TimePassages™ Astrology Software
Desktop Software User Manual
for TimePassages™ Version 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction to TimePassages Astrology
- Chapter 1 - TimePassages Quick Start Guide
- Chapter 2 - Natal Chart Basics
- Natal Astrology
- 2.1 Creating a New Chart
- 2.3 Chart Display Overview
- 2.4 House Systems and Chart Structure
- 2.5 House Cusp Margin
- 2.6 ✏️ Editing Chart Information
- 2.7 Displaying the Aspect Grid
- 2.8 Displaying Declinational Aspects on Wheel Charts
- 2.9 Displaying Declinations in a Grid Window
- 2.10 ⚙️ Customize the Declination Orb
- 2.11 Patterns Panel (Upper Left)
- 2.12 Saving a Chart
- 2.13 Saving Charts and Reports as PDF or Image Files
- 2.14 ❌ Closing a Chart
- 2.15 Opening a Saved Chart
- 2.16 Navigating Between Open Charts
- 2.17 Duplicating a Chart
- 2.18 ✨ Editing and Displaying Chart Points (Mac)
- 2.19 ✨ Editing and Displaying Chart Points (Windows)
- 1.5 Aspects
- 1.6 Aspect Orb and Intensity Settings
- 1.7 Printing a Chart
- 1.8 Display Options
- 1.9 House Calculation Methods
- 1.10 Time Zone Codes
- 1.11 Sidereal Charts
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Transits
- 3.1 Transit Bi-Wheel
- 3.2 Tri-Wheel Charts
- 3.3 Animating Transits
- 3.4 Interpreting Transits
- To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
- To Interpret Transits to House Rulers
- To Select Combinations of Individual Transit Feature Interpretations
- To Create a Report for a Single Day’s Transits
- To Modify the Report of Transits to Exclude Inner Planets
- To Add or Exclude Particular Types of Transiting Aspects
- To Print the Current Transits
- To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
- To Print Individual Transit Interpretations
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Progressions
- 5.1 Creating a Progressed Chart
- To Create a Progressed Bi-Wheel
- To Create a Freestanding Progressed Chart
- To Change the Progressions Style
- To Save a Progression from Discard
- To Close Chart
- To Print a Progressed Bi-Wheel Chart
- To Animate a Progressed Bi-Wheel
- To Reverse Animation
- To Halt Animation
- To Return to the Most Recent Progressed Chart
- 5.2 Interpreting a Progressed Chart
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chart Relocation
- 8.1 Relocating a Chart
- 8.2 Interpreting a Relocated Chart
- To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
- To Select Individual Feature Interpretations for Printing
- To Create a standard Natal Chart Interpretation Report
- To Print the Report
- To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
- To Interpret a Transits to a Relocated Chart
- To Interpret Progressions of a Relocated Chart
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Appendix A
- Our approach to Astrology
- The building blocks: Signs, Elements, Planets, and Houses
- Astrology reveals your Higher Self
- How can you use Astrology to gain insight into your own life and others?
- What are the practical considerations for using Astrology?
- Reading the chart
- Synthesis—putting it all together
- A Note on the timing of transits
- Appendix B
- Appendix C
- Appendix D
- Appendix E
- Appendix F
- Appendix G
- Appendix H
- Glossary
- Angles:
- Angular Planets:
- Ascendant:
- Aspect Grid:
- Aspect lines:
- Aspect Orbs:
- Aspects:
- Asteroids:
- Chart patterns:
- Chart Ruler:
- Comparison Bi-Wheel:
- Composite Chart:
- Contra-parallel:
- Daylight time:
- Declination:
- Declinational aspect:
- Descendant:
- Eclipse:
- Elements:
- Grand Cross:
- Grand Trine:
- Houses:
- Lilith:
- Lunar Return:
- Maximum Orb for Transit survey report:
- Midheaven:
- Modes:
- Moon sign:
- Nadir:
- Natal Aspects:
- Natal Chart:
- Parallel:
- Planetary midpoints:
- Planetary patterns:
- Progressions:
- Rectified Chart:
- Relocated Chart:
- Retrograde motion:
- Rising Sign:
- Saturn Return:
- Secondary Progression:
- Sidereal Time (ST):
- Solar Arc Progression:
- Solar Return:
- Sun Sign:
- Transit:
- Transit Bi-Wheel:
- Transiting Aspects:
- True Local Time (TLT):
- TNO, Trans-Neptunian Object:
- T-square:
- Yod:
- Glossary
- Appendix I
Introduction to TimePassages Astrology
by Henry Seltzer
Astrology is an ancient science with much to give to the modern era. By demonstrating the value of Astrology through the power and accuracy of its interpretations, TimePassages Astrology on a personal computer seeks to allow this ancient wisdom to inform our understanding as we stand at the present crossroads of history. The folly of the purely materialistic worldview is evident all around us, in the lack of regard on the part of large-scale institutions for basic values and dignity, for the contribution of all people everywhere to evolving human society, and their right to self-determination. And yet it is difficult to find a reasonable substitute in our post-industrial state of mind. By demonstrating a mystical basis of reality that takes us far beyond simplistic logic and flies in the face of modern “scientism” and materialism, Astrology helps modern (wo)man to understand their place in the cosmos, a richer and far more inspiring cosmos than the pale picture we get without the magical insight that it helps to provide. To read more about the basics of Astrology in the Western tradition, as presented in the TimePassages software, jump to Appendix A.
Our mission
TimePassages’s goal is to spread awareness regarding Astrology far and wide, especially in technical circles. To this end, we have made the program extremely user-friendly, with easy-to-access interpretations that will offer something of value to individuals who consult this oracle. The expert system component of TimePassages recognizes chart patterns and other forms of emphasis, listing the five most important features at the beginning of the Natal Report, followed by the Sun, Moon, and Rising. Additionally, when listing the aspects between the planets, the strongest are first. By demonstrating Astrology in action, we hope to make a case for a more inclusive worldview that considers all people as part of a tribal family, encompassing the past and the future.
Roadmap of this book
Regarding technical information for running the program, Chapter 1 provides the most valuable, quickly needed information. Chapter 2 describes the TimePassages interpretation and expert system component. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 describe the nuts and bolts of creating Transit and Progressed charts, while Chapters 6 and 7 include midpoints and insights into rectifying a chart. Chapters 8 through 10 cover features available in the Advanced Edition of TimePassages, including Chart Relocation, Astro Maps, and Solar and Lunar Returns. You must have either the Advanced Edition or the Compatibility Report add-on to take advantage of the material presented in Chapters 11 and 12, which discusses comparing two charts through the study of their inter-aspects, also called the Synastry, or the Composite Chart that can be calculated from their planetary midpoints. The Advanced Edition is available as an upgrade to the Standard Edition for a modest fee. The Compatibility Report, Relationship Report, Astro Map Interpretation, and Solar Return add-ons are also available from AstroGraph Software at www.astrograph.com.
Chapter 1 - TimePassages Quick Start Guide
Congratulations on your new TimePassages software!
To start exploring charts right away, just follow these easy steps.
1.1 Creating a New Chart
Creating a chart is quick and easy. Just follow these steps:
Click File in the top menu bar and choose New.
Enter the person’s name, place of birth, birth date, and time.
If you don’t know the time, select Sunrise Chart.
You don’t need to enter the latitude, longitude, time zone, or daylight saving information—TimePassages will fill those in automatically based on the location and date.
You can override any of this information if needed.
Click OK.
That’s it! Your chart will appear immediately.
You can explore the chart using your mouse—just click on any feature to get a detailed interpretation. Even the aspect lines in the center are clickable!
Try Different Chart Types
Use the Display menu to explore other charts, like the Transit Bi-Wheel, which shows current planetary influences.
If you’re using the Standard or Advanced Edition and own the Report Add-Ons, you can also display a full interpretation report by going to the Interpretations Menu.
We hope you enjoy using TimePassages!
1.2 Installing TimePassages
To get started with TimePassages, follow these simple steps:
Purchase and Download
- Visit www.astrograph.com to purchase the latest version of TimePassages.
- After your order is processed, you’ll receive an email with:
- A download link
- Your unique enabling codes
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us anytime at support@timepassages.app.
Installation Help (Video Tutorials)
Need help installing the software or enabling your codes? We’ve got you covered with quick video guides:
Mac Installation Video
To jump straight to enabling your codes, go to 9:40 in the video.
Windows Installation Video
To jump straight to enabling your codes, go to 4:40 in the video.
Once you’ve installed and activated the software, you’re ready to start exploring charts!
1.3 Enabling Features and Add-Ons
To unlock all the features and add-ons you’ve purchased, you’ll need to enter your enable codes. These are sent by email after your purchase.
Entering Your Enable Codes
Follow the steps below to activate your edition of TimePassages (Basic, Standard, or Advanced):
Tips for entering codes:
Copy and paste the codes directly to avoid typos.
Use the correct capitalization for your name (match what’s in your email).
Make sure the enable code is typed in ALL CAPS, includes dashes, and has no extra spaces.
Need help? Email us at support@timepassages.app—we’re always happy to assist.
Enabling Add-On Modules
Add-on reports give you deeper insights, like compatibility and forecast tools. Purchase these at astrograph.com. Once you have your code, follow the steps below:
Compatibility Report (Synastry)
Relationship Report (Composite Chart)
Solar Return Report
Enabling the Commercial License
The Commercial License allows you to sell charts and unlocks features like:
Exporting reports to RTF or HTML
Customizing the “Prepared by” field
This license requires ownership of the Standard or Advanced Edition and is sold separately.
Customizing Report Branding (Commercial License)
Important: Selling TimePassages reports requires a Commercial License. Without it, you are not permitted to resell chart interpretations generated by the software.
Using the Commercial License
The Commercial License is designed for users who plan to resell astrology reports made in TimePassages.
You may:
Edit the branding text that appears at the top-left of your reports
Add your business name or logo
However:
All reports will still include the line:
“Interpretations by Henry Seltzer” (honoring the original author)
If you use your own template or report design, you must include the following credit in full:
Interpretations by Henry Seltzer © 1999 AstroGraph Software, Inc.
Generated by TimePassages Astrology App, www.astrograph.com
We ask that you price your reports similarly to ours. You can reference current pricing at:
astrograph.com/astrology-reports
How to Edit the Commercial License Text
1.4 Deauthorizing a Computer
There may be times when you need your computer to forget your enable codes—for example, if you’re switching editions, transferring your license to another machine, or preparing to enter new codes.
Follow the steps below to deauthorize your current installation:
Once deauthorized, TimePassages will return to a limited state until new enable codes are entered.
Note: This action only affects the local machine—it won’t cancel your license or erase any saved charts.
1.5 File Storage and Handling
TimePassages stores all your charts as individual files on your computer. Here’s how to keep them safe and access them easily.
Chart File Basics
TimePassages chart files use the “.chw” extension.
These files are stored on your computer’s hard drive, not inside the software itself.
For added protection, we highly recommend backing up your chart files to an external drive like a USB stick or cloud storage service. That way, your charts are safe even if your computer crashes or is replaced.
Moving Chart Files to a New Computer
If you’re switching computers, simply copy the Chart Folder from your old machine to the new one using a flash drive, external hard drive, or cloud service.
Once copied, paste the folder onto the new machine in a location you’ll remember.
Opening Chart Files
You can open a chart file manually by finding the file on your computer:
Recent Files History
TimePassages will try to reopen the last chart you had open the next time you launch the program. You can also manually access recent files:
Importing & Exporting Files
TimePassages can work with other astrology software using .qck files.
This makes it easy to share chart data or move between different astrology tools.
Chapter 2 - Natal Chart Basics
Natal Astrology
When you first open TimePassages, you’ll see an example chart: the Natal Chart of Edgar Cayce. After that first launch, TimePassages will always reopen the most recently viewed chart.
What Is a Natal Chart?
Your Natal Chart—sometimes called a birth chart—shows the exact positions of the planets at the moment of your birth. It maps:
Where each planet was in the Zodiac signs
Which astrological houses they occupy
How the planets interact through aspects (angles)
It’s like a cosmic snapshot of the sky at your very first breath—your personal blueprint.
The Heart of Astrology
The Natal Chart is the foundation of most personal astrology. While astrology can be applied to many things (like the start of a business or a major event), Natal Astrology focuses on the individual.
The same chart can reveal different layers of meaning depending on the person's life path, maturity, and level of awareness. It’s a living mirror of the self, not a fixed fate.
Other branches of astrology include:
Horary Astrology — Casting a chart for the moment a specific question is asked. The resulting chart reflects symbolic insights related to that question.
Transit Astrology — Comparing current planetary movements to your natal chart to understand timing and life cycles.
You may also hear the word horoscope, which technically means “chart of the hour.” While commonly used to refer to Sun Sign forecasts, it originally referred to the full chart itself.
Edgar Cayce – An Example Chart
Edgar Cayce, often referred to as “The Sleeping Prophet,” was a renowned American psychic. When in a trance, he could give detailed medical readings and access esoteric knowledge—yet remembered nothing afterward.
We use his chart as an example because it so clearly demonstrates astrological symbolism at work:
The Moon, symbolizing the unconscious, is right at the top of his chart, conjunct Neptune—the planet of mysticism and dreams.
All the planets aspect the Moon, showing how central the unconscious was in Cayce’s life.
Uranus, the planet of psychic awakening, is rising—highlighting his link to intuitive realms.
Meanwhile, the Sun (his conscious self) only aspects Jupiter and Chiron, reflecting a relatively normal waking personality, blessed with healing potential.
This chart beautifully mirrors the life of someone who lived between two worlds: waking and dreaming, material and mystical.
2.1 Creating a New Chart
Creating your Natal Chart in TimePassages is easy and automatic—just follow these steps:
From the menu bar, click File > New…
The Create New Chart dialog box will appear.
(On Windows, it’s titled “Chart Data”)
Entering Chart Information
1. Name
Type the name for this chart. Then press Tab or click into the next field.
2. Place of Birth
Enter the city and U.S. state or country where you were born.
TimePassages uses a built-in world atlas to automatically fill in:
Latitude and longitude
Time zone
Whether Daylight Saving Time was in effect
You can override any of these settings if you need to.
3. Birth Date and Time
Enter your date in MM/DD/YYYY format and your time of birth.
⏰ Don’t know your birth time?
Check the Sunrise Chart box.
This creates a chart using Solar Houses based on the Sun’s position instead of the Rising Sign.
You can also pair this with the Equal House system (see: House Calculations).
4. Historical Births
If the birth took place before time zones were standardized, check the box for LMT (Local Mean Time).
⏳ TimePassages usually handles this automatically once you enter the date and location.
5. Accuracy and Notes (Optional)
Use the Accuracy dropdown to record how exact the birth time is.
You can also add any notes you’d like about the chart in the Notes box.
6. ✅ Final Step
Click OK to generate your chart.
2.3 Chart Display Overview
Once created, your Natal Chart will appear on-screen, along with key birth information:
Exploring the Natal Chart Display
Once your chart is generated, you’ll see a circular chart wheel with panels on the left. Here’s how to read it:
The Left Panel: Planet Positions & Patterns
On the far left side of the screen, you’ll find two useful sections:
Patterns Panel – Lists major patterns in your chart, such as Grand Trines or T-Squares.
Planet Positions Panel – Shows the exact positions of the planets at your birth, including degrees and sign placement.
Reading the Chart Wheel
The main circular chart is a graphical representation of your birth chart. Let’s break it down:
From Outer Ring to Center:
Zodiac Signs
The outermost ring shows all 12 Zodiac signs in their natural order.Astrological Houses
Inside the ring of signs, the wheel is divided into 12 houses, based on your exact birth time and location.Planets
You’ll see 11 planetary bodies, including:Sun
Moon
Mercury through Pluto
Chiron
Each planet symbol is placed inside the chart at the correct house and sign.
Rising Sign (Ascendant)
Located on the left side of the wheel—the “Eastern horizon”—this is where your chart begins.
Aspect Lines (Chart Center)
The center of the chart contains color-coded lines showing aspects—the relationships between planets.
The type of aspect (e.g., conjunction, square, trine) is shown by the color of the line.
The strength of an aspect is shown by the thickness of the line—thicker lines indicate stronger aspects.
2.4 House Systems and Chart Structure
Astrological houses divide the sky into twelve sections, each representing a different area of life—like relationships, career, or home. How these houses are calculated depends on the House System you choose.
What Is a House System?
A House System determines where the twelve houses begin in your chart, based on your birth time and location. Different systems use different mathematical rules to divide the sky.
TimePassages Default: Placidus
By default, TimePassages uses the Placidus House System, one of the most widely used systems in modern Western astrology. It’s time-based and allows the houses to vary in size.
Other House Systems Available
TimePassages lets you explore multiple house systems:
Check the glossary for more details on each system, or try switching to see how placements shift.
⚙️ How to Change the House Calculation Method
To change the house system in TimePassages:
Select Edit > House Calculations…from the menu bar.
Then choose your preferred system from the list and click OK.
Tip: There’s no one “correct” house system—it’s a matter of personal preference and astrological style. Feel free to explore!
2.5 House Cusp Margin
The House Cusp Margin controls how close a planet must be to the next house cusp before TimePassages treats it as belonging to that house. This is useful for interpreting planets that fall near the boundary between two houses.
What Does It Do?
Astrological houses have borders called cusps. If a planet is just before the next house cusp, you may want to interpret it as influencing the next house instead of the current one. The House Cusp Margin lets you define how many degrees away from the cusp this rule applies to.
Default Setting: 3 degrees
You can adjust this to anywhere from 0 to 5 degrees.
⚙️ How to Adjust the House Cusp Margin
Setting the margin to 0 means planets are only considered in a house if they’re fully inside it. A margin of 5 will allow wider interpretation across cusps.
Why It Matters
This feature is especially useful for:
Fine-tuning your chart interpretations
Working with charts where planets fall right near house boundaries
Reflecting your astrological style or tradition
2.6 ✏️ Editing Chart Information
Need to update a chart’s name, birthplace, or birth time? TimePassages makes it easy to revise any chart you’ve created.
How to Edit Chart Data
This opens the Edit Chart dialog box, where you can:
Update the name, birthplace, birth date, or time
Change the house system or select Sunrise Chart or LMT
Edit notes or set birth time accuracy
Click OK when you’re done—your chart will update with the new information.
Tip: If you want to keep a copy of the original chart before editing, use File > Save As… to save a separate version.
2.7 Displaying the Aspect Grid
Want a cleaner view of how the planets in your chart relate to each other? You can display a rectangular Aspect Grid on-screen for a detailed look at every aspect in your chart.
How to Open the Aspect Grid
Select Display > Aspect Grid from the menu bar.
This opens a resizable window showing all planetary aspects in grid format.
Aspect Grid Window
Why Use the Aspect Grid?
While the circular chart displays aspects as lines, the Aspect Grid lets you:
See each aspect between planets clearly in a matrix
View declinational aspects like parallels and contra-parallels—which don’t appear in the circular chart
Click on any aspect in the grid to get a full interpretation
Hover your mouse over an aspect to see a brief description in the status bar below the chart
If you’re viewing a Bi-Wheel Chart, the Aspect Grid will show aspects between the two charts as well.
Tips for Using the Grid
- You can resize the Aspect Grid window by clicking and dragging its corners or edges.
All aspects—major, minor, and declinational—are optionally included based on your display settings.
2.8 Displaying Declinational Aspects on Wheel Charts
Declinational aspects—such as parallels and contra-parallels—offer additional insight that doesn’t always appear in the default wheel view. These aspects are based on planetary north/south positions (declination) rather than zodiac degrees.
You can easily view these aspects directly from the wheel chart.
How to View Declinational Aspects from the Wheel
This will open a context menu showing the declinational aspects for that planet.
Tip: You can also see declinational aspects in the Aspect Grid (see previous section), where they’re marked as parallel or contra-parallel and can be clicked for interpretations.
2.9 Displaying Declinations in a Grid Window
Declinations show each planet’s celestial latitude—how far north or south it is from the celestial equator. TimePassages lets you display these in a dedicated Declinations Grid, which also highlights any parallel and contra-parallel aspects between planets.
How to Open the Declinations Window
Select Display > Declinations from the menu bar.
This will open the Declinations Window, a rectangular grid that lists each planet’s declination value and any declinational aspects they make.
Declinations Window
What You’ll See
Planetary declination positions in degrees (north or south)
Parallel and contra-parallel aspects highlighted in the grid
Ability to hover your mouse over any aspect for a quick description in the status line
Ability to click an aspect for a full interpretation
2.10 ⚙️ Customize the Declination Orb
By default, declinational aspects use a 1° orb—that’s the range within which a parallel or contra-parallel aspect is considered active.
You can adjust this setting to better match your preferred interpretation style:
From there, you can set a new orb value for parallel and contra-parallel aspects.
2.11 Patterns Panel (Upper Left)
The Patterns Panel, located in the upper-left corner of the screen, gives you a quick overview of key structural features in your Natal Chart. This includes planetary configurations, element balance, and chart shape.
