The Inner Sky: The Dynamic New Astrology for Everyone

by Steven Forrest

Dynamic new astrology! The author’s treatment in this introductory text is noteworthy for its compassion, humor and common sense. All of the basics are covered - planets, signs, houses and aspects - emphasizing how they reflect the rich complexity of life. Steven teaches the reader how to be fluent in the language of astrology, rather than merely following rote methods of interpretation. The stars are only the beginning; here is your complete guide to the universe of potential within each of us.

Genres: Astrology, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Witchcraft, Magick, Magic

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Kerry Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of several books that I always recommend to people who tell me they are interested in learning Astrology because it is fun and easy to read, while also being filled with delightful and relevant information.

It bears noting that the original subtitle of The Inner Sky was "The Dynamic New Astrology for Everyone" and that was probably a more accurate description than the newer "How to Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life" currently used in the book title. This is NOT a self-help pop psychology book, as the newer title would have you believe. While some readers may indeed gain knowledge that will allow them to 'make wiser choices for a more fulfilling life' (results may vary, depending on the individual reader), this book is actually just a well organized, clearly written introduction to the symbolic/archetypal language known as Astrology.

The first half of The Inner Sky describes in depth each of the various elements that make up this symbolic language - the zodiacal signs, planets, houses, and aspects used in astrology. Once the reader has acquired a basic understanding of these fundamental concepts, they can begin what will likely be the life-long practice of chart synthesize using as a 'starter kit' the excellent analysis guidelines offered by Forrest in the latter half of the book.

The Inner Sky is a perfect 'textbook' for those who want to learn the basic fundamentals of natal Astrology and chart interpretation and analysis, while also learning about they way they and others 'tick'. Highly recommended for newbie, beginner, and intermediate astrologers.

[William Strasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently picked up another Forrest book ("The Book Of Pluto") and remembered this one, which I read several years ago and have given copies to at least a couple of friends. I want to recommend this book strongly, not only to "beginners" but to anyone wanting to gain a very clear understanding of what the signs, houses and aspects are about. That is Forrest's main strength...using poignant imagery to make one understand very quickly what a particular symbol means (and astrology is a language of symbols.) I had been studying astrology off and on for quite a while when I came across this book, and Forrest managed to make coherent quite a few things that I'd previously only been able to connect in disjointed, "keyword" terms. I might also suggest this book to anyone who feels astrology is rubbish...but then, I'm not here to "convert" anyone. As my friend and mentor Quan Tracy Cherry says, "Belief is not required."

[Lauren Kayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, this is the most comprehensive and easy to understand beginner's astrology book I've read to date. Instead of the "give a man a fish" formula a lot of books employ by listing out different planet/sign combinations ("if you have Mercury in Gemini you're quick-witted and chatty," etc) Forrest teaches you how to fish--with the what/why/how of each planet/sign/house, you learn to piece it all together rather than relying on slap-dash pop astrology blurbs.

On the other hand, I could not overlook how much this book Othered anyone who is not white or American. The assumption with every astrological description is that the reader or the client fits that "default," and there are often questionable and offensive references to the Orient, "primitive tribes," use of the g*psy slur, etc. The first edition of this was published in the 80's, but you'd think with subsequent editions someone would look at the world we live in and edit with inclusivity in mind. (Then again, the book is strewn with so many distracting typos that it's clear no one's given it a close look in a while.) I hesitate to recommend it for these reasons, even though it's otherwise a solid beginner's astrology text.

[Andrei Stinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books concerning the core aspect of astrology - birthchart analysis and interpretation. The author introduces a modern take on astrological thought by discarding medieval principles and pravtices and adding a powerful evolutionary philosophy. The birthchart is no longer a portrait of an individual but a map of potentialities from which the individual is free to choose from...
Enlightening read. It has rekindled my interest for the Art.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Steven Forrest's writing. He's clear and concise and speaks to both the average reader and to the philosopher. It's not difficult to understand and yet you have to think about it. This book was helpful because I am learning to interpret a birth chart and he gives essential tips in being able to do that. This is my first experience with evolutionary astrology and it just might be the book I keep going back to again and again.

