- by Roy Kirkland
Most astrology students are familiar with the Solar chart, based on equal houses from the Sun’s position, which is usually placed on the ascendant. In the whole sign system, the Sun–sign is the first house, the next sign the second, and so on. Use the noon positions of the planets rounded up to the next whole degree, and you have a chart ready to judge.
Observe the patterns in the chart defined by the triplicities (Fire, Water, Air and Earth) and quadratures (Movable, Fixed and Common qualities): for instance, someone with very little Earth might feel the need to keep their “feet on the ground”. Someone with the majority of planets in the signs of the same quality, say common signs, may have a difficult time during the transit of Mars or Saturn through one of the signs in that Quadrature. An individual with no trines or sextiles might see everything as a challenge, or feel unsupported by others.
Profect the chart: each Zodiac sign becomes the ascendant for a year, such that years 13, 25, 37 and so on return to the Sun sign or Moon sign as the case may be. If you are a Virgo and the profected ascendant is Aquarius, move all of your planets to the 6th sign from themselves. If Jupiter were natally in Cancer, it would profect to Sagittarius that year. These are not aspects. Everything in the horoscope is moving one sign per year.
For Solar charts, the profected Sun sign will describe a major theme for the year, as will the Moon-sign for a Lunar chart. A Pisces year for someone with Sun in Cancer could mean travel or going off to college, but the rest of the chart, including transits and directions, must support this indication. For instance, transiting Saturn’s opposition from Virgo could get in the way.
Use symbolic directions: moving all the planets by a degree per year works very well. Remember that we are using whole degrees: this type of chart is all about meaning, not math. Don’t use degree per year directions for the Moon: if you knew the Moon’s position within a degree, there would be no need for a virtual chart.
Next, look for active eclipses. If eclipses come within five degrees of a planet, they emphasize that planet for some time. Think of that planet as being “clipped” from the life, as Helen Adams Garrett teaches. This clipping can either be for the purpose of saving it, as one would do with a coupon, or to remove it from its place, as in film editing. An eclipse on Uranus in the 11th may “clip” an unpredictable friend from the life, yet make room for a new associate.
Planetary stations are almost as powerful as eclipses. A station conjunct or aspecting one of your planets within a few degrees will act far more powerfully than transits. One might say that standard transits are like trying to shake hands with someone on a moving sidewalk, as opposed to someone standing before you.
Pay special attention to the transits of Jupiter and Saturn – this technique of Hindu astrology is reliable even in the tropical zodiac. The sign of Jupiter and its opposite, as well as the 5th and 9th signs from Jupiter receive its aspect. In the case of Saturn, the 3rd and 10th signs from Saturn, as well the sign it transits and its opposite are emphasized. Look for the sign that receives both their aspects. As I write this, with Jupiter in Capricorn and Saturn in Virgo, Virgo has this honor. Someone with Sun or Moon in Pisces would have the dual aspect on their 7th house: this could be an important time regarding relationships. These dual aspects are not dependable when either Jupiter or Saturn is retrograde, yet situations or people “taking a step backwards” or “being put on the back burner” may be themes described by this cosmic condition.
See what the Nodes are doing. The planets transited by the North Node are important because they tell about something being manifested - when the North Node is transited, we are brought together with others described by the transiting planet. If the South Node transits a planet, something is likely to be removed from the life, usually to our advantage: the natal South Node being transited can bring about separations.
Regarding the outer planets: Uranus will usually bring something new to the planet or house it touches, but it will also break up patterns or structures signified by the planet it is transiting, so it can be destructive.
Neptune will usually bring confusion or dissolution to the planet or house it connects with, but can be helpful for entertainers, intuitives, ministers and politicians.
Pluto is a separative and impolite planet, but it works well with Jupiter, where it can remove obstacles to prosperity or success.
If you stick with basic interpretations of the signs and planets, and let the chart guide you through the analysis, these interpretive tips are enough to get started with virtual charts. Since, as we will see, there are many ways to do them, try the different methods and see where they agree – you’ll rapidly learn to frame amazing predictions.
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