Planetary Patterns & Gestalt
TimePassages identifies overall chart patterns formed by the layout of the planets—sometimes called your chart’s gestalt. TimePassages shapes include:
To view full interpretations of planetary patterns: Go to Interpretations > Planetary Patterns
What’s Included in the Panel
Chart Shape (if applicable)
Rising Sign Ruler (the ruling planet of your Ascendant)
Sole Dispositor (if one exists—a planet that all others ultimately report to)
Aspect Patterns, such as:
Focal Planets (planets that anchor or energize these patterns)
Some patterns may be omitted from the panel if there isn’t enough space.
To view all patterns and get interpretations: Go to Interpretations > Planetary Patterns
Element Balance (Fire, Earth, Air, Water)
TimePassages also calculates the element balance in your chart using a 16-point system:
This system gives a quick sense of which elements are strongest or weakest in your chart, helping you understand your temperament and energetic makeup.
Planet Positions Panel (Lower Left)
The Planet Positions Panel, located in the lower-left corner of the screen, shows the exact zodiac positions of key points in your Natal Chart.
What’s Included
This panel is helpful for quickly checking planetary placements without navigating the chart wheel.
2.12 Saving a Chart
Once you’ve created or edited a chart, you’ll want to save it so you can return to it later.
How to Save a Chart
Go to File > Save from the menu bar.
This saves your chart as a .chw file—a format that can only be opened using TimePassages.
About Saved Chart Files
By default, the chart is saved using the name you entered when you first created it.
If you’d like to give the file a different name, choose File > Save As… instead.
TimePassages automatically saves your chart, along with:
The two most recent transit charts
The most recent progressed chart
The current comparison chart
These files are stored in your computer’s Astrograph > Charts folder.
You can move or back up these files like any other document—for example, to an external drive or cloud service.
2.13 Saving Charts and Reports as PDF or Image Files
TimePassages allows you to save charts and reports as PDF or image files, making it easy to share, print, or archive your work.
Save a Chart as an Image
Great for inserting into emails, documents, or presentations.
Save a Chart as a PDF
This creates a printable PDF of your chart, including the Aspect Grid if visible.
Save a Report as a PDF
Saved reports can be printed, emailed, or stored for future reference.
2.14 ❌ Closing a Chart
To close the current chart: Select File > Close or ‘x’ out (top left of the chart window on Mac, top right of the chart window on Windows)
If you haven’t saved your changes yet, TimePassages will ask whether you want to Save. Click Save to keep your work, or choose Don’t Save to discard changes.
2.15 Opening a Saved Chart
To open a previously saved chart: Select File > Open
You’ll see a standard file dialog window (either Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder), where you can:
Browse to your TimePassages > Charts folder
Choose from saved charts or included sample charts
Open any .chw chart file created in TimePassages
2.16 Navigating Between Open Charts
When you have more than one chart open in TimePassages—whether you’ve created new ones or opened saved files—you can easily switch between them. This is especially helpful when comparing charts side-by-side, such as natal and transit charts or when viewing bi-wheels and composites.
How to Switch Charts
Go to Window > [Chart Name]
You’ll see a list of all currently open charts. Just click the name of the chart you want to bring to the front.
2.17 Duplicating a Chart
Want to experiment with a chart—change the birth time, location, or house system—without losing the original? TimePassages makes that easy with the Duplicate feature.
This is great for testing:
What if someone was born a few minutes earlier or later?
How would the chart look using a different House Calculation Method?
What if the birthplace was entered incorrectly the first time?
How to Duplicate a Chart
Open the chart you want to duplicate.
Go to File > New.
In the Chart Data dialog box, click the Duplicate button.
The current chart’s information will appear automatically.
Update the chart name—for example, “John Lennon – 2”.
Make any changes you’d like to the birth data or settings.
✅ Your original chart remains unchanged. The new chart is saved as a separate file once you save it.
2.18 ✨ Editing and Displaying Chart Points (Mac)
TimePassages for Mac gives you flexible control over which chart points appear in your wheel. You can experiment with various combinations to suit your personal or professional needs—and we encourage you to play around and find what works best!
Two Menus You’ll Be Using
To manage chart points, you’ll work with two menus:
TimePassages > Settings > Edit Chart Points
Display > Chart Points
These menus work together to let you turn points on or off—and understanding how they interact will help you customize charts with ease.
Step 1: Edit Chart Points (Master Switchboard)
Go to TimePassages > Settings > Edit General Chart Points
This menu includes five submenus:
General Points – ✅ This is your main control center. All standard chart points we offer appear here.
Major Asteroids
Major Centaurs
Eris and TNOs (Trans-Neptunian Objects)
Custom Points
Key Rule:
Anything turned on under General Points is immediately visible in your chart. You don’t need to do anything else.
Think of General Points as your master switchboard—quick on/off access to standard chart elements.
However, chart points from the other four categories (Asteroids, Centaurs, TNOs, Custom) require an extra step to become visible…
Step 2: Display > Chart Points
Go to Display > Chart Points
This is where you toggle entire categories of chart points on or off.
Important:
If you’ve turned on any points under Asteroids, Centaurs, etc., but don’t see them, you likely forgot this step. Make sure the corresponding box is checked under Display > Chart Points.
Example Workflow
Here’s a step-by-step example to demonstrate how these menus work together:
Go to TimePassages > Settings > Edit Chart Points > General Points
Uncheck all items.
Go to TimePassages > Settings > Edit Chart Points > Major Asteroids
Check all asteroids.
(They won’t appear yet—don’t worry!)
Now go to Display > Chart Points
Check the box for Display Major Asteroids
✅ The asteroids will now appear in your chart!
This system is designed to give you both broad and fine control:
Use General Points to toggle individual points quickly.
Use Display > Chart Points to show or hide entire categories at once.
Note: You cannot turn off:
These are always displayed by default.
Want to see this in action? [Watch the video demonstration here.]
2.19 ✨ Editing and Displaying Chart Points (Windows)
TimePassages for Windows gives you multiple ways to customize which chart points are shown in your natal chart. Whether you’re focusing on asteroids, centaurs, or custom points, the software is designed to give you both precision and flexibility.
Tip: We encourage you to experiment with different combinations and see what works best for your astrological style!
Two Menus You’ll Use
To manage chart point visibility, you’ll work with two menus:
Edit > Chart Points
Display > Chart Points
These menus work together, and understanding how they interact is key to showing (or hiding) specific points in your chart.
Step 1: Edit > Chart Points
Go to Edit > Chart Points
This opens a dialog box with five submenus:
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|
Each submenu contains points you can include or exclude from your chart.
The “From” and “Display” Columns
In each submenu, chart points are organized into two columns:
✅ To turn a point ON, move it from From → Display
To turn a point OFF, move it from Display → From
Always-On Chart Points
Some core points are always included and cannot be turned off:
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Special Behavior for Asteroids, Centaurs, TNOs, and Custom Points
Chart points from the following submenus:
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…are automatically placed in the Display column, but they will not appear in the chart unless you also enable their category in the next menu:
Step 2: Display > Chart Points
Go to Display > Chart Points
This is where you toggle entire categories of chart points.
For example:
To show Major Asteroids, make sure Display Major Asteroids is checked.
To view Centaurs, check Display Major Centaurs, and so on.
This extra step ensures that you can turn whole groups on or off easily—without needing to adjust individual points every time.
✅ Example Workflow
Let’s say you want to only display Major Asteroids:
Go to Edit > Chart Points > General Points
Move all items to the From column.
Go to Edit > Chart Points > Major Asteroids
Ensure all items are in the Display column.
(They still won’t show up yet.)
Go to Display > Chart Points
Check Display Major Asteroids
✅ Now the asteroids appear in your chart!
Displaying Only Specific Bodies
Want to show Eris and Sedna, but not MakeMake or Haumea?
Go to Edit > Chart Points > Eris and TNOs
Move MakeMake and Haumea to the From column
Make sure Display Eris and TNOs is checked under Display > Chart Points
You now have a chart that includes only Eris and Sedna from that category.
Watch it in action: [View the instructional video here]
1.5 Aspects
This section explains how to add or exclude types of aspects.
Place -1 in the aspect orb to eliminate the aspect from the display.
An orb of 0 will include only the closest (near exact) aspects.
An orb of 1 or 2 degrees is usual.
Aspect Options
This dialog box controls the display of planetary aspects, the connections between their energies. Unlike the general “Display Options,” these settings are saved individually for each chart when you Save or Close the chart file and save changes.
For more information on Transits, Progressions, and Comparisons, see Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 11.
Aspect Option Default Settings
Unless otherwise noted, the following are TimePassages defaults. To change the display, select
from the drop-down menu and then check or uncheck the option.
Rising and MC: include aspects to Ascendant ("Asc.") and Midheaven
("MC") of the Natal chart. Exclude if birth time is not exact or if aspects
to the angles are unimportant. (Default: Yes)
Lunar nodes: include aspects to the Nodes of the Moon. (Default: No)
Asteroids: Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta--include aspects to the four major asteroids discovered in the early 1800s and associated with feminine archetypes. (Default: Yes)
Centaurs: Pholus, Nessus, Chariklo--include aspects to the Centaurs. Note that aspects to the Centaur Chiron are always included and are also fully interpreted. (Default: No)
Eris and other TNOs: include aspects to Eris and Sedna. These recently discovered minor planets, officially designated Trans-Neptunian Objects, are still being explored astrologically, and more will be added in future. (Default: No)
Include progressed angles: aspects to the angles (Ascendant and Midheaven) of the progressed or comparison chart. (Default: Yes)
Include transiting inner planets: applies to Transits (and not to Natal charts). Draw aspects only from transiting outer planets, Jupiter and beyond. (Default: Yes)
Save as default for new charts: save this set of aspects as the default set when new charts are created. Note that these option settings are saved within each chart. (Default: No)
Aspects between levels of Bi-Wheel and Tri-Wheel charts
Bi-Wheel and Tri-Wheel Aspect Option Default Settings
Control and Draw Aspects: for Transit Bi-Wheel charts, Progressed Bi-Wheel charts, and Comparison Bi-Wheel charts, four-way or six-way Radio Button; does not apply to Natal charts.
Between Natal and Transiting Planets (or Progressions, Comparison): outer wheel to inner wheel (applies only when these wheels are displayed). (Default: Yes)
Between Natal Planets: ignores transiting planets (or progressions, comparison). (Default: No)
Between Transiting Planets (or Progressions, Comparison): outer wheel planets with other outer wheel planets (without interpretations). (Default: No)
No Aspect Lines: no aspect lines are shown. (Default: Yes)
1.6 Aspect Orb and Intensity Settings
You can change how TimePassages calculates planetary aspects for display on the chart wheel. The aspects are controlled by the allowable orb, which can be adjusted or set to “-1” for not considered. When an aspect is “within orb”--either plus or minus the orb degrees--the aspect is considered to be active and will be indicated on the display screen. You can see how close the aspect is, in other words, what is the difference in tenth of degrees from the pure aspect degrees, such as 120° for a trine, by placing the mouse on the aspect line and reading the text in the status line below. The aspect is exact when the difference is zero. The closer to exact, the stronger is the aspect. These settings are saved globally for all charts. To change the settings, select
from the drop-down menu and then check or uncheck the option.
Aspect Orbs
Separate Page for Natal, Transiting, Progressed, or Comparison orbs: Provide for changes to the allowable orb, in degrees, for the various aspects. Note that an orb of -1 will eliminate the aspect. An orb of 0 will still activate if the aspect is very close (within about 2/10 degree or 12 minutes of arc).
When the Sun or Moon is involved, orbs are increased 50%. Also, the orb used for Conjunction aspects is the same as for the Opposition, and the orb used for the Sesquiquadrate (135°) aspect is the same as for the Semi-Square (45°). “Reset” enables the original defaults.
Quintile and Bi-Quintile share the same setting. The default orbs are 2 for natal, 1 for transits, -1 for progressions, and 2 for comparisons.
Septile, Bi-Septile, and Tri-Septile share the same setting. The default orbs are 1 for natal, -1 for transits, -1 for progressions, and -1 for comparisons.
Novile has its own setting. The default orbs are -1 for natal, transits, progressions, and comparisons.
Aspect Intensity
You can change how TimePassages designates strong and medium aspects. Setting the intensity threshold for strong aspects means that aspects closer in orb than the setting will be designated “strong.” Setting the Major Aspects intensity threshold for medium means those aspects that are greater in orb than the “strong” designation but still closer (fewer degrees of separation) than the “medium” designation will be considered as “medium” strength rather than being designated as “weak.” For example, using the default settings of 2/4/8, a Major aspect, that is conjunction, opposition, square, trine or sextile, is considered “strong” when 2° away, or less, from exact. A Major aspect that is further away from exact than 2, yet still less than 4° from exact, is considered “medium’ and is not designated strong or weak. Further than 4 but still within orb of the particular aspect will be designated as a “weak” aspect. Research shows that such aspects are still very much in evidence as factors in the Natal chart, just not as pronounced in effect. Setting the intensity threshold for weak (low intensity) aspects to 0 eliminates these aspects from the display; otherwise, the low intensity (or weak) setting overrides the largest allowable orb for a particular aspect, if smaller. You can also change the Pen Size (line width) for strong, medium, or weak aspects. Pen sizes 1 and 2 may not be distinguishable depending on your display settings.
1.7 Printing a Chart
To Print a Chart
The Preferences menu is found under the TimePassages menu for Mac users and under Edit for Windows users.
A dialog screen will open asking you to save your chart. Unless otherwise specified, your chart will be saved by default in the Astrograph Charts folder.
Press Save.
A standard print dialog screen will appear asking you to choose the printer you want to use to print the chart.
In order to print the text reports from TimePassages, see Chapter 2.
Chart Printing Options
You can choose various options for printing the chart wheel. These settings are saved globally for all charts.
Chart Printing Option Default Settings
Unless otherwise noted, the following are TimePassages defaults. To change the settings, access the Chart Printing Options as shown in the last section above, and then check or uncheck the option.
Print charts in color: Use meaningful colors for elements signs and planets in the chart printout; otherwise black and white print. (Default Yes)
Print Declinations: Prints the planet positions and the declinations (celestial latitudes) below the chart wheel. (Default: Yes)
Print planet position tags in chart graph: Enable printing the position tags next to the planets in the chart graphic. (Default: Yes)
Aspect glyphs on aspect lines: (Default Yes)
Print Bi-Wheel aspect grid: Prints the aspect grid along with the chart wheel on the printout. Staircase style for single wheel charts. If the aspect grid is not printed in a Tri-Wheel chart, a third set of planet positions can be displayed. (Default Yes)
Create PDF of Charts for e-mailing
Create PDF of Reports for e-mailing
1.8 Display Options
Display Options settings enable you to choose various options for displaying the chart wheel.
Display Option Default Settings
The following are TimePassages defaults. If you make changes, the new settings are saved globally for all charts. To change the settings, access the Display Options as shown in the last section above, and then check or uncheck the option.
Center Empty: changes the style of the chart display leaving the center of the chart empty. (Default: Yes)
Display House Numbers: displays the house numbers in a separate ring, which takes up some screen space but gives a useful reference. (Default: Yes)
Open Chart Max Size: the chart window is maximized when opened. (Default: No)
Rimmed Sign on House labels: draws the sign labels on house cusps in a rim around the chart, saving screen space. (Default: Yes)
Rimmed Sign labels Bi-Wheel only: draws rimmed sign labels on house cusps for Bi-Wheel charts only. (Default: No)
Sign labels just glyphs: draws just sign glyphs to label house cusps. (Default: No)
Sign label glyphs color: displays the glyph portion of the sign label in the color of the element of the sign. (Default: No)
Reduced Sign labels: displays the sign labels in a reduced font for the display. This option can be set separately for the printer, see Section 1.6, Chart Printing Options, Preferences>Chart Printing Options...(Default: No)
Display seconds for Sun and Moon position: displays seconds of longitude, as well as minutes, for the Sun and Moon only. This is for greater accuracy, and is useful in verifying the calculation of Solar Return and Lunar Return charts. (Default: Yes)
Display seconds for other planets: displays seconds of longitude, as well as minutes, for all planets. (Default: No)
Display degree symbol marks: displays the small circle designating degrees in the planet position panel. (Default: Yes)
Position tags on planets: position tags identifying degree, sign and minute for each Natal planet appear next to the planet or sensitive point on the screen. See also Section 1.6, Chart Printing Options, Preferences>Chart Printing Options...(Default: Yes)
Position tags on Bi-Wheel planets: position tags appear on the outer wheel of any Bi-Wheel Chart. This is, however, the default for the print format as long as the Print option for Position Tags is set; see Section 1.6, Chart Printing Options, Preferences>Chart Printing Options...(Default: Yes)
Position tags degree only: displays planet position tags with just the degree and sign to save screen real estate (Default: No)
Position tags degree only Bi-Wheel: displays planet position tags with just the degree and sign for Bi-Wheel charts only. (Default: No)
European Chart Wheel: also known as Proportional houses. This style allows equal arcs of the Zodiac to occupy equal amounts of space within the house structure, distorting however the placement of the houses in the chart diagram away from being equidistant from the Ascendant and each other. (Default: No)
Maximize font space for Bi-Wheel: Allows for larger Bi-Wheel fonts (Default: Yes)
Planet glyph without overlap: the planet glyphs are displayed without overlapping the graphics; otherwise, the planet glyphs are allowed to be in their accurate position but are unreadable. (Default: Yes)
Scale planet glyphs: the planetary glyphs are reduced in size to avoid crowding on the chart wheel. The option “allow no overlap” must also be checked. (Default: Yes)
Do not overlap house cusps: the planet glyphs are displayed without overlapping the house cusp lines on the chart wheel. (Default: Yes)
Display planet tick marks: display the tick marks that reveal the actual planet positions (a matter of style preference). (Default: Yes)
Show status bar prompt: display an initial mouse over prompt in the Status Bar (a matter of style preference). (Default: No)
Show aspect lines: draws aspect lines between the planets to designate their relationship to each other. (Default: Yes)
Thin aspect lines: draws thin aspect lines without highlighting strong aspects. (Default: No)
Aspect lines direct to planets: draws aspect lines from the natal planets directly to transiting, progressed, or comparison planets. When not selected, lines are drawn to a point on the inner circle corresponding to a planet on the outer circle. These are somewhat harder to read without using the mouse as a pointer. (Default: Yes)
Display aspect glyphs: aspect glyphs identify the type of aspect. See also Section 1.6, Chart Printing Options, Preferences>Chart Printing Options...(Default: No)
Show Parallels in Aspect Grid: Declinational aspects (denoted by P for parallel and cP for contra-parallel) are shown on the aspect grid when they apply. (Default: Yes)
DMY date format: Display dates in DMY format--the European standard. Data entry will reflect either this setting, or, for Macintosh users, the system date/time setting currently in effect. (Default: No)
Numeric date format: Display dates in numeric format, separated by slash ‘/’. Otherwise, dates are expressed using a three-letter month. (Default: No)
Astro Font Size: allows adjusting the space for the planet position tags. (Default: 22)
House margin (Default: 3): Normally, 3° are allowed when a planet is close to a House Cusp but still technically within the previous House. This follows the usage of Stephen Arroyo and others and is due to the powerful nature of the House Cusp in determining the quality of the House. When a planet is within 3° (1 degree for transits, 1/4 degree for progressions), the planet is considered to be in the next House. You can set this value to any number of degrees, including 0 for no effect.
Other Display Options
Display Font
You can change the text font used on-screen and in the printed chart graphic through a standard windows Font dialog. TimePassages saves the name and style of the chosen font for future invocations of the program.
Mac users: Choose Edit>Font while only a chart is on-screen.
Interpretation Reports Font
To change the Interpretations’ font name or size, through a standard Macintosh Font dialog, choose Edit>Font with the Interpretations Text Window showing. The font choice will be saved for future invocations of the program.
To change the Interpretations’ font name or size, through a standard Windows Font dialog, choose Edit>Preferences>Interpretations Font with the Interpretations Text Window showing. The font choice will be saved for future invocations of the program.
Astrological Symbols Font (Windows only)
Astrology symbols font: currently, only the TimePassages default font “CelesteAG” is available.
Symbols font Initial Size: the default 12 point for screen font adjusts with resizing the screen.
Symbols font Bold Style: displays the astrology symbols as bold icons
Chart Colors
You can choose to set the background color from a color wheel for two of the following sections of the chart display: the chart itself and the chart window frame.
Reset Preferences
Astro Clock
An astro clock in astrology refers to a tool or device that displays the positions of celestial bodies at a specific moment in time. It provides a real-time representation of the positions of planets, the Sun, the Moon, and other astrological points within the zodiac. Astro clocks are used by astrologers and enthusiasts to observe the current astrological configurations, helping them analyze the cosmic influences at any given moment. These tools often show the positions of celestial bodies in the astrological houses and zodiac signs, allowing users to interpret and understand the astrological energies at play.
