Books & Writings by John Wadsworth
My writing explores astrology as an experiential study and practice through which we might meaningfully participate in our own destiny and re-establish a living relationship with the heavens and with the world we inhabit. I see astrology as a language of animacy through which we can encounter the more-than-human archetypal imagination, deepen our understanding of ourselves, and reconnect with the greater cosmos.
From the Twelve Gateways to Wholeness journey of Your Zodiac Soul, through the poetic astrological theatre of The Planetary Dialogues - a co-authored book with Andreea Bradu - to my academic research into Embodied Astrology and astrodrama, these writings represent different expressions of the same set of enquiries:
How does astrology heal the soul?
How does astology re-connect us with the more-than-human world?
How does astrology offer us a pathway of initiation and individuation?
How do we approach astrology as a living, embodied practice?
How does astrology become something that we can experience directly, rather than simply something that we merely use to establish interpretations of character analysis or predictions of the future?
Your Zodiac Soul
Working with the Twelve Zodiac Gateways to Create Balance, Happiness & Wholeness
John Wadsworth
Your Zodiac Soul presents the zodiac as a twelve-stage journey of initiation and self-discovery. Rather than focusing only on the signs emphasised in the birth chart, it invites us to encounter all twelve zodiacal archetypes as essential dimensions of the human psyche.
Through mythology, psychological enquiry, embodied practice and exercises for each sign, the book explores where the wheel of life can become stuck — and how the qualities contained within each zodiacal gateway can help restore movement, balance and wholeness.
This corresponds closely to the publisher's description of the book as a twelve-stage process in which the zodiac becomes a path towards wholeness.
Praise for Your Zodiac Soul
“With keen mythopoetic understanding, John Wadsworth’s Your Zodiac Soul re-visions astrology as an experiential journey, transiting through twelve portals or stages of initiation… He imagines the Zodiac as a dynamic wheel of life, showing each soul its own unique, mythic, transformative path.”
— Jeremiah Abrams, Jungian therapist and author of Meeting the Shadow
“The depth of John Wadsworth’s experiential knowledge shines through this book. It is so refreshing to find the zodiac signs delineated in the old way, as a process of alchemical transformation and soul-growth rather than mere indications of ‘character’.”
— Judy Hall, astrologer, author of The Astrology Bible and the internationally bestselling The Crystal Bible
“Whether you are new to astrology, or a seasoned ‘pro’, this gem of a book will refer you directly to a vision of wholeness which is indigenous to the human soul, connecting you to the Cosmos via the symbols of the zodiac.”
— Melanie Reinhart, astrologer and author of Chiron and the Healing Journey
“In this compelling exploration of the zodiac, experiential astrologer John Wadsworth shares a lifetime of insights that will help each sign discover the best pathways to self-actualisation and emotional well-being. Your Zodiac Soul is an inspired book, written with enthusiasm, freshness and passion.”
— Frank Clifford, principal of The London School of Astrology. Author of numerous books, including Getting to the Heart of Your Chart
“A lyrical love letter to the power and subtlety of the Zodiac, Your Zodiac Soul offers a brand new approach to anyone interested in personal development, finding more wholeness in their life, or expanding their awareness of the influence of the cosmos on our individuality.
John Wadsworth invites intuition, imagination and inspiration into our connection with the Zodiac and opens gateways to enhanced personal understanding.”
— Sue Hollingsworth, director of the Centre for Biographical Storytellers, and author of The Storyteller’s Way
What Readers Say…
“This is a beautiful book. The prose sparkles, flows; it is like a clear fountain springing up into the air and letting fall droplets of wisdom, knowledge and insight. It is a delight to read.
There is scholarship here, as well as passion and a clear control of his subject matter. It feels authentic, as though the author has experienced within himself the truths of each sign.”
— D. S. Radenhurst, verified Amazon review
“John Wadsworth’s in-depth understanding of astrology is brought alive in this book as he explores each star sign and blends it with stories from mythology, which still resonate deeply in our souls today.
I have used it as a travelling companion through each sign of the zodiac to better understand myself and my relationships. John’s book is a gift to us all and invites us to embark on a journey of self-discovery.”
