Astrology is a lifelong study.
The books listed here represent the philosophical, technical, psychological, and spiritual foundations that inform the work we do at Nightlight. Some of these are core supplemental texts tied directly to specific programs. Others are works I frequently reference or draw from across different courses.
You are never required to purchase everything on this list. Many of these are long-term investments that students grow into over time.
OTHER TITLES WORTH INVESTING IN
Referenced Across Programs
These works are not tied to one specific course but are frequently referenced across programs. They provide historical, philosophical, cosmological, or psychological depth.
• On the Heavenly Spheres — Helena Avelar & Luís Ribeiro
• A History of Horoscopic Astrology — James Holden
• Cosmos and Psyche — Richard Tarnas
• The Archetypal Universe — Renn Butler
• Re-Visioning Psychology — James Hillman
• The Hermetica — Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
• The Bhagavad Gita — trans. Graham Schweig
• Introduction to Traditional Astrology — Ben Dykes
• A Practical Guide to Traditional Astrology — Joseph Crane
• The Shape of Ancient Thought — Thomas McEvilley
• Plato: The Complete Works — ed. John Cooper
• Astrology and the Authentic Self — Demetra George
• The Heavenly Writing — Francesca Rochberg
• A History of Western Astrology, Volumes I — Nicholas Campion
• A History of Western Astrology, Volumes II — Nicholas Campion
• The Astrology of Fate — Liz Greene
A special note on The Shape of Ancient Thought: this book is especially helpful for students interested in the philosophical bridges between ancient Greek and Indian traditions — something we occasionally explore when drawing parallels between Hellenistic and Vedic astrology.
ANCIENT TEXTS I RECOMMEND FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF WITH
You are not required to master the ancient source texts directly. However, becoming somewhat familiar with how they read — and the spirit in which they were written — can deepen your appreciation of the tradition.
Mathesis — Julius Firmicus Maternus (tr. Ben Dykes)
The Anthology — Vettius Valens (tr. Mark Riley)
Rhetorius the Egyptian — tr. James Herschel Holden
Paul of Alexandria: Introduction to Astrology — tr. James Herschel Holden
Valens in particular is one of the most important surviving Hellenistic authors and offers direct examples of ancient chart interpretation.
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