As you pass the age of sixty, and even the in the year coming up to your 60th birthday, the planets make a special contact to your birth chart as Saturn once more returns to its natal position.
This is where it was the day you were born and Saturn takes around thirty years to make one full pass through the zodiac.
Your first Saturn return happened at about age twenty-nine to thirty and the second Saturn return occurs at around age fifty-nine to sixty.
Saturn is the timekeeper of the zodiac and brings a time for you to recalibrate back to your core values as shown in your natal chart.
Acceptance
You can make the most of your second Saturn return by accepting the following:
You know who you are
You are mature
You know what you can and can’t do
You know your limitations both physical and mental
You consider starting a new business
You become the mistress or master of your own life
The Astrology of your Saturn Return
Your Saturn returns can happen in one of two ways. It all depends on the movement of Saturn at the time of your return. This movement is determined by the angular relationship Saturn has with the Sun in the transit chart.
If the Sun is square or sextile Saturn it will not be the Saturn retrograde that happens once a year.
Your Saturn return could be short as a one hit transit or prolonged if there is a three contact transit.
One Contact Return
In a one conjunction Saturn return the influence will be in orb for ten days beforehand and ten days afterwards the exact date.
If it is one single Saturn return you will immediately recalibrate back to all your natal aspects to Saturn.
Three Contact Return
If you are fortunate to receive a three contact Saturn return the transit can be for as long as three months as you experience an extended Saturn return that is more powerful and life changing.
There will be a first direct hit, then a second retrograde contact and finally the third contact.
The initial contact will set the stage for all this Saturn return favours.
The second contact makes you revise any plans or opinions about your life.
The third and final contact brings closure to the things initially opened at the first contact of the return.
Natal Saturn Direct
If your natal Saturn is direct and you get one transit it will be a relatively painless return. A Saturn return like this is short and sweet.
If your natal Saturn is direct and you get a three pass Saturn return it will draw out. The natal issues relating to Saturn and it’s complex in your chart as shown by the sign, house and aspects that you natal Saturn has.
Each contact will be reinforced in a prolonged Saturn return and you will have more time to assess and process the changes taking place in your life.
Natal Saturn Retrograde
If your natal Saturn is retrograde and you receive one direct contact from Saturn it will be refreshing and the positive side of Saturn will be available to you.
If your natal Saturn is retrograde and you receive a three hit Saturn return it will seem more familiar. The hesitation that comes from the Saturn retrograde will be reinforced through the aspects that you already have in your natal chart.
When to Expect Your Second Saturn Return
Your second Saturn return happens when Saturn does a full second cycle and returns to the sign it was in when you were born.
If your natal Saturn is in Aquarius your Saturn return will happen from March 2020 to March 2023.
If your natal Saturn is in Pisces you will get a Saturn return somewhere between 2023 and May 2025.
The Third Age
Your second Saturn return is like a passage of life. Everyone’s life is different and if you were married or not or have kids or grandchildren the situation will differ from person to person.
But there are main themes for the third age of Saturn.
Now you are free to do more. The constraints and demands of reproduction have passed as most women are now through their menopause and cannot have children. They may be called crones or elders.
The grown up kids may have moved out, gone to college or got married.
Your parents may have gone. Even your husband or wife may have shuffled off.
This time is for you to master yourself and to draw the line about people or things that demand too much from you.
You may downsize your home and find a smaller place and change things.
You are not responsible for so many things and now you can concentrate on yourself.
Now your duty is to yourself. You can approach life with renewed energy and accomplish things you have only dreamed of before.
Now you can:
Be free from responsibilities of a family or a husband.
Know that retirement is a dirty word
Travel
Make new friends
Get more education
Explore your creativity
Be a mentor for others
Have a simpler life
Get a smart phone
Eat nourishing and quality food
Exercise as you see fit
Volunteer your time
Upgrade your wardrobe and style
Get new hair and makeup
Love your grandchildren
Each second Saturn return will be different for everyone but the core meaning will remain.
If you plan carefully you will have a new lease on life and can do what you have always wanted to do on your own terms.
The indirect forecasting techniques are often those that equate one day’s planetary movement to one year of life. They are also known as symbolic forecasting techniques.
