The Rudhyar Audio Archives were created by and are curated by Nicki Michaels. Recordings shared with permission from Leyla Hill.
Astrology Presentations by Dane Rudhyar
Dane Rudhyar is considered by many to be the foremost astrologer of the 20th century. Rudhyar’s philosophical foundation resides in Theosophy and Eastern philosophy. His astrological perspective was also profoundly influenced by the occultist and astrologer Marc Edmund Jones, by the book Holism and Evolution authored by the South African statesman and philosopher Jan Smuts, and by the depth psychology of Carl Jung.
Rudhyar coined the term Humanistic Astrology and published a condensed version of the Sabian Symbols in his groundbreaking first astrology book The Astrology of Personality, which has been in print continuously since 1936. At the time, Paul Clancy, originator of American Astrology Magazine, described the book as “the greatest forward step in astrology since the time of Ptolemy.” Over the following decades, Rudhyar published enormous numbers of astrologically related articles and books, a number of which were translated into other languages. Many of these books are still available today for free online access as part of the Rudhyar Archival Project, while others are still in print and available through Aurora Press. Read Part 1 of a 1977 interview with Rudhyar where he discusses the relationship between Theosophy and astrology.
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The Use of Astrology In New Age Guidance
This presentation received a standing ovation at the Astrology and the Helping Professions Conference in San Francisco in September, 1977. While the sound quality could be better, this talk is well worth hearing. Rudhyar describes the distinction between classical astrology whose purpose was to predict, scientific astrology whose purpose is to make astrology respectable by proving it’s validity, and modern astrology used to provide psychological help—none of which accurately describe astrology’s use in “New Age Guidance.” This, Rudhyar says, needs a different approach which he describes. He also discusses the importance of the moment of birth, and why the time of the astrology consultation is equally significant. This is a fascinating overview of Rudhyar’s approach to astrology.
Part 1 – 29 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 26 Minutes – Click here to download mp3
The Astrology of Self-Actualization
While many view astrology as the study of events, in this concise and accessible lecture Rudhyar describes astrology as a study of the potential shown in the birth chart, and how that potential can be actualized through the exercise of free will. Rudhyar beautifully describes how the study of astrology, if approached from this perspective, can help a person develop a new way of understanding the meaning of any event within the context of the whole of their life, leading one to become a “chord in the sublime symphony of the whole cosmos.” A basic lecture that makes a fine study companion to Rudhyar’s book Person Centered Astrology.
35 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Transpersonal Astrology
The roles of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in crises of personal transformation. Viewing these powerful outer planets as symbols of a potential a new level of awareness entering an individual’s life through personal crisis and, ultimately, enabling the evolution of humanity. A listening experience companion to Rudhyar’s books, The Galactic Dimension of Astrology and From Humanistic to Transpersonal Astrology.
Part 1 – 45 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 46 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Astrology For New Minds
In this engrossing talk, Rudhyar describes how his approach to astrology differs from the more popular approaches today. He discusses how both the scientific approach (through which statistical analyses tries to prove the validity of astrology) and what he calls the ethical approach (identifying situations, or particular planetary activity as “good” or “bad”), isolate series of events to find causal connections—finding out “more and more about less and less.” Rudhyar describes his approach to astrology as a philosophical approach which sees all of existence in totality, noting the rhythm and flow of recurrent events in which the sky as a whole reveals the order inherent in our existence. From this perspective, the birth chart reveals one’s “celestial nature” or “God’s idea for you.” This is vintage Rudhyar—one of the earliest recordings—made in 1960.
45 minutes – Click here to download mp3
The Philosophy of Cyclic Activity
This is Part 2 of a talk recorded in 1961. Part 1 was not recorded. This is a basic exposition of Rudhyar’s approach to astrological knowledge.
41 minutes – Click here to download mp3
What Is Astrology, And What Is It For?
