There are a variety of techniques used by astrologers who wish to predict events. Most require more knowledge than a beginner has at hand, but one extremely simple method that an absolute beginner can do is to “progress” the Sun. You can choose to look at the year you are in right now, or indeed, any year of your life, past or future. The basis of the method is to count as many days forward as the years you require. For example, if you want to look at the picture during your thirtieth year of life, you count forward thirty days.
Take great care! Read and follow the simple instructions below, because if you go at this too quickly, you may end up looking at the wrong year. You will see what I mean when you look through the instructions.
John Doe was born on June I and he is now 28 years old. Logic says that his “progressed Sun date” will be June 28, but this is not so. If John was born on the 1st, he was one year old on the 2nd, two years old on the 3rd and so forth, ending up at the age of 28 on June 29! Check this by counting forward 28 days using the calendar below to see this for yourself.
Once you have discovered your progressed birth date, go back and look it up on the decan and dwaad calendar in exactly the same way as you did for your original date of birth to find the decan and dwaad for your progressed Sun.
Bear in mind that your life will be somewhat easier whenever the Sun is in a decan or dwaad that shares the same element as the sign that it was in when you were born. Another easy scenario is a combination of fire/air, or earth/water but other combinations are hard to live through. I have a Leo friend who has lived through some tough times in recent years, but her Sun has just crossed into the Gemini decan and Gemini dwaad of Libra, which should make her life easier. Time will tell if this is so.
While you are busy counting, remember that some years are leap years. If the person you are looking into has a birthday that occurs in January or February and progressing the Sun takes it from February into March, you will need to know whether the person's year of birth was a leap year. Check the dates in the following table.
Next, find your own birthday in the calendars on the following pages, and start counting …
Now you can move forward to the part of this chapter that tells you what the year you are looking into will bring.
Using degrees will give more accuracy than the simple date system outlined above and you can progress your Sun by the simple expedient of moving it one degree for each year of life. Thus, if you are 38 years of age, count 38 degrees forward and check the new position.
Once you have experimented with your progressed Sun, you can do the same for the Moon, ascendant, Midheaven or any other feature on your chart. The progressed Moon is especially interesting, as it is the trigger for so much that goes on in our lives. The easiest way to do this is with astrology software, but if you want to check out the progressed Moon by hand, this is how you do it.
Check out the natal Moon's position on your date of birth against the one that is shown in your ephemeris. Unless you were born at exactly the same time as that given in your ephemeris, you will notice a discrepancy of several degrees either way. Take a note of this difference. Now count forward in the ephemeris as many days as the years of your life. Do this carefully so that you end up at the right year. Finally, make exactly the same adjustment for the progressed Moon as for your natal Moon position.
For example, if your Ephemeris tells you that your natal Moon was at 20 deg. Sagittarius, but you know that it was actually 24 deg. Sagittarius, add four degrees to that which is given in the ephemeris. The same goes for a Moon position that is a few degrees less than that given in the ephemeris. This method will show you the position of the progressed Moon on your actual birth month. Now, if you want to look at the position a few months after your month of birth, count forward one degree for every month following your month of birth. For example, if you were born in January, but you want to look at the situation in September, add eight degrees to the adjusted progressed Moon's position.
Once you have found the new position, check it out on the decan and dwaad calendar to see which decan and dwaads are in operation for the month that you wish to look into.
Some people enjoy doing hand calculations while others hate them. If you can't stand the idea of fiddling around with the ephemeris, treat yourself to some decent software or look at the Internet, because there are downloadable free chart services and much more available on there, and it is increasing all the time.
If you have managed to progress your Moon, you can use the information given below to see what is happening on a monthly basis. The Moon tends to work on an inner, emotional level rather than taking action in the way that the Sun does, but it acts as such a trigger for our own actions and the things that are thrown at us, so the readings given below will still be relevant.
The interpretations below can also be used for any planet, angle or feature on a chart, but remember to synthesize the energy of the planet or feature in question with that of the sign, decan and dwaad. This is a lot to remember, but it works. Remember that each decan and dwaad is also related to the energies of the planets that rule the zodiac sign in question. Thus, if your progressed Venus (money, values, luxury) is in the Pisces dwaad and Sagittarius decan of the sign of Aries, you have all these energies to take into account.
In this section, I have tried to show the kind of energy that each sign gives to the Sun or to any other planet or feature that arrives there. The twelve interpretations below should be applied to any sign, decan or dwaad that you wish to look into. Remember to combine the factors. For example, if your Sun has progressed to the Scorpio decan of Pisces, you will need to read both Pisces and Scorpio. If you then discover that it is in the Libran dwaad, you will need to read Libra as well.
It takes the Sun thirty years to move through a sign, ten years to move through a decan and two or three years to move through a dwaad, so a combination of factors will need to be taken into account during any one year. For instance, my own Sun has now progressed to the cusp of the Gemini decan and Gemini dwaad of Libra. This means that my progressed Sun has been traveling through Libra for 20 years, through the Aquarian decan for ten years and through the Taurus dwaad for a couple of years or so. Now things are on the point of changing.