Examples of indirect forecasting techniques are:
Secondary progressions
Solar arc directions (Venus arc directions etc.)
Forecasting Techniques You Need to Know
Most astrology students learn the forecasting techniques in the following order:
Many astrologers only use transits as they are easier to learn. Every Sun sign horoscope column relies on transits only and this makes transits the most popular forecasting method in any astrologer’s repertoire.
“Transits are the most popular forecasting method.”
If you work on several charts and need to do the forecasting then if you know that Uranus will change signs into Taurus in May 2018 it will do so for everyone.
Once you know a transit movement you can use that knowledge for every single chart you every look at. This makes transits the go to astrological forecasting technique.
Everyone needs to know transits.
Secondary Progressions
The second most popular forecasting technique is conveniently called secondary progressions.
In this case, the movement of a planet for each day of life from birth is symbolised as the corresponding yearly movement.
If you are thirty-three then you will cast a secondary progressed chart for the thirty-third day after your birthday and use the planet’s positions that day to cast the secondary progressed chart.
Each person’s secondary progressed chart is different. No two are the same unless you were born at the same time, date and place.
This means it is more work for the astrologer because it is almost as another chart to read. Professional astrologers will probably use secondary progressions for your full forecasting picture.
Solar Returns
In a solar return chart you cast a chart each year for the exact time the Sun returns to its natal position.
If your birth Sun is at 15 degrees 45 minutes of Virgo then each year when the Sun returns to the precise position you cast another chart.
Each year you will have a new solar return chart.
People with the same birth date (but not the same year) will have similar solar return charts but not exactly the same.
So, everyone born on September 15th will have the Moon here and Venus there in their solar return chart but the ascendant will be different.
This makes solar return charts popular as they are based on the transits of the day and astrologers know where the Sun and Moon are and the other planets.
Graphic Ephemeris
The graphic ephemeris is a special diagram that has to be read by the astrologer and it typically shows the superior planets and their cycles over a year or two. See image.
This is probably the most useful tool I personally use in my astrological forecasting.
Eclipses
Solar and lunar eclipses are transits and are special due to the close alignment of the Sun, Moon and the Earth on the eclipse day.
Eclipses can be further broken down into:
General eclipse forecasts
Personal eclipse forecasts
Collective eclipse forecasts
Solar Arc Directions
In solar arc directed charts you take the progressed movement of the Sun (as found in the secondary progressed chart) and add the longitudinal measurement to all the planets positions at birth. From this you will create a new chart called the solar arc directed chart.
From this you will create a new chart called the solar arc directed chart.
If your natal sun is at 15 Virgo and you are 33 years old you add 33 to 15 Virgo and the result is 18 Libra. This is the position of your solar arc directed Sun.
You do the same for the other planets. Add the Sun’s movement to every planet in your chart and find the new placement which will be 33 degrees further in the zodiac.
In a solar arc directed chart the aspects between the planets remain the same but the planets change house and sign.
The solar arc directed chart changes slightly every day as you get older.
How Much to Learn in Forecasting
How much you have to learn about astrological forecasting depends on who you are now and who you want to be later. There are 5 levels of astrologer and you can see where you fit in.
Hobbyist Astrologer
If you are simply trying to learn some more about astrology to make your life easier and more understandable then stick to transits.
Student Astrologer
If you are a student astrologer and plan to be a professional astrologer one day then learn transits first and the work down the list, (secondary progressions, solar returns, solar arc directions, eclipses and other).
Professional Astrologer
To be a professional astrologer you really do need to know at least four forecasting techniques.
They will compliment each other and underline the trends in the clients forecasting picture.
You are a Client
If you are a member of the public and you are looking for a professional consulting astrologer then do yourself a favour and find one who does advanced forecasting techniques.
Ask your prospective astrologer, “Which forecasting techniques will you use when you do my predictions?” and see what their answer is.
“Which forecasting techniques will you use when you do my predictions?”
If they only use transits be wary as they may not be fully trained in the more complicated astrological forecasting techniques.
This may imply they do not have a broad astrological education.
Creative Growth
If you have got this far then you will likely want to grow your astrological forecasting techniques and begin to understand the differences in each one.