In this fascinating and well structured talk Rudhyar moves us from the macrocosm to the microcosm by addressing, among other things, the concept of holarchies and the relationship between the greater and the lesser whole from a Theosophical perspective. He begins by stating that astrology was originally the basis “of all science, all culture, and all civilization,” and reveals how the duality between the seemingly divine order of heaven and our chaotic earthly existence led to the observation of planetary movement which eventually evolved into modern science. Rudhyar describes astrology as the “myth that relates man to the Universe” and characterizes the birth chart as the blueprint or seed revealing ones dharma or “truth of being”—so that astrology’s purpose moves from controlling ones chart to fulfilling it.
Part 1 – 27 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 27 minutes – Click here to download mp3
A New Approach to America’s Destiny; A Birth Chart for the American People
A prophetic pre-Watergate discussion of America’s prospects, which also illustrates various technique applications. Rudhyar’s description of the rationale behind Sibley’s 13° Sagittarius rising U.S.A. chart is as relevant today as it was when Rudhyar presented this talk, and makes an excellent companion to the free online version of Rudhyar’s book The Astrology of America’s Destiny. You can also read an article by Rudhyar that predates the book by several years called The Riddle of the USA Horoscope. View the United States’ birth chart so that you can follow along during the talk.
Part 1 – 44 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 39 Minutes – Click here to download mp3
The Lunation Cycle
The monthly lunation cycle is the archetype upon which the concept of planetary aspects was formed, based on our experience of the mysterious, ever-changing shape of the Moon throughout her monthly cycle. This concise talk describes how the permutations of the relationship of the Sun, Moon, and Earth is the basis for understanding all cycles, and he does so in a clear and basic lecture. This is a fine companion to Rudhyar’s book The Lunation Cycle.
43 minutes – Click here to download mp3
The Sabian Symbols In Theory and Practice
The meaning and value of the Sabian Symbols and their use in interpreting birth charts and as an oracle. Rudhyar challenges the significance of the concept of synchronicity as a justification for the operation of oracles. Accompanies the book An Astrological Mandala.
Part 1 – 45 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 38 minutes – Click here to download mp3
A Modern I Ching: The Sabian Symbols
How to use the Sabian Symbols to better understand one’s life and experiences. Understanding symbols in general and the Sabian Symbols in particular, the use of oracles, ancient and modern, is also discussed.
Part 1 – 45 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 43 Minutes – Click here to download mp3
Cycles of Life: The Structure and Unfoldment of Cyclic Processes in Astrology
A clear introduction to cyclic processes, so important to the understanding of Rudhyar’s approach to astrology. Rudhyar covers cycles of position, cycles of relationship, and the cyclic nature of the zodiac. For both new and advanced astrological students. Learn more about Rudhyar’s process oriented approach to cycles in his book Astrological Aspects, written in conjunction with Leyla Rael.
Part 1 – 29 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 25 Minutes – Click here to download mp3
First Steps in the Interpretation of Birth Charts
Preliminary considerations when approaching the interpretation of birth charts such as chart shapes, planetary gestalt, and hemispheric emphasis. Explore chart interpretation in more depth in Rudhyar’s accessible free online book The Practice of Astrology.
Part 1 – 44 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 36 Minutes – Click here to download mp3
The Value of Astrology in the Consciousness Movement
An in-depth examination of the place astrology has occupied in the broader human potential and consciousness movements, and a look at what the future of these might be.
Part 1 – 45 minutes – Click here to download mp3
Part 2 – 30 Minutes – Click here to download mp3
More On Rudhyar’s Work
Much of Dane Rudhyar’s lifelong work is made freely available worldwide at the Rudhyar Archival Project including an extensive biography.
To learn more about Rudhyar’s books in print visit Aurora Press.
To gain an understanding of Rudhyar’s approach to cycles, read the article on this site, A Brief Overview of Dane Rudhyar’s Approach to Cycles.
Rudhyar’s Astrology Books
In this slim volume, Rudhyar eloquently describes the 13 steps one takes when beginning The Practice of Astrology As A Technique in Human Understanding, starting with an exploration of what the study is about and then assuming personal responsibility for the use of one’s knowledge. He moves on to discuss the meaning of the signs and houses as parts of a 12-fold cycle of development, the meaning of the planets in relation to the solar system as a whole, a dynamic understanding of planetary cycles (aspects) and so much more. This is a beautifully simplified introduction to Rudhyar’s approach to astrology which I highly recommend. Read The Practice of Astrology free online.