Single Planet Aspects
The Single Planet Aspects feature allows you to isolate single planets and their interpretations. Please refer to Appendix I for a complete list of keyboard shortcuts.
In both Mac and Windows:
Go to the Display menu
Click on Single Planet Aspects
Move the mouse around the natal or the bi-wheel planets to see different single-planet aspects
Click on a planet to stay on it and explore aspects. You can move the mouse to the aspect lines and explore their intensity (in the status bar below the chart) and click to read the interpretation.
To choose another planet: Command-click (Mac) or Control-click (Windows) on the next planet you want to view
1.9 House Calculation Methods
Several different House Calculation Methods are used in standard Western Astrology today. TimePassages lets you use any of the five most popular methods. For all methods except Equal House, the Ascendant and Midheaven and their opposite points, namely the four “Angles” of the chart, will remain the same. All methods have the Ascendant as the First House Cusp. In the Equal House method, the Ascendant and Midheaven, or MC, are calculated as normally, and then the other house cusps are made exactly 30° from each other, starting from the Ascendant. The MC is therefore not coincident with the Tenth House and carries its own symbolism. All the other methods use the MC for the Tenth House and calculate in their own way the intermediate house cusps, namely the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th houses. The methods are described below:
Koch: Named after Walter Koch, a twentieth century astrologer, this system represents a refinement of the Placidus system in which the birthplace latitude is also taken into account. This system is popular today among modern astrologers.
Placidus: Named after a seventeenth century Italian monk, Placidus de Titus, this system is based on the division of the arc in time between MC and Ascendant into thirds. This system is still extremely popular today.
Campanus: A space-based system of division of the arc between MC and Ascendant dating from the Middle Ages that was favored by Dane Rudhyar.
Porphyry: A simple system of house division dating from the third century in which the number of degrees of longitude between MC and Ascendant, or Ascendant and Nadir, is divided into thirds.
Equal House: See above for a description. This system dates from the Greek era and is popular today in England where the northern latitude creates distortion in the quadrant systems (other four methods). Some astrologers recommend this system when a Sunrise Chart is created, placing the Sun at the Ascendant (unknown birth time).
Whole Sign Houses: A technique from Medieval Astrology. The whole sign is considered to represent the house, just as though 0 degrees of the sign were on the cusp of each house. There are no intercepted houses.
Natural Houses: The same as Whole Sign Houses but with Aries on the First House Cusp. It is useful when making charts for Sun Sign columns to place each sign in turn at the Ascendant, and that option is available by a right mouse click in the house dialog for Windows users, or a left click in the drop-down for Macintosh users.
1.10 Time Zone Codes
These are the time zone codes used in TimePassages:
1.11 Sidereal Charts
A sidereal chart is a type of astrological chart that is based on the positions of celestial bodies in the sky relative to the fixed stars. Unlike tropical astrology, which is based on the position of the Sun relative to the vernal equinox, sidereal astrology considers the actual positions of stars at any given time. The sidereal zodiac is divided into 12 equal segments, each named after a constellation, and the positions of planets and other celestial bodies are measured against this backdrop to create a person's sidereal birth chart. Sidereal is the governing system of Vedic Astrology.
To cast a sidereal chart, have a natal chart already open.
Chapter 2
Interpreting a Natal Chart
Although the best interpretation of a Natal Chart involves a trained Astrologer and many years of study, TimePassages does allow you to examine a synthesized interpretation of each chart, starting with the overall planetary patterns. The TimePassages expert system component takes into account the chart patterns and elevated or angular planets as well as planetary rulership and the most prominent signs and houses to come up with a weighting scheme for the most important planetary features. These “Important Features” are placed at the beginning of the report.
The individual interpretations of planets in signs and houses and the aspects between planets and sensitive points, such as the Rising and MC, are some of the best written on the market today and will give insight into how the positions of the heavenly bodies influence psychological, spiritual, and emotional make-up.
2.1 Accessing Interpretation Text
The TimePassages interpretations can be accessed by means of several different methods. You can access individual features of the chart, such as the position of a planet by sign and house or the interpretive quality of a particular aspect. You can also combine all the interpretations into an entire Natal Report organized by the most important information first.
Point-and-click feature
In order to interpret individual features such as Planets in their Sign and House positions or the aspects between them, or the Rising Sign, mouse over the relevant symbols and aspect lines on the chart. Pay close attention to the Status Bar below the chart, which shows what you are looking at. For an in-depth interpretation, mouse over the chart until the feature appears in the status bar and then click. A text box shows interpretation paragraphs that are included in the Natal Interpretation Report.
Only in Windows: You can re-open an interpretation window after closing it, by going to Interpretations>Show Window.
To Select Individual Feature Interpretations for Printing
Under Interpretations, you can select Important Features; Angular Planets; Planetary Patterns; Sun, Moon, Rising; and Planets and Aspects. A text window appears listing chart information.
To see the interpretation, press “Include.”
To skip the interpretation, press “Skip.”
After you have included all the information you are interested in, click “Display.” You will see a text box with all of the interpretation paragraphs that you included.
You can send these to the printer with
A dialog screen will open asking you to first save your interpretation. Unless otherwise specified, your interpretation will be default saved in the Astrograph Charts folder.
Press Save.
A standard print dialog screen will appear.
Complete Natal Chart Interpretation Report
For an in-depth interpretation of your entire Natal Chart, while your Natal Chart is displayed,
These interpretations are organized with the most important information first, including the delineation of relevant chart patterns, sometimes called the “gestalt” of the chart.
To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
For an explanation of the available options, see Section 2.2, Interpretations Report Options, below.
To Print the Natal Chart Interpretation Report
After displaying the Natal Report, select:
A dialog screen will open asking you to save your Natal Chart interpretation. Unless otherwise specified, your interpretation will be default saved in the Astrograph Charts folder.
Press Save.
A standard print dialog screen will appear asking you to choose the printer you want to use to print the Natal Interpretation Report.
2.2 Interpretation Report Options
You can choose various options for the way the chart interpretations print. TimePassages saves these settings globally for all charts.
Unless otherwise noted, the following are TimePassages defaults. To change the settings,
Include Bold Headings: includes bold headings in the printed text. (Default: Yes)
Include Introduction: Prints a generalized introduction for the reports, according to the report type. (Default: Yes)
Include Glossary: Prints a glossary of terms at the end of each report. (Default: Yes)
Transiting Moon label “exact at time”: a special label for the transiting Moon indicates precisely when the transit will be exact, replacing the number of degrees from exact in the label text for the transiting Moon only. (Default: Yes)
Transiting Date Range in text: indicates the date range for transiting outer planets, from Mars onward, and for dates from 1904-2025. (Default: Yes)
Use astro glyphs in Transit Hit List: (Default: No)
Day/Night formulae for Pars Fortuna: Uses a different formula for calculating the Part of Fortune for so-called Nocturnal charts when the Sun is below the horizon. This is in keeping with techniques of Medieval Astrology. (Default: No)
Mean Node: For lunar nodes, displays the Mean Node rather than the True Node. (Default: No)
Precession correction for returns: Allows for precession-corrected Solar and Lunar Returns; planetary returns. These take sidereal positions as the basis for the return (Default: No)
Include Chiron in planet pattern: includes Chiron in the planetary pattern, or “planetary gestalt,” of the chart as a whole. Some professionals use just the more traditional ten planets through Pluto in the pattern while others include Chiron. (Default: Yes)
Include Chiron in aspect patterns: includes Chiron in aspect patterns such as T Square or Yod. (Default: Yes)
Include asteroids in planet pattern: includes the four asteroids, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta in the planetary pattern (implies including Chiron as well). The “No” default implies just using the traditional ten planets, and possibly Chiron, in deciding on the overall planetary pattern of the chart. (Default: No)
“Romantic” paras, Relationship Insights: applies to the Compatibility Report and the Relationship Report only for a romantic report. Unchecked, the report is for a business partner/friend/family relationships. For more information, see Section 11.2, Interpreting a Comparison Bi-Wheel.
Other Display Options
You can change the interpretations text font on-screen and in the printed text through a standard font dialog. The name and style of the chosen font is saved for future invocations of the program.
Chapter 3
Transits
While a Natal Chart shows where the planets were at your birth, a Transit Chart shows the current position of the planets in relation to the Natal Chart. Study of the transiting positions of the planets is very rewarding, especially in regard to the aspects with the Natal planet positions, and can help you to understand the influences surrounding the events of your life. Although the planets do not make events happen, that is only a convenient metaphor, the symbolism of the transits matches the reality of what you are going through in a synchronistic manner. This is accurate right down to the timing of events. This study can therefore help you to understand past events in your life and help you to plan for the future, since you can create a Transit Bi-Wheel for any date in the past, present, or future.
3.1 Transit Bi-Wheel
To Create a Transit Bi-Wheel
For today’s date and time:
For the most recent saved transit:
For a previous saved transit:
To choose any date in the past or future:
or
To view transits for another date, enter the date. Then press Ok.
Transit Bi-Wheel Chart Graphic
The planet position panel in the upper left lists the transiting planets, while the natal planet positions appear in the lower left. The Natal Chart and transiting planets, with the aspects drawn between them, are displayed as a Bi-Wheel Chart. The inner ring is the Natal Chart, including the natal house positions, while the outer ring shows the transiting planets. To enable continuing the study of a particular set of transits from where you left off and closed the chart, TimePassages automatically saves your two most recent Transits. When you create a new Transit Bi-Wheel, the oldest one is discarded.
To Save a Transit from Discard
To View Transits over a Specific Period of Time
You can choose 3-Month, 6-Month, or 12-Month reports. You can also display this information with two varieties of graphical reports, the Transit TimeLine and the Graphical Ephemeris. See Chapter 4 for more information.
To Display Transiting Declinational Aspects
To Display Next Direct or Retrograde Station
To Print a Transit Bi-Wheel Chart
A dialog screen will open asking you to save your Transit Bi-Wheel Chart. Unless otherwise specified, your Transit Bi-Wheel Chart will be default saved in the Astrograph Charts folder.
Press Save.
A standard print dialog screen will appear asking you to choose the printer you want to use to print the Transit Bi-Wheel Chart.
For more printing options, see Section 1.6.
3.2 Tri-Wheel Charts
To Create a Transit/Progressed or other Tri-Wheel
Choosing the above will select the most recent transit date and the most recent progressions date and place the progressions in the middle wheel.
You may first choose
if you wish to make a Progressed Tri-Wheel with the current date and time. Or use
The most recently saved transit and progressions are listed as choices, along with other previously selected charts such as for individuals. You can choose to display these in either the outer or the middle wheel.
In order to regulate which aspect lines are being shown, use the aspect line selector available in
and proceed as described above for the Transit Bi-Wheel. The Aspect grid will reflect the choice of aspect lines, e.g. outer wheel to inner or middle wheel to inner or no aspect lines.
In order to change the progression date, use
or by using the chart selector
To Display Transiting Declinational Aspects
To Display Next Direct or Retrograde Station
3.3 Animating Transits
To Animate Transits in a Bi-Wheel or a Tri-Wheel
TimePassages allows you to animate the currently displayed Transit Bi-Wheel Chart so that you can see how the planets move through your horoscope over time. Select Animate from the menu bar to view your time period choices or use the Function Keys as indicated below.
To Return to the Most Recent Transit Chart
While viewing a natal chart,
or
3.4 Interpreting Transits
Transit interpretations will inform you of the astrological influences on travel, decisions, new projects, love, and work over the course of a specific period of time, and more importantly, the psychological factors that correspond to particular configurations. This is because there is a synchronicity that exists between the transiting planets in aspect to the natal chart and events here below. An in-depth interpretation of individual planets and aspects is available in several ways in TimePassages. For transiting planets Mars through Chiron, the paragraph heading displays a date range of when the transit is in effect, giving dates within an orb of 2° or 1° for minor aspects. Note that the influence of a transit gradually grows as the date of exact becomes closer but that events corresponding to a particular transit do not precisely coordinate with the date of exact. Transiting dates of exact that are listed with “R” are for retrograde motion. For the outer planets, several passes are possible. Dates of exact marked with “SR” or “SD” indicate a particularly powerful transit date, when the transiting planet stations.
The degree and sign of transiting planets within a particular house may be read in the status bar; single-click for an interpretation. The influence of the planet in the house lasts for a period of time corresponding to its geocentric cycle; for example, transiting Saturn spends about 2 ½ years in a particular house out of its 30 year cycle, while Uranus spends about 7 years in each house. The periods of the planets are given in Appendix G. The entrance of the transiting planet into the house--when the energy shifts--is usually the most noticeable. Just as with a transiting aspect, the planet in the house does not actually influence events to take place, but rather the symbolism of the planet and the house position reflect events as they unfold down here on earth. However, it is convenient to speak in terms of influence.
To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
Mouse over the chart symbols and aspect lines and refer to the status bar below. For in-depth interpretations of transiting planets and aspects, mouse over these planets or the aspect lines until the description appears in the status bar and then click. These are the same interpretation paragraphs included in the Current Transits report or in the Transit Report.
To Interpret Transits to House Rulers
Especially when an outer planet transits a natal position, the house that the natal planet rules is quite important. To see aspects relating to the house rulers, mouse over and click on the house or ruling sign. You can also mouse over and click on any of the planets or the aspect lines until their description appears. Example: Mouse pointer over Transiting Saturn in Aries.
To Select Combinations of Individual Transit Feature Interpretations
Under Interpretations, you can also select Important Features; Angular Planets; Sun, Moon, Rising; and Planets and Aspects. A text window appears listing chart information.
To read the interpretation,
Click “Include” for each paragraph you want to include;
Click “Skip” for paragraphs you don’t want.
After you have included or skipped all the information, click “Next” or “Display.” A text box appears with all of the interpretations you included.
To Create a Report for a Single Day’s Transits
To Modify the Report of Transits to Exclude Inner Planets
To Add or Exclude Particular Types of Transiting Aspects
Place -1 in the aspect orb to eliminate the aspect from the display.
An orb of 0 will include only the closest (near exact) aspects.
An orb of 1 or 2° usual.
To Print the Current Transits
To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
For an explanation of the available Interpretation Options, see Section 2.2.
To Print Individual Transit Interpretations
Chapter 4
Viewing Transits for a Specific Period of Time
It is often desirable to view transits over a period of time. Rather than look at the Bi-Wheel for a specific moment, a transit survey allows you to view an entire period of three, six, or twelve months. There are also two different types of displays that enable you to view the same information graphically (see below). The transit interpretations will inform you of the astrological influences on travel, decisions, new projects, love, and work over the course of a period of time and the psychological factors that correspond to particular configurations. You can view a transit survey in four ways: a list of the transits and their date ranges called a Transit Hit List, a survey called the Transit Report over a three-, six-, or twelve-month period, the Transit TimeLine and the Graphical Ephemeris.
4.1 Transit Report / Hit List
To create a Transit Report for a period of time
A dialog box will appear.
Select a 3, 6. or 12-month report and how you want the information sorted.
You can select the orb and begin the period date as indicated in the above paragraph.
You can also select which transiting planets to be included from Mars onward.
To create a Transit Hit List (without interpretations) for a period of time
A dialog box will appear.
Uncheck the check box for “Include text paragraphs.”
Select a 3, 6, or 12-month report and how you want the information sorted.
You may change the maximum orb or it will default to 2. Most astrologers regard 2° as the appropriate orb setting for when a transiting planet becomes noticeable, although some prefer 1°. You can also select which transiting planets to be included from Mars onward.
To begin the transit period with today’s date, click now.
To begin with a different date, enter it in the “Start Date” box.
The time zone defaults to your computer’s time zone. To override this, see Section 1.9, Time Zone Codes.
4.2 Transit TimeLine
To create a Transit TimeLine for a period of time
A dialog box will appear. Select a 3, 6, or 12-month report and how you want the information sorted.
You can select the orb and begin the period date as indicated in the Transit Hit List paragraph above.
You can also select which transiting planets will be included from Mars onward.
If you select “Color By Planet,” the lines drawn will be rendered in the color of the natal planet that is being transited. Otherwise, the lines drawn are rendered in the aspect color.
If you select “Show Major Aspects Only,” only the major aspects: conjunction, opposition, square, trine, and sextile will be displayed.
Understanding the Transit TimeLine graphical display
The Transit TimeLine appears in a separate window. You can use the Window menu to navigate back to the natal chart or transit Bi-Wheel that you had open. In the TimeLine window, the planets that you selected are listed along with the intensity curves of their transits to natal positions over time. When you view the transit curves for all the transiting planets vertically, they are lined up by date so that you can see when several influences from different transiting planets are in effect. You can select a particular transiting aspect for closer inspection using the mouse.
Single-click for the transit text paragraph, including the entire date range for this transit.
Along the bottom of the display are the dates and below these the description of the particular aspect you are selecting, along with the date range for this pass of the transit. If you put the mouse on a portion of the transit curve, the date you are indicating appears in the second level status bar below the TimeLine window and the distance from exact at that particular point in time also appears. The angular distance from exact is listed in fractions of a degree, represented in decimal, for example “.4” for .4° or 24 minutes of arc.
You can also select the curve you want to focus on by passing the mouse over the aspect boxes below the planet waves, which will highlight the corresponding transit curve.
To keep the highlight, single-click in the aspect box, or double-click for the text paragraph including the entire date range for this transit.
You can take off the highlight by shift-click or on the curve itself.
4.3 Graphical Ephemeris
To create a Graphical Ephemeris for a period of time
A dialog box will appear.
You can select the orb and begin period date as indicated in the Transit Hit List paragraph above.
You can also select which transiting planets will be included from Jupiter onward.
You can also select a 6 month or a 1- or 2-year report period, and the mode of the graphical report. A mode of 90 is the default, and will show the most significant aspects as intersections between the transiting planet lines and the natal (horizontal dashed) lines as a function of time. The mode of 90 captures the major “dynamic aspects” which are multiples of 90°--namely the conjunction, square, and opposition, corresponding to 0, 90, and 180°.
A mode choice of 45 will additionally reflect the semi-square, 45° and the sesquiquadrate, 135°.
The lines in the display are drawn in the color of the transiting planet, and the intersections with the horizontal dashed natal planet lines are labeled with the glyph for the aspect that is actually made. If you select a mode of 360, only the conjunctions will be shown by the intersections to the natal planet lines, while selecting a mode of 180 will show both conjunctions and oppositions.
Chapter 5
Progressions
The Progressed Bi-Wheel Chart, similar to a Transit Bi-Wheel, shows a different way of looking at the present, past, or future position of the planets in relation to the Natal chart. These progressed positions can be compared to the Natal positions or to each other for a more informed understanding of the quality of the period of time surrounding the events of a given period. The Progressed Chart can also be constructed from the progressed Midheaven and progressed Ascendant as a freestanding chart, either for the original birth location or for the individual’s current location.
For example, if Progressed Sun were conjuncting natal Mars, then transits to natal Mars could be looked at more closely and would possess additional meaning at this time. The Progressed positions move slowly, even for the inner planets, and the orbs for their interaction are correspondingly very tight. It takes about a year for a progressed inner planet to change position by one degree. TimePassages provides two types of progressions in common use, Secondary Progressions and Solar Arc Progressions, also called Solar Arc Directions.
Secondary Progressions
The most common type of progression, Secondary Progression, is sometimes described as “a day for a year.” For example, if a planet moved 28° from its natal position by the 30thday of your life, the program progresses the planet’s position 28° for the 30thyear of your life. This technique is based on equating two fundamental cycles, the earth’s 24-hour rotation and the earth’s yearly motion around the Sun. While other forms of progressed positions are possible, the technique of Secondary Progression is by far the most commonly used. The Sun moves about a degree per year by secondary progression.
The Progressed Ascendant and Progressed Midheaven are calculated from the Solar Arc Progression of the Midheaven.
Solar Arc Progressions
Another common type of progression, Solar Arc Progressions, or Directions, takes the progressed position of the Sun and moves all the other planets by the same number of degrees. For example, if the Sun moved 30° from its natal position by the birth hour of the 30th day of your life, then Mercury’s Solar Arc progressed position at the end of the 30thyear of your life would also be 30° from its natal position. In fact, in this example all the planets would be progressed by 30°.
5.1 Creating a Progressed Chart
To Create a Progressed Bi-Wheel
The Progressed Bi-Wheel corresponding to the current transit date will be displayed. If no current transit chart exists, today’s date and time will be used to construct the Progressed Bi-Wheel.
For the most recent saved progression,
For a previous saved progression,
For any date and time,
or
A dialog box will appear.
Enter the past or future date and time you want displayed. The time zone defaults to the time zone on your computer. (To override this, see Section 1.9, Time Zone Codes).
To create progressions for today’s date and time, press Now.
To Create a Freestanding Progressed Chart
A dialog box will appear, which defaults to the current transit chart if one is displayed, or the most recent saved progression.
Enter the past or future date and time you want displayed. The time zone defaults to the time zone on your computer. (To override this, see Section 1.9, Time Zone Codes).
Press Ok.
