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Little Wonders: ACS Publications


Monographs from Astro Communications

ACS publishes monographs on topics of interest. Here's a few.

Special shipping notes: These are all very light. If you include these with regular books, the shopping cart will correctly calculate shipping costs by weight. If these are the only items on your order, the shopping cart will tend to overstate shipping charges, which we will automatically reduce. This applies to both domestic & international orders.

Indicates a book on our Top Ten list. If you would like to find more books like it, click on the star.

WHAT ARE WINNING TRANSITS - Joyce Wehrman, $4.95
Contents: Introduction; Format of the report; Choosing days; A word on Transpluto; The question of which house system to use; Absolute #1; Absolute #2; Summary; Simplified Winning Transit; Additional winning zodiacal timing information for casino gambling; Cardinal rules; Casino playing; What if your chart is not correct?; A winning example; Postscript from the publisher (Neil Michelsen).

Comment: Since Joyce's astro-gambling book was quashed after her death, this little monograph is about the closest we can get to her marvelous system. Gives an adequate, though rather brief sketch of her system & tells where you can get the (rather involved) calculations. (There are, for that matter, no lost formulas in her out of print book. Joyce's system, as described in this tiny monograph, does work, but it requires intelligence & persistence.)

Among other notes, I have found that aspects & position of Transpluto often have to do with major wins & winning times. (pg. 6) Absolute no. 1: Transiting Koch house cusps must be in aspect to your natal chart. Absolute no. 2: You must have a transiting planet activating your money and/or gambling placements in your natal chart. You must leave home (or your casino hotel room) at a moment which shows returning with more money than you left with, as each time you leave "home" establishes a new wagering chart. You must enter the casino on a "plus" time. You must begin to play during a "plus" time. You must stop when the "plus" time ends. Failure to strictly adhere to these rules results in financial loss.

Under Cardinal Rules: You must know the rules of the game you are playing. You must avoid Neptune, eg, alcohol. You must know why you are gambling (for fun? for money? to loose?). Be reasonable in your greed. Under Casinos: Slots in public view pay better than slots in out-of-sight corners. Slots with three reels have better odds than slots with four or more. Dollar slots pay off better than others. If you are losing when you should be winning, the other side may have a better chart than you do. If so, change dealers, or change casinos, or go home & wait for the next good moment. When you win, you should always tip. Regardless of the game, you must know how to bet, and you must have a birth chart accurate to at least one minute of time (instructions how to do this are included). Michelsen's postscript describes his own Winning experiences.

Update, of July 16, 2011:

Genevieve has emailed, asking what I know of this. In thinking about it, I sent her this reply, which I share with all of you:

My thanks for your note. Some 20 years ago I was told that after Joyce died, her family, whom I were told were Christians, quashed the book as being not of the faith.

Then about ten years ago, and after I had written my blurb (which you quoted), I heard that before she died (said to be from raging, untreated high blood pressure), Joyce had a conversion and quashed the book herself.

This is all very murky. Some years ago I tracked down some Wehrmans who were living in XXX Canyon, NW of Los Angeles, but did not contact them. The address given in my (photo)copy of the revised Winning is in XXX, which is east of San Diego. These are two very different places. (I've suppressed the names of the two towns, I don't want to disturb these people.)

From her obit at the Astrologer's Memorial, I deduce she was married c.1960. Four sons would be born in the early to late 1960's, which today makes the eldest of them 50, the others in their 40's. So they should all be very much alive at this time.

She was a PMAFA, which isn't handed out casually, though I forget exactly what the PM means. Logically her book should have been picked up & published by the AFA, if not while she was alive, then certainly after she passed. The person who could tell me - Bob Cooper - passed away before I thought to ask him. That he did not is, on the face of it, a strong argument that he was denied permission, in other words, that the book was squashed, as Cooper published everything he could get his hands on. If Joyce herself had a deathbed conversion, then her family would only be carrying out her final wishes.

And if that's true, then after the passage of time - 22 years to date, the family might want to reconsider. All of this leads back to the AFA. Who might know where the next of kin can be found.

So far as I am aware, the Matrix Winning program is unique. It is still available. It started as a DOS program back in the mid-1980's. The program it was based on - Blue*Star - first appeared c.1985, but was not stable until late 1986, as I used it extensively starting in March of that year. Winning had to have been developed in conjunction with Wehrman, which puts her conversion no earlier than 1987. If she actually had one. I am trying to remember this, exactly. I was using the Winning program in 1988, and had heard of it in 1987.

