Tips for the Novice Astrologer | Isthmus Nekoi
1) Practice, practice, practice! Practical work is absolutely crucial to the novice astrologer. Astrology is not an empirical science and experience will always be your best teacher. Books can only take you so far, so find as much accurate birth data as you can, even if it is the birth data of famous figures.
2) Avoid the "Barnum effect" at all costs. Don't be wishy washy about your readings. Make clear, specific statements whenever you can, even if that means risking errors in interpretation. I made a lot of mistakes when I first started casting charts, but I learned quickly from them by constantly putting myself to the test. If you are lucky enough to have very scientific or skeptical friends who are still open minded enough to help you out, get their birth data! You can always count on these people to tell you when you're dead wrong - and when you're dead right, you know it's not because your friends are eager to believe anything you say.
3) Try to rectify charts without knowing the birthtime. This is an exercise I made up for myself to strengthen my reading skills. Find a friend you know well who has an accurate birthtime and then cast the chart without it. Then, try to place the planets in the houses you think they belong in as well as determining the correct Ascendent sign. When you are satisfied with your hypothesized birthtime, see how correct you are!
4) Read intuitively. Very often, it is suggested that novice astrologers work with a straightforward addition type interpretation. 12th house+Sun+Cancer=very secretive and moody person. That sort of thing is fine to begin with, but really accurate interpretations utilize a holistic approach. Instead of working from the details to the big picture, you also need to work backwards as it were, from the big picture to the details. I find it helpful to begin by looking at elements and modalities before even looking at the planets themselves.