The section of the book which follows deals with the conditions, circumstan­ces and events which will be produced by the movement of the planets through each of the horoscopical houses by transit and by progression.

Whilst it is acknowledged that there are other methods by which the dimension of time may be added to the natal chart they are not covered in this work.

Transits

There is little if any controversy about transit methodology.

A transit which may be defined as the passage of a planet over a given feature of the natal chart is identified by means of an ephemeris for the current year (or for whatever year is under review) which will give the celestial longitude of each planet and enable its relationship to the planets and houses of the horoscope to be determined.

When assessing the effects of transiting planets on any house the following factors need to be born in mind:

• The transiting planet will always represent the area of life indicated by the house in which it is found in the natal chart. Thus, this area of life is likely to throw up the circumstances and conditions, which will act as the agents for occurrences in the house in which the transiting planet is to be found.

•  The progressed position of the transiting planet in terms of both longitude and house placement, and the house, which it transits in the progressed figure, will provide, respectively, additional agents and another area of life to be activated. Frequently the progressed houses will be more obviously productive than the natal houses. Nevertheless the transit will ramify on the houses in both the natal and progressed figures.

• Also affected by the transit is the house occupied by the planet, which the transiting planet disposits in the natal chart and the house or houses of which the transiting planet is the ruler, both naturally and accidentally.

• A transiting planet is considered to be in exact aspect to a natal planet or house cusp when allowance has been made for precession at the mean rate of 50.2" per anum. Precession values should be added to the natal position of each planet, regardless of whether its status is direct or retrograde. Transits to progressed planets and the position of the transiting planets within the progressed house framework (see below: Progressions) should also be considered.

Each transit therefore involves at least six houses and conscientious interpretation takes time. Not every house involved in a transit will influence the form in which a transit manifests but a person’s approach to each area of life represented by the houses stands to be influenced.

Progressions

The method of progression recommended here is the ‘day for a year’ method, which means that one day in the ephemeris equals one year of life. The progressed hyleg points and intermediate house cusps are found by deducting the sidereal time at noon/midnight on the day of birth from that of the day in the ephemeris which represents the birthday year. To this result is added the local sidereal time of birth. Applying this result to a Table of Houses for the appropriate latitude will give the progressed Midheaven, progressed Ascendant and progressed intermediate house cusps. The planets progressed positions are calculated for the time of birth on the day, which represents the birthday year. The Moon is given a total of twelve positions — one for each month of the birthday year. Over time some or all of the progressing planets will come to occupy different houses from those which they tenant in the natal chart and this will bring others areas of life into sharper relief for varying periods of time.

With reference to the effects of progression the following considerations are offered:

• As the inner planets progress into new signs the vibration of these regions of the zodiac comes to form part of a person’s energy pattern.

The planets, which will change sign during the course of an average life, are:

The planets from Jupiter outwards are likely to change sign only if their placement puts them very close to the end of a sign.

• The amount of time a planet occupies a house may be greatly affected if the natal chart contains interceptions. This will not be an issue if the Equal House System is used but for all the other major systems it is relevant. Interceptions can mean that in spite of a new degree of the Midheaven every birthday year certain planets will not progress out of the houses they occupy in the natal chart until very late in a person’s life if at all.

• The Obliquity of the Ecliptic means that the annual 1degree advance of the ecliptic over the midheaven sees a varying rate of movement over the Eastern horizon. This means that although the M.C advances 1 degree with every birthday year it cannot be assumed that the same is true of the Ascendant or the intermediate house cusps. Tables should always be used.

As the Sun progresses at a relatively steady rate obliquity means that the Sun may move either forward into the next house or backwards into the house, which precedes the house, which it occupies natally. Whilst the movement of any planet from one house to another is significance the whole tenor of a person’s life is likely to change if the Sun should move into another house.

• The house occupied by the Moon in the progressed chart represents an area of life, which is particularly demanding of a person’s energy and attention, for however long it takes the Moon to progress through the house at its annual rate of approximately 12 degrees. It is notable that when the Moon reaches the last 5 degrees of the house (this observation is based upon work done with the Koch House System) then there will be a development, which brings matters in this area of life to some conclusion.

It will be noted that owing to the differing time scales used for the calculation of transits and progressions, the movement of transiting planets is in the order of the houses, whereas that of progressing planets except the Moon is against that order.