— Celtic CJ, verified Amazon review
“This is an excellent book, absorbing and erudite. Its observations — from mythology and elsewhere — give you a real insight into the different tendencies we all have, how to overcome them and make the best of our lives.
I recommended it to my other half, who wouldn’t usually be drawn to a book about astrology. He absolutely loves it, as do I. It should definitely draw a wide audience.”
— Imogen, verified Amazon review
“John’s mastery in astrology and clarity of expression really shine in Your Zodiac Soul. It is simple to read, yet it takes you with ease and grace into the depth of each sign.
It is an experiential book. It steps you into the feeling of each sign, so you can start to know its gifts and shadows within you. He incorporates the past, but takes each archetype forward into how it can be used today.
It is deeply profound in its simplicity.”
— MB, verified Amazon review
Collaborative Projects
The Planetary Dialogues
Andreea Bradu & John Wadsworth
The Planetary Dialogues, co-authored with Andreea Bradu, brings the planetary archetypes vividly to life through poetry, theatre and the symbolic imagination.
Written in rhyming verse, the book presents nine encounters between planetary characters whose differing perspectives reveal the tensions, paradoxes and creative possibilities that live within the human psyche. Sol encounters Luna, Venus meets Mars, Mercury challenges Jupiter, Luna confronts Saturn, and the outer planets Uranus, Neptune & Pluto enter the celestial drama.
Rather than describing the planets from the outside, The Planetary Dialogues gives them voices of their own. They argue, provoke, seduce, challenge and illuminate one another, inviting us to experience planetary archetypes as living presences rather than abstract astrological concepts.
At the heart of the book is Gaia, the living soul of the Earth. She witnesses the planetary conflicts and holds their opposing perspectives within a greater whole. She reminds us that these cosmic forces are also alive within our relationships, our struggles and our creative lives.
Born from our shared work with astrology and healing theatre, the book evolved over twelve years from an original series of improvised planetary enactments. What began as a creative experiment became an exploration of how conflict itself can reveal hidden kinship — and how polarity can become a path towards greater consciousness and integration.
The dialogues can simply be read and enjoyed as poetry, but they can also be spoken aloud, performed between two people, explored through movement or used as a doorway into deeper experiential work.
Enter a world where the planets speak in rhyme and the heavens become a stage.
Praise for The Planetary Dialogues
“I feel that this is a book ‘whose time has come’, and which reconnects us to the sacred source of astrology.”
— Melanie Reinhart, astrologer and author of Chiron and the Healing Journey
“This is an original premise. John & Andreea present a creative experiment that is both playful and deeply thoughtful.”
— Mark Jones, astrologer, psychotherapist and author
“Thespians rule the day with a delightful new astrology book which dramatizes the archetypes behind each planet.”
— Marjorie Orr, astrologer and author
“There is an appealingly high level of classical literacy to the poetry in this book… It is a work of art and not just a prosaic teaching guide.”
— Philip Graves, astrologer and writer
John’s Academic Research
My MA Thesis on Embodied Astrology
Towards an Embodied Astrology
Embodiment as a Paradigm for Astrological Practice
MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, Bath Spa University, 2006
This 2006 thesis marks the beginning of my research into what I came to call Embodied Astrology — an approach that has subsequently become central to my teaching and practice. In the thesis, I set out to move astrology beyond interpretation and abstraction towards a participatory, experiential and embodied encounter with astrological symbolism.
I coined the term Embodied Astrology for this thesis, and this term is now widely used within contemporary astrology. The thesis also constituted the first academic treatment of astrodrama, and it features in-depth interviews with astrodrama practitioners: Barbara Schermer, Jeff Jawer & a third anonymous participant.
Drawing on phenomenology, anthropology, ecology and the philosophy of embodiment, the thesis proposes astrology as a living dialogue between human beings and a more-than-human cosmos. It asks whether the astrologer might be understood not simply as an interpreter of symbols, but as a facilitator of embodied understanding.
The later part of the thesis explores experiential astrology and astrodrama as practical expressions of this approach, examining how archetypal symbolism can be encountered through movement, enactment, dialogue and direct participation.
Many of the ideas developed here — embodied astrology, astrodrama, the astrologer as facilitator, and astrology as a participatory relationship with a living cosmos — have continued to inform my teaching and practice ever since.