Product Description

A fresh, in-depth perspective on the zodiac you thought you knew

This book provides a revealing new look at the astrological signs, from Aries to Pisces. Gain a deeper understanding of how each sign motivates you to grow and evolve in consciousness. How does Aries work with Pisces? What does Gemini share in common with Scorpio? All Around the Zodiac is the only book on the market to explore these sign combinations to such a degree.

Not a Sun-sign guide, but a thorough look at the twelve signs themselves, this book is broken into three parts. Part 1 defines the signs, part 2 analyzes the expression of sixty-six pairs of signs, and part 3 designates the expression of the planets and houses in the signs.

·The author has been involved with astrology for thirty-five years and is a full-time professional astrologer
·Perfectly suited to beginning-to-intermediate students, as well as professionals looking for analysis of inter-sign aspects and sign combinations
·Helps the user produce more accurate horoscopes
·Celebrities are listed to illustrate the dynamic qualities of each sign
·Readers enjoy the author's humorous slant as he skillfully blends intuitive thinking with analytical reasoning

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #266713 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 460 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780738701110
• Condition: USED - GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Author
Here's a thorough, well-organized, information-packed book that will help you fully understand the basic and expanded meanings of astrology's twelve signs....yet not from the usual and often limited Sun-sign perspective. Get to instead know the signs the way that professional astrologers and serious students do.

Part One discusses, at length, the main ingredients (the four elements: fire, earth, air, water, and three modes: cardinal, fixed, mutable) that explain a sign’s core behavior. I then profile the twelve signs in a colorful, conversational manner that won't sound like a mere rehash of any basic astrology texts that you may have read before.

Part Two explores what to expect when any two signs join forces. No other book on the market today analyzes sign combinations to such a degree. This normally hard-to-find information will help you learn even more about each sign's psychology, as you discover how that sign interrelates with the eleven others.

Part Three discusses each sign’s influence on the various planets and house cusps of a birth chart, pointing out the prime themes and situational issues commonly found.

My book lucidly presents its information in a practical, yet entertaining, fashion. If a fascination with your birth sign, and those of your loved ones, initially got you interested in astrology, here's your chance to learn even more about the importance of the zodiac from an experienced astrologer who loves teaching what he knows.

About the Author
Bil Tierney has been involved with astrology for over thirty-five years. As a full-time professional, he has lectured and given workshops at major astrological conferences throughout the United States and Canada since the mid-1970s. He has a special interest in studying the birth chart from a practical, psychological level that also encourages spiritual growth. He is a longtime member of the Metropolitan Atlanta Astrological Society (MAAS), and has served as its newsletter/journal editor several times. Bil’s work has been published in astrological publications such as Aspects and The Mercury Hour. The books he has written include Dynamics of Aspect Analysis, and the Llewellyn titles: Twelve Faces of Saturn, Alive and Well with Neptune, Alive and Well with Uranus, Alive and Well with Pluto, and All Around the Zodiac.

When Bil is not busy with client consultations, lecturing, tutoring, and writing articles and books, his other big passion is computers. Clients enjoy Bil’s animated, warm, and easy-going style, and they are impressed with his skillful blend of the intuitive and the analytical. His humorous slant on life is appreciated as well. Readers enjoy his through, insightful approach to astrological topics.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Fire Element

Flame Ride

Although all elements represent qualities that are equally valuable to our inner growth, the element of fire symbolizes a particularly dominant cultural force throughout the world. Fire is associated with "doing" rather than with "thinking" or "reflecting." It''s an action-oriented element that freely moves out into life to dynamically seize the moment---think of flames energetically shooting upward and outward. Fire''s "burning" urge is to experience life adventurously and with full gusto. Although not particularly organized, logical, or even considerate of others, fire motivates us to take quick, decisive action in the here and now---to strike boldly while the iron is hot and our passions are running high.

Until relatively recently, the archetypal world of fire has been the exclusive domain of traditional male behavior, reinforced by centuries of unquestioned and unbroken social conditioning. Society permits men to "do" their fire without much penalty---boys will be boys---that is, at least until males overdo their fiery expression and become destructively "macho."

Fire is a fighting element, ready to attack whatever tries to thwart its energy or get in its way. Applied on a mass level, this becomes warfare---a collective drama where men, historically, have released fire''s potential fury by engaging in large-scale violence. Many men of today also vent their fire by being active in sports, by sexual conquest, by hunting, or by plunging into exciting forms of physical risk---daredevils are born of the fire element. Abhorring timid, wishy-washy behavior, fire is no coward when it comes to finding ways to satisfy its urges.

