Dear Radical Readers,
I’m thrilled to announce
the release of my new, full-length book in PDF format, Keywords to Unlock Chiron: 50 Passageways to Healing and Wholeness.
In my previous post, Chiron:
Wounded Healer, Wholeness Weaver, you got a preview--a collage of the 50 most
important words or phrases that, together, weave the tapestry of Chiron’s meaning.
I cover each one in depth
in this new book. Not only is there a standalone chapter on each of the
keywords or phrases; how they interrelate becomes obvious by the device of
bolding the keywords as they are mentioned in other chapters. The same ones repeat throughout the
“conversation.” You soon will see not just the big picture but the stitches of reiterating
words that hold together the substance of Chiron’s interpretation. I cite the
“discovery source” of each word or phrase—whether it comes from the myth of Chiron, the astronomy of
the centaur planet Chiron or the cultural changes around the time Chiron was
discovered. Folklore even finds its way into the mix as we learn both superstitions and some of the more frequent "omenclature" of comets, half of Chiron's astronomical identity.
Astrological interpretation is built on metaphors. Keywords reveals how the underlying concepts behind these words help us grow toward wholeness—words such as hero, mentor, healer, weaver, catalyst and stuck. As I mention in the post cited above, a good starting phrase for Chiron is Wounded Healer, Wholeness Weaver. The book begins with Weaver and ends with Wholeness. You’ll have a sense of the process and healing curve Chiron brings into our lives. When pain or disowned parts of ourselves finally hurt enough, we are pushed by discomfort or misery to break the logjam and dare to become more of ourselves.
Chiron is both personal and outerplanetary. It is the archetype
for the Third Millennium. The tight conjunction of Chiron and Pluto at the Big
Turn on January 1, 2000 foretold the cosmic importance of our current global issues
with the healing of power and the power of healing.
Your personal message from Chiron lies in which keywords “hit home” for you. There’s a handy reference tool at the back of the book that suggests which keywords are the likeliest home runs for you based on your Chiron sign and aspects to Chiron in your chart. Two chapters match your Chiron configuration with specific healing modalities.
The PDF version of Keywords is now available at $9.99. This
is a bargain, considering it’s the download of my 25 years of research and focus on Chiron.
You can purchase the PDF e-book on the sidebar of this blog or directly at The Radical Virgo Store. Other
versions will become available over the months to come—e-reader and paperback
with other possibilities to be determined.
Why Choose PDF?
One of Chiron’s key words
is Ecology. Besides saving trees, there are many advantages to buying the book
in PDF:
- It’s the first available and the most unabridged
version. You’ll have the information at your fingertips early-on. (This perk is
especially for the Aries and Mars-prominent folks.)
- You don’t need an e-reader like Kindle or Nook
to access a PDF file, though most devices can read this format. You can read Keywords on your computer—and more! See
below.
- PDF is the least expensive version, although the
e-reader versions will be similarly priced. Paper costs more to produce and requires higher pricing.
- The PDF version is full of rich, color images
just like my blogs. That makes for a more comfortable read. It’s in 12-point
type, easy on the eyes. Color printing is
costly. It remains to be seen how “graphic” the paperback version will be based on quality black-and-white conversions of the images I'm sure you'll agree help "make" the book.
- You can print out as much or as little of the
book as you choose, including your favorite passages.
- You can keep a copy on your computer and have a
searchable document any time you want to look up something you want to remember
or re-explore.
- Adobe has a free application to
download PDFs onto your iPad, iPhone or Android phone. You can buy this
book once and enjoy it on your computer, phone or pad. You can read it on the
go. My preview readers say it's an easy read on an iPad.
-
PDFs can also be read on most devices with two simple
steps:
a. From your search engine, enter how to read PDF on (name of device).
b. Follow the instructions of whichever article looks the easiest.
