Read reviews of Astrological Crosses in Relationships.

I have given this book a personal style and, throughout, have made liberal use of anecdotes, quotations, and examples from the actual experiences of people I have met and observed over the years, as well as from books and the media. In so doing, I hope to provide a vivid portrayal of the crosses, enabling the reader to easily apply these principles in his or her own life or astrological practice.

The technical material has been kept to a minimum, so that even non astrologers can benefit from the study of these principles. It is not essential to be knowledgeable in the complex art of reading astrology charts in order to read this book, as the cross of the Sun sign will reveal much about the basic character of the individual.

Astrological Crosses in Relationships, by Pauline Edward
Your Personal Energy "Signature" (Back cover text)

For the first time ever, here is an astrology book that focuses on astrological crosses (the cardinal, fixed and mutable aspects of the signs of the zodiac) and their impact on people's lives, behavior, actions and motivation. Crosses are so important to truly understanding a chart that you will wonder how you ever completed an astrological analysis without this essential component.

Astrological Crosses in Relationships explores the strengths and challenges of each cross, using many real-life stories taken from the author's consulting practice. Crosses revealed in the birth chart provide the best clue to personal energy style:

• Cardinal energy dreams and initiates
• Fixed energy desires and creates
• Mutable energy communicates and analyzes.

With this innovative guide, you can learn to identify crosses in everyday life experiences, mend star-crossed relationships, and balance a lack or overemphasis of crosses in your birth chart.

For a series of articles on the crosses:

• Click here for Part I: The Mutable Signs
• Click here for Part II: The Cardinal Signs
• Click here for Part III: The Fixed Signs

Astrological Crosses in Relationships
Understanding Cardinal, Fixed & Mutable Energies
Pub. Llewellyn
Author: Pauline Edward

Reviews by:

By Lucy MacDonald, M.Ed., author of Learn to Be an Optimist
By Michael Munkasey, PMAFA, NCGR-IV
By Susan Kelly, Astrology Montreal
By The Wessex Astrologer
Want to write a review: click here.

Testimonial: I have placed your book "Astrological Crosses in Relationships" under my pillow and read it every day before I jump out of bed. The information contained in those pages has broadened my heart and mind in understanding my husband (fixed-mutable) and three children (fixed). I can now converse with them on levels I didn't even know existed. Through this new found understanding, I see them clearer than ever and have developed a closer bond with them all. It is as if I suddenly can speak their inner language and understand why and how they move about in the world. G.F., PA

Review by Lucy MacDonald

Astrological Crosses in Relationships shows us how our astrological signs can be grouped into one of three categories: cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Once she has your attention with interesting and informative anecdotes she explains the importance of the crosses in all kinds of relationships: love relationships, parent and child, business partners, and friendships.

This profound yet highly practical book gives us valuable information about why the different astrological signs think and act the way they do and how it impacts our relationships. Written in an easy to understand yet challenging style, this book is for the reader who wants to learn about astrology beyond the daily horoscope page in the newspaper.

Reading Pauline Edward's book helps us to understand why people think and communicate the way they do, which in turn helps us to improve our relationships. That's no small feat! In depth, well-written, and informative, Astrological Crosses in Relationships is a valuable asset to anyone interested in understanding human behavior.

Lucy MacDonald, M.Ed., author of Learn to Be an Optimist.

Michael Munkasey, PMAFA, NCGR-IV

"Pauline Edward has written the best book yet about the nature of Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable. Her readable, insightful work can help both beginning and experienced astrologers gain much understanding about life's processes. Highly recommended."

Susan Kelly, Astrology Montreal

The great paradox of Astrology: this cosmic art/science has been around for at least 4,000 years, yet it never seems to get old. There's always something new to discover, or a neglected element crying out to be viewed in a new light.

This latter point was amply and ably brought home to me in reading Montreal astrologer Pauline Edward's new book Astrological Crosses in Relationships. (Llewellyn 2002). For just when you thought such basic stuff as the crosses has been adequately covered, it turns out they haven't.

Beginning students are introduced to the zodiac signs through the elements and crosses. Volumes have been written about the elements, for they form the bases for so many branches of metaphysical studies, such as the tarot.

Not so the crosses, for which no other extensive reference exits. They're also known as the quadruplicities, qualities or modes if you prefer, and are unique to astrology. There are three crosses, called cardinal, fixed and mutable, each containing four signs. And, as Edward sees it, : "By their basic structure, the crosses represent far more dynamic groups than do the elements."

A respected astrologer since 1985, Edward has studied the crosses for over 15 years. (She's also Astrology Montreal's website designer/master and a founding member who now sits on the executive committee). She traces her fascination back to an awakening during a lecture given by another Montreal astrologer, Marc Bériault: "Ever since that moment, I have continued to study and develop my understanding . . . The crosses were the missing link."

She goes on to elaborate on their dynamic nature: "Over the years I began to recognize the crosses in people's speech patterns, in the style of their actions, in their methods of self-expression, in the words they chose to express what was on their minds or in their hearts, in the manner in which they carried themselves into a room, and in how they related to others." (P.3)

The results of these observations is a very cogent outline of the crosses as accessible for beginners as it is for professional astrologers. Edward presents her material in a very personable style. From page 1, the reader has the sense of being able to sit down with a top-notch astrologer who is also a superb translator of 'astrolgese' into clear, straightforward English.

I am impressed with not only the extent, but also the quality of the insights and information in this book. The author certainly nailed my fixed cross issues, such as: "Although for the most part productive, fixed signs can find themselves trapped in the immediately perceived reality, and when this occurs they are unable to be creative and can be inflexible in their attitudes and actions." (P. 58) The above is just a little too true for this Leo reviewer!

There are a wealth of anecdotes to illustrate the crosses and how they play out in the lives of individuals, without relying too heavily on celebrities, as do so many astrology books. Real people with real lives are included, not just such über-successful over-achievers as Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey or Martha Stewart. In"The Crosses in Life Experience" chapter. I especially liked the analogy of decorating a room, and how each cross would handle and divide tasks. (p. 129)

This book holds a wealth of insight and information for intermediate to advanced students of astrology. But it's also accessible to those with only Sun-sign knowledge. Edward provides every opportunity for them to benefit from this book, including a table of Sun-signs clearly indicating to which cross each belongs.

Those wishing to go beyond the Sun-sign are able to send away for a free chart. Edward provides pointers on how to determine if one or more of the crosses predominates in your chart on pages 12-13 (of course, you can always ask your astrologer!). Beyond setting the tone, the Introduction chapter also provides a mini astrology course, and lets you know you're dealing with an authority.

Practicing astrologers will find not only information, but advice directly applicable in counselling situations. Case in point: the chapter entitled "Mending Broken Crosses" deals with lack of or over-abundance of a quality, and provides suggested coping strategies.

I do have one small cavil with this book, and that is with the title, Astrological Crosses in Relationships. Were I to come across it cold on a bookstore shelf, I might assume it was a book about the crosses in synastry. A more apt title might have been The Astrological Crosses in Relationship - for as Edward writes ". . . it is the aspects, or relationship of one sign to another within the same cross that makes up the dynamism."

Astrological Crosses in Relationships now has a prominent spot on my astrological reference bookshelf. I will return to it often, in mutable dipping and skipping for immediately useful knowledge, in a fixed desire to spur greater mastery and creative approach to my astrology practice, and in a cardinal obsession with needing and wanting to be in on a very good thing.

The Wessex Astrologer

Absolutely excellent work on the cardinal, fixed and mutable qualities of the signs. Suitable for any level of astrologer this goes into the subject at a deeper level than I've seen before. Thought provoking and intelligently written.

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