In the northern hemisphere, we are pulling out our sweaters and planting winter veggies and bulbs, while FCEA community members “down under” are preparing for summer. Personally, I always look forward to the fall season in California. Autumn is a moment to reflect upon the inevitable passing away of the abundance of summer and, well, the waxing and waning of the cycle of life. In the United States, September is also the time when students are back in school and new classes have begun. So as an educator and Dean of the FCEA, I see autumn as both a season of change and decay and of positive new beginnings and learning. We just opened sixteen classes and, by mid-October, we will have another two to make a total of eighteen for our final term of 2026! Welcome back to school, FCEA family.
We recognize that recent events this summer have raised important questions for members of the FCEA community. Our first responsibility is to begin the deeper internal work needed within the leadership team before moving too quickly toward broader answers or commitments. We want to take the time necessary to understand the concerns that have been raised and respond responsibly. We will share more with the community when there is substantive information to share. Thanks for your patience with this learning process as we anticipate that some change is in order, but we also celebrate new beginnings and a return of our students to class after our August vacation break.
We are thrilled to report that the FCEA’s enrollment continues to be strong. We have been planning the 2027 schedule. Please look for our updated catalog later this month. I am particularly excited to be opening our 403: Electional Astrology in mid-October. The class is now full and we have a waitlist, but I am happy to say we will offer 403 again this January. FCEA 403 is designed to teach you a skill set to use in helping to determine best options of dates and times for important events, such as starting your astrology practice, planning a wedding or buying a home, Here I mention just a few of the many possibilities when you might turn to electional astrology for yourself or to help your clients. We will take an evolutionary approach to the subject, along with nodal analysis, to supplement traditional approaches to electional work.
If you are not familiar with our 400-advanced series, let me entice you with some other areas of specialized study!
The FCEA400-level classes are optional electives for 300 Master Level students and FCEA Graduates. Students who complete three 400-level electives will earn an Honors Designation on their FCEA Master Astrologer degree, and students completing six 400-level electives will earn a Distinguished Honors Designation. Why not earn an honors degree? These designations will be listed on our FCEA Graduate webpage. So far, we had a successful run of 402: Chart Rectification and 405: The Asteroids, both of which we will offer again in 2027. We anticipate rolling out 404: Astromapping as well next year. Lots of new topics to look forward to.
The beauty of these advanced classes is they remain small (maximum ten students) and the structure of the class is focused upon an intimate Zoom meetup in the style of a graduate seminar with one teacher to guide discussion. Like the other FCEA classes, Steven and Catie created the course modules and assignments, with Steven sharing videos to enhance instruction along with a number of helpful handouts. The 400 classes run for four weeks only; each weekly Zoom call is two hours long. This allows for plenty of time for detailed discussion and lecture, while also making the course length short to help with the demands of additional class time and work load.
I often hear from FCEA advanced students how they would like to explore another class in addition to the 300 courses in sequence they are taking with their cohort. Here’s a chance to do something on the side that is fun, intellectually stimulating (Uranus in Gemini, anyone?) AND useful as a way to strengthen your degree. Claim “specialties,” through an honors designation, that includes great topics to make your practice stronger. We hope to see you in the future at the 400-level of instruction!