Women today are also learning firsthand---and perhaps cautiously---that it is psychologically and physically beneficial to own and openly express what fire represents: our human ability to move bravely out into the world according to the spontaneous impulses of our desire and self-will. More and more females are joining the ranks in such fields as boxing, football, soccer, weightlifting, and so on---formerly all male-dominated activities. More women are also running big businesses in the corporate world, and are taking on high political office---all due to their readiness and willingness to embrace the strengths of fire, and thus break gender-based stereotypes.

Newborn babies come into this world already displaying their raw, untempered fire drives---they''ll cry a decidedly impatient and angry cry as their immediate way of asserting their being, as if claiming, "I am alive and I am here. Deal with my needs now!" Here is a purer, uncultured fire at work, accenting its customary focus on fulfilling "me" concerns. Although not exclusively associated with fire symbolism---despite the fact that astrologers relate it primarily to the Sun---the ego knows how to burn this element''s volatile fuel when needing to draw attention to itself. Fire pumps up the ego''s sense of commanding power. Thus, expect fire to be very self-focused and concerned with fulfilling its own desires, first and foremost. The signs Aries and Leo have very much been accused of this, but less so Sagittarius (and we''ll analyze why later).

Strongly fire-oriented people can spend an entire lifetime acting as if their personal needs require urgent attention---they are not to be postponed or denied. Instant gratification is what fire wants and expects. However, in the process of exuberantly expressing who they are, fire types can deplete the energy of others. They can indulge in too much of a good thing, and in an uncontained manner. We tend to assume that fire people give of themselves in abundance---they warmly and generously radiate their light and heat---but they also need fresh energy sources to refuel themselves. It''s exhausting to be around people who colorfully flare out all the time, who happily expend themselves, but then consume some of your vitality just to keep their own blaze going. Fire is thus a very demanding, even draining, force to be around for long periods of time. It can wear out other less-energetic elements---most so earth and water, who prefer cooler temperatures, anyway.

Still, it''s no wonder that this headstrong, self-assured element has long been associated with natural leadership ability and royal command (especially Leo''s proud and dignified, if not bossy, display of fire). Fearlessly moving ahead into the challenging world, to take chances left and right, while leaning on no one for supervision and support, fire will stand tall on its own. Yet again, once it has used up a temporary source of energy, leaving only ashes, fire needs a fresh supply to keep going. Fire can be a very hungry element, due to its huge appetite for living. "Give me more of what keeps me vibrant and active," roars fire.

So far, we get a sense that this element can come on strong and will fight to survive. It is willing to do battle to ensure that it will continue to thrive. Our capacity to thrust ourselves bravely out into life, and thereby develop a momentum for vigorous expression, belongs mainly to the fire element. Aries is a dynamic example of this. It''s also a cardinal sign---as we shall later explore---and thus has an advantage when it comes to initiating energized action in the world. Because it''s such a natural self-starter, fiery Aries proves a smart choice as the sign to begin the zodiac (our cosmic "Twelve Step" program for living a better, fuller life).

Although fire can foster selfishness, it''s this element''s somewhat innocent self-absorption that allows it to retain its streak of independence, which then reinforces its instinct to follow a self-chosen path. Pioneers and trailblazers thus honor the fire principle within them when they show guts by going off in new and even controversial directions. They don''t need permission to go where they wish to in life, nor is gaining the approval of others what determines whether fire types single-handedly embark on a chosen course of action. (Sure, they''d enjoy having such support, but ultimately they don''t need it to initiate a major undertaking of personal interest.) "I''m here to please myself, first and foremost," fire honestly admits.

There is a bit of a "loner" streak in fire. This is not an element that easily attaches itself to others for long periods of time. Fire doesn''t comfortably settle into structured relationships, and even the security of enduring intimacy is not what it wants---especially if that means its freedom to spontaneously move about will be curtailed. (Trap fire in a tiny metal box, and eventually it''s life-spark will extinguish.) Thus, in matters of close involvement, expect fire to have problems with total commitment (although loyal Leo has more staying power in this area, as long as few restrictions are imposed; this is because Leo is also a fixed sign, a factor that will be explained later). Settled relationships also hint at a shared life of expected behavior and routine habits, something that fire fears will prove too tedious to bear. Where''s all the excitement and pizzazz of living? That''s what fire craves.

Since fire isn''t all that deeply absorbed in others---it''s not one to merge or share---it won''t allow itself to get sucked into the complicated worlds of people in need (that''s more water''s dilemma). Fire doesn''t even feel it has to blend with the other elements in order to enhance itself (which is not true). It''s too self-centered to even realize the value of exploring other ways of perceiving the world---it''s much too sold on its own way of sizing up reality. Still, our growth process involves a skillful and conscious integration of many astrological factors that initially appear to have little in common, or that typically clash when combined (the old "incompatibility" issue).

