Progressions

Anyone with knowledge is invited to assist with this enquiry. I'll be most grateful for any input.

I have Winstar Express astrology software which has many good features for beginners. A feature of the software is that it will identify aspect patterns in any chart. I have become quite interested in aspects now at this stage of my learning.

There are three dates in my life that have fairly major significance. One of them is in October 1978 when I made a seachange decision about my life without really being conscious of it. That year was also my karmic year according to Tarot so that fits, though I didn't know this at the time.

This morning I did progressed charts for the three dates I alluded to earlier becasue I wanted to see if there was anything significant happening astrologically for me on those dates.

Is doing progressed charts for those dates the correct technique to determine this significance is my first question? If I simply adjust the software to give me a chart for the dates I'm interested in, I get a very different result.

I guess my key question is about progressions - what they actually mean but if you going to respond to this question, doing so in the context of my earlier question would be appreciated.

If I look at the aspect patterns for the relevant dates in the progressed charts in my software program, there is some very rich material there. On the particular date in October 1978, there were some 40 aspect patterns mentioned in the progressed chart, for example. It sort of reinforces the significance of that particular time but I want to be sure I'm on the right track.

Many thanks for any assistance

Greetings, Moongold! As you have discovered, there are several types of progressions, and all yield different results (due to the specific mathematical calculations associated with each of them); however, I think you will find that they complement and support one another, rather like tarot spreads drawn in relation to a particular issue -- the same cards tend to keep turning up, albeit in different positions.

Each type of progression is in the nature of a lens: secondary progressions and solar arc directions (sometimes called solar arc progressions) provide excellent overviews of any given year, and often yield specific details about known events and conditions. Secondary progressions and solar arc directions (in addition to solar and lunar returns) are major predictive tools in the astrologer's kit. There are several other types of progressions/directions which are not used as frequently as secondaries and solar arcs, probably due to their mathematical complexity (though nowadays, astrological software can compute them with ease).

Does Winstar Express calculate return charts? If so, solar returns can pinpoint important trends and patterns for particular years, and lunar returns highlight information about specific months within any given year. Lunar returns are particularly useful when examining emotional issues around the day-to-day realities of life.

Progressions and directions are symbolic, in that degrees of motion or units of time are used to represent years in the life. Returns are charts cast for the literal return of a planet to the degree and minute it occupied in the natal chart.

Thank you, Astraea,

I cast a secondary progression chart for the particular date I am interested in (11 October 1978) and looked at the themes in the chart to see how they may represent the importance of that day to me. It is a retrospective analysis but I thought I might learn by it.

If I understand you correctly, I have used one valid technique for understanding what happened that year and that day in particular?

If I cast another secondary progressed chart for today, for example, it would give me another perspective on current themes in my life that would be different from simply looking at today's transits?

And if I wanted to have a look at the future, I could cast a secondary progressed chart or a lunar return chart for say, 1 December, 2003?

Sorry if these sound like really obvious questions. Sometimes I just can't understand the books .

Many thanks

Hi Moongold,

As Astraea says there are a battery of 'weapons' in the Astrologer's arsenal and it is sometimes difficult to know which is appropriate.

Progressions of the day for a year kind (Secondary progressions) are, as Astraea says, very good for an overview of a year. However the day for a year method becomes less useful the shorter the time period you want to concentrate on. The reason for this is that, apart from the Moon, planets do not move much in a day. Therefore if you take two separted dates within the same year and do secondary progressions for them you will find almost identical charts, apart from the position of the Moon. Whilst it is possible that the small movements of other planets may still have significance - such as perfecting an aspect - you may not get much out of such a comparison. Use the technique to set the scene for the year.

In order to focus down to a particular month or day you can several methods. You could use progressions based on the idea of one day for a month (Tertiary progressions) - This will give some greater movement in the other planets - though the Sun will still only move one degree for each month of the year, Mercury and Venus slightly more and the others a lot less.

Alternatively for months, Astraea's suggestion of a lunar return chart is a good one to try. I'm only really at the stage of beginning to try out return charts (the solar return is a good alternative, or indeed complement to the Secondary Progressions chart) but there is a good book by two UK Astrologers Janey Stubbs and Babs Kirby called 'Interpreting Solar and Lunar Returns' The return chart is what it says - a chart cast for the exact time when (in this case) the Moon returns to its natal position. There are variants in this - you could look at a chart cast for your personal New Moon (when the Moon is conjunct your natal Sun) or personal Full Moon (when the Moon opposes your natal Sun) - however in each case you have a tool to analyse a particular month in your life.

If you want to come down still further and look at particular days or weeks then you can use Transits. Transits also, of course can be used for longer periods because their beauty lies in the different motions of the planets - use the slow movers for longer term more profound changes that you are investigating and use the faster movers for more transient elements in your life.

Given your software it's possible to look at each of these and see which seems to 'fit' best - but they should all give you a complementary picture of your life at that time.

Aspects are important in all these types of chart however don't forget the basics - house, sign position, element balance, angularity etc. Thus whilst your Moon will be by definition in the same sign and degree in a lunar return chart it may well be in a different House, indicating an area of life which is accentuated and it may well make different aspects to other planets in your return chart.

Thank you Minderwiz and Astraea,

Now I actually understand how secondary progressions and lunar returns work.

1978 was an incredibly significant year and that shows in the secondary progressed chart but the lunar return for the particular time I am interested in was also telling.

I have a lot more work to do in considering the charts but this is a beginning.

Glad to be of help Moongold - good luck with your interpretations

Minderwiz' detailed explanation of the uses of predictive techniques was right on. Through experimentation and practice, you will find the methods that work best for you out of the many available techniques -- best wishes in your studies!

QUOTE]Originally posted by Astraea
Minderwiz' detailed explanation of the uses of predictive techniques was right on. [/QUOTE]


well it was better than my attempt at those damned wedges in the Virgo thread LOL