To be a better astrologer you need to know these things.
Forecasting often separates the “men from the boys” in the astrology world.
As you start to get into astrology and read horoscopes there is a natural sequence to charts that you will read.
Some of you who begin with astrology may stop sooner than others who may go on to be competent astrologers.
Several of you will go on to be aspiring astrologers and competent astrologers and be able to provide an acceptable solid reading. You may read for friends and family or in a casual way.
A few of you will become experts and exceptional chart readers and can read any and every chart that comes your way. You are likely to attract clients at this stage.
Chart number 1: Your own chart.
You will always start with your own chart and certainly, this chart will be with you through your astrology journey. You will read it in a simple way and then develop your interpretations into more complex methods in the future.
You will work on this chart for the rest of your life.
Charts numbered 2-10: Your immediate family’s charts
This includes your husband, wife, kids, parents and siblings etc. They are people you know very well and have known for many years. Now you can benefit from some basic chart reading skills.
At this point you are a hobbyist astrologer
Charts numbered 11-18: Charts of people who you do know.
These are the charts of friends and people you know well enough to ask for their chart details, “so you can practice.” You will do these charts for free and enjoy the time spent pouring over each unique chart.
At this point you are a student astrologer
Charts numbered 18-25: Gateway charts
These charts you will draw up for people who are technically “clients.”
You will tentatively explain that you are opening an astrology business and although you are still a junior astrologer, you wish to read their charts in a professional manner to practice your readings and your professional practice competency. You are aware of how your outer planet signature attracts clients.
You will charge them a moderate fee of around US$5-10 or barter for a cup of coffee.
These charts are for your gateway clients and they get you into being a professional astrologer. There may be more charts in this group but if you are determined that astrology is for you then you will only need about six practice runs and these are the charts you will use.
The process of becoming an astrologer is not one straight line from start to finish. Each person will make detours and have stops and starts along the way.
To see where you are exactly on your journey towards becoming an astrologer the five levels of astrologer are explained in more detail. You can see that you could be straddling two areas at once.
If you want to travel fast go alone,
if you want to travel far take a friend.
Think about how many charts you have read. Consider where you are on your journey to becoming a fabulous astrologer.
On August 21st, 2017 there will be a solar eclipse visible from many places in the North America.
The eclipse will pass through the US from Oregon to South Carolina with the shadow of the Moon streaking across the land with the total eclipse path around 65km wide.
Even up here in Vancouver, Canada we see the Moon cover around 75% of the disc of the Sun and it will be a partial eclipse for us.
I have cleared my diary for this special day and I shall be in the park across from my apartment at the time of the eclipse which will reach totality at around 10:30 am.
You need to have found a seat by 9 am. I plan to take a coffee and a brunch picnic.
Perhaps I’ll have my sketchbook as well.
You will need special eclipse glasses and I have mine already.
Even though there are at least two solar Eclipses each year they often pass unnoticed over the ocean so you don’t get to see them at all. But this August the world will be watching as the shadow sweeps over the USA from Oregon to South Carolina.
Check out this handy eclipse path diagram with the compliments of NASA.
You Interpret Eclipses in 3 ways
The Eclipse Chart Itself – General
How it Contacts your Birth Chart – Personal
The Original Saros Chart – Collective
1 – The Eclipse Chart – General Interpretation
The actual eclipse chart itself will show you the nature of this particular eclipse. Always set your eclipse chart for the zero Aries house system if you are interpreting the eclipse itself.
Now aspects to the eclipse will come into play and with any eclipse chart you can look at:
Any planet conjoined this solar eclipse as it will be important.
Any planets opposing the solar eclipse will be important.
Any other aspects to the eclipse point can now be considered.
2 – Contacts to your Natal chart – Personal Interpretation
When looking at the personal effect of any particular eclipse check for two main things regarding your natal chart; the house and the aspects.
Natal House
The eclipse will be at 28 Leo. Find which house in your chart the eclipse will fall and this will be where you can make a new start.
Eclipse Aspects to Your Natal Chart
For aspects use an orb of 2 degrees and see if this eclipse contacts any of your planets or points with either an opposition or a conjunction.
