Jodie Forrest

This is an introductory book, probably best suited for advanced beginning astrology students, especially the cookbook section that makes up the second half. Both beginners and more advanced students may learn something from the first half of the book, though, in which Forrest discusses the Ascendant in general, comparing it to Jung's concept of the persona and to acting, as well as seeing it in terms of personal style. She includes several suggestions for astrologers on using the charts in their collections to study how people use their Ascendants. Forrest writes from an psychological and evolutionary point of view, but she does talk about how the Ascendant can work in the physical world: appearance, the body, and health. This wouldn't be suitable as a student's first astrology book, since Forrest assumes the reader knows the basics of chart interpretation, but it would be a solid guide for students wanting to study the Ascendant in more detail.… (mere)