A Relocation dialog box will appear to give you the chance to relocate this progressed chart to your current location. Astrologers are divided in their practice with regard to the location of a freestanding progressed chart with many preferring to use the individual’s current location rather than the birth location.
Press Ok.
To Change the Progressions Style
TimePassages progression style defaults to Secondary Progression.
To change styles,
You can choose Secondary or Solar Arc progressions. The Planet Position Panels at the far left lists the progressed positions above the natal positions. In the graphic, the Natal Chart and the Progressions, with the aspects drawn between them, are displayed as a Bi-Wheel Chart. On the outer ring are the Progressed planets, and the inner ring represents the Natal Chart. By default, aspect lines only appear if they are within a 1-degree orb; see Section 1.5, Aspect Orb Settings. TimePassages automatically saves your two most recent progressions. When you create a new progression, the oldest one is discarded.
To Save a Progression from Discard
To Close Chart
TimePassages will ask if you want to save the chart.
To Print a Progressed Bi-Wheel Chart
For chart printing options, see Section 1.6.
To Animate a Progressed Bi-Wheel
TimePassages allows you to animate the currently displayed Progressed Chart so that you can see how the planets move through your horoscope. Select Animate from the menu bar to view your animation choices, or use the Function Keys listed below.
To adjust the speed,
To Reverse Animation
To Halt Animation
To Return to the Most Recent Progressed Chart
5.2 Interpreting a Progressed Chart
The Progressed Sun usually moves a degree a year, so that by age thirty a person will definitely have a different Progressed Sun Sign than their natal Sun Sign. The time when the Progressed Sun changes signs can be extremely significant, and can be experienced as beginning to feel the energy of the new sign coming into your life.
To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
Mouse over the chart symbols and aspect lines and the status bar below indicates what you are looking at.
For in-depth interpretations of individual features, mouse over the chart until the feature appears in the status bar and then click.
A text box appears.
These individual interpretations are included in the Progressions Interpretation.
To Select Individual Progressed Feature Interpretations to Print
Under Interpretations, you can select Important Features; Angular Planets; Sun, Moon, Rising; and Planets and Aspects.
A text window appears listing chart information.
To read the interpretation, press “Include.”
To skip the interpretation, press “Skip.”
After you have included or skipped all the information, press “Display.”
A text box appears with all the interpretations you included.
To Print Individual Progressed Feature Interpretations
To Read the Entire Progressed Chart Interpretation Report
To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
For an explanation of the available Interpretation Options, see Section 2.2, Interpretations Report Options.
Chapter 6
Additional Reports
Midpoints average the degree of natal planets and these and the relationships between them are very revealing in charts. Arabic Parts are useful additions to your understanding of your or anyone’s Natal Chart. Similar to the Part of Fortune, which is the best known, and the Part of Spirit, less famous but considered by many astrologers to be quite important, classical astrology employed many such “Lots” or Parts, which were later preserved through the Dark Ages of European history by Arabic scholars, hence the term that describes them. Fixed Stars constitute a fascinating subject matter that is being more and more greatly studied in modern astrological practice. According to Bernadette Brady, an expert on these matters, the stars were a fundamental part of ancient astrological wisdom. The meanings of these various Fixed Stars can be discovered as applying to particular planets or other sensitive points in the Natal Chart. TimePassages provides indications of which of natal planets are in relation to particular stars by dynamic alignment.
6.1 Midpoints
You can think about midpoints as an archetypal symbol that blends the archetypes of the two planets involved. The degree of the midpoint becomes a sensitive degree in your chart, and responds to transits, particularly conjunctions, oppositions and squares. Conjunctions and oppositions are called direct aspects in this context. The aspects between natal midpoints and natal planets are also significant.
To Create Midpoint Listings
A dialog box gives you choices of reports: Midpoint Lists, Midpoint Trees, and Midpoint Axes. A Midpoint Transit Listing is also available when Transits are displayed. These are described below.
List of midpoints
This report lists the multiplicity of midpoints of natal points in both planet and degree order. If you choose a modulus other than 360, such as 90, the degree of the midpoint is given modulo 90 so that all Cardinal signs will be listed as from 0-29, all Fixed signs as from 30-59, and all Mutable signs as from 60-89°.
Midpoint Trees
This lists the planetary midpoints and planet degrees that are within a 1-degree orb of each other, in Tree form.
Midpoint Axes
This lists the planetary midpoints and planet degrees that are within 1-degree orb of each other, in the form of a Midpoint Axis Listing.
Transits to Midpoints
This planned report lists transits to natal planetary midpoints.
6.2 Fixed Stars
The TimePassages Fixed Star report is a flexible list of well-known stars and their relationship to particular natal planets by parallel, conjunction, and parans. The list can be sorted by star or by zodiacal longitude position.
To Create the Fixed Stars Report
Simply choose Fixed Stars from the Reports submenu of the Display menu. Planets in major dynamic aspect, or simply by conjunction and parallel, are noted.
6.3 Arabic Parts
Arabic Parts are based on combining in a particular way two or more planets, and are given such names as “Sorrow and Imprisonment,” “Brethren,” “Sickness,” “Increase,” and “Fatality.” These should be interpreted within the humanistic setting of modern astrology. If the Part of Increase, based on Jupiter, is powerfully placed, in the First House or in combination with the nodal axis or the Sun, for example, you might consider this a sign of good luck, or a tendency to want more and more until it is too much for you to handle. Similarly, the Part of Fatality, based on Saturn, might refer to an opposite tendency to prematurely close down your possibilities--preferring, rather than trusting on luck, to trust in the possession of a good security system. The Part of Fortune is routinely displayed in charts and is typically based on a daytime or a nighttime formula, depending if the Sun was below the horizon (nocturnal chart) or above it (termed a diurnal chart). The placement of the Part of Fortune by house indicates an area of interest and where the native will find happiness. The Part of Spirit is the opposite formula, depending on a daytime or nighttime chart, and has meaning in terms of where you might succeed in finding spiritual meaning in your life.
To Create the Arabic Parts Report
Simply choose Arabic Parts from the Display menu. Planets in major dynamic aspect are noted.
6.4 House Rulers and Planetary Dispositors
6.5 Sabian Symbols
Chapter 7
Additional Techniques
7.1 Harmonic Charts
These charts reveal close aspects of a particular variety, depending on the number of the harmonic involved. Recommended numbers are 4, 5, 7, and 9.
The fourth harmonic chart represents strength of will and relative difficulty in life, corresponding to dynamic aspects. Any conjunctions in the 4th harmonic chart will represent conjunctions, squares or oppositions in the normal Natal Chart, and the further squares and oppositions to be seen within a fourth harmonic will show variations on that theme.
In the fifth harmonic chart, corresponding to dividing the circle by five, conjunctions will reveal the natural quintiles and bi-quintiles of the natal. Quintiles are positive minor aspects that have a higher vibration than the major flowing aspects of trine and sextile, and show an ethereal side of the individual personality.
In the seventh harmonic one can note variations on the theme of the septile aspect. The conjunctions in the seventh harmonic chart will show septiles, bi-septiles, and tri-septiles that are not normally seen in the original natal chart.
In the ninth harmonic, conjunctions are related to combinations of the novile aspect of 40°.
In all of these types of harmonic charts, aspects other than the conjunction will show a connection between the two planets involved that is not obvious from examining the Natal Chart itself. In interpreting these, it is important to remember the quality of the number involved in making the chart.
Calculating a Harmonic Chart
Simply choose Harmonic Chart from the Display menu. You must decide what integer value to use. For example, for a 5th harmonic, you would choose 5, and the chart that results is calculated by dividing the circle into five equal 72-degree segments which are then overlaid upon each other as though each segment were the full 360°.
Conjunctions in the fifth harmonic chart will be five times further apart than the original quintile or bi-quintile aspect, so that up to ten or even twelve degrees will be significant. The fifth harmonic is quite useful for easily seeing quintile aspects, and aspects beyond the conjunction between two planets will show other more mysterious connections between them.
7.2 Chart Rectification
Rectifying a chart, when the time is uncertain or unknown, is a technique that is up to the wiles of a particular astrologer to employ. Various methods can be used, including looking at important life events.
In order to make a new chart with a slightly adjusted time, or a different time altogether, TimePassages provides an animation technique that can help you to see how changes in time affect the Rising Sign and the chart in general. You can adjust the Rising Sign of the chart using the TimePassages chart animation feature as follows.
With the Natal Chart displayed on screen,
You can also use the Animation menu to perform this function.
By adjusting the chart in this way, you can see how the Rising Sign changes over different time ranges and adjust the chart to have a particular degree on the Ascendant. You can also adjust the chart by a day, week, month, quarter, or year, in case you would like to see the planets’ positions change over a longer period of time.
Rectifying a Natal Chart When the Birth Time is in Question
Chart rectification, or determining the “correct” time of birth, is an art, and requires studying the astrology of many people's charts to master. Astrologers use various methods to rectify a Natal Chart when the time of birth is unknown or in question. We will give only two methods here.
The first is by means of analyzing the person’s character. A particular sign or planet on the Ascendant will be reflected in the character. For example, a Scorpio Rising person will likely be dark looking and secretive regarding personal details. They may display an “all or nothing” attitude. This would also be true when Pluto (the ruler of Scorpio) is rising or in close aspect to the Ascendant. On this basis, a chart with a birth time in question might be adjusted to allow the sign to be on the Ascendant that is intuitively felt to be correct. The Sabian symbol for the particular degree is also quite useful as a determinant of the exact time of birth (see bibliography for Marc Edmond Jones).
Once the trial Ascendant is established, the chart can be examined for other correspondences to the known character of the native. For example, suppose the chart has a “loaded” tenth house, with several planets including Mars and the Moon. Does this chart make sense for the particular person? After much trial and error, an approximate chart can be determined. Sometimes this method of rectification is used even when the birth time is known, since times are often recorded in error. A time given with an exact hour or quarter hour is especially suspicious, such as “9:15 AM.”
Another method of chart rectification, which can be used in combination with the method described above, involves Uranus transits to the Angles of the chart. This method works best when the approximate time is given, like “in the early morning.” Since Uranus transits to the four Angles are usually marked by sudden and life-changing events, and their timing is unusually precise among transiting events, it is possible to make use of this fact in rectifying a Natal Chart. Uranus moves once around the chart each 84 years, or about seven years per house. There has, therefore, been a transit to one of the four Angles sometime during the last twenty years or so.
Transits to the Ascendant are the most noticeable, indicating a major life shift. You can begin by asking the question, “Did your life change dramatically sometime in 1992 (or the particular year involved)?” There is usually a marked disruption associated with the Uranus transit, so you will know when you have found the event in question. A typical answer might be, “Yes, my parents split up and I changed schools, and my life was not the same after that.”
If the Midheaven is being transited, the disruption involves tenth house matters, namely career, life goals, or authority figures (“Did you change career in a major way?”); if the Descendant, marriage break-ups or dramatic changes; if the Nadir, issues of home and family, often indicated by a move or even a change of country of residence, or the break-up of a family setting. Of course, some people remember exact dates of major life events better than others.
Once you have the approximate date of the event, move the Ascendant or other Angle to the indicated degree where Uranus was transiting on that date. If it turns out that Uranus was in retrograde motion at the time indicated, you will have a new series of dates, when Uranus first crossed the angle, when it subsequently made it’s retrograde crossing, and its final crossing in direct motion.
Often there will be confirming information elicited from the person whose chart is being rectified, that a major life change had been brewing from the period represented by the earlier date that results, or was completed by the final date. This method can be surprisingly accurate in pinning down a Rising degree and associated time of birth.
Chapter 8
Chart Relocation
Relocating a chart is similar to Astro*Carto*Graphy™, a technique pioneered by the late Jim Lewis. A Relocated Chart is useful when you visit or move to a new place and want to understand the heavenly bodies’ influence there. Planets near the four angles of the relocated chart, Rising, Nadir, Descendant, and Midheaven, are the most significant for you in the specified geographic location. The four types of planet lines that appear in the Astro*Carto*Graphy™ map are AS, DS, MC, and IC, such as a “Jupiter MC” line (indicator of good fortune in career). These designations are representative of the particular planet in an Angular position in the Relocated Chart, conjunct either the Ascendant (Rising Sign), Descendant, Midheaven, or it’s opposite point, the Imum Coeli, or Nadir of the chart.
8.1 Relocating a Chart
To Relocate a Chart
Once a Natal Chart has been created,
A Relocate Chart Data dialog screen appears.
Enter the location you are considering visiting or moving to.
TimePassages now displays your Relocated Chart just as it displayed your Natal Chart. The vertical column at the far left, the Patterns Panel and Planet Positions Panel, now lists the Relocated chart patterns and planet positions. The most significant changes occur in the Rising Sign and houses. The new location you entered appears in the lower left. Across from your name in the upper right corner, the chart indicates your relocated Rising, Sun, and Moon signs. The bottom right lists the True Local Time (TLT), Sidereal Time (ST), and House Calculation Method.
To Save a Relocated Chart
TimePassages creates a new chart in memory for your Relocated data, accessed under Window as the chart name followed by “Relo.”
To Create a Transit Chart to a Relocated Chart
You can create Transits to a Relocated chart just as you would with a Natal chart. See Chapter 3, Creating a Transit Bi-Wheel.
To Create Progressions for a Relocated Chart
You can create Progressions just as you would with a Natal Chart. See Chapter 5, Creating a Progressed Chart.
8.2 Interpreting a Relocated Chart
A Relocated Chart is not a replacement for the Natal Chart that you were born with. When you move to a new location, your basic nature as symbolized by your Natal Chart, calculated for your actual birthplace, undergoes a change. Different circumstances arise. The nature of the place aids and abets certain tendencies and new opportunities are created. The Relocated Chart represents a read-out of how this location will add a sub-text to the information of the Natal Chart, valid for this place only. It is a quite interesting way to “check out the vibes” for places you haven’t been to, or to examine and analyze the impact on your life of places you’ve been and the times you have lived through while being there.
In a Relocated Chart, the positions of the planets stay the same; only the house positions differ. The most significant new factors are angular planets in the Relocated Chart. As described at the beginning of Chapter 8, these are also represented in the Astro*Carto*Graphy™ map for either the U.S. or the world. A planet that is angular in a particular location participates in the events surrounding the native’s sojourn there according to the symbolism of both the planet and the particular angle. For example, if Jupiter is on or near the Seventh House cusp, matters of partnership and relations with significant others will get a boost. There will be opportunity and feelings of expansiveness in the area of partnership and significant relationships such as marriage. Another interpretation would be a likely partnership with a Jupiterian man, such as a Sagittarius person, or a teacher or guru for the native.
To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
Look for planets that are located near the four angles of the chart. You can mouse over these and other chart symbols and aspect lines. Clicking on these symbols gives the standard interpretation paragraphs that are included in the Natal Chart Interpretation Report for this chart.
To Select Individual Feature Interpretations for Printing
Under Interpretations, you can select Important Features; Angular Planets; Planetary Patterns; Sun, Moon, Rising; and Planets and Aspects. The selection for Angular Planets is the most important for a Relocated Chart. After making a selection, you can send these to the printer with File>Print…
To Create a standard Natal Chart Interpretation Report
For an in-depth interpretation of your Relocated chart as though it were an ordinary Natal Chart,
To Print the Report
To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
For an explanation of the available Interpretation Options, see Section 2.2, Interpretations Report Options.
To Interpret a Transits to a Relocated Chart
You can interpret Transits to a Relocated Chart just as you would to a Natal Chart. See Section 3.4, Interpreting Transits.
To Interpret Progressions of a Relocated Chart
You can interpret Progressions of a Relocated Chart just as you would a Natal Chart. See Section 5.2, Interpreting a Progressed Chart.
Chapter 9
Astro Maps
Similar to the technique of Astro*Carto*Graphy™, in fact employing identical lines of planetary influence, these beautiful maps are based on NASA satellite data combined with the lines of the planets for each angle of the chart, giving four types of lines for each planet. There are three levels of zoom. These maps provide the information consistent with the theory of Jim Lewis that locations on the earth that fall under planetary positions for either the culminating, or anti culminating, that is, directly overhead or under the earth’s center, or along the rising or the setting horizon (Ascendant or Descendant lines) have a distinct effect on the native of the original chart when either visiting this locality or choosing to live there permanently. The culminating lines refer to the “noon” position of the particular planet, associated with the Midheaven, while the anti culminating lines might be referred to as the midnight position, associated with the Nadir of the relocated chart for that place.
The four types of lines for each planet are marked with the Midheaven symbol for culminating or anti-culminating lines and with “As” or “Ds” for the Ascendant or Descendant lines. The anti-culminating lines originate at the southern boundary of the map section and have a dashed line. The A and D lines flow into one another and can be distinguished by a color accent or by placing the mouse on the line and reading the information supplied in the Status Bar.
You can mouse over the planetary line that is marked with a vertical line in a circle for the culminating, or the anti-culminating, lines, and “As” and “Ds” for the Ascendant and Descendant lines. When you click you see the type of line, or get an interpretation with the purchase of an add-on. The Astro Mapping add-on interpretations also supply locality reports for the ACG lines.
The interpretation of the lines involves combining the meaning of the planetary archetype with the type of line. Culminating lines will indicate career issues or other forms of self-actualization, associated with the Midheaven. Anti-culminating lines refer to questions of home and family or purchasing of a home or real estate, generally speaking all fourth house matters. The As lines will refer to questions of identity or matters associated with the Ascendant, while the Ds lines refer to the Descendant and marriage or business partnership concerns, generally speaking all seventh house issues. See the glossary for more information on the meanings of the four angular houses.
Chapter 10
Solar and Other Return Charts
On or near your birthday, the Sun returns to where it was in the sky when you were born. The chart for the exact moment when the Sun returns to its precise natal position is called a Solar Return Chart, and symbolizes the nature of the year ahead. Similarly, every month when the Moon returns to its original natal position you experience a Lunar Return.
Cast a Solar Return Chart to show the positions of the Rising Sign, House positions, and the planets for this moment in time. Your birth date and time remain the same, but your location depends on where on Earth you celebrate your birthday.
The Solar Return Chart takes symbolic effect in the three months leading up to your birthday and lasts throughout your solar year. You can interpret this just as you would a natal chart, but remember that the chart applies to the nature of this particular year in your life.
10.1 Creating a Solar Return Chart
To Create a Solar Return Chart
A Natal Chart must be showing (or select Window>and the Natal chart you wish to view).
A dialog box appears.
Enter your location on your birthday for the year you are checking, and the year in question, if different from your next birthday.
Press Ok.
TimePassages creates a new chart in memory, accessed under Window as the chart name followed by “Solar Ret”.
The Patterns Panel and Planet Positions Panel at the far left now lists the Solar Return chart patterns and planet positions.
To Save a Solar Return Chart
TimePassages defaults to the chart name followed by “SR--YYYY,” which you can override.
To Navigate Between Open Charts
Such as Natal, Solar, Lunar, or Relocated, select Window and the chart from the menu bar.
10.2 Interpreting a Solar Return Chart
For the Solar Return Chart, TimePassages interpretations apply to the nature of the year in question for this particular person, not to the nature of the person over all time. For example, if the Sun, or a favorable planet such as Jupiter, is in the 10th House of Career, it will be a good year for career and professional life, and for dealing positively with authority. The time period for the activity symbolized by the Solar Return Chart can be noticed to begin a few months before the actual birthday and lasts throughout the entire year-long period until the next birthday.
To Interpret a Solar Return Chart
Remembering that the interpretations apply to a specific year of one’s life, mouse over the chart symbols and aspect lines on the chart. You can also obtain the Solar Return Report add-on from AstroGraph Software.
To Create a Solar Return Report
For an in-depth interpretation of your Solar Return Chart,
To Print the report
To Interpret a Transits to a Solar Return Chart
You can interpret Transits to a Solar Return Chart just as you would to a Natal Chart. See Section 3.4, Interpreting Transits.
10.3 Lunar or Other Return Charts
Every 28 days, the Moon returns to where it was in the sky when you were born. The chart for the exact moment in time each month when the Moon returns to its precise natal position is called a Lunar Return Chart and symbolizes the nature of the month ahead. As the Moon is closely tied to emotional states, you can cast a Lunar Return Chart to find the “mood of the month.” The Lunar Return Chart shows the positions of the Rising Sign, House positions, and the planets for this moment in time. Your birth date and time remain the same, but your location depends on where on Earth you are residing at the time for which the Lunar Return Chart is cast.
The same thing on a different timing is true for the planets. One complication is that these can turn retrograde. The planets beyond Mars turn retrograde every year for some months. TimePassages shows the first return date for Chiron or for planets Mercury through Pluto.
10.4 Creating a Lunar or Other Return Chart
To Create a Return Chart
A Natal Chart must be showing (or select Window>and the Natal chart you wish to access).
or
The Planetary Return menu choice handles planets Mercury through Pluto, and Chiron.
A dialog box appears.
Enter your location and the date.
Press Ok.
