it. It looks at your moon sign - the position the moon was in when you were born and your rising sign.

If, at this point, you are a little confused and not sure what your sun, moon or rising signs are then it’s something you can find online. cafeastrology.com is a good site to use. The book also gives details about how to go about finding your signs.

My Thoughts
Firstly, as someone who is currently delving deeper into the astrology realm, it’s important to know there is still more to it than just these three things that are in the book, but this is always a good place to start. The sun sign alone doesn’t really give you a clear picture of yourself because it’s far too broad. Adding the moon and rising sign to this picture can give more depth to an astrology reading. However, like I said, there can be even more to it than that, such as planetary placements. This book is definitely a good place to start though and the mindful aspect is a very soft and gentle introduction to the topic.

As I mentioned, you only really need to read the sections of the book that apply to your signs. So that’s what I did. There wasn’t much point in me reading the other sections, that didn’t apply to me.

The sun sign section is the biggest section, with the most information. It is really nice, thoughtful information that will give you something to think about. As you read you will naturally try and link it to yourself and your behaviour in life. You might identify some areas that feel familiar and consider how to be more mindful of certain character traits in your life. One aspect I did not love, and this is something that tends to come up in a lot of astrology books, is the repeated use of ‘you are’ statements. For example it will say, ‘you are like this...’, ‘you feel this way...’, ‘you like or you don’t like this...’ I always think to myself, ‘you don’t know me!’ It’s far too familiar for me. I’d prefer it if they avoided those big sweeping statements and added a ‘may’ or a ‘might’. So it reads more like, ‘you may feel...’, ‘you might like...’ I know the book is about character, emotions and feelings that apply to each sign but we are not all the same and not everything is going to resonate with everyone. However, that might just be a personal dislike.

Moving on to the moon sign section, it is a lot shorter. Whereas with the sun sign chapter there was around 3 pages of information for each sign, this section is just a paragraph; barely half a page, which is slightly disappointing. Again, I felt like I resonated with areas of it, yet still didn’t like the familiarity of the ‘you are’ statements.

Lastly, the rising sign section. Even though the authors say the rising or ascendant sign is, ‘one of the most important things you will ever know about yourself’ they still only attribute a page for each sign. This was a little disappointing because, like they referenced, some astrologers believe that your rising sign can be more telling about who you are as a person than your sun sign. In this section they also attempt to define physical appearance by rising sign, which is not something I’ve come across before, and it was really wrong for me. I mean Tall? I’m 5 foot 2!

Another thing I was slightly disappointed with was that, for the most part, the sun, moon, and rising signs are dealt with as individual things, rather than what they tell us about ourselves when they appear together. If that makes sense? For example, it told me what having a Pisces sun sign means and what a Taurus moon sign means. But what do these two things appearing together suggest? There is a little bit about this in the last chapter. It gives information about if your signs all come from the same element (e.g. all water signs) or if you have a combination of elements. I have a water sign, earth sign and a fire sign. However, again, this was only a small section and I felt like it wasn’t detailed enough for me. It could be because I’m further along in my astrology studies, therefore I’m looking for deeper meanings and links. However, I feel to have a truly personal reading you need to think about how your sun, moon and rising signs work together rather than just individually. Thinking about it, that is probably difficult to do in a book as there are so many different combinations. You are probably better off going to an astrologer and having them read your natal chart if you looking for something more personal.

Final Thoughts
Overall there are a few things to consider about the book. Firstly, as you only really need to read the section that is relevant to you, it can feel like a lot of the book is irrelevant. Almost wasted. I would recommend using the book with family and friends to explore their birth signs. It’s actually a fun activity. Even if your friends or family don’t put much stock into astrology itself, you’ll find they still like to agree or disagree with the assessments.

Secondly, I feel like once I’d read my sections, that was it. It’s probably not a book I’m going to come back to for reference or guidance. Especially because it doesn’t really give you any actionable steps about being more mindful once you have read the information.

As I said at the start, it is a book for beginners and I think that’s what it is good for. If you are looking to start learning astrology and want to apply it to yourself specifically, then this book is definitely good for that. The information is really thoughtful and nice (I can’t think of a better word to describe it). It just has a nice vibe in the way the authors deliver the information. It has all the information you need to know to understand the basics: introductory explanations to astrology itself, the sun moon and rising signs, and the birth chart.

If you are a beginner looking for an insight into your personal astrology and applying it to various aspects of your everyday life then it is a good little book to start with. My more advanced astrologers out there will probably want something a bit more in depth.

I hope you found this review useful. If you have any questions about the book or anything else related then please feel free to ask them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rock Point publishers for allowing me to read and review an advanced e-copy of this book.

