Raven Kaldera explores planetary magic through planetary invocations, altars and attributes as well as a comprehensive list of auspicious activities to perform as planets travel through your chart. I find it to be a good reference book for astrological magick, though as with most of Kaldera's books he has a strong opinion (which is fine, so do I) that I find to be a bit off-putting and distracting from the quality of his actual magickal research and original work.

If the subtitle hasn't made it clear, this isn't your typical "how to interpret your chart" astrology book. This is an astrology book for Pagans. Now most times that astrology is discussed in a Pagan context, it never gets beyond the phase and sign of the Moon, or perhaps an explanation of how planetary hours work and how they can enhance your magic. Kaldera does devote chapters to both Moon magic and the planetary hours, but his vision is larger than that. Pagan Astrology is a book designed to help you use all the planets in your magical work.

The book is divided into three parts. After a basic introduction to astrology, the second section will probably feel the most familiar to Pagan readers. Here Kaldera gives ideas for spellwork for all the combinations of planets in signs. He suggests using these to "borrow" the energy of a particular combination if you need it, or to help you come to terms with that energy if it's already in your life and being difficult. With the third section, the author goes into an area rarely touched by Western astrology. In India, it's common for astrologers to offer their clients remedies to help them deal with difficulties in their charts. These are often along the lines of "wear this stone" or "offer prayers to that god." What Kaldera has done in "Magical Prescriptions" is to devise a list of remedies that fit into Western culture, many of them involving working with charities. If performed sincerely, these are designed to propitiate the planetary energy involved, similar to propitating the deities.

I see this as a second astrology book for Pagans who are already magically experienced. I'd hesitate to make this anyone's introduction to either astrology or Paganism, not because it's poorly written, but because it covers so much territory that the intro material is pared down by necessity. Although Kaldera has a chapter for astrologers who are unfamiliar with the whole Pagan/magic/remedies concept, the book is written for an audience who gets that part and wants more. I suspect a reader who's neither Pagan nor familiar with astrology will just be overwhelmed by the whole thing, even if they're open-minded about the subject matter. But a somewhat experienced reader may find Pagan Astrology intriguing. ( )