TimePassages creates a new chart in memory, accessed under Window as the chart name followed by “LR--YYYY” (for Lunar: mm/YYYY).
The vertical column at the far left now lists the Lunar Return Chart patterns and planet positions.
To Save a Return chart
TimePassages defaults to the chart name followed by “LR--mm/YYYY” or “PR--YYYY,” which you can override.
To Navigate Between Open Charts
Such as Natal, Solar Return, Lunar Return, or Other Planetary Return, select Window and the chart from the menu bar.
10.5 Interpreting a Lunar Return Chart
For the Lunar Return Chart, TimePassages interpretations apply to the nature of the month for the person in question, not the nature of the person over all time.
To Interpret a Lunar Return Chart
Remembering that the interpretations apply to a specific month of one’s life, mouse over the chart symbols and aspect lines on the chart. Clicking on these symbols gives the standard interpretation paragraphs that are included in the Natal Chart Interpretation Report for this chart.
To Create a standard Natal Chart Interpretation Report
For an in-depth interpretation of your Lunar Return Chart as though it were an ordinary Natal Chart,
To Interpret a Transits to a Return chart
You can interpret Transits to a Lunar Return Chart just as you would to a Natal Chart, recognizing that they apply to the month in question. See Section 3.4, Interpreting Transits.
10.6 Interpreting Other Planetary Returns
For the Planetary Return chart, TimePassages interpretations apply to the nature of the year or longer for which that return is applicable. Additionally, remember that you will be discovering more about the way this particular planet functions in your life, so that it is an excellent time to reflect on your natal interpretation for this planet, including house and the aspects that the planet makes to other planets in your natal chart. The Return chart gives the timing of the initial hit of the planetary return, or for the nature of the year for the person in question, not the nature of the person over all time.
To Interpret a Planetary Return chart
Remembering that the interpretations apply to a specific period of one’s life, depending on the planet involved, you will want to check on the house that the planet occupies in the Return Chart, the aspects that it makes to other planets, and the rising sign of this chart. A good technique is to cast the transits corresponding to your date of birth, for this chart, to see how your own planets are affected and what house they occupy in this Return Chart. You can benefit as well, of course, by examining the transits to your Natal Chart for the date and time of the Return Chart. You can also mouse over the chart symbols and aspect lines on the chart. Clicking on these symbols gives the standard interpretation paragraphs that are included in the Natal Chart Interpretation Report for this chart.
Periods of the Planets in Considering Returns
Depending on the planet involved, the time period of the Return Chart will vary. Mercury and Venus returns occur about once a year and rarely have more than one chart associated with each return. They apply to the year to come until the next return. Mars returns to his natal position about once every two years. Jupiter is a twelve-year period, so that you will want to expand your vision to accommodate this entire period of time. The famous Saturn return occurs once every thirty years or a little less. For Saturn, the timing of the Return Chart is possibly contained in one chart, characterizing the entire thirty-year period to come, or it might be advisable to examine the other near Return Charts for: the retrograde hit, if any, and also for any subsequent direct hit over the following few months. When the final pass has completed the greatest intensity of the Saturn return is over; the next thirty years are involved in working out what exactly that means for you as you further mature. For Uranus the period is 84 years and for Neptune and Pluto even longer. These last two are not realizable in a human life span. For Chiron there is a Return after approximately fifty years. The Chiron Return is a time when you will understand more thoroughly the nature of early childhood trauma and its impact, as well as the way to understand and forgive yourself for whatever has transpired in the past, so that you are better equipped to move beyond the hurt places within you and the shame or knee-jerk reactivity that often accompanies unresolved prior wounding.
Chapter 11
Comparison Bi-Wheels (Synastry)
A Comparison Chart can help you to understand the interactions and compatibility of two people based on a comparison of their Natal Charts. Both “Romantic” paragraph and “Non-romantic” paragraph options are available by going to Preferences>Interpretation Options...The Comparison Bi-Wheel shows both charts and the inter-aspects between them, also called the Synastry. The houses of the Bi-Wheel correspond to the inner circle person’s chart.
11.1 Creating a Comparison Bi-Wheel (Synastry)
To Create a Comparison Bi-Wheel
First, be sure that the Natal charts for the two people that you want to compare are both saved. Open the first person’s Natal Chart (inner circle).
If you have not saved a previous Comparison, the “Open” dialog screen appears.
Click on the name of the chart you want to compare.
Press Open.
If you have already displayed a previous Comparison Chart, and you want to compare a different person’s chart,
or
The “Edit Comparison Chart” dialog screen appears.
Choose the style of the chart you want to compare, and check whether or not you want to open a new chart window for the comparison.
Press OK.
The “Open” dialog screen appears.
Click on the name of the new chart you want to compare.
Press Open.
Comparison Bi-Wheel Chart Graphic
The primary Natal Chart’s name, birth date, and time appear in the upper-left corner, and birthplace appears in the lower left. The comparison chart person’s name appears in the upper right corner. The bottom right lists the True Local Time (TLT), Sidereal Time (ST), and House Calculation Method for the original Natal Chart.
The bottom left Planet Positions Panel lists the primary Natal Chart planets. The top left panel lists the comparison chart planets. On the Bi-Wheel, working from the outer ring inward, we have the positions of the 12 signs of the Zodiac, the 12 houses of the original Natal Chart, the planets of the Comparison Chart, the planets of the primary Natal Chart, and the aspects between both chart’s planets.
To Print the Chart
For chart printing options, see Section 1.6.
11.2 Interpreting a Comparison Bi-Wheel
You must have the Compatibility Report add-on to access the interpretation of the Comparison Bi-Wheel.
To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
Mouse over the Bi-Wheel symbols and aspect lines. The status bar below indicates what you are looking at. For in-depth interpretations of individual features, mouse over the chart until the feature appears in the status bar and then click. These individual interpretations are included in the Compatibility Report.
To Select Individual Feature Interpretations for Printing
Under Interpretations, you can also select Important Features; Angular Planets; Sun, Moon, Rising; and Planets and Aspects.
A text window appears listing chart information.
To include the interpretation, press “Include.”
To skip the interpretation, press “Skip.”
After you have included or skipped all the information, press “Display.”
A text box appears with all the interpretations you included.
To Print Individual Comparison Feature Interpretations
To Create the Compatibility Report
For an in-depth interpretation of the Comparison Chart,
To Print the Compatibility Report
After displaying the Compatibility Report,
To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
For an explanation of the available Interpretation Options, see Section 2.2, Interpretations Options.
Chapter 12
Composite Charts
Another way to help you to understand the interactions and compatibility of two people is to create a Composite Chart. A Composite Chart compares two charts as a single wheel based on planetary midpoints. The Rising point and the houses of the chart are calculated from the chart’s Midheaven, which is the midpoint of the two Midheavens. Even though the planets and Chart Angles are derived points, they are accurate in assessing the strengths, weaknesses, spiritual components, and potentials for change between two people. The Composite Chart may be thought of as a chart for the relationship between the two people as a new entity. Transits to the Composite Chart are also valid, although progressions are not derived from Composite Charts.
12.1 Creating a Composite Chart
To Create a Composite Chart
First, be sure that the Natal Charts for the two people that you want to composite are both saved. Open the first person’s Natal Chart.
If you have not saved a previous composite, the “Open” dialog screen appears.
Click on the name of the chart you want to composite.
Press Open.
If you have already displayed a previous Composite Chart, and you want to composite a different person’s chart,
or
The “Edit Comparison Chart” dialog screen appears.
Choose the style of the chart you want to compare (in this case Composite Chart), and check whether or not you want to open a new chart window for the composite.
Press OK.
The “Open” dialog screen appears.
Click on the name of the new chart you want to composite.
Press Open.
The Composite Chart Chart Graphic
The bottom Planet Position Panel at the far left displays the Composite planets. The Pattern Panel lists the chart patterns, elements, and modes.
To Print a Composite Chart
For chart printing options, see Section1.6.
12.2 Interpreting a Composite Chart
For the Composite Chart interpretations, you must first purchase the Relationship Report add-on from AstroGraph Software. These interpretations apply to the nature of the relationship as an entity unto itself; they do not apply to the nature of either of the individuals taken separately.
To Interpret Individual Features with the Mouse
Remembering that the interpretations apply to a relationship taken as a third entity, mouse over the chart symbols and aspect lines on the chart. Clicking on these symbols gives the interpretation paragraphs that are included in the Relationship Report for this chart.
To Interpret a Transits to a Composite Chart
You can interpret Transits to a Composite Chart just as you would to a Natal Chart. See Section 3.4, Interpreting Transits.
To Create the Composite Report
For an in-depth interpretation of your Composite Chart,
To Print the Composite Report
To Change the Default Interpretation Settings
For an explanation of the available Interpretation Options, see Section 2.2, Interpretations Options.
Appendix A
Our approach to Astrology
In the Astrology practiced in TimePassages, we use the Tropical Zodiac, which is the fundamental building block of Western-style Astrology and begins each year at the Vernal Equinox with zero degrees of Aries. We also use the Humanistic methods pioneered by Allen Leo, Mark Edmund Jones, and Dane Rudhyar. In more recent days, the work of Liz Greene, Howard Sasportas, Stephen Arroyo, Alan Oken, Steven Forrest, Erin Sullivan, Karen Hammaker-Zontag, and Caroline Casey come to mind. This approach is psychological in nature, rather than event-oriented, and believes that no aspect is either good or bad, just less or more challenging, and that all the astrological symbolism serves the higher purpose of advancing the soul's evolution toward greater understanding, service and light, to that which you truly are, your Higher Self.
The building blocks: Signs, Elements, Planets, and Houses
The planets used in modern Western Astrology move through a band in the sky called the Zodiac, which represents roughly the plane of their orbits as we view it from the Earth. The 360° of the Zodiac are divided into 12 signs of 30° each, the familiar “Sun” signs, beginning with Aries the ram. Thus, a planet can be located by its degree and sign, often written as degree, sign, and minute, such as 23 A 45, which stands for 23° of Aries and 45 minutes. The planets move through the Zodiac at different rates with the Sun covering all 360° in a year or about 1° per day.
In casting your chart, you will determine the location and relationships between the planets, the signs and the houses of your particular map. In addition to the Sun and Moon, there are three other “personal planets,” namely Mercury, Venus, and Mars; two “social planets,” Jupiter and Saturn; the recently discovered planetoid Chiron, which has become increasingly important in modern practice; and the three “outer planets,” Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. These are each in their particular Zodiacal sign and make combinations (aspects) with each other and with the other “sensitive points” of your chart, such as the Ascendant and Midheaven. The Ascendant or in-breath is the degree of the Zodiac that is directly on the horizon at birth, and its sign, called your Rising Sign, is often listed as a third major personality component, in addition to the sign of the Sun and Moon. These three important factors, Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and Rising Sign, are listed in the upper left of the TimePassages display.
Starting with the Ascendant or Eastern degree, at the left-hand edge of the chart, the houses of the chart are laid out in counter clockwise order. The Fourth House cusp, corresponding to Below, South, and the Nadir (unless the Equal System is employed) is one of the four Angles of the chart, formed from the orthogonal directions East, South, West, and North. Then the Seventh House cusp is coincident with the Descendant or relationship point, as reflected by the symbolism of this house, and is located on the right-hand side of the chart. The Tenth House corresponds to the Midheaven (again unless the Equal System is employed). The Tenth House symbolizes career and professional life, the way you appear in the public eye, your on-stage motivation to achieve, and also your relationship to authority and the enclosing matrix of society. For a complete list of the Houses of the chart and their meanings, see Appendix D.
The signs are arranged in the cosmos according to their Element. The Fire element corresponds to the signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Fire signs are fun-loving questers for personal glory and higher-mind enlightenment. The Earth element contains the signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Earth folks are self-motivated lovers of the physical and all its pleasures and trials. The Air element consists of the signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. These people are into relationships and joining with others, very curious about the world around them, and mentalistic in their basic viewpoint. The last and most omnipresent element is Water, flowing into the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. As Love conquers all, so do the inhabitants of these signs, with their intensity-of-feeling tone that they prioritize above all else.
The planets that were known to the ancients, seven in number including Jupiter and Saturn, have been supplemented in modern times with the classical outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, and more recently, Chiron. To this list could be added the four major asteroids, Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta, making 15 bodies in all, although there are some branches of modern Western Astrology that make use of other planets, both observed and occult, such as Europe’s Cosmobiology movement. Each planet has a set of associated meanings. For example, the Moon is watery, representing the feelings and the subconscious, and stands for nurturing and motherhood, as well as the child within, home and family, or tribe, and the past. The Moon rules the sign of Cancer. Each planet from the Sun to Pluto has an associated sign that it is said to rule, and also a sign where it feels most comfortable, called its sign of its exaltation, so that the meanings of the planets and signs interact in intricate and subtle ways. In addition to the planets, the North and South Nodes of the Moon are incredibly significant. Known as Rahu and Ketu in ancient Vedic Astrology, or the head and tail of the dragon, these abstract points indicate goals and talents, personal evolution and compulsions, depending on where they are located by house and what aspects they make to the other planets. For the complete meanings of the planets, signs, and houses see the Appendices B, C, and D.
Astrology reveals your Higher Self
A look into your Natal Chart provides a number of advantages over other methods of psychological typing. For one thing, Astrology as practiced by the best of the Western tradition is spiritually based, and its determinations carry a simple wisdom that contains within it the prescription for improving whatever difficulties are diagnosed and provide a more holistic approach to the matter at hand than is available with mundane analysis. The Astrology promoted by TimePassages follows this ideal in the steps of the late great Dane Rudhyar, founder of the Humanistic School of Western Astrology, and represents also the philosophy of C. G. Jung, the great soul of archetypal psychology, who coined the term “synchronicity” to help describe the workings of Astrology in human affairs. In light of this background, let’s see how Astrology can show you more about yourself, revealing your hidden motivations and talents, and as well your hang-ups that stand in the way of living life more wholly and that represent opportunities to be worked through rather than immovable limitations.
How can you use Astrology to gain insight into your own life and others?
Astrology provides some important insights into our basic dynamics. By acting as a mirror (one more) for our various psychological energies, Astrology provides a necessary outside look at ourselves. Everyone knows their Sun Sign. Many are familiar with the characteristics of their sign and are able to identify with these qualities in themselves. Sometimes people don’t feel like a typical exemplar of their sign, but a closer examination of their chart reveals the characteristics of other signs and elements that predominate. For example, in the case of a Leo Sun Sign person with a Pisces Moon and Scorpio Rising, along with Cancer Mars and Venus, the Water element would tend to change and color the expression of the Leo Sun. But still, that Leo Sun Sign is in there somewhere! It benefits you to know about the dramatic actor (Leo) personality that lurks within the sensitive, psychically linked, and feeling-oriented (Water element) personality. In this way, knowing the Astrology of your Natal Chart can help you to understand yourself.
So while the simplest experience you can have with Western Astrology might be in the nature of Sun Sign characteristics, a closer look at your chart can benefit by revealing further layers of complexity. The information can range from the very straightforward to the infinitely subtle and complex. An example of the more obvious type of information would be the recognition of one’s Moon Sign. This is an emotional part of ourselves that may be quite different from our more mature, outward, and responsible self, as represented by the sign of the Sun, the sign that we are generally the most familiar with. Your Moon Sign represents a child-like place inside you that is brought forward into adulthood, a place that you can always retreat to for emotional sustenance and that represents you at your most gleeful and natural.
Your Moon Sign may either chime or clash with the other basic components of your personality, such as your Sun Sign. If your Moon is in the same element as your Sun, especially to a similar degree of the sign, there will be a chime with the Sun energy, indicating a happy feeling of inner harmony, as well as a more one-sided approach to life’s circumstances. If the Sun and Moon are in non-compatible signs, you will likely experience a clash or an edge that feels like discord, while on the plus side, there is greater creativity available to you and a more multifaceted approach to life. The most discordant aspect between two planets or points in the chart is the “square” or 90°, and the charts of artists usually have many of these square aspects.
An example of the more complex types of information that can be revealed in your birth chart might be any type of aspect between one of the personal planets and Pluto or Chiron. These aspects reveal deep inner dynamics of behavior that do not easily show on the surface level of daily life but that may be troubling or disturbing at the core of your personality. Take a Pluto-Venus square, indicating that something about Relationship and the Feminine for you will be compulsive, power-oriented, and ultimately transforming in your life. Knowing the symbolism of Pluto and how the Plutonic impulse can be represented in your relationships can be very helpful in understanding what makes you tick in this area. Situations and events that have been hard to come to terms with in the past may make more sense in the light of these inner correlations. By gaining insight into relationship patterns that don’t really work, you may no longer be condemned to repeat them.
While one crucial use of Astrology is to give feedback into basic personality issues that are essential for self-discovery, the study of Astrology can also lend insight into the timing and also the underlying nature of significant events in one’s life. The major tool for this type of exploration is the Transit Bi-Wheel, showing the relationship of the planets in the current skies with the original Natal Chart. Other tools are Progression techniques, Solar, Lunar, and Planetary Return charts, and Relocational Astrology. When a particular type of event occurs, say a severe argument with your spouse or a break-up or even a spiritual emergency of some devastating degree of intensity, you can take an objective look at what’s going on that day. There may well be an outer, planetary event that symbolizes perfectly the interior psychological one, according to the ancient dictum “as above so below.”
It is important to note that as transiting planets make their aspect, or connection, with your Natal planets and Angles, the timing will not be exact, according to the moment of exact contact. Usually, there is some leeway there, or else our lives would be entirely too scripted. See the section below on the timing of transits.
When we do observe the association between inner and outer events represented by the symbolism of the transiting planet, this can be a great comfort in stressful situations. For one thing, it is always helpful to observe that there is an objective correlation to what we are experiencing; we are not just making the whole thing up. Then again, there is also an indication in the duration of the transit, regarding just when we might expect the situation to be resolved. There is also more information available regarding the nature of the event itself. For example, suppose a person leaves their partner, and a look at their transiting chart reveals that Uranus, the archetype of freedom and independence, is opposing their Sun at the time. This is consistent with a temporary departure, based on their need for self-discovery and exploration that they feel is important to them at this particular time, not necessarily a permanent break. This information is incredibly valuable to the deserted partner, who is attempting to sort things out over this difficult period.
What are the practical considerations for using Astrology?
Astrology provides many benefits for those who are willing to invest the time and energy to learn its methods and who have the means to calculate a chart. In the old days, before the advent of the modern Windows, that used to mean many long hours of painstaking work just to calculate the Natal Chart. For the transiting positions, there was the Ephemeris, which many practitioners still use today, but for the Progressions, once again, the hand calculation method was necessary. Today, all that has changed. A variety of software programs, such as TimePassages, offer the most important calculations at the touch of a button.
It is another thing, however, to be able to read the resulting chart. To learn the basic astrological symbolism itself can take years of study. To aid in that regard, TimePassages offers sophisticated interpretations by placing the mouse over an element of the chart and clicking. You can also obtain a generalized explanation of the particular planet or sign by means of the Ctrl-Mouse Click in Windows or Shift-Mouse Click in the Macintosh OS. Books can help, and a detailed bibliography is provided at the end of this volume, indicating the level of astrological expertise required. To become familiar with the astrological symbolism is a significant task, but one that is richly rewarded in terms of understanding the ancient science of Astrology as well as the human condition that forms its subject matter.
Reading the chart
There are various ways into the subject matter of the birth chart. It is an art that the astrologer develops over time, to choose the most important pieces amongst the multi-layered symbolism in order to understand the essence of the chart and the person. Here are some clues and guidelines. First of all, one key is the concept of repeated themes in the chart. A Sun-Saturn square is important in and of itself as an indicator of restriction and discipline as well as some stifling of the individuality in growing up, but it is that much more significant when combined with a Capricorn or Tenth House emphasis, both ruled by Saturn.
It is good to start with the basic factors, namely the signs of the Sun, Moon, and Rising as well as the pattern of the chart overall, which reveals major life tendencies in its balance of energies and in any focal planet or planets. The ruler of the Rising Sign, often determined to be the “chart ruler,” is also quite important. Prominent aspect patterns can point to a focal planet, which therefore becomes emphasized. The stronger Hemisphere, if one exists, and the person’s element balance are also important in getting a feel for who they are at the most fundamental level.
The significance of the elements cannot be over-emphasized. The strongest and weakest element reveal the energy balance in the individual, along the lines of Jung’s famous typology of Intuition, Sensation, Thinking, and Feeling, corresponding to the elements of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. The North and South Nodes of the Moon are also quite important and will show where the individual is working out their destiny, in the sign and house position of the North Node, and where they possess powerful natural talents that can be a resource and also a trap to hold them back, in the position of the South Node.
Against this backdrop of the person’s basic nature will arise certain chart features that call out for attention, such as a planet in square to the Nodal axis that is also the focal point of a planetary pattern or the ruler of the Ascendant or in some other way emphasized. Another type of emphasis that you can look for is a singular planet. When a particular planet represents the only Fire sign or the only angular house or the only Eastern hemisphere planet, it is emphasized in the life of the individual.
