Frequently Asked Questions

The FCEA offers courses leading to certification at the Apprentice level (100), Craftsperson level (200) and then advanced level with eventual Master Certification. Our programs include monthly live teaching sessions by Steven Forrest, which complement various tracks for Self-Paced or Guided coursework. Our Guided Program includes live-online and forum-based support from skillful and engaged Forrest-trained tutors. Certification is offered at the Apprentice, Craftsperson and Master levels. (Download this PDF for a description of each level.)

Enrollment for self-paced Apprentice-level coursework is always open. To join our Guided Apprentice Program, or to study at the Craftsperson and Master levels, view our Course Catalog to see the starting dates for each course. This will help you plan your studies for the coming year. Yet before perusing the catalog, I recommend reading this entire FAQ section, as the answers to your questions are likely to be found right here.

Yes, that is a limitation to the Self-Paced program, but here are two points to consider: you can always ask questions of Steven on our monthly Student Q&A calls. We also have recordings of previous calls posted for students and these can be helpful as well — others may have had the same questions that you are facing. Another point: you might consider the fully Guided Program if you find the costs acceptable, because you can post questions anytime — no need to be able to access a set time for meetings, etc. Zoom meetings are recorded and posting is done when you are free and can focus on class.

Yes, you are correct. All of our meeting/forum-formatted courses, including 101B and 102B, are primarily based upon written discussions in forums with additional charts and questions. Each course has two Zoom calls, one an orientation and the other a Q&A midway through the course, but attendance is not required—they are recorded so you can tune in later if that’s more convenient for you. We also have two Study Group calls each week on Tuesdays at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time. These are not recorded and attendance is purely voluntary. Posting in weekly forum discussions can happen anytime you are free to do so and they are a great way to learn and interact with your tutor and fellow students.

With the FCEA being an online school, there is flexibility in our course schedules. Our student body is global, in countries across the world — the online format helps us make this possible, even for students who wish to pursue the Guided options. As mentioned in the previous answer, each Guided course has two Zoom calls, one orientation and a second call midway through the course. The calls are always recorded for any students who cannot attend them live. The majority of the interaction with tutors happens in the online forums, which you and the tutors can access any time of day or night (those interactions are not in real-time, so there is ample time to process the course material, post and reflect). As a student, you also gain access to our Monthly Student Q&A Calls with Steven, which are recorded for anyone who cannot attend them live. These calls are interactive and give students ample opportunities to ask questions and engage with Steven and the tutors. While most class sessions are completed on your own time, there are also two live Study Groups per week — and Steven attends them occasionally so we can work with him more intimately about the class material. Note that you do have access to the monthly Student Q&A Calls if Self-Paced, but the Study Groups are for students in the Guided Program only.

We schedule three beginning 100-level programs per year— in winter, late spring and fall. You can find course start dates on our Course Catalog. Upon registration, you are asked to indicate your desired start date. Once registered, your name will be added to the specified section.

I really do think the Guided Program is the best option, mostly because the tutors can be so helpful and supportive. You need not worry about being very interactive with other students if you prefer to be more of a loner. Some students truly appreciate the chance to work with their peers and love the sense of shared community through course discussions, but in the FCEA we “celebrate diversity.”

It’s up to you. Most students do. But if you are on the Guided Program track and wish to wait for any reason, you can be placed on the list for the following one, opening roughly six months later.

Definitely! This happens all the time. Students move, change jobs, or have a family event planned and need a break from class. You just play catch up when you return  — no problem. If finishing the course becomes an issue, just contact Catie Cadge, the Dean, and she will help you make a plan to finish.

The 200 level takes 42 weeks to complete, and the whole program will take between 3 and 4 years. We have not yet fully finished developing the 300-400 series and some of its courses will be elective—hence the different length of time. Steven and I are still working on developing the Master courses, so we haven’t determined yet for certain the length of time it will require. Four years is similar to other programs at various online astrology schools. We are aiming toward a similar timeframe. Yes, I do believe this gives an appropriate time for integration.

The current price (in USD) for the full 100-level Apprentice Guided Program is $999 and then the full 200-level Craftsperson Program is $1,999. We also offer all the classes individually, as well, so you need not pay all at once. You can peruse the Course Catalog and enroll. Overall, the Craftsperson Degree is about $3,000 and the Master Degree is $6,000-$7,500, depending upon 400-level electives you might take. The entire Master Program is about four years long.

The workload varies by course. 101B and 102B are probably about 3 to 4 hours a week, but there is substantial reading in both courses too. FCEA 103, the Practicum, is a bit more work: 4-5 hours, but no additional reading. There are quite a number of videos to watch as well. Many of our students also work full-time and there is some flexibility per week.

We offer Competency courses with exams to test out of 101 and 102. The cost is minimal, mainly administrative. Unfortunately, we have no way to test out of 103 or 200-level courses for advanced students. Once you pass 101 and 102, you are required to take 103, the Apprentice Practicum. It is a nice blend of beginners with seasoned astrologers and most really enjoy the class discussions. From there, FCEA 201: Transits, Progressions and Solar Arcs is available as a self-guided or guided course, and 202 is another Practicum. For more information, we invite you to read these articles about our Competency Program and for students who have participated in Steven’s previous Apprenticeship Program.

