Astrology for Beginners

Discover the ancient art of astrology in this six-week livestream course with renowned astrologer Sue Brayne. If you are curious what your birth chart says about you and your place in the world, this course is your gateway into one of humanity's oldest symbolic languages.

Far from simple horoscopes, astrology is a rich system that maps our personality and potential through the positions of the sun, moon and planets at the moment of our birth. Our birth chart can offer us a window into self-discovery and a framework for making sense of our relationships and life events. This course opens that window, giving you a solid grounding in the essentials of astrology.

What to expect

In these six weeks, you'll build a solid foundation in astrological practice, learning to identify and interpret the key components of a natal chart including zodiac signs, planets, houses and aspects. Classes are interactive and supportive, combining teaching and discussion with practical exercises so you can apply what you learn to real birth charts, including your own.

This 6-week online course includes:

• A beginner-friendly curriculum covering signs, planets, houses and aspects
• Weekly practical exercises using real birth charts
• Guided mini chart-reading practice with fellow students
• An excellent grounding in astrology and birth chart interpretation 

Who is this course for?

This course is perfect for complete beginners with no prior astrology knowledge, as well as anyone who's dabbled in astrology and wants to build confidence and skill. It's ideal for those interested in self-development, symbolism, psychology or spirituality and anyone keen to learn how to read a birth chart for themselves. 

Sue Brayne will return in 2027 to guide your next steps in astrology – this is your starting point for an illuminating journey with the celestial bodies.

Book now to begin building a lifelong skill in astrological interpretation, guided by one of the field's most respected voices, Sue Brayne.

Astrology for Beginners course syllabus

Week 1: Introduction to Astrology

• Brief history of astrology
• Basic introduction to astronomy of astrology
• Introduction to astrological signs and Sun placement in chart
• Introduction to the Big Three (Sun, Moon, Ascendent)
• Introduction to Ascendent ruler
  • Exercise: Identify: 
    • Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Ascendent ruler

Week 2: The Planets (who)

• Luminaries: Sun and Moon
• The personal planets: Mercury, Venus, Mar
• Social Planets: Jupiter and Saturn
• Transpersonal Planets: Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Chiron
  • Exercise: Identify: 
    • Most prominent planetary energy
    • Any concentration of planets

Week 3: The Zodiac Signs and Elements (how)

• Introduction to 12 astrological signs
• Introduction to Elements and Modes
• Introduction to element imbalances
  • Exercise: Create: 
    • Element balance chart
    • Mode balance chart
    • Yin/Yang balance chart
    • Reflect on dominant and missing energies

Week 4: The Houses (where)

• What the houses represent
• Walking through all 12 houses
• House emphasis and life themes
  • Exercise: Identify: 
    • Most populated house
    • Angular house emphasis
    • Key life themes

Week 5: Aspects – bringing the chart alive

• Introduction to major aspects Conjunctions, Sextiles, Squares, Trines, Oppositions
  • Exercise: Identify:
    • Strongest aspect
    • Most challenging aspect
    • Most supportive aspect

Week 6: Reading a Chart Practice

• Step-by-step chart reading process
  • Prioritising chart factors:
    • Ascendant and Ascendant ruler
    • Sun and Moon
    • Strongest planet
    • Element and mode balance
    • House emphasis
    • Major aspects
    • Overall chart themes

Meet your tutor, Sue Brayne

Sue Brayne brings extraordinary depth to her astrology teaching. She trained with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, holds an MA in the Rhetoric and Rituals of Death, and worked as an honorary researcher alongside neuropsychiatrist Dr Peter Fenwick on one of the first studies into end-of-life experiences. A TEDx speaker, Sue also interviews Master Astrologers for the Astrological Journal and her Celebrating Astrology YouTube channel. Her unique blend of academic rigour, compassionate wisdom and lifelong fascination with the human journey makes her an exceptional guide into the world of astrology.

Entry requirements

• This course is open to all and is your first step into the realm of astrology.
• To enrol on this course, click 'BOOK NOW'.
• If it is fully booked, click 'REGISTER INTEREST' for updates.
• It is important that you read these 11 Course Agreements before your first class.

Live online with replay

This course will be recorded. You will find the recording links in your College Account within two working days from the event - an email will alert you when they are ready. These recordings will be available for replay for three months following the event. Please see our terms for more information.

Previous participants say:

"Sue Brayne is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher and created a welcoming space to explore the themes of the course. I loved looking at the variety of charts with Sue and the class members. It was a very well organized and enjoyable experience! Thank you!"

"I very much enjoyed the course with Sue Brayne. Especially the chart readings and the discussion."

"Sue Brayne is such a fantastic teacher and an extremely effective communicator. Her lessons were parsed in a way that was logical, easy to digest, while also maintaining a high-level of interest for the class. I feel like I learned so much during this course. The class also became very close and comfortable with each other and I attribute that to Sue's encouragement for us to discuss difficult subject matter in a safe space. I would be happy to take any future courses that Sue teaches and am very thankful for this offering."

"Sue Brayne was wonderfully welcoming and friendly. Her breadth and depth of knowledge is inspiring as is her enthusiasm for the subject matter. Thanks Sue for a fabulous course."