Directions and Directing
An Introduction to Predictive Astrology
Custom Design Binding
"The deep pulsations of the world, Æonian music measuring out the steps of Time - the shocks of Chance - the blows of Death.
About the Project
In early February 2026, my wife brought me this little book from her collection at the Celestial Arts Education Library, and it needed a little love. Actually, it needed a lot of love, but I was more than happy to work on it. There was something about this book that stood out to me, and I was instantly charmed by it. Its size betrays its impact on the world, as my wife expressed its value in the Astrological community, being a core text for predictive astrology.
Once I began working on it, I felt an immediate connection to the book, and I enjoyed every step of the process. Once the repairs were finished, I rebound the signatures with archival materials and used fine sheepskin leather to cover it. For the design, I employed the cuir-ciselé technique to carve and bevel a “radiating planet.”
I am very happy with the result and I feel this book can now be enjoyed for many years to come. Breathing life back into much-loved books is a special kind of joy for me in the bindery, and I am thankful to have the opportunity to work on projects like this.
More about the Book
Herbert S. Green (1861-1937) was an English astrologer who collaborated on many publications with Alan Leo (1860-1917), “the most famous and influential of the modern English astrologers,” according to historian J. H. Holden. Born William Frederick Allan, Leo emerged as a leading figure in the European revival of astrology during the early twentieth century. Around the turn of the century, Green joined Leo’s publishing team, compiling data, editing, and also writing textbooks and leaflets. Directions and Directing: An Introduction to Predictive Astrology is Manual 5 in a series aimed at students of astrology, and it remains one of the most succinct technical manuals on prediction. Most importantly, this book presents the first citable evidence for the modern interpretation of converse progressions, a now-rare technique that flourished in the 20th century following the publication of this book. Green’s discussion of converse progressions challenges our Cartesian experience of the space-time continuum, positing that events happening before one’s birth have a corresponding effect throughout one’s lifetime.
This third edition of Directions belonged to the late Al H. Morrison, an influential career astrologer from New York City, who popularized the Void-of-Course Moon and pioneered research on the astrological significance of asteroids. In June of 2025, Morrison’s estate bequeathed his astrological library to the CAELi Institute located in historic Tumwater, WA. Upon finding the book in precarious condition, the library’s director brought it to me to see how we could save this historic text, both in its content and provenance. The director, familiar with my work in curliquesieessesse, asked if it would be possible to create a leather binding that captured the spirit of the original cover’s artwork, but made it more like a relic, a fossil, something lost to the ravages of time.
The Process
As mentioned above, this book needed a lot of love to bring it back to life. I wouldn’t say there was anything out of the ordinary for a book this old, so it was fairly straightforward. For the rips and tears, I applied a mixture of methyl cellulose and PVA glue with Japanese Conservation paper. Color-matching the original paper with the correct Japanese paper is always very rewarding, as the repairs can be seamless if done correctly.
Once the repairs were finished and the paper was in good condition, the binding process was just like any other book. I’d say my only alteration from my normal process was using a tabletop method for sewing. Since the book was so small and still a bit fragile, I opted to use this method so as not to put any undue stress attaching it to the sewing frame.
The design is a hand-drawn draft inspired by the original cover. Instead of working with Astrological symbols, I wanted to take a more “planetary” approach.
