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Horary Textbook - John Frawley
Pub. by Apprentice Books
www.johnfrawley.com
Reviewed by Claire Chandler in Astrology Quarterly Summer 2005
 John
Frawley’s third book, The Horary Textbook, is a valuable addition
to any astrologer’s bookshelf. In contrast to his earlier books,
The Real Astrology and The Real Astrology Applied, this volume is intensely
practical and the focus is squarely on presenting the material in the
most accessible way possible.
The book is split into two sections. The first takes you through the
techniques and concepts used in Horary astrology and the second goes through
the houses providing examples and explanations of questions which fall
into these areas. This is a text book not a treatise; it is designed to
be used, worked through and referred back to. Not an academic work, it
provides practical advice, which has obviously been obtained from hard
earned experience gained at the sharp end with clients. This Real Astrology
sits side by side with aphorism and explanation providing an appreciation
of both theory and practice.
Not afraid to say “ignore this bit, it doesn’t add to your
judgement”, Frawley remains respectful of the Tradition. For example,
planetary hours in horary are dismissed as are the considerations before
judgement. This gives us an eminently useable body of knowledge and within
this book is everything needed to get you started as a Horary astrologer.
My initial reservation was that he does not explain, or make the user
aware of, certain areas of controversy, but on reflection, I don’t
think that’s a bad thing. You need to get horary charts under your
belt, to build up your mileage if you like, before you can appreciate
some of these positions. If you don’t get started after reading
The Horary Textbook then maybe horary isn’t for you.
The examples are modern and sound like the same type of questions real
people that you might know would take to an astrologer.
You have no doubt that these techniques work and that once you’ve
worked through the book that they would for you too. These explanations
make sense to a modern reader and he helps you absorb them via the examples.
Particularly useful is the extensive self test on turning the chart which
comes with an entire appendix giving full explanations of each answer.
As this is a concept which a great many people have trouble with this
is a valuable resource.
The material on essential dignity and receptions is particularly useful
and anyone having problems with these should get their hands on this volume
at the first opportunity. Together with the chapter in The Real Astrology
Applied, Frawley’s writing on receptions is amongst the clearest
and most applicable that I’ve seen.
Traditional Astrology requires that you adopt a different mindset or
at least appreciate that position. Until you figure this out the material
can be very difficult to understand. The old texts are difficult, both
in language and presentation, and the contemporary texts which present
these ideas to a modern ear are few and far between; Frawley has begun
to fill this gap splendidly.
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