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Astrologer's Notes: |
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Arcs Away!!!!!!
Secondary Progressions
vs. Solar Arc Progressions
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by Basil Fearrington |
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The Prediction Perspective
Astrology has been associated with predicting the future ever since the ancients noticed a correlation between activity in the heavens and activity on our planet. In times past, as recently as the turn of the previous century, astrology was almost completely predictive in its orientation and practice. After all, birth times were rarely recorded in many parts of the world so astrologers had to resort to horary and other techniques that are based on answering the questions of a given moment. As psychology developed in society, astrology had to become psychologically sophisticated. Today, we are able to approach our astrology more humanistically. However, the view of astrology in mainstream society is still one of seeing it as an entertainment tool that "purports" to tell the future.
The reality is that there is absolutely no solidified, consistent, 100% reliable system of predicting events in astrology, no matter which system or combinations of systems are in use. This is not a slant against astrology. It is, rather, a testimony to the power of human free will. The human being is the dominant force in what can happen, not astrology and not the astrologer. This is a bit of a tough pill for some to swallow but experience teaches that it is so. That said, astrology can and does do a remarkable job in being able to anticipate the probable climate of a person's life ahead of time as long as we first gauge the circumstances of a person's life and use the astrology to make a reliable projection ahead of time based on the life that is being lived. I like to say that the only thing that can happen is what can happen. Astrology has to be used within the context of a human's life, especially when projecting ahead in time.
I cannot begin to tell you the amount of times that someone has made a consultation with me for purposes of finding out what astrology has to say about the potential future development of relationship or career potentials. There have been many times when measurements ahead have been promising. The person leaves the consultation feeling wonderful. They expect a planet to "give" them that job or that relationship. That is why it is important for the astrologer to plan a solid strategy for the times ahead that merges the life being lived with the astrology that is shown. The client has to be made to understand that the potential of the measurement is dependent upon their actions. This idea is a far cry from the way astrology is seen in the mainstream. People are not pawns of a fate that is dictated by planets!
When we work within this practical perspective and use certain astrological predictive systems, astrology becomes a marvelous tool to project ahead in the future.
The Development of Predictive Systems
Astrologers have gone through different stages of development in constructing prediction systems. Throughout these developments, one basic factor has endured from the very beginnings of Babylonian astrology - the concept of one day was always equated with one degree. The association between the degrees of the circle and days of the year set the foundation for the development of the various prediction systems to be developed in time. In time, the equation would become one degree=one year of life.
Briefly, the first system of progression, created by Claudius Ptolemy, was called, "Primary Directions." This was a powerfully influential system of progression that was insanely difficult to compute. Aside from its difficulty, it proved to be an ineffective, incomplete method of prediction that astrologers worked hard to simplify.
Primary Directions eventually gave way to the development of Secondary Progressions. Secondary Progressions were the creation of a brilliant mathematician named Antonius Maginus. Valentino Naboda (more commonly known in astrology as Naibod) further developed Maginus' system by coming up with the idea that the mean-motion of the Sun (59' 08") is the key element in progression. It was Naibod's contribution that paved the way for the development of Solar Arc progressions.
In This Corner: Secondary Progressions
Having been a part of so many discussions and so much teaching about prediction systems, I am always reminded of a prize fight when it comes to the discussion of the two main systems of prediction in astrology. So, please indulge my love of prize-fighting as I place these systems in an astrological boxing ring.
Secondary Progressions are based on the idea that one day [in the ephemeris] equals one year of life. When the computer calculates progressed positions, each day in the ephemeris is counted from the date of birth to get to the year of life that is being requested. A horoscope is then calculated as if the person was born on that date and time. These progressed positions are then compared to the natal positions for aspect contact that is translated into human event potential for the year in question.
The system of Secondary Progressions (coupled with transits) is what every astrologer learns first. It has been, by far, the most popular progression system in astrology. However, the SP system is flawed. This is why: it is because the progressed planetary positions are measured by the ephemeris that the planets - Jupiter through Pluto - hardly move at all. If you take the time to have your software print 90 days (years) worth of positions, and examine the movements of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, it is obvious that they do not move much at all beyond their birth positions! In effect, we lose those planets because they have no ability to create new aspects within the course of a lifetime. These planets can only be the recipients of aspects that are already close to being exact in the natal horoscope.
Imagine what kind of a problem this was for the astrologers of hundreds of years ago, especially so prior to the discovery of the outer planets! They somehow had to try and find life events reflected in a progression system represented by the Sun through Mars (and the Angles). This limitation forced them to give an exaggerated significance to techniques in order to compensate for the lack, thus the creation of techniques like transits to progressions and giving major consideration to the year in which a planet goes direct or retrograde. These techniques and many more have carried over to today's astrology despite the fact that they are no longer practically effective. Is it possible to see life events fully reflected in the Secondary Progressed positions of the Sun through Mars? Can there be a heavy reliance on a system in which outer planets can never make new aspects within life?