I don’t look at other aspects as the main feature of any eclipse is the syzygy between the Sun, Moon and the Earth.
To support this geometry you only need to consider conjunctions (solar eclipse) and opposition (lunar eclipse). Only these two aspects are of interest when working with an eclipse to your natal chart.
If there are no conjunctions or oppositions to your natal chart this particular eclipse will probably not affect you much.
Conjunctions to you own Sun will make this eclipse a part of your Solar Return chart and thus it will be in effect for one whole year for you.
If your birthday is from August 19th to 23rd of any year the energy in this eclipse will affect you for the next twelve months.
3 – The Original Saros Chart – Collective Interpretation
Every eclipse belongs to a Saros series. The original Saros chart from the first eclipse in the Saros is important to show the nature of this family of eclipses.
The original Saros chart for the eclipse on August 21st, Saros series 1 North is shown below.
Saros 145
Below is the full display of Saros 145. The blue line is the Moon’s shadow as it slowly draws down towards the south with every eclipse in the Saros.
How Long Does an Eclipse Effect Last?
Typically astrologers say an eclipse will last until the next eclipses season or about six months when it is then wiped out by the current eclipses.
But there is a better way to measure the length of time each particular eclipse will last.
Solar Eclipse Effects in Time
Solar eclipses are in effect for one month for each minute of the eclipse. This particular eclipse is total for 2 minutes and 40 seconds so its effect will be for around two and a half months.
Lunar Eclipse Effects in Time
Note: Lunar eclipses are in effect for one day for each minute the eclipse lasts
Every time you attempt to read a chart there are so many things to look at it can be daunting.
Here I have brought the essence of chart reading down to five features to consider. These are things you will always consider when doing any chart reading. If you practice this type of high level chart your interpretation you will get to the heart of your chart reading soon.
These five tips will sharpen your focus so you don’t go off at a tangent or wander down a chart reading back road.
1 – The Dominant Broad Stroke
The dominant broad stroke refers to the background feel for a chart shown by the quantity of plan at and their distribution throughout the char. It does not consider individual planets.
You count the visible planets only and this will always add up to seven. The seven visible planets are the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
The broad strokes that you count are:
The two polarities of active and passive.
The four elements of fire, earth, air and water.
The three modes of cardinal, fixed and mutable.
The four hemispheres of north, south, east and west
The four quadrants numbered first, second, third and fourth.
In all of this find the highest possible number and focus on interpreting that broad stroke.
2 – The Chart Ruler Complex
The chart ruler is the planet that rules the sign on the ascendant. If it is one of the three signs with two rulers (Scorpio, Aquarius or Capricorn) then look at both rulers.
Look closely at this planet and discover it’s message. Understand this planet by sign, house and any aspects it receives in the chart.
It is strong if it is in its own sign or in exaltation. Or in other words if it has essential dignity.
It is strong in accidental dignity which is the natural house of its sign. So for example, Mars in the eighth house is strong because Mars rules Scorpio the natural eighth sign.
Notice if it rules the hemisphere, quadrant or house it tenants.
If it has only soft aspects it is supported but if it receives only hard aspects it is afflicted. A combination of both is neutral.
See if it dominates the chart by being most elevated, oriental, the final dispositor or is it in an angular house (first, fourth, seventh or tenth). These positions add weight.
See of it forms part of a major aspect pattern and if it dominates the pattern. This placement adds weight.
Check if its motion is direct, stationary or retrograde. being direct adds weight and retrograde detracts.
3 – The Sun Complex
Understand the Sun in the chart by sign, house and any aspects it receives.
Fully explore the message of the Sun in the chart.
4 – The Tightest Aspect
To find the tightest aspect you have to consider the aspects between the planets and the orbs.
Look for aspects between the planets and not the points. The planets to consider when looking for the tightest aspect are; the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Chiron.
Do not consider any points like the Ascendant, the Midheaven, the lunar nodes or the part of fortune etc.
I also do not consider the asteroids unless you use them in your daily astrology practice. If not then ignore asteroids including Ceres.
Only look for the five Ptolemaic aspects which are the conjunction, sextile, square, trine and opposition.