I liked this book but I did not love it by any means. Primarily because it did not provide any new information to my sun, moon, and rising signs. The book is a great intro to learning about them if they are something you have not studied yet but I found the descriptions somewhat vague and can be interpreted into a way where your signs could have been anything. I think if you are looking for a foundation to start with, this is a great book. If you are someone that has a solid understanding of your astrology, this one isn't for you!

Thank you Monte Farber, Amy Zerner, Quarto Publishing Group, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mindful Astrology by Monte Farber; Amy Zerner is a well informed and researched introduction to astrology. This features Sun, Moon and Rising Star details for each member of the zodiac giving more in-depth detail to each. Including online links for more information.

Every once in a while an astrology book appears that resets things and creates a new paradigm, while remaining true to tradition. The team in love and life of astrologers Monte Farber and Amy Zerner, creators of the incredibly successful Enchanted Tarot, have produced such a book. The Enchanted World has been a force in publishing for 33 years, creating a variety of spiritual products: books, oracles, and Amy’s extraordinary art career that incorporates collage, fine art tapestries, jewelry and custom couture. Like all their works, Mindful Astrology is not only beautifully designed but is also an intuitive guide to wholeness, blending Sun, Moon, and Rising Signs in thoughtful, wise, and often playful fashion. It can and should be savored at length, but just is as easily quickly consulted for a fast jolt of reality. My own “Celestial Trilogy” of Aquarius Sun, Virgo Moon, and Gemini Rising proved to be spot on, as did the other profiles I consulted. Astrologers always emphasize that the most significant placements of any horoscope are these three, despite the pop culture insistence on only the Sun as the definition of a personality. Farber and Zerner assert the vital importance of the Rising Sign (Ascendant), the persona. In our daily interactions, the Rising Sign is the personality we present to the world, making this awareness essential. With remarkable economy, this book distills the basics about astrology (with step by step guidance for obtaining the first chart reading), provides a grounding in philosophy and physics and moves swiftly to interpretation. Integrating the three is the work of a lifetime, but Mindful Astrology gives you the tools you need to begin this sacred process. Primary among these is encouragement, and that is there in abundance. The neophyte will be pleased and intrigued beginning a relationship with this ancient science, and the initiate will nod in recognition at their astute analysis delivered straight, no chaser. This is a joyful book, personal and enriching. Mindful Astrology belongs in your library if you are interested in truly knowing yourself. Highly recommended. I received a pre publication digital copy from NetGalley.

Most astrology books tend to focus on a few well-known dominant traits for each astrological sign. Mindful Astrology bucks this trend with content that can be more broadly interpreted. It causes the reader to pause and think “is this really me?”, which I think is far more beneficial than reinforcing immutable behavioral traits to which people assume they have no choice but adhere. In my case specifically, I was born on a cusp, so I tend to have features of both sun signs for that date and oscillate back and forth at any given time.

Another aspect of Mindful Astrology that is incredibly refreshing is the additional focus on moon and ascending signs and how the trinity combines to affect overall personality. Often, astrology sources tend to take the siloed approach of dishing out advice for sun signs only, which overlooks critical influences on our behavior. I found a great deal of insight by delving into all three signs and how they intersect to create the incredible being that is me. However, the exploration of these signs is brief and I would have liked to see as much consideration here as there is for sun signs.

Finally, let me touch on the main reason I selected this book: the absolutely gorgeous illustrations. While I have the digital version, it is destined to be a favorite coffee table book with the visual enhancements throughout. Not only are the illustrations beautiful, but they serve a meditative function, further deepening the experience one gains from the self-exploration the book prompts.

As with most metaphysical books, this is not a resource you’ll read once and then shelve. This is a book you’ll return to again and again, to remind yourself of your own work, as well as decipher the motivations of those you encounter in life. You’ll gain a greater understanding of loved ones, colleagues, and acquaintances, and maybe even develop a little empathy for your “enemies”.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, the book is a good introduction to astrology. The first half of the book is primarily dedicated to describing sun signs, and the last half is focused on moon signs and ascendent signs with a bit of information about how they interact. The illustrations are gorgeous and fit the book well. It was also well written. However, I was hoping for more detailed information about mindfullness. There are a few snippets throughout the book, but because of the title I assumed it would be a primary focus. I also would have liked to see more attention paid to the moon and ascendent signs since they are less typically discussed less.

The astrology info is straight forward and easily understood. It's a perfectly serviceable book in that matter. I don't understand how it's "mindful" though, That seems to be a buzz word thrown in to appeal to the mindfulness trend. Nothing in this book is anything other than a normal standard astrology book. I deducted two stars for the misleading title but gave it three since it is a decent astrology book besides that.

