The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a wonderful book about youth with particular challenges. I don’t know if the author is interested in astrology as well, but he sure knows his mythology. My daughter’s librarian recommended it for her, but she wasn’t interested in it (yet). Both my husband and I loved it, and are very happy it’s the first of a series. I’m getting the second one tomorrow! If you’re new to astrology it’s a fun way to get a bead on the symbolism of the planets through the gods and goddesses.

The children and teens are dyslexic, ADHD, have been kicked out of school and all end up in a mystical camp because as it turns out, the problems they have stem from being “godlings”: children spawned from a mortal and god/dess. What I love about this book is some of the trials and feats they go through are what it can feel like having a strong relationship with a particular planet in your horoscope. And for a lot of young people now that can manifest in being labeled.

It can be very helpful for a young person to understand his/her horoscope through a mythological lens. Although an astrologer won’t tell them they are a godling, all humans are part of the great Source energy. We can trip ourselves up when we are not aligned with that awareness; nothing about that has changed since the ancient Greeks, just the way we define it. In the book, when the youth are finally told they are godlings, they start to align more effectively with their powers, instead of being short-circuited by them.

The great thing about hearing the mythic tales and why they have resonated through the ages (and through the language of astrology), is they give us an identification with the hero’s journey. Riordan has taken the tale of Perseus and updated his trials and triumphs to fit an adolescent NYC boy. From this astrologer’s perspective, he’s done a brilliant and highly entertaining job.

Did you enjoy this post? Get delivery to your mailbox