Here are directions for Kindle, as an example. I tested these on my B&W Kindle. There are, of course, limits, since the PDF is not designed specifically for the Kindle format. Suggestions: Using your Aa button, increase the contrast to darker or darkest. Increasing type size really doesn't work well as the formatting goes pretty wonky. The best read is on Fit to Screen. Though the print is small, it's surprising how legible bold, small type is with increased contrast. You can also move to landscape view which gives you bigger type without funky formatting. It allows you the experience of one of the key phrases, A Different Perspective. That worked best for me, as I have one of the smaller screens without color capability. Limits: A few photos are too dark and difficult to discern and footnotes do not link. Same on footnotes reported for iPad.
If you're an avid Note reader, wait till the Kindle or other e-reader versions are available--or purchase the PDF and read whatever Notes you want to explore on your computer. The printed version, of course, has no linkability. Are we spoiled or what? If you've got a Kindle Fire or another color reader, some of these PDF limitations will go away with the higher technology, larger screens and the ability to reproduce the color photos as-is.
What’s Inside?
Two preview posts give abbreviated examples
of the kinds of essays this book contains on each keyword: Maverick and Spirit in Matter. There’s one key word
or phrase per chapter. Keywords to Unlock
Chiron expands on something I’ve been doing since the early days of
Chironicles newsletter in the 1990s and on this blog, the Chiron’s Keyword Corner feature. Existing Keyword Corner features
have been updated and expanded, plus many more were written exclusively for this book. The handful of Keyword Corners already
posted on The Radical Virgo has grown to 50 in this new book format.
It Doesn’t Look Like Other Astrology Books
Just as Chiron the mythical centaur had very unique looks indeed, Keywords doesn’t look like your typical astrology book. It’s light on astrological technicalities. People who aren’t even into astrology will get a lot out of it. Who doesn’t need healing and wholeness? Keywords to Unlock Chiron is all about interpretation of Chiron’s archetypal meaning.
By taking the journey into the background of each keyword, you’ll have a mental and emotional storehouse of Chiron’s message for personal evolution. This will allow you to tune into the most intuitive yet accurate interpretations involving Chiron in astrology charts, including your own.
Truth in Advertising
You probably don’t want to print out the entire book unless you’re willing to sacrifice two-thirds of a ream of paper and can talk yourself out of any resulting eco-guilt. I debated whether do a PDF version of a book this length, but Keywords has been long awaited and postponed due to some of my own Chironic healing challenges—and my husband’s. (Note the adjective form of Chiron has “ironic” in it.) This format allows me to bring it to you as soon as possible. If you still can’t live without a printout, plan on getting the fattest binder you can find and making enough confetti with the paper punchings to celebrate the New Year. (Please recycle.)
You can also consider doing
what I do for my favorite Astro-references. Buy the book in electronic format
now and paperback later. The PDF will be searchable and readable on your
computer and other devices. The paperback will be good on your reference shelf
for those who like the low-tech perks and the feel of paper, as well as the
sound and smell of a squeaky yellow highlighter. After all, one of Chiron’s key
phrases is Not Either/Or but Both/And.
You can always purchase it
later when the paperback or e-reader versions come out … but, of course, I hope
you can’t wait!
What Preview Readers Are Saying
“Your writing is like getting a letter from a friend containing golden advice.” ~ JT, United Kingdom“A delightful blend of astrology, humor and valuable insights into our own human nature, Keywords brings the magic of Chiron alive and teaches us how to apply its multidimensional wisdom to our everyday lives. It is a fabulous fun-filled guide for anyone seeking greater self-awareness or simply wanting to 'amp up' their authentic self-expression.” ~ DS, California
Your feedback is welcome! Please sent your comments on the new book to me: joyce [at] joycemason.com or feel free to Comment on this blog post.
Publication Summary
Length: 301 pages (8.5 x 11)
Format: PDF
Publisher: New
Inkarnation Media
Publication Date: June 18,
2013
Price: $9.99 US
Thanks for being part of
my odyssey of learning and sharing about Chiron. I’m still as excited about this
archetype today as I was on Day 1.
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