[Debbiezb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having now read probably a dozen astrology primers over the last year and a half, this is the one that has finally brought chart-reading to life for me. Forrest talks about all the signs and symbols and the whole chart itself in terms of evolutionary drive--a interpretive style similar to that of Stephen Arroyo, who characterizes himself as a humanistic astrologer. Unlike Arroyo, however, Forrest gives vivid illustrations of what both successful and counterproductive expressions these drives looks like. Forrest is a bit more fun to read, which probably helped me too! His sometimes melodramatic explications really drive home the points being made.

[Cristina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on the basics of astrology ever. Steven is a master of language. He is a consummate storyteller of the signs, planets and houses. He puts together this story in a way that we can see ourselves in relation to these symbols. He encourages us to engage in our personal journeys and take advantage of the wonderful art and science of astrology as both a path to deeper self knowledge and a life planning tool.

I have recommended and given away this book more times than I can count. Now I highly recommend it to you if you are curious about the inner workings of your psyche and soul.

[MizzSandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to own this.
I need to be able to go back and read all this wonderful, insightful wisdom over and over again. I need the keys this book is offering, ready at hand, to unlock the doors to the mysteries to my own and other peoples journeys and inner workings.

Steven writing is inspiring and fascinating and I just want more, more, more. He is a great guide to the mystery of astrology, explaining, showing and gently challenging and encouraging.
I will get my hands on a copy of this book and I will surely be coming back to both Steven and astrology. The journey has only just begun ;)

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was disappointed with this book and put it away after reading the first few chapters. Nothing new, I thought. I'd signed up for an astrology apprenticeship and had already read dozens of astrology books, but this was required reading. I'm so glad it was! Although the first few chapters are a fundamental overview on planets and houses, even an experienced astrologer could benefit from Forrest's final chapters on chart interpretation. This book really gave me practical tools I could use and I can highly recommend it.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me forever to read this book, the writing can be quite 'flowery' at times.
The second half of the book was invaluable to me, the way he described planetry rulerships, the grouping of the Asc, Sun and Moon into a triad, the main Aspects and how to put it all together...it just clicked.
When you think this book was first written in the 1980's, it was really ahead of its time.
Steven Forrest is to Astrology what Alan Titchmarsh is to gardening.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven Forrest presents a logical format in diciphering the birth chart. Then as one becomes familiar with that model, he encourages you to lift off and read the birth chart from an intuitive place. Well done.

[kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first astrology book anyone should read. Evolution-minded, realistic, and parsed beautifully.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I probably will abandon reading this thing. Full of nonesense. I get the feeling he thinks he is so good when he rambles around writing 10 paragraphs analogy for every minor point he wants to make....I just read couple of descriptions of the signs in this book and they were beyond stupid and wrong. I flung the door open to the heart broken Gengiz Khan??!! I personally skin him alive (like he did to my ancestors) and feed his organs and limbs to dogs and cats. I'll do that to the American baby killers too if they ever dare to invade my country! (Not personally this time, but I won't disapprove if a dog food company uses their corpses to make dogfood)...stupid Astrologers thinking Cancer is all about being nice and motherly (and even more stupid and naive of them is to think being motherly is about being nice, even to Gengiz Khan or the American baby killers! A mother bear who surgically removes your face with one stroke if you get close to her cubs is also acting very motherly! Superficial modern Western Astrologers who normally simply copy paste the same garbage from one another often miss that side and go with their stereotypes of Cancer is the mother, mother is a woman, women are nice, women are vulnerable, blah blah blah...bullshit!!
Once upon a time, before Gengiz Khan destroyed Iran upon the request of cavemen in Europe, Astrologers were among the most intelligent people of the world. Now every semi-intelligent person has become an astrologer and has even written books on it!!

[Bookewyfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine (who I think of as a life/soul coach) who is a wonderful astrologer recommended this book to me when I asked her, where can I learn a basic understanding of what you do (Evolutionary Astrology). If you're going to pick up a book and try to understand the complex language that is astrology, this is the book. It breaks it down, step by step, to where you can understand it (or at least halfway understand it), in simple language. I have never thought that astrology made any sense and I never put faith into those little daily horoscopes. Astrology is much, much more than that. Actually, just scratch that out completely.
After reading this book, I definitely have a better understanding of the zodiac signs, and the birth chart doesn't look quite as much like Welsh to me. I'm not saying that I have a good understanding of astrology now, or that I can pick apart my birth chart easily, because I'm not there.

So what is Evolutionary Astrology? It's the map of YOU. The map tells you why you're here, where you need to go, and how to get there. (Reincarnation and astrology are hand in hand together). After reading this, I can see the similarities of my readings (past life) and I can definitely see the connection with that and my zodiac. So...I'm getting a print made of my birth chart, so I can try to understand it a little more, a piece at a time.

[Dajana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ideally I’d give this a 3.5, not because the book is bad, it is actually quite knowledgeable. Which, precisely may be the issue. As someone who does not know much about astrology, this was a bit overwhelming and hard to read. I think this would have been better (again for newcomers like myself) if it had been split into 3 different books: beginner, intermediate, and expert. I loved how the planets and houses were explained, but everything after that only further confused me. He also towards the end says to familiarize yourself with the sun, moon, and ascendant first before moving onto anything else and then I felt like everything else I read was pointless because I wasn’t familiar with it yet. The book is well written and explains things in a mostly simple way, but again it may have been too much information at once. I also towards the end felt like it was meant more for someone who wants to read birth charts and go deeper into it, vs myself who just wanted a more generic understanding of it all. It helped to check the costar app during some of it to understand a few things, would recommend doing that as well.

[Callie Ebben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely fantastic resource for anyone looking to grasp the knots and bolts of astrology. Astrology is a vast field of study, and I'm impressed by how Steven Forrest manages to break all the main elements down, and explain them in layman terms.

I found myself giggling a lot while making my way through this book. Steven certainly adds a nice dose of humour and informality to the topic. I also appreciate his candor, and the way he challenges his reader to dive into the vast alluring landscape of astrology, but not to get lost in the world of maps and symbols. We are here to experience life.

Astrology does not seek to explain the meaning of life. That remains a mystery. Astrology can offer help and direction, but it cannot help us overcome our fears. We are here to experience life and give it our best go. If we experience tension in our life - good! What does that hint to? What type of growth and expansion is waiting to happen once you identify the underlying currents creating your experience?

I highly recommend this book.

[Lauma Llamandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here I am with what seems to be a minority opinion on this book - I did not particularly like it and here is why.
If you love long winded poetic descriptions of the most minute of details - you will love this book.
I personally want my study books to be concise and to the point. This was certainly not the book for that.
If you took out the copious amounts of "flower language" the book would be about half the size.
And to be fair, this half-size book had some good points and pointers, I just found it incredibly hard to untangle the useful information from the fluff and would struggle to use it for any meaningful reference.
The author may know his stuff and I appreciate his slightly unique approach to presenting the subject and see why others may love it, but it reminded me too much of a high school essay with a minimum word count where you have to blag half of it with fancy words.
Just not my cup of tea - I will be sticking to more concise and to the point books in the future if I can help it.

[Durgadas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time through the Inner Sky. I think it's one of the best introductory Astrology books, especially if you come to Astrology with an Evolutionary lens rather than a classical or predictive one. Particularly because I agree with him that Astrology is a language and the best way to become adept at reading charts and understanding it is to learn this language. My main criticism is that sometimes Forrest makes dramatic points at the expense of the content (his writing style veers toward "here's a zinger! And another! And another!"). When this lands, it lands like zingers do. When it doesn't, it's a little too hokey. Relatedly, it seems like his intention was to turn every sign's evolutionary quest into a high stakes proposition. When this doesn't resonate, it's like a friend who makes a bigger deal of your drama than you ever would, where you're like, "um...I guess?" But that's small potatoes compared to the gems in this book. The other main issue I'd highlight is that as the years go by, the act of picking one celebrity to do an extensive chart analysis on seems a bit unfortunate because new generations will be less and less familiar with him. I'm not naming the celebrity because part of the point of the book is for it to be teased and then revealed. But I think younger people, either now or in ten years, will be like, "who?"

