Tips for beginners

[Liquid Green]

Still being new to astrology and having really only worked on my natal, i wonder if someone can help.

I have real trouble with transits in the reading of aspects.....there seems to be no chart that can draw the transit aspects to the natal.....I guess its something that takes time to see, but i wonder if there is an easier way than sitting and counting. (obviously each house has 30 degrees which makes it somewhat easier) but i am still somewhat put of by the fact that i cant just read the aspects like a natal.
I have thought about making a template.....but this will only work if every chart i see was the same size.
If anyone has any clues i'd be greatful....
Some of you can read this stuff really fast.....is that just practice?

LG

P.s.....obviously i would use the trines, squares, conjuncts, oppositions, and sextiles, but wonder the importance of the others in transits......?

[cclawson]

I know just what you mean -

I did stumble across this most helpful site the other day, and it has a "Transit Kalculator" that I have found helpful.

http://www2.bitstream.net/~bunlion/bpi/AstrRoot.html

I have found the Astrology Help section to be wonderful too.

[Liquid Green]

thankyou!

I missed heaps in my own looking.......typical!

I think this will be a great tool to use......Although feel totally competent reading all the transits yet, i think this will help.

An area of astrology that i have somewhat been avoiding...is now a whole new area!

Happy new year to you!

[Arian Maverick]

there seems to be no chart that can draw the transit aspects to the natal.....

This statement just jolted something in my memory, a technique that I often use to get around this limitation. I can't believe I didn't think of typing this before...

It's a bit time-consuming, but you can create a new chart for the particular day you wish to view your transits for and compare this chart with your natal by selecting synastry chart on the drop-down menu.

This way, you will see that aspects between the transiting planets with your own natal planet placements.

The only downside to this is that Astrodienst synastry charts do not display that convenient table of aspects at the bottom of the page, so you'll have to carefully look at the color of the lines to determine what kind of aspects you are experiencing.

You have to be a bit careful with this method, though, especially with the minor aspects; several of them share the same type of line.

However, it definitely beats mental calculation! ;)

Arian Maverick

[lillyjgc]

LG: You can download the astrolog program free. It will calculate daily charts and transits, and much more. Just google it and follow the instructions. Cheers Lillyjgc

[Arian Maverick]

LG: You can download the astrolog program free. It will calculate daily charts and transits, and much more. Just google it and follow the instructions. Cheers Lillyjgc

There are a bunch of links to sites with free astrology programs on the thread Astrology Software (http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=688), and unukalhai posted the Official Astrolog32 Home Page (v. 1) (http://uk.geocities.com/astrolog32/) there ;)

Arian Maverick

[cjc]

You can do a transit chart with Astrodienst, but it's only good at 00:00 UT, not providing for lunar aspects... but, it's free and places transiting planets on the outer wheel. Go to free charts--circular charts --natal with transits. (There's also an option to get the same thing in Astrolog printout.

In the top left hand corner of the chart, there's an option to view a PDF file ("View additional tables"). This has an aspectarian built in (Last thing on 2nd page).

I love Astrodienst, but their charts are too cluttered!

c

[Liquid Green]

your all fantastic!!!!!!!

I am going to have a go at each of your tips.....I hope this helps me learn more so eventually i can be giving something back to the community.....

I also hope it helps me see whats coming up for me too......good to be prepared!

thnks again

[Liquid Green]

I am going to put my son to bed soon.......get my pen and paper out...print this page off, and i'll see you when it makes more sense., and i am getting the hang of it......
Shining ray...........This is great! Thankyou very much......

I reckon at some time in the future i am going to find out how to do charts from scratch......this hands on stuff, without computers, i think is the ground floor in helping to build the structure of astrology(hope that comes out right and makes sense).....although technology is great and makes things easier, I think i need to learn this stuff (my cap sun emerges from behind the aqua rising!!!!!!)........ Then i can make pretty natal charts too, with green and purple and orange aspects too!!!!!!!!!:D.......nothing like a personal touch!(with transits!)

Thanks to you all for your help!

[smilingsteph]

What a good thread!!!
I had the same questions! Other than getting out the protractor which would not help as my printer is not working I have had to eyeball everything, and use math! I am terrible at math!
Thanks for the post Liquid!
Steph

[Liquid Green]

Smilingsteph,

Happy new year!

I doubted i was the only one struggling with this stuff!

LG

[Arian Maverick]

I reckon at some time in the future i am going to find out how to do charts from scratch......this hands on stuff, without computers, i think is the ground floor in helping to build the structure of astrology(hope that comes out right and makes sense).....although technology is great and makes things easier, I think i need to learn this stuff (my cap sun emerges from behind the aqua rising!!!!!!)........ Then i can make pretty natal charts too, with green and purple and orange aspects too!!!!!!!!!.......nothing like a personal touch!(with transits!)

Ah, I created a thread about this a very long time ago; unfortunately, I can't seem to find it now, but I did locate another similar thread called Calculating the Chart by Hand (http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5209) that perhaps we can revive...

I don't think I ever completely finished the process because some of the math was complicated and time-consuming; I probably could have done the math if I hadn't gotten so impatient with the process, but my Aries stellium craves instant gratification! :p

I imagine that creating a chart by hand would help you learn more about your natal placements and bestow you with a more personal feeling towards it, though; it may also make you incredibly appreciative of modern technology!

It's certainly worth a try...

EDIT: Here we go; I finally found the link of the thread I was referring to! Calculating Natal Charts Without An Astrology Program (http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1512)

Just to warn you in advance, it's a bit messy converting the decimals into degrees, minutes, and seconds; I never did find an easy way to do this, but if you figure it out, please share! I suppose estimating and using fractions would be the best way, but unfortunately, not all numbers divide evenly into 60.

Here's how to calculate your planetary degrees:

First you find your diurnal proportion (GMT birth time expressed as a fraction of the day of birth) by dividing the number of minutes by 60, adding the number of hours; divide the result by 24.

Using an ephemeris, you then find the degree of a planet at exactly midnight on the day your were born, as well as the degree for the day after.

Subtract the position of the planet on the GMT date of your birth from the position of the planet the day after the GMT date, and multiply the result by the constant (diurnal proportion); add the degree of the planet at midnight the day you were born.

I was able to follow these steps with my own chart and calculate the planetary degrees, but this is as far as I got :o

Arian Maverick

[Liquid Green]

thanks Arian,
I said some time in the future just because my son is not at preschool at the moment, and I doubt I could get the space now thats needed to concentrate on doing a chart by hand......School holidays!!!!!!:rolleyes:
But Feb 1, i will look into it some more.....thankyou......