Synthesis—putting it all together
The first point to be made is that the true meaning of the Natal Chart is completely relative and must be considered in the context of the entity being read for. Remember that this chart could be the chart of a saint, a fool, or a chicken! So there is nothing inherent in the chart that shows the level of evolution of the entity, just the possibilities for further evolution, given the starting place, where that person is at. Astrologer Jeff Green is fond of saying that there are essentially three levels that humanity is divided into at the present time, levels that we might call consensus, individuated, and avatar. It is very important to note that the chart will be read differently depending on which level a given individual is operating. Similarly, with transits. A difficult transit such as Pluto conjunct natal Sun will manifest differently depending on how the person takes it when their Sun is being transformatively contacted. What might be incredibly difficult for one person might be more in the nature of a profound and joyful change for another. Even death can be seen as either the worst possible outcome or a profound and joyful change. It really does depend on the point of view. The secret is in accepting the magnitude of the change and going with it, rather than staying attached to the way things were. The concept applies equally with the patterns described in the Natal Chart. The secret is in acceptance and in working with the energies that are present, no matter how challenging, in the spirit of a joyful challenge to overcome rather than to suffer under.
A second point is that what we get out of our chart depends on what we put into it. The questions that we ask predetermine the kinds of answers that we can find. Ideally, the information gleaned from the Natal Chart can be prescriptive as well as descriptive. It is not enough to describe a particular configuration and its strengths and weaknesses without also attempting to clarify how these very issues can be worked through as the individual develops. The goal of Astrology as practiced in modern Western Humanistic methods is to enhance and enable rather than to merely catalog talents and hang-ups. In this, we follow the tradition of Dane Rudhyar and C. G. Jung, who espoused the goal of individuation, whereby each individual can reach within themselves for a more evolved state of Mind, Body, and Spirit, and can thereby make themselves and their surrounding culture more whole with each movement of increased awareness.
A Note on the timing of transits
Although a naïve viewpoint might imagine that the time of impact of a transiting aspect would likely be the moment closest to exact, such is not the case. For one thing, an aspect from a transiting outer planet like Pluto takes weeks, even months, to perfect. During this time, there is likely to be some symbolic link to actual events, but the events do not follow the degree of separation from exact. There is a mystical factor that enters. An event will manifest near but not precisely on the date and time of exact, indicating that these symbolic influences do not operate in the same type of causal relationship as a chemical reaction, when the mix of active ingredients reaches a certain proportion. I believe that a different principle is operating in the case of astrological influence, the principle that the eminent psychologist C. G. Jung termed “Synchronicity,” in which two events such as the transiting aspect and the corresponding life occurrence are linked a-causally. It may be that a yet unknown causal principle does in fact apply but from the standpoint of a higher frame of reference than the earthly. In any case, actual observation of transits and the life events that correspond do show a difference in observed timing than the moment of exact may indicate, usually by at least a few days or weeks. An outer planet transit is a process after all, one that takes time to flower in consciousness and to unfold in one’s life.
Appendix B
The Meanings of the Planets
Q The Sun
The Sun represents the Self, one's way of being in the world. It can represent, on different levels, both the ego and the higher Self or soul purpose. It rules Leo and is exalted in Aries. The Sun is the most important ‘planet’ in the chart and symbolizes one’s will and sense of vitality. When the Sun is afflicted (poorly placed or poorly aspected) it could indicate problems with the father, or male role model. The Sun energizes your entire chart, and planets in close relationship to the sun (by planetary aspect) are emphasized in your personality. If your Sun is prominent in your chart, you will exhibit great power to do and to be.
R The Moon
The Moon represents the personal self, the feelings and the unconscious. It is a reflection of the true self, represented by the Sun. The Moon also stands for security and instinctual or habitual patterns, as well as the ability to relate to others, and to be nurturing to others. The Moon rules Cancer and is exalted in Taurus. It is often contrasted with the Sun as the female receptive principle versus the masculine or positive principle. The Moon represents the feminine and nurturing part of oneself. In a male chart, the Moon represents the feminine within, or the ‘anima’ and also indicates the type of partner you will attract. The Moon also represents an attunement from the past, which operates at an instinctive or habitual level in your present life.
S Mercury
Mercury represents the mind and intellect, and rules Gemini, sign of duality, also Virgo, and has its exaltation in Aquarius. Mercury is an airy planet, associated with all forms of communication and the in-flow and out-flow of intelligence. Its position indicates how your mental function will be expressed, and where techniques and skills are available to you.
T Venus
Venus is the planet of love and relationship. Venus is in-taking, rather than outgoing (as represented by Mars), and rules the signs Libra and Taurus. Venus has its exaltation in Pisces, and is associated with aesthetics, beauty, refinement and romance. Its position in the chart indicates the area in which the give and take of love, affection and sensual pleasure will be expressed.
U Mars
Mars is the planet of outward activity and animal passion. It rules Aries and is exalted in Capricorn. This fiery planet is masculine in action, versus softer, more receptive Venus. When strong in the chart it can indicate a volatile temper, and also great courage. Its position indicates how your personality will assert itself, and what modes of activity will stimulate your physical energies.
V Jupiter
Jupiter is the planet of faith, positivism and optimism. It rules Sagittarius and is exalted in Cancer. Jupiter represents the principle of expansion, versus contraction (as represented by Saturn) and the aspirations of the higher self. Its position in the chart indicates how your faith will be expressed, and what modes of activity will stimulate self-confidence.
W Saturn
Saturn is the planet of limitation and contraction, and the trials of life experience. This includes discipline, punctuality, and the conservation of material resources. Saturn rules Capricorn and is exalted in Libra, and is limited and material, versus unlimited faith (as represented by Jupiter). It indicates areas where the personality will be restricted by fears and lack of confidence, and also areas which are important to be worked on in this lifetime.
X Uranus
Uranus is the planet of freedom and revolutionary vision, the urge for change and the ability to visualize new possibilities. Uranus rules Aquarius, and is exalted in Scorpio. It is also associated with mental studies, electricity and astrology. Its position indicates the arena of originality and freedom from conventional thinking in your life.
Y Neptune
Neptune represents the universal ocean of oneness with all beings. It is thus highly compassionate, also idealistic, imaginative and self losing or even self undoing, and can be associated with drugs or media, as fantasy expressions. Neptune rules Pisces, and finds its exaltation in Cancer. Its position indicates where there may be confusion and also great creativity in poetic or musical fields. Neptune has been called the higher octave of Venus.
Z Pluto
Pluto is a force for change that can be destructive in its power. Pluto rules Scorpio, and is exalted in Leo. Pluto is related to will, and intense passion, and has a reputation for ruthlessness. As god of the underworld Pluto brings the deepest compulsions into the light. Its position indicates areas of life that must ultimately become transformed as part of the soul's evolution.
Eris and Sedna
When selected, will display TNOs (Trans-Neptunian Objects) such as Eris, recently named in the same astronomical category as Pluto. Eris was discovered in 2005 from plates going back to 2003 and called Xena for a while. It was officially recognized as a planet in September 2006 and named Eris at that time. Eris, with a 556-year orbit, doubles the size of the Solar System. Termed a dwarf planet along with Pluto and Ceres, this recent designation by the IAU has shifted our understanding of the outer planets. Sedna, much further out, was discovered earlier, in 2004, and has yet to be officially designated as a planet. Other objects will be added to this list in future versions of TimePassages as their significance becomes known.
[ Eris
Eris was only recently designated a planet. It was named after the sister of the God of War in Greek mythology, and given the status 'dwarf planet' in 2006 when Pluto was also officially designated by that term. Pluto is unchanged in its astrological usage, and presumably, being in the same category, Eris will also prove to be important in chart interpretation. Already there is strong evidence of a feisty and originating archetype that is emerging. Among the astrological meanings that can be attributed to Eris is one who struggles against injustice and oppression. She has her war-like and even blood-thirsty side, with the higher manifestation of defending the weak and unconditionally standing up for oneself. Her placement and aspects to other planets correlate to the archetype of the underdog warrior, speaking truth to power, and with also a willingness to resort to violence if necessary. Many manifestations of this archetype exist in the present culture, among them feminist leaders and paradigm shifters. The positive side of Eris would seem to be one who finds and strives to manifest a connection to deep soul intention. This archetype also represents a dire motif of the struggle for survival that is inherent in the natural world, and as with Pluto and Chiron, a darker side of our common humanity that must be acknowledged and faced in our time.
] Makemake
Makemake is another of these KBO planets called ‘dwarf’ by the IAU designation, named in the same year as Eris. His mythological designation derives from the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island, Makemake being their creation god. Since the island, having been settled by Polynesian people over 1300 years ago, was very remote and isolated, the Rapa Nui evolved their own religious practices, among them the famous Moai statues and the Bird-man cult to select the tribal elder for the year, with Makemake as its chief god. That the island was denuded of trees by the time of European discovery, forcing a subsistence living because canoes could no longer be built in order to fish, gives some indication for environmental activism as one of its designated meanings. As a new 21st-century astrological archetype, along with Eris and Haumea, Makemake has been shown by Henry Seltzer’s research involving the charts of activists and other significant figures to represent feeling a “profound connection to Nature'' together with a powerful urge to defend her. Natives with strong placements of Makemake are drawn to the fight for principles of natural law, of right action and right relationship, and therefore possess an inclination to be a champion for environmental defense and issues of social justice.
^ Haumea
Haumea is the only other officially named Kuiper Belt planet as of 2021. There might be others named later on, but the IAIU has no current plans to do so. Furthermore, Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea, officially designated as ‘dwarf’ planets, are the four largest KBOs. Like Makemake, Haumea was named for a fundamental deity from Polynesian myth, in this case the creation goddess of the Hawaiian people, mother of Pele and many of the other Hawaiian gods and goddesses. She had a wand that could make food magically appear, and gave birth out of different parts of her body, her womb, her breast, her hips, each time regenerating as a young woman. In this way her mythology mimics the fecundity of Nature itself. Similar to Makemake, research indicates that she seems to represent an archetypal meaning of “profound connection to Nature,” which also implies a strong internal connection to natural law, to right action and to right relationship. Those natives with strong Haumea are charismatic and well intentioned, with a love of Nature and natural surroundings, and of kinship with nature’s creatures. They are in sympathy with efforts to protect the earthly environment, and possess an innate moral compass, believing that everyone deserves to be treated with fairness.
t Chiron
Chiron is a small planet, or ‘planetoid’ that was only discovered in 1977, and which has already shown itself to be quite powerful in an individual’s chart. Occupying an eccentric orbit between Saturn and Uranus, and named for the centaur physician of Greek myth who taught ancient wisdom to mankind, Chiron represents the archetype of the “Wounded Healer” and is associated with shamanism and going within to heal oneself. Its discovery is synchronous with the rise of the holistic health movement. Chiron’s position in the chart reveals where one has been wounded, and where also there is the opportunity for discovering healing from within and sharing this discovery with other people, since from our wounds arises our compassion for the suffering of others. The position of Chiron, by house and sign, can also show where we have talent and access to ancient wisdom, as well as where we may depart from the mainstream in service to a higher practicality. Those with prominent Chiron are likely to be educators and spiritual healers.
The Four Major Asteroids
When selected, it will display the four major asteroids, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta, discovered in the early 1800’s. These so-called ‘minor planets’ have been associated with female deities and the rise of the feminist movement in modern times. For more information on the meaning of these recently discovered ‘planets,’ you can click on their icon in the chart. The well-written and definitive work on many of the asteroids, Asteroid Goddesses by Demetra George, published by ACS, is also an excellent resource. See Bibliography.
m Ceres
Ceres is the first asteroid that was discovered, on New Year’s Day, 1801, and also the largest. It was named for the Roman earth goddess of grain and the harvest. The Greek name for this earth goddess is Demeter. As goddess of the harvest and the natural process of fertility and renewal, Ceres represents the process of nurturing and motherhood in an individual chart and has been attributed to the sign Cancer as a co-ruler with the Moon, as well as to the signs of Taurus, Scorpio, and Virgo. All four major asteroids seem to represent different
aspects of the feminine and can be thought of as further refinements of the lunar principle. An afflicted Ceres by planetary aspect may indicate problems with being able to nurture or to be nurtured by others, perhaps manifesting in food complexes, or a feeling of rejection by parental figures. When strongly placed, it symbolizes the ability to take on parental responsibilities, especially in a female subject, and also may indicate someone who has a close relationship with the earth, as gardener or grower of food. Also the position of Ceres by house and sign, and its planetary connections, is likely to indicate the way in which motherhood (or parenthood) manifests in the individual life.
n Pallas
The asteroid Pallas (short for Pallas Athene) was the second of the four major asteroids to be discovered in 1802. The four major asteroids, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, and Vesta, were discovered within a few years of each other at the beginning of the 19th century and named for female goddesses in the Roman pantheon. Their discovery has been synchronous with the rise of the women’s movement in the West. These four asteroids seem to symbolize four different facets of the feminine and represent a fresh way of regarding the feminine principle in astrology, going beyond the relatively simple categories of wife and mother as represented by Venus and the Moon. Pallas represents the wisdom of the female spirit as the mythology of Pallas Athene would indicate: born from the head of Zeus, and symbolized by the owl and the snake, Pallas Athene was a powerful symbol for independence and wisdom in ancient mythology. She did not ally herself with any man, but rather was a strong and warrior-like figure who aided men of good will and whose advice was prized for its intelligence. The astrology of the asteroid Pallas indicates such a feminine spirit of independence and cool mental judgment in either a man’s or a woman’s chart. In an individual chart, Pallas represents the creative use of the mental faculty in combination with ageless wisdom and is also involved with the arts, especially the plastic arts such as sculpture and pottery, and with medicinal remedies. Its position by house and sign indicates where in one’s life the divine spark of creative intelligence and higher wisdom may spring forth.
k Juno
The asteroid Juno was the third of the four major asteroids to be discovered in 1805. These four asteroids, which came on the scene as the 19th century began, seem to represent different aspects of the feminine spirit. In mythology, Juno (or the Greek Hera) was wife and consort to Jupiter, and therefore, the astrology of Juno represents the partnering energy of intimate relationship. This is also the territory of Venus and the Moon, but where Juno seems to differ is in representing the partnership energy in a new light, as in the more modern issues of where the boundaries are with another person, how much sharing is appropriate versus holding back, are there issues of bitterness and jealousy, or projected authority and control onto another person, and intimacy needs in general. When Juno is prominent in a Natal Chart, all these types of issues are important to the individual. If Juno is aspected by another planet, these issues may be colored by the energy of that planet. Juno’s position by house and sign is an indication of the area of life in which these issues will be most important.
l Vesta
The asteroid Vesta was the last of the four major asteroids to be discovered in 1807. The mythology of Vesta (or Greek Hestia) is as follows: one of the sisters of Jupiter and Juno, Vesta chose to remain a virgin and not marry. She was the goddess of the hearth fire, which was of utmost importance in ancient times, connoting hospitality and the basic vitality of the home or city-state, and her astrological symbol is the flame. It is interesting to note that Vesta is the brightest of the four asteroids. Her symbolism also suggests the “vestal virgin” temple
priestesses of the ancient Greek world and their commitment to no man, but to their own inner flame of service to the goddess. Their service might even be of a sexual nature, but they remained untouched by any sexual intimacy with another person. In accordance with its mythology, the asteroid Vesta is involved with both the signs Virgo and Scorpio. In the astrology of Vesta in an individual chart, these issues of sexuality and completeness unto oneself predominate. Possible associations are the woman (or man) who chooses not to mate, but as a nun or monk takes on a higher purpose than normal family life, also issues of sexuality and who is ultimately served in the process, self or other. Thus, when Vesta is prominent in the chart, there may be issues with purity, singleness, and sexuality either by abstinence or by one involving oneself with multiple partners which yet
leave the individual untouched by the relationship. The placement of Vesta by house and sign also indicate the area of life where these issues may manifest.
The Centaurs
When selected, will display your choices amongst the recently discovered Centaurs. Of these interesting new additions to Western Astrology, Chiron was the first to be discovered in 1977 and has become completely standard in interpreting charts. Note that Chiron is included by default in the General Chart Points and is interpreted throughout the signs and houses and in aspects, both natally and in transit. The newer members of this group are more recently discovered and less well-understood. They are interpreted in a general way only. It is interesting that, just as Chiron links the orbits of Saturn and Uranus, Pholus links Saturn and Neptune and Nessus links Saturn and Pluto. For more information, you might want to consult the excellent reference work Saturn and the Centaurs by Melanie Reinhart in the Bibliography.
Earth, Vertex, Lilith, Vulcan
When selected, will display custom points such as Black Moon Lilith. Black Moon Lilith represents the apogee of the lunar orbit where it lies farthest from the earth. This mystical astrological point cycles once around the chart every nine years and is quite different from the asteroid named Lilith having a much faster cycle of about four years and also differs from the hypothetical "Dark Moon" second satellite of the Earth, studied since the mid-nineteenth century but never confirmed astronomically. Presumably, these other astrological factors also share in the Lilith archetype, but Black Moon Lilith has been the most typically used in modern Western Astrology. Several books on Lilith have been published recently. See Bibliography.
The Earth can also be displayed as a chart point, either within Custom Points or in the General Chart Points that are always displayed. In charts, the Earth is always located 180° away from the Sun.
The Vertex is a calculated point that some astrologers like to use. It is technically the intersection of the Prime Vertical and the Ecliptic. Always located near the Descendant, it functions as a secondary relationship indicator or a point of destined interaction. When it conjoins the natal planet of another person, the Vertex is thought to indicate a particularly fated form of relationship.
Vulcan is used in esoteric astrology and is a fictional planet, one that moves very close to the Sun and in a circular orbit. Although fictional, this mystical point, also used in Uranian Astrology, has some interesting associations in keeping with the mythology. Vulcan is the esoteric ruler of Taurus.
; The Part of Fortune
The Part of Fortune (from the Latin Pars Fortuna) indicates an area of life that is a fortunate one for the native. The house in which the Part of Fortune is placed indicates an area of your life which is likely to be a successful one for you; an area where the application of your skill will bear fruit. It is where you will find good luck and happiness.
< The Nodes of the Moon
The Nodes of the Moon indicate areas of life that are of special concern to you. The North Node indicates your goals, while the South Node indicates areas of mastery, often from a previous lifetime. The placement of the North Node indicates work that needs to be done in your life or new faculties that you need to be developed in the present lifetime.
The Ascendant
The Ascendant, or Rising Sign, is the mask shown to others, the way we present ourselves. This sign, along with the sign of the Sun and the sign of the Moon, is an important component of your personality. The sign on the Ascendant often describes one’s physical appearance. Those with Leo rising, for example, are likely to possess a mane of flowing hair. Planets in conjunction with the Ascendant also affect personality and appearance, in accordance with the qualities of the particular planet. The Ascendant represents your persona, or how you
appear to others, how others sense you, in your true interaction with the world. In esoteric tradition, the Ascendant represents your true or soul-level personality.
The Midheaven
The Midheaven, or MC (Medium Coeli), is usually but not always the same as the Tenth House Cusp. Symbolically, the Midheaven represents your individuality, the outward expression of your energies. It can also be referred to as ego identity and has a strong connection with public life and career, symbolized by the Tenth House. The Midheaven also represents your aspirations and ideals. Together with the Ascendant, it represents personality in interaction with the world. Natal planets in conjunction with the Midheaven are considered “elevated” and are emphasized in the chart.
Appendix C
The Meanings of the Signs
A Aries
Aries is Cardinal-Fire and rules the head. Its planet is Mars. As builders, in the first rush of spring, Aries people are 'headstrong' pioneering types who are likely to rush into things before reflecting. They have great vitality and are physically active and inclined to domination, with a strong will and an urge toward self- aggrandizement. They also have an acute need for love and affection. They are idealists and their intuitive powers are great.
B Taurus
Taurus is Fixed-Earth and rules the throat. Its planet is Venus. Taureans love pleasure, are practical, and value material possessions. They are possessed of a powerful will and can be quite stubborn, as well as steady, loyal, kind, and obedient. Taureans provide a purposeful, productive, and stabilizing influence for themselves and society, and they can also be great healers.
C Gemini
Gemini is Mutable-Air, ruling the arms, shoulders, and the lungs. Its planet is Mercury, and Gemini is the sign associated with thought process (based on duality), also communication and the conscious mind. Gemini people tend to be flighty, engaging in many varied experiences to gain knowledge. They are witty and have a good sense of humor, and make good teachers. Unlike possessive Taurus, they tend toward liberty in relationships. Their highly developed nervous systems can be easily bored, but under control, they have tremendous intellectual and artistic possibilities.
D Cancer
Cancer is Cardinal-Water. It rules the stomach and breasts, and its planet is the Moon. Cancer people love security and their home is important. They are passive and rely on their feelings. They are subtle, rather than direct, and often reflect the moods of those around them. Cancer is the sign of nurturing, protecting, sustaining. It is strongly tied to the past and Karma. Cancer tends to collect the residue of past experience and hold onto it as a coloration of present activities, leading to instinctual or habitual action.