It is the progressed Moon that is of extreme value in the SP system, especially when it conjoins an Angle or is conjunct, square, or in opposition to the natal Saturn. It is an important barometer of developmental potential in life.
In This Corner: Solar Arc Progressions
The system of Solar Arcs is a cousin to the system of Secondary Progressions. What the computer does to construct SA positions for any given year is as follows: The SP Sun is calculated for the year in question. The position of the natal Sun is subtracted from the position of the SP Sun. The difference becomes the Solar Arc, so-named because it is based on the Sun's movement. This arc is then added to each and every planet and position in the horoscope and the new positions are compared to the natal positions for life-event potentials. Solar arc aspects highlight a given year of life. The arc is then punctuated or "triggered" by a strong transit or the SP Moon's contact to the Angles (or to Saturn).
Progressions in Action
Round One:
Secondary and Solar Arc Progressed horoscopes are useless! It is only their positions in relationship to the natal horoscope that have value. In working with progressions, the idea is to have the computer do a double-ring horoscope with the natal positions on the inner wheel and the progressed planets on the circumference. (Or, you can have the computer calculate a list of the progressed-to-natal aspects). The hard aspects (conjunction, square, and opposition with no more than a degree orb when the aspect is applying) are the only aspects of consideration because they symbolize the kind of tension that manifests in development. The planets that we focus on are Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn because the farther away the planet is from the Sun, the more emphatic its symbolism is in times of life development.
For my first example, I am going to use the horoscope of Michael Jackson and focus on November, 2003, the time when he was arrested. The SP positions are on the outer ring (please take note that Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto have hardly moved from their birth positions in 45 years!). Notice that there are two major aspects of tension: SP Mars squares natal Pluto and SP Moon squares Uranus. Neither of these aspects reflects the areas of Jackson's horoscope that have to do with legal concerns or children. At best, we could try and make a case for a career disruption since Uranus rules X (combining it with the temperamental nature of Mars-Pluto). However, that would be a before-the-fact leap. If Jackson came to you for a consultation in 2000, there would be nothing shown in the SP to natal relationships that would suggest to you that the Fall of 2003 would be an important time of development.
Contrast Jackson's SP-natal relationship with his SA-natal relationship (notice how much more Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto have arced compared to their progressed positions). Neptune (scandal) has come out of the 5th House (children) to conjoin the Descendant (public exposure)! The symbolism is as clear as clear can be. As is typically the case when Neptune makes hard aspect contact with an Angle or Light, Jackson's life took a very challenging turn for the worst. When we combine this with the lethal transit of Pluto to Saturn (the trigger), it is easy to see his reality reflected in these measurements. I was able to see the emphasis of this period some 16 months in advance (see the essay on my web site titled, "No Moonwalk for Michael").
Round Two
I had the pleasure of meeting Earvin "Magic" Johnson when he was in college. His Michigan team played the University of Pennsylvania in the NCAA championships. I had played a lot of basketball with one of the members of Penn's team and it was through him that I met Magic, who had already established himself as an enormous talent. Even back then, I was a "data hound," always looking for birth information. Earvin Johnson was born on August 14, 1959 at 3:31 AM EST in Lansing, Michigan.
Johnson's career speaks for itself. Even among the very best professional basketball players, he is among the best of all time. We were all shocked when Magic's career as a player came to a sudden halt in 1991 as he found out that he was carrying the HIV virus, clearly a life-changing event.
Let's take a look first at Magic's Secondary Progressions for 1991 in the bi-wheel format. Notice again that even though some 32 years have passed from birth to the HIV announcement, Pluto has moved one degree; Neptune has moved one degree; Uranus has moved a degree and a half; Saturn has not moved at all! What's more, there is no SP to natal relationship here that would alert us, before the fact, that the period in and around 1991 would be a time in Johnson's life that would hold such profound change potential. There is a progressed Full Moon in effect but it symbolizes a peak in one's development, a full illumination potential. Amazingly, we do not seem to be able to find anything of life-changing significance.
Now, look at the Solar Arc bi-wheel. We see that SA Pluto is about to cross the nadir, clearly reflecting a time of profound change potential, important endings and beginnings, and certainly the establishment of fresh perspectives as a result of it all. The potential of this time in his life could have been seen at birth! If Magic had come to you for a consultation years prior to 1991, it would have been easy to look ahead and make a strategic plan to correlate his career with the measurement. This does not mean that an astrologer would have given an HIV warning. Rather, it would give the astrologer the ability to make practical suggestions about how to best utilize the upcoming period of 1991-1992.