So what kind of "conversion" was it if the Winning program survives intact? This story is beginning to smell a bit. Wehrman's work had to have come to the attention of Vegas, who could not have been pleased with the results. (Find the right 60 seconds, win big, go home, come back the next day, do it again, etc., is a recipe for their financial ruin.)

How about this story: After seeing substantial losses, casino owners made Joyce an offer she couldn't refuse. Lots of money in exchange for perpetual rights to the book. That would quash things right jolly well. How to explain things to her many friends & followers, but not point fingers back at Vegas? Religion would do it. As well as an alleged death from raging high blood pressure. I myself suffer from high blood pressure. When it gets to killer levels, you get the most intense, pin-point headaches, as one or another blood vessel in the brain gets very near the bursting point. It's not a silent killer. You have to be stark staring daft not to heed the warnings. Which I did. If you suffer from this, avoid western medicine. A good Chinese herbalist can do lots better.

If that's the real story, then the What Are Winning Transits book, and the Matrix Winning program survive simply because they were overlooked by the boys in Vegas. At the time of Wehrman's "death" in 1989, the program was still brand-new and not well known. If Wehrman was being pressured by Vegas, she might have conceived the program as her revenge.

So was Joyce Wehrman forcibly "retired" to "Rio"? There to live happily ever after? If that's the case, then if her family is asked for permission to publish the book, their reply will be NONONONONONONONONONONO!!!, but their reasons why will be zilch.

ACS, small paper, 15 pages.


TRANSPLUTO - Dukelow & Dhruva, $4.95
Contents: Introduction; Astronomical background; Sign rulership; An interpretation of Transpluto; The sign placement of Transpluto; House interpretation; Transpluto through the houses; Natal aspects to other planets; Example delineation with Transpluto; Transpluto & the Transneptunian planets; Transpluto in Joyce Wehrman's Winning Transits; Some interviews: Maria Kay Simms, Jim Shawvan, Dhruva, Hugh Martin; Concluding comments; Dates of sign ingresses, 1803-2014; Bibliography.

Comment: An interpretation:

On the level of daily life, Transpluto seems to suggest the personal, cultural & racial background on which our sense of destiny is based. More deeply, its symbolism represents the Universal Feminine (even Dionysus has a strongly feminine quality). Suppressed, this energy can generate disaster like the world famine that Demeter created when Persephone was held too long in the Underworld by Pluto. Released & acknowledged, this energy provides the force & direction for the highest fulfillment & realization. (pgs. 7-8)
In interpreting Transpluto, Dukelow conflates three myths: That of Dionysus, god of revelry; Isis, who spent a great deal of her time trying to put the pieces of her son, Osiris, back together; and, Persephone, who was abducted by Pluto. The symbol for Transpluto (shown on the cover) is based on that of Mars. As for rulership, Dukelow gives us John Robert Hawkins's view that Transpluto is a co-ruler of Taurus (author of Transpluto, Or Should We Call Him Bacchus, Ruler of Taurus. Perhaps to his credit, Dukelow says he did not fully understand why & suggests Transpluto may be co-ruler of all three earth signs. He also suggests that in a sun-dominant chart, Transpluto rules Taurus, in a moon-dominant chart, Libra. The example chart is that of Nelson Rockefeller.

Average distance from the sun is said to be 77.775 AU (1 AU = 93,000,000 miles), orbital period is about 685.65 years, eg, more than twice as far from the sun as Pluto. The program which ACS uses to calculate its position presumes it has an inclination of 0 degrees (ie, travels exactly on the ecliptic) & has an eccentricity of 0.3, meaning its orbit, like that of Pluto's, is quite elliptical. On May 17, 1938, it entered Leo. On October 18, 2011, it will enter Virgo.

ACS, small paper, 31 pages.


CHIRON IN HOUSES, SIGNS & ASPECTS - Maritha Pottenger, $4.95
Contents: Astronomical background; Mythological background; Astrological associations; Key words; Interpretations; Chiron in the houses; Chiron in the signs; Chiron in aspects; Conclusion.