E Leo
Leo is Fixed-Fire and rules the heart and spine. Its planet is the Sun. Leo people are very dramatic and creative, also self-confident and assertive. They expect to be the center of attention and often are. They have tremendous energy, also great courage and honesty. They are natural leaders. Leo is quite proud, and its challenge is not to be arrogant or egotistical, but rather to develop humility and compassion, and to learn detachment in the gift of its affections.
F Virgo
Virgo is Mutable-Earth and rules the digestive system. Its ruling planet is Mercury, also the asteroids. Virgo is analytical and organized, with perfectionist tendencies. It loves work and service to others and the gathering of the fruits of the material world (harvest). Virgo people have a reputation for neatness that can border on obsession and for nervousness and a concern over issues of health. They must beware of being overly critical. The mission of Virgo is the purification of its activity in pursuit of its goals, the inherent love of excellence in all strivings.
G Libra
Libra is Cardinal-Air and rules the kidneys. Its planet is Venus. Libra is the sign of balance and relationship. The Sun in Libra is at the equinox, when day equals night, and similarly Libra strives for harmony between polarizations. Librans are known for their good taste, elegance, and charm. Librans also have a hard time making a decision and forever hope that all parties to a conflict will be satisfied. They can be very strong in character under the changeable surface and like to explore new horizons. Libra's highest purpose is self-consecration to humanity.
H Scorpio
Scorpio is Fixed-Water and rules the sexual organs. Its planets are Mars and Pluto. Scorpio is the most intense sign of the Zodiac. It is associated with sexual activity and the cycle of death and rebirth. The emotions run deep with Scorpio, and they have great power to coerce others. There is a materialistic side to Scorpio people, but there is also a great sense of the spiritual. They are reserved, and their true nature is not easily known. They can be manipulative, but in their higher nature lies the power to transform society and themselves.
I Sagittarius
Sagittarius is Mutable-Fire and rules the hips and thighs. Its planet is Jupiter. Sagittarius is an optimistic, positive-thinking sign associated with the quest for freedom from all restriction, also idealism, religion, and philosophy. Sagittarians are blunt and direct. They love adventure, sports and travel, gambling and risk taking. They are friendly, likable, and easy-going, also somewhat disorganized. On a higher level, Sagittarius is concerned with understanding and perception and represents mental activity in the service of high ideals for the benefit of mankind.
J Capricorn
Capricorn is Cardinal-Earth and rules the bones, skin, and knees. Its planet is Saturn. Capricorn represents the accomplishments of the material: prestige, honor, and success in public achievement. As a result, Capricorn people are entirely practical, also ambitious and efficient, and make strong and able leaders. In them, the forces of organized society reach their maximum. Capricorns are security- conscious and law-abiding, strict with themselves and with others, good managers of their resources, and drive a hard bargain. They are also loyal and honest. Capricorn exemplifies the values of work in service to the goals of humanity.
K Aquarius
Aquarius is Fixed-Air and rules the circulation and the ankles. Its planet is Uranus. Aquarius is forward thinking and detached. Aquarians can be more involved with their work than with other people. They are scientifically minded and logical and prefer thinking as a mode of activity. They value social goals. They are also rebellious, imaginative, and inventive. They can be quite noble but may be critical and demanding. Their highest purpose is found in the expansion and advancement of society.
L Pisces
Pisces is Mutable-Water and rules the feet. Its planet is Neptune. Pisces is a watery sign concerned with subtle emotions and secret mystical depths. Pisceans are very moody and introspective and not at home in the world. They can be very strong; still they are truly compassionate and operate best at the level of service, love. and understanding of mankind. They are quite sensitive and may suffer in this lifetime from a sense of their own unworthiness and their despair at the state of society. Their true path lies in devotion to the ideal of selfless service for the redemption of the world.
Appendix D
The Meanings of the Houses
The First House
The First House symbolizes the acting self, the personality as it appears to others, and the unfolding of one's individual destiny. Its beginning point is the Rising sign/degree, one of the most significant points in the birth chart. The Rising Sign indicates your personal appearance, or self-image, sometimes referred to as the mask you present to the world. Planets in the First House affect your personality strongly. Their characteristics are a keynote of your personality as you express yourself to others.
The Second House
The Second House symbolizes what the self has to work with materially: possessions, money, and physical resources. This house also represents your desires and values. Planets in the Second House operate in the field of material needs and also indicate what you value most highly.
The Third House
The Third House symbolizes thinking and communication, also traditionally brothers and sisters, writings, short journeys. and also represents your early environment, as well as your powers of analysis and discrimination. Planets in this house indicate how you communicate and operate mentally.
The Fourth House
The Fourth House represents the home environment, family life, and the father, or perhaps the same sex parent. As the base of operations of the personality this house is quite important, because without a place to stand emotionally, the personality cannot function. Planets in the Fourth House reflect your family orientation, an ability to dig into the past in order to discover the roots of your being, and how your father (or perhaps your mother) was experienced.
The Fifth House
The Fifth House represents creativity and self-expression, also offspring, and is also associated with romance and affection. Following the base of operations represented by the fourth, the fifth house represents the arena in which your personal energies can be released into the world. Any area stamped by your personality, including the display of affection or any creative endeavors such as your artistic expression, is therefore represented by planets in the Fifth House or its ruler or the sign on the Fifth House cusp.
The Sixth House
The Sixth House represents issues of sickness and health, and service to others, including conditions of daily life, or work. This house also relates to discipleship and mastery, and the overcoming of obstacles in producing the fruit of one's achievements. Planets in this house can manifest as challenges to your well-being, or as indications of a profession of service to others.
The Seventh House
The Seventh House represents marriage and partnerships of all kinds and issues relating to other people. As the opposite to the First House of personality, the Seventh House describes how you fit into the world of others. Planets in this house often indicate the type of marriage partner you will seek.
The Eighth House
The Eighth House symbolizes issues of death and rebirth, sexuality, and transformation. As this house follows the house of relationship, it refers to the fruits of relationship, and these include the power to change based on new understanding made possible when one is no longer acting solely as an individual. Planets in this house are difficult to interpret, but may refer to how sexuality is manifested or to lessons you need to learn in order to grow and change.
The Ninth House
The Ninth House represents intuition and the study of religion philosophy, and higher learning. In addition, it represents travel to other countries, and legal matters. This house is interpreted similarly to the ninth sign of Sagittarius, and represents the expansion of horizons, mental, physical and spiritual. Planets in this house may symbolize your philosophical pursuits, or possibilities for travel.
The Tenth House
The Tenth House symbolizes public life, authority, career issues, and also represents the mother, or perhaps the oppositesex parent. As standing opposite the Fourth House, the Tenth House represents how the foundation of the personality is made manifest and concrete in the world. The birth chart is often divided into four seven-year periods, one per quadrant, cycling each twenty-eight years of life, and the Tenth House is reached at age 21, the age of legal adulthood. Planets in the Tenth House will indicate what the energies and challenges are for your career, and also how your mother (or perhaps father) was experienced.
The Eleventh House
The Eleventh House symbolizes goals and objectives, also friendships and membership in groups or associations. The work in society represented by the tenth house is released through the individual in the activities associated with the eleventh house. Planets in this house indicate how visions for the future and also group associations and friendships will operate in your life.
The Twelfth House
The Twelfth House refers to the unconscious and to things beyond the physical plane. It is traditionally associated with confinement and self-undoing, and has been called the house of karma. Planets in this house indicate functions that are hidden from your conscious personality, and are expressed in terms of psychic faculty or self- sacrifice.
Appendix E
Astrology and Tarot Symbolism
This section is devoted to some of the ways Astrology interacts with another mystical discipline: the magnificent study called Tarot. There are twenty-two special spiritual cards in Tarot, called the "Major Arcana", and four suits of more ordinary cards making a total of seventy-eight cards in all. If you want a reading, you just pick a facedown card or go through a ritual of shuffling the deck, placing some number of cards into an array, and reading them.
It is well-known that the four suits of Tarot, which turned into the four suits of our modern deck of playing cards, correspond to the four elements of Astrology: Fire is Wands (clubs); Earth is Pentacles (diamonds); Air is Swords (spades); Water is Cups (hearts). Since the element Water relates to the emotions, it makes sense that Cups became hearts. Fire, or Wands, relates to the intuition. Earth, or Pentacles, relates to the worldly plane of affairs or money (hence the disks or coins pictured in some Tarot decks). Air, or Swords, relates to the process of logic and reason, and relatedness, by means of which we analyze or slice things up into parts and then relate them to each other by rules (science again) rather than leave them in their unbroken wholeness. That wholeness is more the province of the intuitive faculty, which also promotes growth in consciousness, hence the flowering tree, or Wand.
The four elements of Astrology also relate to the four psychological functions described by C. G. Jung: thinking and its opposite function, feeling, intuition and its opposite function, sensation. Fire (Wands) is intuition, while Earth (Pentacles) is sensation. Air (Swords) is thinking, while Water (Cups) is feeling. As the elements rotate through the signs, they alternate in the opposite elements, first Aries (Fire) then Taurus (Earth), next Gemini (Air) then Cancer (Water), and so on through the twelve signs: Leo (Fire), Virgo (Earth), Libra (Air), Scorpio (Water), Sagittarius (Fire), Capricorn (Earth), Aquarius (Air), Pisces (Water). The next sign is Aries again, in an endless circle, just like the letters of the Latin word for rotation, "ROTA," rearranged to T-A-R-O and then starting again with T to become...T-A-R-O-T.
In addition to the symbolism inherent in the four suits (or elements) of the Tarot, the twenty-two Major Arcana are also related to the astrological symbolism in that they correspond to the twelve signs in Astrology and the seven planets of tradition. For a reference on this, you can consult The Tarot by Paul Foster Case. It is interesting to note that the three Major Arcana cards left over can be related to the three remaining outer planets of the modern era: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. These three cards are very spiritual cards, traditionally called the "Mother" cards in the Tarot deck. For a complete table of these correspondences, see below.
What does it mean that the Tarot symbolism is so closely involved with astrology? I believe it indicates something about the astrological language itself, that it can be used to reflect the psychology of a given situation (the best of Tarot divination is psychological in nature, rather than event-oriented; "you will meet a tall dark stranger" is more old school; fortune telling, rather than the modern way of looking at these things). I think the way that Tarot works can shed some light on the way that astrological symbolism works as well. Although the methods are quite different, each method contributes mystical symbols to the reading from a mundane source. The fall of the cards may be thought to be accidental by rationalists, but there is a meaning conveyed. And there have been mathematical studies that show that the fall of the cards conveys a meaning with far greater likelihood than statistical chance would indicate. This is much the same as that the positions of the planets at birth can convey mystical meaning in addition to the physical meaning of their location known and used by astronomers. When you do a Tarot reading, it is fun to think about the planetary and sign symbolism inherent in the meanings of the cards.
Major Arcana Correspondences
Appendix F
Bibliography of Recommended Texts
Classics
Astrology, A Cosmic Science by Isabel Hickey, New Pathways, 1970
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
This is the classic text on the art of Astrology
Making the Gods Work for You by Caroline W. Casey, Harmony Books,
1998
Level: Beginner
This is a great new work by the pioneering, "Visionary Astrologer," Caroline Casey.
The Astrology of Personality by Dane Rudhyar, Shambala, 1936
Level: Advanced
The classic explication of Humanistic Astrology
Heaven Knows What by Grant Lewi, Llewellyn, 1935
level: Beginner to Intermediate
A classic work on the nature of Astrology
Astrology for the Millions by Grant Lewi, Llewellyn, 1940
Level: Beginning to Intermediate
A classic work on the nature of Astrology
Specifically Recommended
Astrology, Karma & Transformation by Stephen Arroyo, CRCS, 1978
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
This is a terrific book, full of clarity and insight
Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas, Viking, 2006
Level: Beginning to Advanced
Perhaps the most important astrology book of the 21st Century, explains the philosophical underpinnings of astrology and outer planet archetypes as demonstrated by their alignments through history.
Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil by Liz Greene, Samuel Weiser,
1976
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Great classic work by the well known psychological and mythological astrologer
Overview
The Art of Chart Interpretation by Tracy Marks, CRCS, 1950
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Good basic text
Chart Interpretation Handbook by Stephen Arroyo, CRCS, 1989
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Good textbook
How To Be A Great Astrologer by James Braha, Hermetician Press,
1992
Level: Beginning to Intermediate
Good basic cookbook text on natal Astrology
The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest, ACS Publications, 1983
Level: Beginning to Intermediate
well-written and witty explanation of natal Astrology
Aspects and Personality by Karen Hammaker-Zondag, Samuel Weiser, 1990
level: Beginning to Intermediate
great beginning text on natal aspects
The Rising Sign - Your Astrological Mask by Jeanne Avery, Doubleday,
1982
level: Beginning to Intermediate
good explanation of the Rising sign with examples
Relating by Liz Greene, Samuel Weiser, 1978
level: Beginning to Intermediate
excellent book on humanistic / mythological astrology and relationship dynamics
Moon Tides, Soul Passages by Maria Key Simms, Starcrafts Publishing, 2004
level: Beginning to Intermediate
extended meditation on the astrological Moon and her phases and their use in daily life
How to Handle Your Human Relations by Lois Sargent, AFA, 1958
level: Beginning to Intermediate
excellent slim volume on synastry aspects and relationship astrology
Advanced
The Astrological Houses by Dane Rudhyar, CRCS Publications, 1972
level: Advanced
Asteroid Goddesses by Demetra George & Douglas Bloch, Hays, 2004 new edition
level: Intermediate to Advanced
classic study of the four feminine asteroids discovered in the early 1800’s
The Dynamics of the Unconscious by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas, Weiser, 1988
level: Intermediate to Advanced
studies in psychological astrology, from lectures, by two modern masters
The Luminaries by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas, Weiser, 1992
level: Intermediate to Advanced
studies in the astrological Sun and Moon, from lectures
The Inner Planets by Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas, Weiser, 1993
level: Intermediate to Advanced
studies in the astrological impact of Mercury, Venus and Mars, from lectures
The Mars Quartet by Liz Greene, Lynn Bell, Darby Costello and Melanie Reinhart, CPA Press, Dec. 2001
level: Intermediate to Advanced
studies on Mars from lectures, includes an early description of the astrology of 9/11 by Liz Greene
The Magic Thread by Richard Idemon, Weiser, 1996
level: Advanced
good discussion of analyzing the chart as a whole
Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul by Jeff Green, Llewellyn
Publications, 1985
level: Advanced
great and unique work exploring the nature of Pluto, as well as other factors in the natal chart
Pluto: The Soul's Evolution Through Relationships, Vol II by Jeff
Green, Llewellyn Publications, 1997
level: Advanced
Further exploration of evolutionary astrology
Soul-Centered Astrology by Alan Oken, Bantam, 1990
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
seminal work on esoteric astrology
Inside Degrees - Developing Your Soul Biography Using the Chandra
Symbols by Ellias Lonsdale, North Atlantic Books, 1997
Level: Intermediate
this unique work has a pithy and soul-searing paragraph for each degree of the zodiac, to be applied to one's Sun degree, Moon degree or Rising degree (when exact) in parallel to but quite different from the Sabian symbol for the degree
The Sabian Symbols in Astrology by Marc Edmond Jones, Shambhala, 1953
level: Advanced
classic work on the Sabian degree symbols
The Sabian Symbols as an Oracle by Lynda Hill, Hill and Hill P/L, revised 2002
level: Beginner to Advanced
terrific treatment of the 360 Sabian degree symbols
Chiron, Centaurs
Chiron and the Healing Journey by Melanie Reinhart, Arkana, 1989
level: Intermediate to Advanced
excellent work on the planet Chiron, both natally and in transit
Saturn, Chiron and the Centaurs by Melanie Reinhart, CPA Press,
2002
level: Intermediate to Advanced
excellent discussion of the Centaurs
Chiron by Richard Nolle, AFA, 1994
level: Intermediate to Advanced
early work on Chiron
Chiron: Rainbow Bridge Between the Inner and Outer Planets by
Barbara Hand Clow, Llewellyn Publications, 1987
level: Intermediate
extended meditation on the meaning of Chiron
Lilith
The Black Moon Book by Francis Santoni, Lee Sutyerman and Demetra George, Sum Press, 1997
level: Intermediate to Advanced
Black Moon Lilith in house and sign
Black Moon Lilith by Kelley M. Hunter, ACS Publications, 2000
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
descriptions of the astrological Lilith
Mysteries of the Dark Moon by Demetra George, Harper Collins, 1992
level: Beginner to Intermediate
some information regarding Lilith in the context of a description of the Dark Goddess in mythology
Progressions
Secondary Progressions: Time To Remember by Nancy Ann Hastings and Samuel Weiser
level: Intermediate to Advanced
good basic textbook on progressions
The Eagle and the Lark by Bernadette Brady, Samuel Weiser, 1992
level: Intermediate to Advanced
both transits and progressions are covered
Transiting Planets
The Changing Sky by Steven Forrest, ACS Publications, 1986
Level: Beginning to Intermediate
witty and astute
Saturn in Transit by Erin Sullivan, Arkana, 1991
level: Advanced
Retrograde Planets by Erin Sullivan, Arkana, 1992
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
excellent work on retrograde planets, covers retrogrades both natally and in transit
Planets in Transit by Robert Hand, Whitford Press, 1976
Level: Beginning to Intermediate
classic cookbook text although can be a trifle negative
Transits of the West, Dasas of the East by James Braha, Hermetician Press, 1994
level: Beginning to Intermediate
Outer Planets
The Outer Planets & Their Cycles by Liz Greene, CRCS, 1983
Level: Advanced
The Gods of Change by Howard Sasportas, Arkana, 1989
Level: Advanced
Phoenix Rising (Pluto) by Haydn Paul, Element Books, 1988
Level: Intermediate
Visionary Dreamer (Neptune) by Haydn Paul, Element Books, 1989
level: Intermediate
Revolutionary Spirit (Uranus) by Haydn Paul, Element Books, 1989
level: Intermediate
Prometheus the Awakener by Richard Tarnas, Spring Publications,
1995
level: Beginning to Advanced
thoughtful essay on the archetypal meaning of Uranus in astrology
The Astrological Neptune and the Quest for Redemption by Liz Greene, Weiser, 1996
level: Intermediate to Advanced
definitive work on Neptune in astrology
Political Astrology
The Astrology of America’s Destiny by Dane Rudhyar, Random House,
1974
level: Advanced
great discussion of the character of America as revealed in the 1776 chart, which he rectified to a 13 Sagittarius Ascendant
Soul-Sick Nation by Jessica Murray, authorHouse, 2006
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
quintessential discussion along the lines of Rudhyar, above, using the same chart, from a left political perspective.
General
The Astrology Encyclopedia by James R. Lewis (not Jim Lewis), Visible Ink Press, 1994
level: Beginning
good reference work on Astrology
Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology by Jean-Louis Brau, Helen Weaver and Allan Edmands, Librairie Larousse, 1980
level: Beginning
another excellent reference work
Appendix G
The Transit Time of the Planets
The geocentric periods of the planets are given below--and the approximate length of time they transit a particular house of the Natal Chart (about 1/12 of the period). Inner planets transit times are affected by the motion of the earth and are not the true heliocentric period. When inner planets retrograde, it obviously affects the time spent in a single house, so these figures are a rough guide only and vary in the specific instance.
Appendix H
Glossary
Angles:
The four Angels of the chart are the Ascendant and Descendant, Midheaven or MC, and the Nadir or IC. These are respectively the East, West, North, and South orientations. Angular planets (those located close to the angles) are emphasized in the reading of the natal chart, especially those planets near the MC, also called “elevated” planets.
Angular Planets:
Planets are considered Angular when they are located near one of the four Angles of the chart. Such planets are emphasized in their interpretation of the chart. When planets are near the angles of a chart relocated to a particular location, the planet is interpreted as being prominent in the affairs of the native relative to that location, for example, during the period of time of his or her residence there. The lines on a map formed by the locations where a particular planet is angular make up the lines of Astro*Carto*Graphy™ for a particular chart. For instance, the line running roughly North-South where Jupiter is found on the Midheaven or MC of a person’s chart is labeled “Ju MC” for Jupiter on the MC. See the entry for Astro*Carto*Graphy™.
Ascendant:
The Easternmost or “Rising Point” of the chart. The sign on the Ascendant is the sign actually rising during the moment of birth and is an important indicator of a person’s character, especially in how the person appears to others, how he or she comes across, and their physical appearance. The Ascendant is coincident with the cusp of the First House. Planets near the Ascendant are also important characteristics of the native. The sign on the Ascendant, also called the Rising sign, therefore figures prominently in the interpretation of the natal chart, and is often represented as one of three primary signs denoting the native’s personality, along with the Sun and Moon signs. See also Descendant, Midheaven, Nadir.
