Progressed Charts Issues Page 1 of 3

Progressed Charts Issues

Method of Progressing the House Cusps: There are many different methods used for calculating
progressed house cusps for 6 of the 10 kinds of progressed charts. The solar arc, degree-for-a-year,
converse solar arc, and converse degree-for-a-year progressed charts do not present a problem in this
regards. The other 6 progressions do present a problem, and this problem arises fundamentally out of the
difficulty of defining what a day, month, and year are.

n For non-astrological purposes, a day is 24 hours, but 24 hours is actually the length of an average day.
The time from one sunrise to the next sunrise varies at different times of the year. There are many
other technical problems as well, which could easily take up a whole book. For example, some
astrologers calculate a progressed chart by simply adding 1 day for each year of life and calculating the
progressed chart for the birthday of the current year. This gives the illusion that the house cusps are
moving about 1 degree per year, but actually are moving 361 degrees per year as can be proven by
using this traditional method to calculate the progressed chart on any other day besides the birthday.
Progressed house cusps that move 361 degrees a year, however, are moving much too fast to have
the powerful, long-term influence usually associated with progressed houses. As you can see, the
problem is complex.

In Sirius, house cusps are progressed by what is probably the most popular method, and recommended by
many of the finest astrologers, such as Dr. Zipporah Dobyns, etc.

The method that Sirius uses for calculating progressed house cusps of the day-for-a-year, day-for-
a-month, and month-for-a-year progressed charts (regular and converse) is: The 10th house cusp is the
solar arc progressed 10th house cusp.

n A solar arc progressed position is obtained by the following formula:

(Progressed Sun - natal Sun) + natal position

Thus the solar arc progressed 10th house cusp is calculated by subtracting the natal Sun position from
the progressed Sun position and adding this difference to the natal 10th house cusp.

The rest of the houses are calculated by finding the houses that correspond with this 10th house cusp
at the latitude of the birth place.

Below is a summary of the kinds of progressions available in Sirius:

n Secondary or Day-for-a-year: For each year of life, one day is added to the birthday. For example, if a
person is 10 years old, then 10 days are added to the birth date. If a person is 10 1/2 years old, then 10
1/2 days are added to the birthrate. Day-for-a-year progressions are also known as secondary
progressions.

n Degree-for-year: The natal planets are moved 1 degree for each year of life.

n Solar arc Direction: All natal planets and house cusps are moved by the angle that the secondary
progressed Sun has moved. In other words, subtract the natal Sun from the secondary progressed Sun
and add this arc to the natal positions of the planets.

n Tertiary or Day-for-a-month: For each month of life, one day is added to the birth day. Day-for-a-
month progressions are also known as tertiary progressions.

n Minor or Month-for-a-year: For each year of life, one month is added to the birth day. Month-for-a-
year progressions are also known as minor progressions.

n Ascendant Arc: The Ascendant arc adds the difference in the positions of the progressed and natal
Ascendants to natal planets

n Vertex: The Vertex Arc chart is based on the difference in position of the progressed Vertex and natal
Vertex

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n Solar Declination Arc: The Solar Declination Arc adds the difference in the progressed declination
and natal declination of the Sun to the natal zodiac position of the Sun.

n Solar RA Arc: The Solar RA Arc adds the difference in the right ascension of the progressed Sun and
natal Sun to the natal longitude of the Sun.

n Profection (1 year = house): Profections move the Asc to the next house cusp in 1 year and the other
houses by the same distance.

For all of the above progressions, a converse version of the progression is also available. Converse
progressions go back in time instead of going forward in time to calculate the planetary positions. Meaning,
the amount of time is subtracted from the birth date instead of added to it. For example, converse day-for-a-
year progressions equate 1 day before birth with a year of life.

You can also change the Degree-for-a-Year progression to be a different number of degrees. When you make
this selection, a menu appears which allows you to select Naibod Arc or User-Defined. The Naibod Arc is
approximately 59'08" of arc. The user-defined selection allows you to enter any number of degrees desired.

Progressed MC Methods

Progressed MC indicates the technique to use for calculating house cusps in a day-for-a-year, day-for-a-
month, or month-for-a-year progressed chart. There are 9 methods. The difference between the 9 methods is
in the calculation of the progressed MC. Once the MC is determined, the other house cusps are the
corresponding house positions for this MC at the latitude for the place where the progression is calculated.

n Method "Time" calculates the house cusps for the time of the progressed chart, which for a day-for-
a-year progression results in a progressed cusps that moves approximately 1 degree per day.

n Method "Mean Sun" progresses the MC by adding the mean speed of the Sun, which is a little less
than 1 degree per year.

n Method "Solar Arc" progresses the MC by the solar arc, which is the difference between the
progressed Sun and the natal Sun.

n Method "Naibod in R.A." progresses the right ascension of the MC by the Naibod arc which is
slightly less than 1 degree per year, which like Mean Sun and Solar Arc, results in a progressed MC
that moves on the average slightly less than 1 degree per year but varies so that in some cases the
speed is greater than 1 degree per year.

