I used to moan that there was a dearth of quality tarot books being published on a regular basis. This seemed particularly unjust when I compared tarot to astrology, which seemed to abound with wonderful, advanced-level books coming out regularly. Lately, the reverse has been true--I've been reading some great new tarot tomes, but good new astrology books have been hard to come by.
When I first perused Astrology: Transformation and Empowerment at the bookstore, I was immediately impressed with its thoughtful tone and in-depth approach. I read this book from cover to cover; it gives me renewed faith that more good astrology books are on their way. It is an advanced how-to book for professional astrologers, replete with advice on creating an atmosphere of transformation and empowerment via astrologer-client interaction. Besides emphasizing the subjectivity of reality, Duncan stresses the importance of focusing on positive aspects before dealing with the more challenging ones. He is very specific in terms of which planets should be focused on and which should be eschewed when buttressing the client's ego-strength.
My favorite part of the book is Duncan's section on inner-outer planetary aspects and how they manifest in life and in astrological sessions. It is, by definition, somewhat cookbook-y, but it is an incisive and psychologically-sound guide. Occasionally his "reframing" technique seems to ignore important pain that needs to be vented in order to be healed (especially in terms of Venus-Saturn contacts), but for the most part, I think his approach is highly intelligent and effective. Duncan also has a section on outer transit aspects that is less in depth, but offers a new perspective on planetary cycles.
Duncan offers valuable psychological techniques, which he calls, "transformation methods" and for which he provides numerous real-life examples. He even includes a meditation for the four elements and ends the book with a wrap-up of what he considers the book's most important concepts. Diagrams and charts throughout the book offer spatial learners a way to understand the author's points and are a quick, convenient resource.
I know I will return to this book again and again, not just for my astrological consults, but for techniques that will serve me well in my tarot practice. Astrology: Transformation and Empowerment does force me into a dilemma--I will have to remove one of my top-ten advanced astrology books to make way for this one! It is really that good. I recommend this book to professional astrologers, tarot readers, coaches, and anyone who works one-on-one with clients in a therapeutic capacity.