This progression brings a time of fresh starts and an increase of ambition and activity. The subject will not allow the grass to grow under his feet at this time because he will grasp the opportunities that rush toward him. He must guard against impatience and arrogance because he won't be able to cope with fools or 1hose who think and act slowly. The person may become more idealistic, which may lead him to fight for a cause that grabs his attention. When the Moon progresses to Aries, a move is sometimes on the cards.
The subject might become somewhat dogmatic and opinionated, but he will also be able to achieve a great deal. The main benefit is that the subject's financial position will improve and he will be able to save for the future. A more cautious attitude will prevail and there will be considerable success in business due to increased shrewdness. He may become interested in art, music or improving his home and garden and making them more attractive. Self-esteem increases and the person is able to work out what is important to him and set out to achieve it.
This influence increases day-to-day activity with lots of time spent on the telephone, dealing with paperwork and rushing out on local errands. Even longer distance travel is likely due to this sign's attachment to Mercury, the god who had wings on his heels. There is sometimes a stronger connection with brothers, sisters, other relatives of one's own age and also with neighbors. Teaching, learning and keeping up-to-date will be a feature of a person's life at this time. The subject may even be struck by verbal diarrhea. Health and healing may become important or interesting, as would activities that involve young people or a new interest in gadgetry and novel inventions.
This puts the emphasis on family matters and home life. The subject may become interested in the past history of his family or in history in general, and he may start to collect antiques, coins or other objects that have past connections. Travel on or over water is possible now, as is a move. Issues relating to mothers and motherhood will rise to the surface now, which means that situations such as parenthood, becoming a mother-in-law, gaining a mother in-law or looking after grandchildren could occur. The person may spend more time at home or he may take up some kind of work that he can do from home—perhaps with the help of other family members.
The progression to Leo brings a far more outgoing phase than the previous one. The subject will be more interested in the limelight than the shadows. This may manifest itself in him reaching for the top in his career or starting a business. The subject may express this by taking up amateur dramatics or a sporting activity that puts him center stage. There will be a strong desire for a creative outlet and he will feel a strong urge to make something come into existence. Sometimes babies and children come into the subject's arena, and if appropriate, he could start a family under this progression.
In modern astrological parlance, this sign is related to work and health, while in the old days, it was said to rule servants, masters and health. The subject is likely to concentrate more on his work at this time and either takes on staff, thus becoming a master of others or he may take a job in an organization that has a hierarchy. Health is likely to become an important issue, either because the subject needs to concentrate more on his own health, or because he takes up an interest in health, healing and related subjects. Other matters might include an interest in craftwork, dressmaking, do-it-yourself jobs and such things as cooking, looking after a family and keeping pets.
This progression is concerned with relationships and connections, and it often coincides with marriage or some other open relationship, which may be personal or business—or both. There is also an increased interest in or connection with legal matters, and the subject strives for justice, either through the courts or in some other way. There will be more dealings with people and possibly also with contracts and other legal types of paperwork in connection with business. Often life gets easier, with more harmony and affection around when this progression occurs—especially if the Moon progresses to this sign.
Important matters that involve other people are in the cards when this progression occurs. Sometimes this involves personal relationships, such as marriage, divorce or family events that involve legal or other arrangements such as mortgages, legacies or tax matters. Sometimes there are work or business matters that involve the subject in dealings with other people and with financial matters, and this often involves looking after someone else's money, property or resources. Joint financial matters and joint arrangements will be important at this time. Serious life-changing events, such as birth, death and marriage will occur at this time.
A variety of matters may come to the fore now, and all of them indicate expansion of horizons or pushing back boundaries. This can lead to travel and an interest in people or products from distant lands. Sometimes this leads the subject to question his religious or spiritual beliefs and his general philosophy of life and perhaps to find something that is more meaningful to him. Higher or further education may become a factor here, as might teaching or becoming a leader in some kind of religious or spiritual field. Legal matters can become important, perhaps in the form of a fight for justice and right.
On one hand this is not an easy progression, because life can be quite hard for a while. This is especially so when the Moon moves through this sign. The subject will work hard, sometimes alone and unappreciated and sometimes for very little in exchange. In some cases, the person has to work to get out of debt or to get back on his feet after a period of loss. The subject may feel lonely or out in the cold either due to problems in his personal life or his working life. However, the end result of the effort that is put in under this progression, is that the person eventually gets back on his feet and develops the necessary structures for a successful future. He also learns a lot about himself, others and life in general under this progression, and he may be less trusting or vulnerable to attack in the future.
This is the breakout sign, so a progression to this sign can bring a total change in a person's lifestyle. During this progression—especially if it is a lunar one—the person may move, marry, divorce, change jobs completely or even emigrate. In short, anything could happen. Many people embark on a course of training or education during this progression and some find work as teachers. Others become extremely inventive or original at this time. If the subject hasn't yet got to grips with computers or other modem technology, he will need to do so now. Life will not be stable while this progression is in action, but it will not be boring either.
This progression will make the subject more sensitive and vulnerable and his emotions are likely to become stronger, with emotional matters becoming a more important feature of his life. He may fall in love, or he may become so touched by the needs of others that he takes up some form of charitable or caring work. The chances are that he will spend more time alone, possibly working on private projects at home. Alternatively, he may become involved with hospitals or other places of seclusion, either through work or due to problems of his own. Health and healing may become a priority in some way now and the subject's psychic and imaginative powers will increase. He may become interested in artistic or musical pursuits.
