Hi there,
Let's say you were preparing a horoscope for a client you had never met and you wanted to identify the "critical periods" of a person's life.
After analyzing the natal chart, what is your approach?
1. In your software, what searches do you run?
2. Do you do a generic search and then filter strategically? If so, what's your process?
3. How do you start developing "hypotheses" about important events? For example, do you look first to SA Pluto in close aspect to an Angle FIRST and then look for supporting transits?
3) When a client reaches out to you for help, 9 times out of 10 something is happening in their life THEN that is the instigator. This can generally be seen through transits from Saturn to the natal chart, probably in coordination with the outer planets if it is a BIG problem that denotes a necessity for change. Jupiter may not be in a beneficial state, otherwise the client would be more of an optimistic frame of mind to deal with it themselves
. This would be
my starting point before the client arrives because it answers the question of WHY a horoscope reading is requested.
Obviously 'problems' take on more of an 'issue' state, according to age of the client. How someone deals with any difficult periods varies as per the individual nature as shown in the natal chart, which you may already have picked up on from studying the natal chart.
The Solar Arc positions give an idea of how important the transits are to the year in question,
Progressed positions show the 'life changing effect' the transits incur.
You could look back to when difficult natal aspects were activated by the long-term transits and/or progressions (via an on-line ephemeris). You could ask your client how such periods in their life were experienced to give you an idea of how the natal chart is being expressed. You would pick up on whether there is any necessity for a change of attitude in dealing with issues. It is important to remember that it can only be of help to your client if you can advise in an objective astrological manner, rather than through what/how you would personally do/handle in the same situation. There's a BIG difference.
2 and 1).
This is the most significant difference between the astrologers NOW and those who did (and maybe still do) hand-drawn charts. For the oldies amongst us, our head works as a computer and life themes unfold as we draw up the charts. Instant computerised charts do not offer that possibility.
Out of curiousity you might like to give the old-fashioned way a try for a while, to see if helps you better with analyses. With transiting Mars undergoing a long sojourn in Virgo, during which it forms a grand trine with transiting Jupiter-Pluto, you might pick up some useful tips on the way which can pave the way towards 'instant recognition' when viewing the computerised chart.