Some of us may be born with a heavy fire emphasis: besides Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, there are also "fire" planets to contend with---the Sun, Mars, and Jupiter. Since there are other signs and planets in our chart associated with the three remaining elements, we need to better combine our fire energies with these other components. This will help us develop a more well-rounded awareness of ourselves and of the world in which we live. We can''t afford to take an exclusively fired-up approach to living, plus others would soon take issue with such a headstrong manner of behaving---we''d be accused of being arrogant, pushy, conceited, bossy, opinionated, or even too self-righteous.

So, when it comes to courageously living the life we were meant to live---unfazed by the attempts of others to censor us or "rain on our parade"---fire is the element that points us in the right direction. It believes in authentic self-expression and relishes displaying an upfront, spirited sense of self---and to heck with what the neighbors think! Fire has a hard time bowing down to the dictates of others. It won''t blindly follow set rules of conduct, especially when they prove to be stifling. We need fire in our veins to give us the gumption required to take on the world in a lusty, passionate manner. Dramatic fire makes sure that our life won''t be dull and anemic. It''s good to note where our fire signs are located in our chart, for here is where we will be supported by a more robust and honest approach to people and situations.

Now let''s move on to the next element: earth.

The Earth Element

Terra Firma

The fire element appropriately begins the zodiac with energetic Aries because this element symbolizes the vital thrust behind the "will to be" that gives rise to all action. Life means movement, and fire stirs our basic need for motion. Think of fire as representing the essential, vital spark within every seed just waiting to explode into a rush of activity that initiates a plant''s growth cycle (amazingly, seeds found in the tombs of ancient Egyptian mummies have been known to come alive and sprout---their inner life force, although dorm...

---

Customer Reviews

Something for Everyone
Finally a book about astrology that doesn't turn the topic into pablum. None of those misguided proclamations like, "Sagittarius, honey, you will NEVER get along with a Taurus!"
I have a large library of astrology books, and this one is a welcome addition. It has that rare blend of in-depth information that will interest people who have studied astrology for years, but it is written in such a readable, accessible way that even novices will enjoy it. Tierney provides material that will benefit professional astrologers when they interpret charts, while it will also give lay readers lots of insight into what makes them tick.
The first section on sun signs goes much deeper than your usual sun sign descriptions in popular books, which often skim the surface. Tierney gives a rich description of each sign's abstract
essence, its archetypal aspects. As Tierney says, "Signs are as profound in their meaning as our self-awareness allows, yet they're also as superficial as our own ignorance permits." I had some real "ah-ha" moments reading this section; it truly helped me gain a fresh perspective on some of my unconscious tendencies.
The book's second section, which addresses how signs interact with one another, shed even more light on my inner self, especially some of the conflicts that rage within me when I'm making decisions (the mundane and important ones). Instead of just using this section to compare two people with different signs, you can also read it to learn how your sun sign relates with your moon, how it relates with your ascendant, and how your moon and ascendant interact. In this way, Tierney provides us with yet another tool to understand our psyche's workings---why we sometimes feel in sync with our actions and at other times like there's a tug of war going on within us. But for readers who aren't into introspection, this section is just as illuminating in terms of doing chart comparisons.
In the last sections of the book, Tierney enables us to dig even deeper by discussing the influence of planets in signs, as well as how signs on house cusps color our attitudes. So the insignts go on!
I love the author's way with words -- his wit and humor -- but most of all his clear explanations of "things astrological" that I've been confused about for years. I also like the way you can use this book on different levels; after I applied the information to my own chart I began using it to better understand my family and close friends.
This is one book that's going to be on my Christmas "give list" for sure. Without reservation (or inner conflict) I highly recommend it!

A Top-Notch Book on Sign Combinations
Bil Tierney's latest book offers something seldom found in others: information about sign-to-sign detailed descriptions about sign pairings, like Taurus with Sagittarius, or Leo with Virgo. Yet such hard-to-find astrological material is here explained in ways that shed additional light on the qualities of both signs involved.

All Around the Zodiac is written in a clear and enjoyable style, and is loaded with insightful ideas. It is NOT a Sun-sign book, although parts of it could be used as such. The general influence of a sign on a house cusp (i.e., our "Leo" house) is discussed, along with samples of how natal planets may behave in every sign. I appreciated the author's effort to compare and contrast each sign with its ruling planet.

The introductory chapters on elements and modes are very informative. Each sign's main themes are also described, often in humorous, but thought-provoking ways. I feel this book is a major contribution to better understanding every sign's motivation. It's a practical, down-to-earth resource that should be read from cover to cover (rather than just for the parts that only apply to one's chart). Check it out, and get ready to learn a lot from a pro who apparently has been at it for a long time.

Excelent Astology Book!
This book was wonderful!It gave great detalis about astrology without it being in the Zoidac/Astrolgical lanuge.It's easy for any one to understand.For beginers or older students of the craft alike.