Astrology is hard. It’s a heavy lift and doesn’t come with the pretty art that tarot does. That said, I still enjoy reading the occasional book on the subject, and with today’s book I found a great fit. Today we’re discussing “Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars: Astrology, Our Icons, and Our Selves” by Claire Comstock-Gay.
I’m inclined to say Comstock-Gay’s book is written for beginners. She focuses on sun signs, which is the most basic astrological determination. When you read your horoscope in the newspaper (or these days it is more likely on websites or magazines), they are using your sun sign. “Madame Clairevoyant” explains how that is only one piece of your astrological puzzle, but it is a good place to start.
What comes next is a chapter by chapter breakdown of each of the signs, and here is where the book truly shines. Throughout “Madame Clairevoyant’s” Comstock-Gay comes off a bit self-deprecating in the fact that she uses popular culture to describe the astrological signs. However, and the author knows this, her use of people we are familiar with makes each sign more relatable and memorable.
Comstock-Gay adeptly references people and characters ranging from Celine Dion (Aries), Cardi B (Libra), Susan Sontag (Capricorn), Ferdinand the Bull from the children’s story by Munro Leaf and Fezzik from “The Princess Bride (Taurus), Donald Trump (Gemini), Nina Simone (Pisces), Pablo Neruda (Cancer), Christopher Nolan (Leo), David Wojnarowicz (Virgo), Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (Scorpio), Miley Cyrus (Sagittarius), Jackson Pollock (Aquarius), and so many more. By giving us an intimate look at the work, and many times their work’s relationship with Comstock-Gay, she offers a nuanced look at each sign’s characteristics.
The new level of understanding I feel I gained by reading this book makes “Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars” by Claire Comstock-Gay a must read for anyone interested in astrology. Whether it is your first book on the topic, or your one hundredth, you will want to own it.
You can learn more here.
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