True Sidereal Astrology Course
The complete training in true sidereal astrology
Master true sidereal astrology with Athen
Learn to read birth charts and predict life events, from beginner to professional:
The True Sidereal Astrology Course is Athen's complete online training in true sidereal astrology. Eight in-depth lessons take you from your first birth chart through advanced predictive techniques. Every lesson includes a full-length video, a written chapter, reference PDFs, chart-analysis assignments, and a quiz with detailed explanations. Move at your own pace with lifetime access to all materials.
Your enrollment includes six months of True Sky online astrology software access and your CTSA™ (Certified True Sidereal Astrologer™) certification. CTSA is the only professional credential in true sidereal astrology and is priced at $495 on its own.
What you get from the course:
- Complete 8-lesson online course with dashboard
- Lesson PDFs, reference materials, assignments, and quizzes
- Six months of full True Sky software access
- Direct email access to Athen throughout your studies
- Your CTSA exams, title, and badge for life
This course is for you if:
- You are new to astrology and want to read charts
- You have studied astrology and want to learn true sidereal
- You want to become a professional astrologer
- You want the CTSA credential included with your training
- You want to learn at your own pace with lifetime access
Explore the 8 lessons
1 Lesson 1: Software Setup, Elements & Modalities +
- Setting up True Sky with the true sidereal settings
- The wheel of life framework that underlies the astrological chart
- The four elements (fire, earth, air, water) and what each one represents
- The three modalities (cardinal, fixed, mutable) explained
- How every house and sign combines one element and one modality into a unique character
- Why keyword lists are pointers, not definitions: feel first, describe second
2 Lesson 2: Reading the Natal Chart +
- The three chart components: planets as actors, houses as areas, signs as qualities
- The chart as a snapshot of the sky with its horizons and hemispheres
- The reading sequence: nodes, Ascendant and chart ruler, Sun and Moon, then other planets
- What each of the twelve houses represents as an area of life
- The four angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, IC) and what each one shapes
- The three-degree blend: how to read a planet close to a sign boundary
- A full walkthrough of a real chart interpreted end to end
3 Lesson 3: Planetary Strength, Retrogrades, & Aspects +
- Three things that set a planet's strength: house, sign, aspects, and direction
- The five major aspects (conjunction, opposition, square, trine, sextile) and what each one represents
- Why conjunctions get extra weight, and what makes a stellium important
- Combustion: what happens when a planet sits too close to the Sun
- How retrogrades internalize a planet's expression and require more conscious attention
- The principle that no placement is good or bad; some just require more awareness
4 Lesson 4: Rulerships +
- The three kinds of ruler (house rulers, natural rulers, dispositors) and when to use each
- How to make empty houses fully readable through their ruler
- The full ruler list for every sign, so you can trace rulership fluidly
- Intercepted signs: qualities a person has but often expresses subconsciously
- The reading reversal: starting from a specific question and working back through rulership
- Dispositor chains for advanced work: following a planet through its rulers
5 Lesson 5: Progressed Lunar Cycle & Planets +
- The blueprint principle: nothing can happen in a person's life unless it is promised in the birth chart
- The day-for-a-year math of secondary progressions
- The progressed Sun (about 30 years per house) as the person's long-term focus
- The progressed Moon (about 2.5 years per house) as the time keeper of the current energy
- The eight phases of the 29-year progressed lunar cycle, from New Moon through Balsamic
- When progressed Mercury, Venus, or Mars matter enough to bring into a reading
6 Lesson 6: Transit Cycles +
- Why transit signs are collective and transit houses are personal
- Jupiter and Saturn as the yin and yang of the year: expansion and refinement
- How to bring Jupiter into Saturn, and Saturn into Jupiter, in a client's actual life
- The transit cycles of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and when they matter for a yearly reading
- The return: when a transiting planet reaches its natal position and starts a new cycle
- Retrogrades and stations: what happens when a planet turns or almost stops in the sky
7 Lesson 7: Progressed & Transiting Aspects +
- Setting up True Sky's transit graph for accurate predictive readings
- How to read the graph: aspect colors, exact dates, and what each label means
- The reading order: progressions first, then last year's leading transits, then this year chronologically
- The three contacts of an outer transit: acclimation, clarity, and integration
- Confluence: when multiple aspects and progressions land in the same time window
- How to prioritize aspects so you focus on what actually matters
8 Lesson 8: Transit Grids +
- Bernadette Brady's transit grid: a two-by-three table that turns a single major transit into a personal story
- The three rows of the grid: cause (natal placement), arena (transit house), effect (rulerships)
- How a transit's effects spread across the chart through the houses each planet rules
- Confluence at the rulership level, and why to lean into it when you see it
- Which of the year's transits deserve a grid, and which to skip
- The complete predictive reading sequence, integrating everything from the course
How the course works:
- Enroll and receive your course dashboard link.
- Watch the video lessons and read the corresponding PDFs.
- Complete the assignments using the included True Sky software.
- Take the quizzes to solidify each lesson.
- Complete your CTSA exams and become certified for life.
You'll walk away with mastery of true sidereal astrology and become a Certified True Sidereal Astrologer.
ONE-ON-ONE COURSE WITH ATHEN - $1995
Prefer to study directly with Athen? Learn true sidereal astrology through personalized one-on-one mentorship: eight 1-hour Zoom sessions scheduled weekly or at your pace, with direct email and text access between sessions for ongoing support. Includes the full online course above, six months of True Sky software access, and recorded sessions for easy playback.
Athen Chimenti is the founder of Mastering the Zodiac and leading expert in the field of true sidereal astrology. With over a decade of experience, he has trained more than a hundred astrologers to become professionals and taught thousands more through his online courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any astrology background?
No. The course begins with foundational concepts and builds from there. Whether you've never read a birth chart or have been reading them for years, the lessons progress in an easy to follow order.
How long does it take to complete?
Each lesson includes a video (30 to 65 minutes), a written chapter, reference PDFs, assignments, and a quiz. Most students finish the course in 8 weeks (one section per week). Your access is lifetime, so you can go at your own pace.
What if I get stuck or have a question?
Reply to any course email or write to Athen directly. Email support is included throughout your studies.
What if I already read charts using tropical or another system?
The course uses Western astrology techniques. What's specific to this course is applying these techniques to the true sidereal zodiac. Your existing knowledge transfers directly and experienced astrologers often find the advanced parts of the course the most helpful.
What comes after the course?
When you finish all 8 lessons, your CTSA exams become available from your dashboard. Complete both the written and Zoom practical exam to earn the Certified True Sidereal Astrologer credential. See the certification page for details.
Can I get a refund?
Yes, course is fully refundable before you've completed more than 2 lessons or within 14 days of purchase, whichever comes first.
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COURSE? CONTACT ATHEN