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great beginner book! I already was familiar with astrology, but reading this i discovered many things i didn't even know existed.
It covers all the basics and helps you understand how things work, and how to interpret a birth chart.
It's a nice and easy read, even though it is PACKED with information. But don't get overwhelmed!
Take it in little by little, and be patient with yourself, because something as complicated as astrology always takes a bit of practice and experience.
Anyway, this is a must for everyone whos interested in learning about this matter, and it is totally worth the buy.
Amazing book💫

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely invaluable. It is the book I always recommend when people ask for a good intro text. It is the only intro book I know that truly respects free will and explores the different ways people respond to the signs.

My only caveat is that this book is best treated as a reference. If you're just starting out, get a copy of your birth chart and use his sections on the planets, houses, and signs to put together a picture of your inner sky. Then follow your interest through the rest of the book.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a way to really understand astrology!

I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve been studying on and off for decades, and not very seriously at that. Forrest’s book brings a perspective that resonates with a personal growth perspective that non judgmental and prescriptive. I especially enjoyed the practicality of using one birth chart to show how to read, and not revealing who the person was until the end. When the name was revealed the teachings set forth crystallized immediately. A must have.

[zeknir · Rating 5 out of 5]

just get it, you wont be disappointed. full of great information, one you can keep referencing back to, and yet steven forrest’s voice throughout it makes it so much more than just a reference book. i learned a ton, i’m very much a beginner, but i know i’ll keep referencing back to it for years to come. seems like the type of book that you could learn something new every time you go back to it, no matter what sort of level you’re on. great insights and tidbits.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stellar introduction to astrology generally, as well as a fantastic guide on how to step-by-step read a birth chart. This will introduce you to the signs, planets, and houses. He also attempts to reconcile the magical elements of astrology with scientific realism in his approach. I think it's an admirable attempt that's not quite excellently executed. But if you're willing to suspend disbelief to simply engage with the ideas, then I'd recommend this book.

[NM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took an astrology course years ago and this is the one book the astrologer recommended for beginners and I very much understand why now that I’ve completed it. This is an exceptionally well-written and thorough guide that’s perfect for anyone wanting to learn and really understand the fundamentals of astrology. I can already see myself going back to this book over and over again to reference material and strengthen my practice.

[Waris Ahmad Faizi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical!
A wonderful and insightful book on Astrology. For me as a beginner in Astrology, it was a pleasure to read this engaging and mesmeric book. I learned a lot fundamentally about this interesting knowledge. Stephen Forrest has been very articulate and practical on how to explain each section and each concept clearly.
I am grateful to my dearest and kindest friend "Haseeba Zormati" who has been the first sparkle and inspiration for me to know and learn about Astrology.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good introduction to understanding the language of astrology. I really appreciate that this is not a cookbook-type astrology book, but gives you ways to understand the different parts in order to begin synthesizing them together. Planets - the what; the signs - the why and how; the houses - the where; and how to start making "sentences", tying the chart together with aspects, rulerships, and the moon's nodes. Will probably refer back to this one a lot.

[AK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, essential book for reading natal charts from an evolutionary astrology perspective. Since it was written in the 80s, the references are dated but don't take away from the content.

CW: abusive celebrity
The anonymous chart you read throughout the book is John Lennon's.

[ANOURUK · Rating 5 out of 5]

very nice introduction to astrology, it helped me gain confidence in learning each zodiac archetype, planets and their energies and reading birth charts as a whole with houses as directional guides. gonna keep this on my shelf forever for reference, highly recommend. easy read with good humour to break the seriousness. i loved it

[Kelly Miess]

Unfinished for now. Good explanation about the link between astronomy and astrology, one of the best I've seen. Got through the basics and liked it very much but not so much after that. I'm not sure evolutionary astrology is my thing.

[Darity Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal book on astrology for a neophyte!!! So easy to understand. So easily read! Stephen is very articulate and I loved this book. I learned so much! If you are interested in astrology. This is the book for you!