Yes. The Advanced Master Practicum is co-taught by Steven, with one of our tutors as an aid. In addition, Steven has also created over 200 instructional videos, most of them exclusive to the FCEA. Apart from not being able to ask questions immediately, these videos are very much like sitting in a classroom with Steven lecturing. As far as live, real-time interaction with him goes, he does monthly Q&A sessions in which he answers questions that students have submitted and also looks in-depth at a randomly selected chart submitted by the students. These Zoom calls are “live” events, but they are also archived and can be watched later. Steven also attends Study Group sessions once a month.

The moment that the astrologer and the client sit down together represents the pinnacle of our craft. When astrologers open their mouths to say their first sentences in the counseling room, they are standing on top of a monumental structure of knowledge they have built. Without that structure under them, they have no right to enter into that intimate, sacred space with another human being. That reason alone is enough to help us understand why our counseling skills courses come later in the curriculum – we simply want to underscore that people need to learn the craft before they attempt to practice it.

There’s a second reason. Evolutionary astrology in general – and the Steven Forrest Method in particular – are unlike other forms of astrological practice. Our work is far less focused on making predictions and offering personality profiles. Instead, we emphasize choices, possibilities, and cautionary perspectives. Those philosophical differences dictate a very distinct approach to working with clients. Once again, only students who are grounded in our unique methodology can understand how it translates into counseling.

With all that said, let’s emphasize that woven into the entire FCEA curriculum right from the beginning are all of the integrative techniques that underlie actual client work. “Putting it all together” is a constant refrain in the program. It would be a big oversimplification to say that “we save counseling for the end.” What comes at the more advanced stages of the curriculum rests on the foundation of all that has gone before and is only aimed at polishing the human skills that help build the bridge between astrologer and client. It’s the flower, and it depends on the roots and stems.

That is our intention, although we’ve not figured out exactly how or when to do it yet. One dilemma is that the FCEA is international and we want to be fair to students who might live outside North America—obviously traveling is more of a challenge for them. Very likely, such events will be a hybrid of Zoom technology and live participation. We envision both conferences open to all of our students and also special Master classes for our more advanced members. Steven also has not ruled out teaching in person in places outside of California or even outside of North America. Meanwhile, like everyone else on the planet, we are keeping an eye on developments with Covid.

The recognition-value of FCEA certification is essentially based on Steven Forrest’s personal reputation regarding his work. His books have been translated rather widely and he has taught on all the continents except for Antarctica and Africa. Please keep in mind, there is no quasi-governmental governing board for astrology, like the Board of Regents here in the US, so there is no “official recognition” anywhere.

An important part of Steven’s teaching style is the building of community. In addition to doing so through our courses and curriculum, the FCEA offers additional opportunities for connection through its optional Membership Program. For $99 per year, our growing list of FCEA Membership Benefits includes:

 * Four more Live Q&A Classes with Steven per year — in addition to the Monthly Student Q&A Calls (submit your questions, as well as your chart for a chance of it being randomly selected for interpretation by Steven)

 * Instant access to the FCEA Archive of Member and Student Q&A Calls with Steven (over 40 hours and counting of evolutionary astrology Q&A and sample chart readings by Steven; the archive expands each month)

 * Priority enrollment in courses before the general public

 * 20% off many purchases from Steven’s online store of astrology study materials

* Coming soon: 24/7 access to the online FCEA Community Forum

After you register as a user on our website, you can peruse the Course Catalog and enroll.

PLEASE NOTE: We are working hard to improve the visibility of our Course Catalog. By late March 2022, you will be able to view the entire catalog without logging in; sign up for our newsletter to receive our announcement. It’s coming soon!

The fundamental difference between the FCEA curriculum and the books, videos, and recordings available on forrestastrology.com is simply structure. The FCEA takes you step by step from wherever you find yourself in your studies directly to astrological mastery. Meanwhile the material on the website simply involves you exploring whatever subjects interest you. You’re on your own at forrestastrology.com — there is no structure or guidance, and no feedback. The FCEA also offers a vast amount of new written and video content recorded by Steven that is not available on forrestastrology.com or anywhere else.

While you are on your own with Steven’s work as it’s offered on the forrestastrology.com website, instruction in the FCEA (forrestastrology.center) is offered with different customized levels of personal support — specifically, the self-paced courses are structured to guide you through his books and methods, supported by proprietary handouts and videos. Meanwhile, the school’s guided courses cover the same basic content, but with the addition of online forums where you are given assignments by a teacher/tutor and can interact with fellow students. It’s a complete “school” learning experience, in other words. FCEA students are also invited to a monthly Zoom call with Steven, where they have the opportunity to submit questions in advance. As students advance, they eventually qualify for a small, very personal master class with Steven.

Bottom line, while the material available on forrestastrology.com may offer condensed, intensive learning on a specific topic of interest to you, the FCEA curriculum will present the material in a more gradual way, in a specific, structured context designed by Steven and our Dean, Dr. Catie Cadge (who is a career college professor and Master Certified Evolutionary Astrologer) to optimize your learning, retention and ability to apply the knowledge in practice. 

Specifically, while we find the Davidson charts powerful and relevant, we find the Composite chart even moreso, so that’s what we use. In Steven’s words, “Davidson charts are the real deal, but there’s a reason that we don’t include them in the FCEA curriculum. It’s really the same reason that we don’t include midpoints, lunar mansions, the Vertex, tertiary progressions, converse progressions, Sabian symbols, harmonics, et cetera — they are all valid techniques, but the overall pedagogical strategy of the school is to brings students from zero to professional competency in one very specific, very effective mode of astrological analysis. Once you get there, you’re free, even encouraged, to branch out.”

Please contact us with your question and our Registrar or Technical Support Team will be happy to assist you.