This book is a very enjoyable and simple way to learn about astrology and improve your life while doing so. I found the descriptions of me to be accurate and almost surprisingly so. Now that I know which˙ planets and times are more beneficent for moving forward I am having more success. I wanted this book so I could look back on when times were hard for me than others so I could plan better for my future, This book was fun and easy to read. The illustrations are big enough and clear. All in all a very modern and easy way to use astrology with as little stress as possible,

A unique presentation of astrology, but ultimately the book was similar to any other astrology book you'd find on the shelves (there's only so many ways to change a rather straight-forward topic). However, I very much enjoyed the artwork scattered throughout the book, it had a real ethereal feel to it that was calming and encouraging. I also appreciated the summation of moon signs and rising signs as well. I especially liked the bit at the back of the book that included different combinations of signs, like if you have three fixed signs or two water signs. It was a unique spin on astrology that I hadn't seen before but had been curious about -- it was nice to see it added in here.

A well organized and informative introductory work of astrology. This is a worthwhile purchase as it contains information on sun signs, moon signs, and rising signs. Helpful links to online sites that personalize astrological charts. A useful addition to personal and library collections. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy, I found it an enjoyable read.

I adore Astrology! I am even doing a course in astrology at the moment so I jumped at the chance to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is certainly beautiful to look at, but it lacks substance.
It literally just is a few pages explaining each sun, moon and rising sign. That's it. There isn't anything original about this book.
Why it is called 'mindful' I don't know! There is nothing mindful about this book and the title is incredibly misleading!!
Really disappointing!!

Don't be fooled by the title. This book is just your bog-standard astrology reference book. Nothing special, nothing original, nothing detailed! There are better books out there.

As someone who already has done a little research into my birth chart and "celestial trilogy" I was interested in seeing what additional information this book could provide. While it didn't really provide me with too much new information, I think it will be a great resource for people who are looking to expand out past their sun sign. Learning about your "celestial trilogy" and past that can give you a clearer picture of your personality. I was really hoping for more information about how these three aspects would interact with each other. And the section that talks a little about this I found somewhat lacking. And while I understand that not every aspect of these descriptions may be spot on, it is still interesting to research. I think it's important to understand that your star chart is just one part of you and that there are other factors that influence your personality.

So, overall, this was not quite what I was hoping for, but I acknowledge how massive of a book it would be to include how all the sun, moon, and rising signs interact with the others, I was hoping for a little more of that. I would definitely recommend this for someone just starting out and getting their toes wet so to speak. Most people only know their sun sign and this helps readers figure out where to go to find out the rest.

Thank you to Quarto and Netgalley for an eARC of this book, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a free ARC of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever felt like your astrology sign (aka your sun sign) doesn't fully describe you? Or that how you come off to the world seems to differ from who you think you are? Society in general only focuses on your sun sign which is determined by the date you were born on. However that's like the first layer of the onion, while if you pull up your birth chart you'll see a ton of symbols in different places. Those planet signs go deeper into your personality and when putting all of the pieces together you can discover all the different layers of you, which might be similar to your sun sign or the majority of planets are in opposite signs which might be why you don't relate to your horoscope.

Mindful Astrology focuses on your "celestial trilogy", a term I've never heard before but is defined by the authors as the three core parts of your chart which make up your true personality. The book teaches you how to look up your birth chart for free, if you didn't know how, and gives you interpretations of your sun sign, moon sign, and rising sign. It also explains how these three interact with each other to give you a clearer picture of your personality. As a hobbyist astrologer, I personally think a person's Mercury, Venus and Mars signs are also critical pieces to understanding yourself. But it's true that the "celestial trilogy" makes up the foundation of your personality and gives you more insight into who you are. To break it down you sun sign explains your basic nature and motivations, while your moon sign explains how you internally process information and react to it, and finally your rising sign is the personality your reflect outwards and how people see you at first before getting to know you better.

The explanations of all the signs in these three positions are very well done and informative. It's different from a regular astrology book because its theme is mindfulness. So instead of telling you how you are in different aspects the writers have written the descriptions as advice for common issues faced by your sign. When reading the summary for my sun sign the authors hit the nail on the head with my personal struggles and gave relevant advice on how to overcome it. (If you're interested I'm an Aries sun, Aries moon, and Sagittarius rising.) They also give two pieces of practical advice on mindful routines you can adopt into your life to help the issues your sign generally faces.

The book itself is very pretty, and I loved the illustrations they had on almost every page. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the previously mentioned exclusion of the Mercury, Venus, and Mars signs. Mercury explaining how you communicate with others. Venus is how you approach relationships and how you show love and affection. And Mars is how you approach ambition, passion, and conflict. However, I understand what a monster of a book it would be to include everything. I just find the "celestial trilogy" to be part of the puzzle and not the whole puzzle as explained in the book. It is nice however to have these three signs discussed in detail all in one place.

Overall I'd recommend it if you're interested in astrology and your personality. It's also helpful to know the signs of your partner or children so you understand more on what drives them, how they handle emotions, and how you can help them.

I give Mindful Astrology 4 out of 5 stars.