Essential Materials:
Participation in The Asceni Method study group requires knowledge of the 7 Qualities of Divine Will. If we are not currently offering classes, go to: www.orindaben.com. You will need to study and complete at least the original course they offer on Divine Will before applying here for inclusion in the TAM study group. Studying Divine Will is a gift you give yourself, whether or not you go on to join our group.
In addition to learning Divine Will, you will need ~ at the minimum ~ the following study materials:
Astrological Chart: your basic Natal Wheel showing the placements of the Luminaries, Planets, Asteroids, Angles and Points in Space at the place and time of your birth. Please use the link on the Foundational Astrology main page for instructions on how to obtain your Natal Chart free from the Astrodienst website.
“Astrology For Yourself” workbook by Douglas Bloch and Demetria George, Wingbow Press,1987. You can order this book new or used online through www.amazon.com and probably from some of your other favorite booksellers as well. It’s the best workbook we’ve found for learning basic Astrology. It’s well organized, fundamentally complete, and covers all of the basics, as well as some of the more complicated subjects.
Why you Really, Really, Really need a Journal! Click Here
Journal:
A notebook for your Cycles information needs to include:
Quaternary focus/statement, covering the entire Quaternary;
Dates and times for beginning of each Moon Cycle;
Moon Cycle statement;
Dates and times for the beginning of each Phase;
Sign, (degrees and minutes), on the cusp of each Phase;
Phase statement for each Phase;
Totem Friend choices, along with your choice of which of their qualities you wish to invoke for each Phase;
Planetoid Friends in each Phase, along with your choice of which of their qualities you wish to invoke;
Moon Cycle notes about your thoughts and experiences
Emotional Bankruptcies; and Loss Charts.
Your Moon Cycles notebook will not have much room for notes about what is going on for you in each Cycle. We encourage you to have another journal just for exploring your thoughts and emotions each day and for those thoughts and feelings you may not yet be ready to share in a post with the rest of the group.
Theos always emphasizes the importance of writing about your experiences, saying: “Some things only come out when you’re writing. There is something magical and transformative about the process of journaling.” So you’ll really need a physical journal of some kind. We like the lined ones you can find at the dollar stores. You may find yourself going through them faster than you imagine.
Sketchbook: This is required for your Moon Wheel. You can use any size you wish, however, keep in mind that you will need room on each Phase of the Wheel for:
the Phase Statements;
The Ray;
A list of all three Totem Friends with their qualities you picked;
the Planets;
the Sign, (degree and minutes);
drawings of your Plant and Animal Totem Friends.
That’s all within the Wheel ~ you’ll also need to put the Greater Cycle; Year; our Quaternary Statement covering the group focus; your Totem Friends who will be in the middle of your Wheel; the qualities for those Totem Friends; all to be located somewhere on the page. We use an 11 inch by 14 inch sketchbook. Please see the section The Asceni Method for examples of what the Wheel looks like at every Phase and when completed.
Colored Pens: Each Phase has its assigned color, so you’ll need 9 of the following colors:
New: Candy Apple Red or Deep Golden Yellow;
Crescent: Bottle Green or Teal Green or Teal Blue;
1st Quarter: Golden Orange or Black;
Gibbous: Indigo or Medium Rose Madder;
Full: Silver Blue or Rainbow White, (none of us have figured out how to make the Rainbow White color, but we’re thinking maybe a glitter pen?);
Disseminating: Deep Blue-Violet or Electric Blue-Violet;
3rd Quarter: Magenta or Bronze;
Balsamic: Brick Red or Gray or Silver.
Those colors listed, separated by the word “or,” means you only need one of those colors to make up the nine. Also, check a color guide to find the colors that match those listed for the phases. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide which colors best match those indicated.
The colors used for the Greater Cycle are left up to us.
Theos sometimes gives alternate colors for the phase, which will be included in the instructions for the Cycle. You’ll also be coloring mandalas, (provided by us). Choose pens in colors that speak to you. Some of us love glitter pens, some of us like brightly colored pens, or pens in primary colors. For the mandalas, you could also use colored pencils or crayons, it’s up to you.
Pencil and Smear-proof/Smudge-proof Eraser: You’ll probably want a pencil when constructing the Wheel. You’ll also need an eraser that doesn’t smear/smudge when you use it. Most erasers on the end of a regular pencil do a bad job of erasing on sketchbook paper ~ they either smear/smudge or don’t completely erase.
Large Round Protractor: We’ve been using a 10″ protractor, which we purchased in California at Blick Art Supplies. Look online if you can’t find one at your local art supply store. They have several sizes and kinds available on numerous sites.
Ruler: Clear rulers seem to work best in constructing the Wheel, but you can use any ruler you like.
Stone Beings: Once you have decided on the Stone Beings you wish to work with in Cycles, you will need to find or purchase small copies of those Stone Beings. They need to be no bigger than an inch in size, somewhat less is better. Unless you choose high quality gemstones, the cost should be small.