5 New Methods of Calculating Secondary Progressed Houses: These 5 methods of progressing

houses were introduced by western siderealist astrologers. They can also be used in tropical
astrology as well. These 5 methods where designed to be use with Secondary Progressions. See
details below
n Quotidian, Bija correction: The “Quotidian, Bija corr.” selection is a popular method of progressing
houses used by western siderealist astrologers. A comparison of calculations performed in Sirius as
compared to the calculations described in the book Primer of Sidereal Astrology by Cyril Fagan and
Brigadier R. C. Firebrace (Littlejohn Publishing Co., Isabella, Missouri, 1971). It is a correction to
adjust for the length of the Sidereal year as opposed to the length of the Tropical year.
n Quotidian, No Bija:This method is based on the length of a Tropical year.
n Fagan-Naibod: The Fagan-Naibod progressed houses are referred to as "primary progressed
houses" by western siderealist astrologers Fagan and Firebrace, but I suggest that the term
"Fagan-Naibod" is less confusing as there is a distinct system of primary directions that was used in
medieval and the Renaissance period and are of increasing interest today (and primary directions
are included in Sirius as well)
n Quotidian Mean Sun: Sun House cusps move about 361 degrees per year of life, which is roughly
equivalent to 1 degree per day, using the Time, Quotidian with Bija correction, Quotidian without
Bija Correction, the Quotidian Mean Sun, and PSR methods
n PSR Method: The PSR method is most often used when progressing a solar return chart rather
than a natal chart. In other words, you can progress a solar return chart just as you can progress a
natal chart.

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A Comparison of the 9 Methods of Progressing Houses

The Naibod in RA and Solar Arc methods are the most popular methods with astrologers. Reasons why
they are popular is
(1) that many popular astrology programs offer them and they are often the default setting in the
programs so they are often used without awareness that there are alternatives,
(2) The very highly respected astrologers Zip Dobyns and Robert Blaschke studied different systems of
progressing houses and they use and recommend Solar Arc, and
(3) The Naibod in RA agrees with hand calculations that many astrologers used in the past and are
accustomed to and found work well.

The Naibod in RA and Solar Arc methods progress houses by about 1 degree per year. Many astrologers
have a belief that progressed houses should move 1 degree per year even though using the secondary
progressed formula that one day after birth = one year of life, house cusps, move about 361 degrees per year,
not 1 degree per year! The additional 360 degrees is essentially ignored and the progressed houses are
based on the motion after the cycle of 360 degrees is completed.

l The house cusps move about 1 degree per year of life in the following house systems: Solar
Arc, Naibod in RA, Mean Sun, and Fagan-Naibod. These four different systems use different
definitions of what a day is, a year is, and/or how the speed of the house cusps are determined.

l House cusps move about 361 degrees per year of life, which is roughly equivalent to 1 degree
per day, using the Time, Quotidian with Bija correction, Quotidian without Bija Correction, the
Quotidian Mean Sun, and PSR methods. Just as with the 4 methods that progress the cusps about 1
degree per year, these 5 methods differ in the way they define a day, define a year, and/or how the
speed of the house cusps are determined.

Of the 5 methods that progress the houses by about one degree per day, 2 of them progress the houses so
that around the time of the birthday each year, the houses have progressed about 360 degrees to be
approximately the same as they were at birth (if the progressed chart is not relocated). These 2 methods are
the Quotidian with Bija Correction and the Quotidian Mean Sun. The progressed houses on the birthday
using the Quotidian without Bija Correction and the Time Method move very roughly forward about 1 degree
per year of life. For example, on the 30th birthday, the progressed MC would be about 30 degrees ahead of
where it is in the birth chart.

The PSR method is most often used when progressing a solar return chart rather than a natal chart. In
other words, you can progress a solar return chart just as you can progress a natal chart. In Sirius you select
the solar return chart and then select a secondary progression of this natal chart and select the PSR
(Progressed Solar Return) method of progressing the houses and select a date between the birthday and the
next birthday as the progressed date. The PSR progressed houses move at a rate of about 445 degrees per
year. The MC on successive solar returns moves about 445 degrees because there are slightly less than 365
1/4 days in a year and the extra quarter day adds about 85 degrees in addition to 360 degrees (360 + 85 =
445) to the motion of the MC on successive solar returns. The PSR Method is referred to by western sidereal
astrologers as the PSSR Method (Progressed Sidereal Solar Return) but has been renamed to simply the
PSR Method in Sirius because it can be used in either the sidereal or tropical zodiacs and is not restricted to
being a method for sidereal astrology.

Although the last 5 progressed house cusps were introduced or promoted by western sidereal astrologers,
they can be used in the tropical zodiac as well. The calculations have been adapted to be appropriate for the
tropical zodiac as well as sidereal zodiac.

Return to Progressed Chart

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