Aspect Grid:
The map of all possible aspects from planets within the natal chart to each other, and to the other sensitive points in the chart, such as the Ascendant, Midheaven, and the Moon’s Nodes, often represented as one half of the rectangle formed from listing the planets down the first column and across the top of the grid layout. This Aspect Grid is represented as a full rectangle when transiting positions to natal positions are shown, or for any other bi-wheel such as a compatibility grid that shows the inter-aspects between two charts. TimePassages displays both types of aspect grid.
Aspect lines:
Lines drawn to indicate planets’ relationship with each other. See aspects.
Aspect Orbs:
See aspects.
Aspects:
Aspects describe the planets’ relationships to one another. Aspects are generally of two types: flowing or easy, exemplified by the trine and sextile; and dynamic or difficult, as exemplified by the square and opposition. The mother of all aspects, the conjunction, partakes of both these types, and is easy or difficult depending on the particular planetary energies involved. A complete list of the aspects employed by TimePassages is given below, with their associated degrees, and can also be found in the Aspect Orbs dialog (see Section 1.5, Aspect Orbs). The theory of aspects is complex, including the phasal relationship represented by the number of degrees of separation, and whether the aspect is “waxing” or “waning” in analogy to the phases of the Sun-Moon relationship. See the bibliography for suggested works on the subject.
Asteroids:
Although there are very many asteroids in use in modern Western astrology, most astrologers pay close attention only to the four major asteroids, Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta, which were discovered in the nineteenth century. Note that we do not classify the planetoid Chiron as an asteroid, being an important “planet” or “planetoid” for our times and located in a far different orbit, between Saturn and Uranus. The traditional asteroids reside in a belt between Mars and Jupiter, where the empirical rule of planetary orbits known as “Bode’s law” predicts there might once have been a real planet that somehow failed to coalesce or was destroyed. The approximate meaning assigned to these small planet-like bodies is as follows.
Ceres rules the harvest and nutrition.
Pallas or Pallas Athene rules the plastic arts and a thoughtful process of self determination that is warrior-like but not inherently violent.
Juno rules marriage and the partnership concept.
Vesta rules an independent feminine self-assertion that is unique and self-contained, although not asexual.
For more details, see the excellent book on the major and less known asteroids by Demetra George called Asteroid Goddesses.
Chart patterns:
Several different types of patterns are noted by astrologers, including Planetary Patterns, Aspect Patterns, and Hemisphere Patterns. See these headings.
Chart Ruler:
Usually the ruler of the Rising Sign, the chart ruler can also be a prominent planet such as an angular planet or a planet emphasized by aspect pattern. A judgment call.
Comparison Bi-Wheel:
The Comparison Chart represents two charts as a bi-wheel and shows the inter-aspects between them, also known as the Synastry. You can interpret these inter-aspects in TimePassages as long as you have the Compatibility Report add-on module. With this add-on, TimePassages can help you to understand the interactions and compatibility of two people based on their Natal Charts. See Chapter 11, Creating a Comparison Bi- Wheel.
Composite Chart:
A composite chart compares two charts as a single wheel based on planetary midpoints. This is an artificial chart with the Midheaven and remaining house cusps including the Ascendant calculated from the midpoints of the individual chart house cusps. Nevertheless, this chart can be extremely accurate in describing the relationship between the two persons, regarded as an entity unto itself, a third factor. In this way, the Composite Chart can be extremely revealing, showing strengths and areas of relative difficulty that need to be worked through. TimePassages provides a Composite Chart technique that will allow you to investigate the relationship between any two entities where the birth data is available.
Contra-parallel:
Declinational aspect between two planets that are located at approximately the same degree above and below the celestial equator, within usually about 1°, so that one declination is minus and the other plus. This aspect has the same interpretation as a conjunction.
Daylight time:
An artificially adjusted time zone used to save energy, usually in summer months, when days are long. Subtract one hour for Daylight time, when it is in effect. The Atlas provides the information regarding when Daylight time was in effect for each specific location found in its database.
Declination:
The number of degrees of latitude of a planet, that is distance above or below the celestial equator, as distinguished from celestial longitude, or the familiar signs, degrees and minutes of the Western Zodiac. The latitude varies over time, just as the longitude does, but on a different cycle, from about – 23° to + 23° for the Sun and most planets. Planets with declination higher (or lower) than these boundaries are considered “out of bounds” and indicators of extreme behavior.
Declinational aspect:
Parallel and contra-parallel aspects. These are termed declinational aspects because the planets involved are at the same degree above or below the celestial equator. The parallels and contra-parallels are similar to the conjunction in the more familiar longitudinal aspects.
Descendant:
The angle of the chart opposite the Ascendant, coincident with the cusp or origin of the Seventh House, and partaking of its symbolism. The Westernmost point of the chart. As opposed to the Ascendant which symbolizes Self, the Descendant and the Seventh House represents connection with the other, partnership of all kinds including marriage and business partnership. Planets on or near the Descendant represent qualities that we will be attracted to, or characteristics of the marriage partner, and are qualities that are likely to be projected onto other people rather than recognized as an integral part of one’s nature.
Eclipse:
A New Moon or Full Moon event when the Sun and Moon are also parallel or at the same declination as well as zodiacal longitude. The New Moon event is called a Solar Eclipse and the Full Moon one is called a Lunar Eclipse when the Earth’s shadow obscures the Full Moon orb. In a Solar Eclipse, the disk of the Sun and Moon overlap each other so that the atmosphere of the Sun peeks out from behind the circle of the Moon while the Sun is otherwise dark. It’s a fascinating thing that the Sun and Moon subtend exactly the same size disk, about half a degree in the sky, even though these bodies are very different in size and physical distance from the Earth. Eclipses have of course been closely watched since ancient times and are also considered extremely powerful in modern Astrology, especially when they connect with an important sensitive point in the Natal Chart. The effect of an eclipse can last 18 months or more, and is often triggered by subsequent Mars transits to the eclipse degree.
Elements:
The Elements are the fundamental building blocks of Astrological symbolism. They date from ancient times and are named by the properties of nature: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. These forces are also identified with the famous typology from the eminent psychologist C.G. Jung: Intuition, Sensation, Thinking, and Feeling. The elements alternate in the signs they represent around the wheel, starting with Aries (Fire). For more information, see Appendix C, The Meanings of the Signs.
Grand Cross:
An aspect pattern consisting of four planets or conjunctions of planets all in square with each other so that all four points of a cross are filled. In other words, four T-squares, each with the point opposite to the focus filled in. Indicates trials and tribulations in this life, but the energy it brings can be very good for self-development and the discipline of the born artist.
Grand Trine:
An aspect pattern consisting of three planets or conjunctions of planets all in trine with each other, indicating ease and good fortune.
Houses:
Divisions of the space surrounding the earth into twelve sections resembling the twelve signs in their symbolism. Each House has a beginning point at some degree of the Zodiac, hence in some particular sign, and its ending point is beginning of the next house. Houses are quite important in the interpretation of the Natal Chart. See Section 1.8, House Calculation Methods for their calculation and Appendix D for their interpretation.
Lilith:
An astronomical point representing the rejected and scorned feminine archetype of wild unbridled sexuality and rebellious passion older than the story of the Garden, Black Moon Lilith represents the apogee of the lunar orbit, where it lies farthest from the earth. This mystical astrological point cycles once around the chart every nine years and is quite different from the asteroid named Lilith having a much faster cycle of about four years and also differs from the hypothetical "Dark Moon" second satellite of the Earth, studied since the mid nineteenth century but never confirmed. Presumably, these other astrological factors also share in the Lilith archetype, but Black Moon Lilith has been the most typically used in modern Western Astrology. Several books on Lilith have been published recently. See Bibliography.
Lunar Return:
Every 28 days, the Moon returns to the exact degree, minute, and second that it occupied in the sky when you were born. This so-called Lunar Return is a comfortable time of the month for you when your emotional state is most nearly in tune with your natural rhythms. As the Moon is closely tied to the emotions, the chart cast for the moment of your Lunar Return expresses the “mood of the month” for you. You can read this chart just as though it were an ordinary Natal Chart, remembering that it applies to your lunar month. Its symbolism takes effect shortly before the date for which it is cast and lasts for the 28-day period of time until your next Lunar Return. TimePassages Advanced Edition can calculate this chart for you. See Section 10.3.
Maximum Orb for Transit survey report:
This is the orb that will be used to calculate the beginning of the date range for this transit, usually 2°. Most astrologers feel that transits are too subtle to be noticeable when more than 2° away from the exact aspect. If the transit being analyzed has a transiting orb of less than 2°, such as a minor aspect like the Quintile or the Sesquiquadrate, default 1°, then the lesser orb will be used instead.
Midheaven:
Also known as the MC from the Latin Medium Coeli or “middle of heaven,” the Midheaven or Zenith point of the chart is directly overhead at the moment of birth, and is that point within the plane of the Zodiac nearest to the vertical. Since it begins the Tenth House, the Midheaven represents the career and the method of actualizing self in the world. Planets near the Midheaven figure prominently in the interpretation of the natal chart.
Modes:
The modes or qualities of the Astrological signs are three in number, namely Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. The modes are the other factor, beside the four elements, that makes each sign a unique twelve-fold division of energy. The Cardinal signs are out-going, while Fixed signs are in-taking and Mutable signs are changeable in their behavior.
Moon sign:
The Zodiacal sign the Moon occupied at birth. Similar to the Sun sign, but referring to the emotional or child-like nature, the Moon Sign is considered to be an important determinant of character. The Moon sign is difficult to calculate without an ephemeris or a software program like TimePassages.
Nadir:
Also called the IC from the Latin Inmum Coeli or opposite point to the Zenith. The Nadir is the point directly under the feet at the moment of birth, and coincident with the cusp of the Fourth House. The Nadir represents soul-level deep issues, also home and family concerns.
Natal Aspects:
See aspects.
Natal Chart:
The map of the planets, signs and houses for the exact time and place where an entity was born. We say “entity” rather than person because there can also be a “Natal” Chart constructed for the birth of a nation, a corporation, or other group. An example is the chart for the United States, usually given as about 5:10 PM on July 4th, 1776, in Philadelphia. This chart was proven to be accurate according to the reckoning of many astrologers, by the events of 9-11-2001 when Pluto opposed Saturn exactly on the Ascendant – Descendant axis of this chart for the United States.
Parallel:
Declinational aspect between two planets that are located at approximately the same degree above or below the celestial equator, within usually about 1°. This aspect has the same interpretation as a conjunction.
Planetary midpoints:
The midpoint between two planets of your Natal Chart forms a sensitive point, just as the personal planets and angles do. The midpoint of two planets that are fairly close together is easy to see. Just average the degrees and minutes, or take one half of the difference between them and add it to one of the two longitudes. When the planets are further away, the sign comes into play and more careful calculation must be done to arrive at the midpoint degree. Consult the TimePassages planetary midpoint tables. See Chapter 6. The nature of the planetary midpoint partakes of the nature of both planets involved. For example, the midpoint between Mars and Mercury will symbolize active out-reach and communication, also mental aggressiveness and manual dexterity. When Pluto is transiting this midpoint, all these factors will be up for attention, challenges, perhaps compulsive behavior, and eventual transformation.
Planetary patterns:
The pattern formed by the distribution of the planets over the chart as a whole, sometimes called the “planetary gestalt.” There are several major planetary patterns that can be identified. Most Western astrologers use the seven traditional planets plus Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (not Chiron). TimePassages allows you to either include Chiron in the Planetary Pattern or to leave it out (see Section 2.2, Interpretation Options).
The simplest pattern is the Splash Pattern in which all the planets are distributed fairly equally, with not more than one or two separate empty houses. This pattern supposedly indicates a well-rounded individual but is rare in actual practice.
When almost all of the planets are on one side of the chart, a Hemisphere Pattern exists. If the East (left hand) Hemisphere, the individual is more concerned with issues of self development rather than working with others. If the West Hemisphere predominates, the person is more relationship oriented than self-motivated. If the Northern Hemisphere is emphasized, with most of the planets above the horizon, the individual lives out his or her life in public; the personal self and the private life is not so important. When the Southern Hemisphere, below the horizon, is emphasized, the reverse is true.
All these charts are examples of a Bowl shaped pattern, if pure. In other words, a “Bowl” pattern results when all the planets occupy one half of the chart, residing between the two ends of an opposition. With a Bowl pattern, there is a tendency to actualize in the area of the chart that is occupied, considering the meaning of the respective houses involved.
Another planet pattern is called a “Funnel” type or sometimes “Bucket,” defined as follows: when all the planets occupy a Bowl pattern, with the exception of one or two planets in conjunction that, generally speaking, oppose the rest, this pattern is called the Funnel type, where the isolated planet or planets, called the focus, forms the handle or spout. All the energy of the pattern becomes channeled through this focal planet or planets. It is therefore important to note the delineation of this focal planet or conjunction.
In presenting the TimePassages Natal Report, care has been taken to identify such a planet or planets that form the focus of a planetary pattern and to emphasize the importance of such planets by placing this information at the front of the report. Hemisphere and aspect patterns, such as the T-Square or Yod, are also delineated. See T-square and Yod, Grand Trine and Grand Cross.
Progressions:
In a Progressed bi-wheel, the planet’s positions and the four Angles are progressed to a specific time and compared to their positions in the Natal Chart. A progressed chart can also be constructed as freestanding, using the progressed Ascendant as the beginning of the First House.
Rectified Chart:
A chart whose time has been corrected according to the astrologer’s understanding of the symbolism of the revised chart and understanding of the entity for whom the chart has been created. See Chapter 7, Rectifying a Chart.
Relocated Chart:
A chart calculated for a different location from where you were born, but keeping the birth moment the same, used to determine the psychic overlay that would be created for you in the new location. An important note: the Relocated Chart for where you live currently, while very informative, does not replace your birth chart, which remains the most astrologically significant picture of your personality, character, and growth potential as a human being. Think of the Relocated Chart for your current location as a harmonic vibration to your Natal Chart, much as the construction and materials of a fine violin lends an overtone to its basic sound. The technique of Astro*Carto*Graphy™ gives you a map for where in the world various planets will be angular and, therefore, prominent in your chart. Once you have found a location you are interested in, you can cast the Relocated Chart for more specific information regarding the house placement of natal planets in the newly constructed chart. Note that the original aspects between your natal planets will not change in the Relocated Chart. See Chart Relocation.
Retrograde motion:
A planet moving backwards through the Zodiac as seen from the earth. For the personal planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, this happens rarely. For Mars, this type of motion occurs once every two years or so and lasts about eight weeks. Venus is retrograde about every two years but for only about six weeks. The outer planets beyond Mars go into retrograde motion for about 5 months of every year. Astrologers interpret transiting retrograde planets as more inner directed. Transiting Mars retrograde inhibits direct action. Mercury retrograde, which occurs three times a year (for about three weeks) is a time when connections are missed and mechanical breakdowns can occur. With Venus retrograde, we might expect relationships to operate on a more internal level.
Rising Sign:
The Zodiac sign that was rising, or due East, at birth. The Rising Sign is dependent on an accurate birth time and must be calculated in most cases. When the birth has taken place near sunrise, the Rising Sign will be the same as the Sun Sign. The Rising Sign is an important determinant of character, and is usually, but not always, correlated with the individual’s physical appearance and how they “come across” to others. The Rising Sign is referred to as the “soul sign” in esoteric astrology and relates to higher purpose.
Saturn Return:
The first Saturn return, at approximately age 30, marks an important turning point in your life. Since Saturn turns retrograde every year, and retraces some of its steps, it is common for there to be several exact contacts between its transiting position and your natal Saturn before your Saturn Return is fulfilled. The transformation that takes place throughout this period, and that completes with the final contact, is a profound one, potentially affecting even your appearance, as your face becomes more somber, mature, and settled, reflecting life changes in the direction of Saturn’s rulership. It is the time of leaving the emotional womb of originating family and coming into your own. This coming of age is reflected in our societal awareness of the post age thirty years. Some vestige of childhood is left behind forever at this time, and one comes into a more individual outlook, independent of parental models.
The second Saturn Return, which occurs around age 59-60 is equally memorable, if fully actualized, a time when at least some of the patterns of the middle years can be sloughed away leaving the gold of embodied self-purpose, and the recognition that little time is left to be who you really want to be in this life. You can locate your Saturn Return in TimePassages by means of the transiting animation feature available in the Standard or the Advanced Edition. Press the appropriate animation keys until you have located the first contact, and then either note it while continuing to explore or single-clink for the date range of the transiting conjunct aspect to give the entire picture. See Appendix I for a list of the animation short-cut keys.
Secondary Progression:
The most common type of progression, Secondary Progression, is sometimes described as “a day for a year.” This is an equation between two fundamental cycles: the 24-hour period of the earth’s rotation and the yearly cycle. A natal planet’s progressed position is calculated according to the number of years and fractions of a year corresponding to days and fractions of a day after the birth moment. The Midheaven is progressed by the solar arc, and the progressed Ascendant is calculated from the progressed Midheaven. The resulting progressed positions are then compared to the natal positions in a bi-wheel, or a freestanding chart can be constructed using the progressed Midheaven for the calculation of the remaining House cusps. For example, if a planet moved 28° from its natal position by the birth hour of the 30th day after birth, the planet’s progressed position will move 28° by the end of the 30th year of your life. The Sun moves about a degree per year in Secondary Progression.
Sidereal Time (ST):
The time from the standpoint of the stars. Used to calculate the position of the MC (Midheaven) and planets. Also referred to as LST for local sidereal time. When the Vernal point of 0 degrees Aries crosses the Midheaven, that is defined as 0:0:0 LST for any given day.
Solar Arc Progression:
Sometimes called Solar Arc Directions, the progressed positions for planets other than the Sun are calculated by progressing each of the planets by the progressed solar arc, or the difference in position between the Sun’s natal and secondary progressed position. The resulting progressed positions are then compared to the natal positions in a bi- wheel, or a freestanding chart can be constructed. In Solar Arc Progressions, all the planets move about one degree per year. Also see Secondary Progression.
Solar Return:
On or near your birthday, the Sun returns to the exact degree, minute, and second that it occupied in the sky when you were born. A chart cast for that moment in time and at your current location, called a Solar Return Chart, is considered to symbolize the nature of the upcoming year for you. The Solar Return chart takes symbolic effect in the three months leading up to your birthday and lasts throughout your solar year.
You can interpret this just as you would a Natal Chart, but remember that the chart applies to the nature of this particular year in your life. TimePassages Advanced Edition can calculate this chart for you (see Display>Solar Return).
Sun Sign:
The Zodiac sign the Sun occupied at birth. Since the Sun is known to be in a certain sign at certain times of the year, the Sun Sign is the easiest to know without the detailed analysis of constructing a Natal Chart for the person. For example, the Sun will be in the tropical sign of Aries from approximately March 21st until approximately February 20th each year.
Transit:
A Transit chart shows the present, past, or future position of the planets in relation to the Natal Chart. A transit lasts for a period of time that varies with the planet. Planets farthest from the Sun, namely Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, will have the longest time period associated with their transit of the natal planets of your birth chart and therefore the most transformative and long-lasting effect on your life.
Transit Bi-Wheel:
In the graphic, the Natal Chart and Transit Chart, with the aspects drawn between them, are displayed as concentric rings. The inner ring represents the Natal Chart and the outer ring represents the transiting planets.
Transiting Aspects:
Aspects formed from transiting planets to the natal planets or points.
True Local Time (TLT):
The time from the standpoint of a position on the earth, disregarding the time zone in effect. This time is calculated from the standard time adjusted by the actual longitude. On the standard meridian for a particular time zone, the TLT would be equal to the standard time.
TNO, Trans-Neptunian Object:
Any of a number of objects found beyond Neptune, in the Kuiper Belt, including the planets Pluto, Eris, and the object designated Sedna. Many more of these Kuiper Belt Objects are likely to be given names and designated as minor planets or other designations in years to come. Over 1,000 are known and over 70,000 are believed to exist.
T-square:
An aspect pattern in which two planets or pairs of planets form an opposition to each other, and a square to a third planet or planets. The planet(s) being squared are called the focus, and take the considerable energy of the formation. There is also a focus on the empty place at the opposite point to the focal planet(s).
Yod:
Also called the “Finger of God,” the Yod aspect pattern has as its focus a planet or planets at the apex of an isosceles triangle formed by two planets making an Inconjunct aspect of 150° to the focus and the sextile between them.
Appendix I
Keyboard Combinations for Windows and Macintosh
Keyboard combinations enhance interpretive features--for use with mouse-over and point-and-click interpretations of charts.
TimePassages Menu (Mac only) Keyboard Shortcuts
File Menu Keyboard Shortcuts
Edit Menu Keyboard Shortcuts
Display Menu Keyboard Shortcuts
Animate Menu Keyboard Shortcuts
Available in the Standard or the Advanced Edition
Interpretations Menu Keyboard Shortcuts
Available with purchased add-ons.
Window Menu Keyboard Shortcuts
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