Find the aspect with the tightest orb which should be 00 00′. See which aspect it is and understand the meaning of this aspect. look at the two planets in the aspect and how they will work together in this chart and in this aspect.
Check the house and signs that the tightest aspect lies over and understand what this means.
5 – The Prominent Major Aspect Pattern
You need the find the most dominant major aspect pattern in the chart.
Some charts may not have a major aspect pattern. And if so then skip this step. Major aspect patterns in order of importance are:
If there is more than one major aspect pattern of the same type, say you have three T-squares, then find the tightest orbed T-square, the non-disassociate T-square and the one that includes the chart ruler, the Sun or the final dispositor.
Find this major aspect pattern and fully understand the planets involved in it by sign, house and essential dignity.
Use these 5 tips to help you read a chart quickly and easily.
This post is part of a series on basic chart interpretation and how to read a natal chart. The other steps are listed below and will be developed soon.
The Physical Chart – Printing and Highlighting Main Features
This time I going to share with you some of my process and the focus will be on the natal chart. I will answer the following questions that plague new astrologers.
Once you have the chart cast what do you look for? What is important? What is not worthy of consideration and where do you start?
The image below is of a chart for Rosie and she is one of my clients. I have not shown the chart details that is; the time, date and place as that is not important.
What we are going to be looking at is how to prepare a chart for reading after you have printed it out and before you start.
This is like step 2 of the natal chart reading process.
What to Print
In Solar Fire or your other astrology program print a chart with a half aspectarian in the corner as shown above. This is a standard chart so you should have no problem doing this.
House Rulers
Write the house rulers against every house cusp. Start at the ascendant and in this chart (above) I have written Jupiter/Neptune and drawn a bubble around them at the house cusp.
Quadrant and Hemispheres
Draw a circle in the top right of the page. Draw a cross in it with one horizontal line and one vertical line.
This shows the four quadrants (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) and the four hemispheres (north, south, east and west).
Only counting the visible planets from the Sun to Saturn count how many planets are in each quadrant.
In this chart there is one planet in the first quadrant (Saturn), two planets in the second quadrant (Jupiter and Venus), three planets in the third quadrant (the Sun, Mars and Mercury) and one planet in the fourth quadrant (the Moon).
Elements and Modes Table
Draw a table of four columns and three rows.
On the top label the columns F (fire), E (earth), A (air) and W (water). On the side label the rows C (cardinal), F (fixed) and M (mutable).
Add the number of visible planets (the Sun to Saturn) and write the quantity in the appropriate cell in the table.
Add up each row and column. The total will always be seven.
Chart Ruler
Find the chart ruler which is the planet or planets that rules the ascendant sign. In this case, it is Pisces so the ruling planets are Jupiter and Neptune. Colour in each instance of the ruling planets in yellow.
Major Aspect Patterns
Find all the major aspect patterns.
In this chart there is a stellium of the Sun, Neptune and Mars and a Moon yod of Mars, Pluto and the Moon.
Bracket the stellium and highlight in red so you can see it easily.
Colour the yod in green to relate to the quincunx colour which is green.
The idea is to bring forth the main features of a chart through the use of colour so you can easily see the main points when you pick up this chart again next month.
If you are reading many charts a week you do not have time to reread each chart to discover the main threads. they should be highlighted the first time around.
Most Elevated
Note the most elevated planet in this case it is Mercury (although I originally noted Mars in the drawing and I can’t change the image.
Note the lunar phase in this chart for Rosie it is a gibbous Moon phase.
Essential Dignity
Find the essential dignity of the planets and write the score on the left of the aspectarian. the aspectarian is the triangle-shaped grid at the bottom left of the chart.
In this chart we note that Mars gets a score of -5 for being in Libra and Venus of -4 for being in fall in Virgo.
Mutual Receptions
Note all mutual receptions in the chart. Interestingly enough in Rosie’s chart there are two mutual reception pairs, Mercury and Venus are the first pair and the Moon and Jupiter are the second.
On the back of the natal chart page you will also draw the dispositor tree using these handy mutual receptions as your start.
Alison
Watch the video about highlighting a birth chart as part of your chart preparation process.
Note that it refers to another birth chart but show sthe process that you will use for every chart you cast.