Comment: According to Pottenger,

My experience is that the Sagittarius connection fits very well. If we consider that the driving thrust of Sagittarius is a search for ultimate truth, spiritual (and physical) healing could be one of the focuses in a quest for total truth. (pg. 2).

Keywords include educational emphasis, idealism, optimism & travel (sounds like a little bit of Jupiter to me).

Chiron in the houses is where you expect a lot of ____.

Chiron by sign is where you seek the truth ____. In the blank will be such words, as assertively (Aries), solidly (Taurus), through discussion (Gemini), etc. About half the book are delineations of Chiron aspects, from pgs. 16 to 34, which include aspects to the nodes & four major asteroids.

ACS, small paper, 34 pages.


THE EAST POINT & THE ANTIVERTEX - Maritha Pottenger, $4.95
Contents: Astronomical background; Horoscope angles; Diagram of horoscope angles; Calculation; Where do they fall?; Interpretation; House placement; The west side story; Signs; Aspects; Synastry; Summary.

Contents: The Anti-Vertex marks the intersection of the ecliptic with the prime vertical in the east. The complimentary western intersection is the better-known Vertex.

The East Point is the intersection of the ecliptic with the above unnamed great circle (passing through the east & west points of the horizon & through the north & south poles of the Earth). (pg. 5, and, no I didn't understand that, either.)

To calculate the East Point, take your local sidereal time of birth, go to 0 latitude in your table of houses, and find the ascendant: The East Point (you should interpolate to get the degree & minute exact). East Point & Anti-vertex both function as auxiliary ascendants, eg, they

offer useful clues to major themes in the nature of the individual. Either angles requires more attention when a planet falls closely in conjunction. This is almost as significant as having that planet conjunct the Ascendant. (pg. 9).

The West Point & Vertex, by contrast,

relate to that basic self/other polarity.... It is easier to disown & see as "out there" (in other people) the western end. This potential of "giving away" a part of who we are & unconsciously attracting other people to manifest that missing side contributes to what has been called the "fated" quality of the Vertex. (pg. 10)

As with her booklet on Chiron (above), the major part of this book is devoted to aspects to these four points, from page 20 to page 35, though without nodes nor asteroids.

ACS, small paper, 35 pages.


WHAT ARE ASTROLOCALITY MAPS - Maritha Pottenger, $4.95
Contents: Background; Interpretation: introduction, rising planets, minor bodies, setting planets, minor bodies, culminating planets, minor bodies, planets at lower culmination, minor bodies; Aspects; Quick guide; Summary; References.

Comment: What a relocated chart is & what the lines on Astro*Carto*Graphy maps mean. "Minor bodies" are the four major asteroids, and Chiron. You could use this book as a basic guide to the interpretation of AstroCartoGraphy maps. A brief intro to a subtle & complex field.

ACS, small paper, 31 pages.


INTERPRETING COMPOSITE & RELATIONSHIP CHARTS - Joan Negus, $3.95
Contents: Background; How to interpret; Houses; Planets; Comparison with natal charts; Transits & progressions; Caveats; Bibliography.

A quickie overview of composites. (For more detail, see Rob Hand's Planets in Composite.)

ACS, small paper, 16 pages.


COALESCENT HOROSCOPES, A new method of synastry - Dhruva & Dukelow, $4.95
Contents: Introduction; Case one: John Kennedy & Lee Harvey Oswald; Case two: a gay couple; Case three: A grisly murder; Case four: Marie & Pierre Curie; Case five: Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter; Case six: David & Dhruva; Conclusion; A brief listing of aspect meanings in coalescent charts; Bibliography.

Comment: To calculate a coalescent chart, 1. find the shortest arc between the same planet in the two charts (as with a composite chart). 2. Divide 360 by this arc, to get the harmonic factor. 3. Multiply this factor by either natal planet's degree position. 4. Subtract 360 from this as many times as necessary to get an answer below 360 (eg, divide & take the remainder). The result is the coalescent position of the planet & will be the same regardless of which of the natal planets is used in step 3. For house cusps, find the coalescent MC & then use Meridian houses based on that sign & degree. North & south nodes are calculated separately & are rarely opposed. Use of the sidereal zodiac leads to radical changes in the coalescent chart, by comparison to the tropical.