Round Three:
Princess Diana died tragically in August, 1997. It was an event that stunned the world. Critical concerns of a parent are usually seen clearly in the horoscopes of the children when the concern is meaningful.
Prince Harry was born September 15, 1984 at 4:20 PM GMD in Paddington, England. As was the case with the previous examples, we will look at the SP-to-natal relationship first. Although we cannot see death in a horoscope, if we were to look for a serious event involving parental death ahead of time, we would expect to see it in the horoscopes of the children through tension involving a parental significator (ruler of the 4th or 10th or a planet in either House) or perhaps the 8th House (affairs having to do with death), or an outer planet contact to an Angle. In the SP-to-natal relationship, we see none of the latter. In fact, we see nothing at all that would highlight this year in Harry's life before-the-fact.
In the SA-to-natal bi-wheel, we see that SA Neptune has conjoined the Ascendant (it is punctuated by transiting Saturn opposing Venus, ruler of his 4th House). While this measurement does not point to parental death specifically, Neptune contacts always suggest a time of great challenge, confusion, insecurity, and ego decimation (Al Gore is my favorite role model for what can happen when Neptune becomes active in one's life). Notice that there are thirteen degrees (years) separating Neptune from Harry's Ascendant. He lost his mother at the age of thirteen. You will also note that Venus has arced to conjoin Pluto, Pluto is just separating from its difficult arc to Saturn and Mars is just separating from its arc to Neptune. Neptune's arc to the Ascendant is what keyed all of these measurements.
Round Four:
Denzel Washington won a well-deserved Oscar in 2002 for his work in the movie, "Training Day." The winning of an Oscar is a meaningful, life-changing event in the life of an actor, especially when that actor comes from a minority culture. Such an event will almost always be reflected in the actor's horoscope and we should be able to see it in advance.
The SP-natal double-ring horoscope is shown below. Unlike the other examples in this essay, there are a couple of aspects shown here that we can make a case for. The SP Sun is just separating from a square to Venus, which suggests a heightened period of popularity that can equate to winning any kind of "contest" that one enters, especially one that is dependent upon aesthetics and creativity. SP Venus is precisely in opposition to the Midheaven, corroborating the first deduction. If nothing else, the Secondary Progressed positions would have alerted us ahead of time that a heightened period of popularity was likely to occur for Washington in 2002.
The Solar Arc double-ring horoscope is shown below. Your eyes are quickly drawn to SA MC=Pluto. The point of Washington's career and public status has come in contact with the symbol of empowerment. In other words, this is a symbol that suggests career ascendancy, power, and prominence. This arc couples with SA Saturn=Sun, suggesting the sense of getting what one deserves or being rewarded for disciplined, hard work that has been on the correct path. Both of these arcs were triggered by the transit of Jupiter in opposition to the Sun (opportunity; reward); Jupiter conjunct the Midheaven (career expansion) and Neptune conjunct the Moon (the Moon rules the Midheaven and Neptune can be a rewarding symbol for an actor, artist, musician, etc.). Also, consider that SA Sun is also at the Midheaven (by
sesquiquadrate)!!!!! This is an illumination of the career.
The arc of the Midheaven to Pluto, with the background arc of Sun=MC, exact in early 2002, clearly points the way, ahead of time, to an important career development potential in Washington's life whereas the secondary progressed positions are more vague and less emphatic.
Final Round
The tri-wheel shown below has the horoscope of John Kennedy Jr. with Solar Arc positions in the center ring and Secondary Progressed positions in the outer ring. Notice Pluto's natal position three degrees above the Ascendant, giving a clear reference to a dramatic development at the age of three, his age when his father was assassinated. Contrarily, there is absolutely nothing shown in the Secondary Progressed positions that suggest the same potential. Pluto has not moved at all.
Scorecard
These examples are self-explanatory and typical of what it is to be expected in using Solar Arc progressions. There are simply more options with Solar Arc progressions than If you are unfamiliar with Solar Arc theory and I strongly suggest that you add the technique to your astrological toolbox. You will not be sorry!
Copyright © Basil Fearrington 2004
All Rights Reserved
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Basil Fearrington,
Astrologer
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Basil Fearrington is the author of "The New Way To Learn Astrology." He has been a professional astrologer for 22 years.
Basil's articles have appeared in the leading astrological publications around the world. He was the Inaugural Chairman for the MilleyDome project in Johannesburg, South Africa and taught astrology there for one year.
Basil has twice been a faculty member of UAC and spoke at Astro 2000. In addition to his work in astrology, Basil is a professional musician who has toured with and/or recorded for artists such as Stevie Wonder and George Benson.
He was on a team of composers who did the music for a network show called "New York Undercover." The same team won a Grammy award in 1980.
bfearr@aol.com
www.basilfearrington.com
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