Book excerpt: In this eBook original, numerous practical as well as philosophical issues are explored. In an in-depth, wide-ranging interview appearing in book form for the first time, Stephen Arroyo answers questions about his early years in astrology, how he came to write some of his classic works, and his views on various central issues in astrology’s current practice and potential future development. In another chapter, he provides concise new observations and guidelines that provide more insightful ways of understanding many factors in both individual birth charts and chart comparisons. In the other sections of this book, he discusses what astrology can contribute to psychology, how to understand the Ascendant, and possible explanations of transits’ powerful effects. And importantly, this is the only book currently available that describes and explores his unique theory of “subtones” as an incisive, psychologically revealing method of achieving greater depth in understanding any birth chart. In short, utilizing “subtones” is a method of synthesizing the major chart factors in any person’s chart in a simple, quick way that people at any level of astrological knowledge can easily learn and reliably use.