This pioneering classic provides a new dimension in the use of Astrology as a powerful tool in understanding life patterns. The Lunation Cycle is a unique technical breakthrough revealing the significance of the cyclic relationship of the Sun and Moon as phases of a larger process. Rudhyar formulates and describes the eight Soli-Lunar personality types. Also discussed is the
Progressed Lunation Cycle, a technique developed and applied by Rudhyar, revealing the underlying structure of each individual’s unique pattern of lifetime unfoldment. Read more and order online.
This volume originally published in 1936 is as relevant today as it was then. It was in this book that Rudhyar first coined the term humanistic astrology. In The Astrology of Personality Rudhyar tells us that the immediate purpose of astrology is not to predict events, but rather to bring a message of order, of form, revealing the meaning of individual life struggles—transforming chaos into cosmos. Presenting astrology as a symbolic system, Rudhyar uses many concepts expressed in Eastern philosophy (particularly the concept of opposites embodied in the I Ching) combined with modern psychological theories to transform how astrology is applied today. Read more and purchase this book online.
In the 1930’s Marc Edmund Jones and his psychic friend Elsie Wheeler, together formulated the 360 Sabian Symbols, each associated with a zodiacal degree. In An Astrological Mandala: The Cycles of Transformation and Its 360 Symbolic Phases Rudhyar reveals the structure inherent in this cyclic series which formalizes and reveals the archetypal meaning of each degree in relation to the zodiac as a whole. Rudhyar discusses their significance in the birth chart and demonstrates how these symbols can be used as a divination tool
not unlike the tarot cards, or a contemporary I Ching. Order this book online.
In The Astrology of America’s Destiny Rudhyar reviews the astrological chart of the United States as it approached its 200th birthday in 1976. Using Sibley’s 13° Sagittarius rising chart for the nation Rudhyar explains the validity of this chart. He discusses the temperament of the American people, revealing the 1960’s as a period of “intense psychic and spiritual-mental fermentation” leading to the the transition from the Piscean to the Aquarian Ages. Read this book free online.
Rudhyar shows how a deepened understanding of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto can guide us towards experiencing the galactic level of consciousness. The “challenge of galactivity” to humanistic astrology releases new perspectives when applied to individual horoscopes. In The Galactic Dimension of Astrology his new interpretations of the trans-saturnian planets provide a vehicle to transform how we use astrology in our daily lives, and for the evolving planet we live on. Purchase this book online.
Written in an inspirational style which appeals even to those with little knowledge of astrology, The Pulse of Life describes the signs of the Zodiac within the context of modern physics, philosophy, and psychology. Read it free online.
Rudhyar pioneered an entirely new approach to Astrology, reformulating it with a holistic, psychological and spiritual dimension. Person Centered Astrology encapsulates the scope and breadth of his astrological thinking into essays covering six fascinating topics. Read more and order online.
This is the story of Rudhyar’s long astrological career, offering insights into the conditions and circumstances which led to his reformulation of astrology for the post-quantum age. Learn about the development of Humanistic Astrology and how it led to Rudhyar’s formulation of Transpersonal Astrology. Out-of-print for decades, this little gem is required reading for all humanistic astrologers and for anyone interested in Rudhyar’s approach to astrology. Read From Humanistic to Transpersonal Astrology free online.
In Astrological Timing: The Transition to the New Age, Rudhyar discusses the shift from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius from an original and challenging perspective. Rudhyar correlates changes in societies and cultures throughout the ages with the long planetary cycles. Starting with the 20 year Jupiter/Saturn cycle, all the way to the 500 year Neptune/Pluto cycle, they are all understood within the context of the great precessional cycle lasting over 26,000 years. Read Astrological Timing: The Transition to the New Age free online.
In her well honed book The Essential Rudhyar, An Outline and an Evocation, Leyla Rael, Rudhyar’s wife in his later years, presents a well organized and comprehensive overview of Rudhyar’s entire body of work. Read the section on Rudhyar’s Astrology to understand his astrological writings and lectures within a greater context. Read this section online.