Instead of delineations, the authors offer sample chart interpretations. The first paring, of Kennedy & Oswald, is an impressive use of many different techniques & many other charts. Some of the fundamentals: The coalescent result of pairs of natal planets / angles less than 12 degrees apart natally may need to be ignored. Planets conjunct the coalescent MC/IC axis are fundamental to the expression of the relationship. Look for configurations in the coalescent chart. Oppositions, in particular, are significant. Look at the nodes. Coalescent nodes for those born less than a month apart will be opposed. If the house cusps are good, look at house placements. Examine transits to coalescent charts for important events.

If you're patient, you may find novel things here. ACS calculates these charts (or once did, at any rate). I've also found it lurking in my Solar Fire v.4.17.

ACS, small paper, 43 pages.


Pets
YOUR DOG & ASTROLOGY - Marian Futterman, $3.00
Contents: Dogs through the zodiac, and the cusp, which are said to be mongrels.

Comment: To summarize, Scorpio dogs bite, Aries are terrors, Taureans behave like cats, Aquarians think you're stupid, Virgos house-train easily, Leos pout, etc. Sharp observations. This tiny book has by far the best writing about pets that we've seen. Includes brief sections on cusp dogs, and a background of astrology. Here's the complete text for Sagittarius:

"The Sagittarius dog will often run away from home, so always check all the local pounds not just the one in your neighborhood, as distance means nothing to this loner. He will come back for awhile and then be off again, so don't be too heartbroken. It has nothing to do with your treatment, they just like seeking new places to play. Extremely docile when brought home, he makes you feel protective towards him. These dogs love games, so take them to the local park or beach & throw balls or sticks for them to catch & retrieve, and this will keep them around for awhile. Certainly keeps you on your toes, which is healthy for you. Needless to say this is the perfect companion for the outdoorsman. They are courageous and adaptable to any situation."

Unpaginated, 2 pages per sign, one of text and one for an example picture. Jay publishing (not ACS, it just kind of snuck in here), very small paper.


DOG STARS: Astrology for dog lovers - Sherene Schostak & Wendy Lam, $19.95
Contents: Acknowledgments; Introduction

Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces

Conclusion
References, Index

Comment: Your dog, by Sun sign. I don't normally bother with sun-sign books, but actual horoscopes for dogs are rare, so sun-signs are the best we can do. If you don't know or can't guess your dog's sun sign (or, ideally, its ascendant or moon), the authors also organize breeds by the sign that best represents them. Well, why not?

Aries: Dachshund, Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier
Taurus: Bulldog, Bassett Hound, French Bulldog, Saint Bernard
Gemini: Mutts
Cancer: Great Danes, Cavailier King Charles Spaniel, Scottish Terrier
etc.
There's also helpful checklists. If your dog is feisty, vain, independent, impatient, self-absorbed, courageous, yappy, heroic, etc., you've got an Aries.

For each of the twelve possibilities, the authors divide the texts into sub-sections appropriate to the sign. (Rather than the more common one mold that fits everyone.) What does an Aries dog dream about? chasing cars, beating up other dogs twice their size, being your hero. (pg. 1) Subheads for Aries include, Bark like it's hot!, Put up your dukes, dogs!, Bark loudly & carry a big stick, Macho, macho dog, My way or the highway. If an Aries dog could talk, it would say,

Take me out NOW! No NOW, idiot!
I'm counting to ten and then I'm leaving without you.
I'm bored.
I want to be a macho man.
I'M right, you're wrong!
Me! Me! Me! Me!
Walk faster!
Can't touch this!
Excuuuuuuuse me, but I was here first.
You're so slow, mo! (pg. 5)
The Aries chapter continues with What an Aries Dog Wants in an Owner (Hot diggety human, Bark your mind), How to earn brownie points from an Aries doggie, and the essential Aries dog / human owner sun-sign compatibility guide. The chapter concludes with a "delineation" of a purebred example of the sign. For the Aries dog, the dachshund. If there's one flaw to the book, it's that the authors are city folk. They have no idea what dogs can do in the country.

Lavishly illustrated, but, regrettably, paper & printing are cheap & do not do the photos (by Wendy Lam) justice. Typically books like this go through one or two print runs & are then abandoned by their publisher, ie, this book will be out of print by 2010, probably sooner. If you're a dog lover, or know someone who is, get this now.

This is not a "little wonder", I just wanted to put it next to Futterman's small masterpiece, above.

Viking Studio, 224 pages.



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