Out In The Mountains : A+E - Books: Herscopes

by Glo Daley

      If I were held to a one-word review for HerScopes, a Guide to Astrology for Lesbians by Charlene Lichtenstein, that word would be FUN. Her writing style is playful and witty and, in her own words from the introduction, the “book is full of blatantly crass generalizations as well as a few derogatory snippets thrown in for humorous effect.”
      She is funny, though some of her language gets a little tired ... like majorly overusing the expression “girlfriend”, “babe” and “lovergrrrl” and other totally cool words from the end of the century (the book was first published in 2000). Her Sagittarian enthusiasm infuses the book with big chunks of liveliness and the reader will find loads of strategies about how to “get her.”
      In spite of some of the not terribly deep characterizations, a lot of Lichtenstein’s perceptions are horrifyingly true. She does remind us that we are more than just our Sun signs, which can help when we are reading what might seem like a one-dimensional portrait of the sensual Taurus who lives next door. Her thinking is often incisive and substantial (though, since you didn’t ask, Steven Forrest is my all time favorite astrologer when it comes to depth and excellence in writing). Lichtenstein has an ability to get real and it is most noticeable in her introduction in which she gets down to the bricks and mortar of it all - don’t skip over it. Her piece at the end of the book about what was going on in the sky at the time of the Stonewall riots is a worthy exposition of how the stars can set a stage. Enlightening!
       My strongest picture, though, is of the book being used by a couple of women ... checking it out while checking each other out on a big comfy couch. I completely agree with the author’s words when she says “A careful reading of HerScopes might very well teach you something valuable about yourself”... or, “it can also reveal things about that mysterious babe you’ve been eyeing from across the produce counter.”
      And, as an often too serious Scorpio, I grudgingly agree with this statement from the introduction: “Disclaimer: This book is for entertainment purposes only, so lighten up, girlfriend!”

Glo Daley is an astrologer living on women’s land in Huntington, Vermont.