Secondary Progression
From Astrowiki-en
A predictive method in which each day after birth equates to one year in a person's life. The positions of the planets 24 hours after the birth reflect the quality of an individual's life at one year old, 48 hours at two years old, etc. The chart advanced by one, two or more days is the (secondary) progressed chart. Secondary progressions are a very commonly used predictive method. It is the method usually referred to when talking of progressions.
In contrast to the two kinds of tertiary progressions, which are based on the Moon's movement, secondary progressions are based on the movement of the Sun: One day (= one complete rotation of the Earth around its own axis) equates to one year (the time it takes for the Sun to apparently move through the whole zodiac). Because secondary progressions are concerned with much larger periods of time than tertiary progressions they are related to long term inner developments.
Contents |
Interpretation
Secondary progressions are usually only applied to the personal planets, i.e. the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars, because the remaining planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) move so little during the period covered and rarely function as triggers because they hardly change position.
The following factors are the main ones taken into account when interpreting secondary progressions:
- An aspect formed by a progressed planet to a planet or axis in the
natal chart indicates a flow of energy and activation of the factors involved. The main focus is on the natal planet or axis which is aspected.
- A mutual exchange of energy occurs when two progressed planets aspect each
other.
- The progressed positions of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are usually only included when they form exact (accurate to within arcminutes) aspects to other planets in the natal chart.
- When a progressed planet enters a new house or sign in the natal chart.
- The natal house in which the progressed Moon is located is activated.
- A progressed planet which changes its direction of movement, i.e. from direct to retrograde and vice versa, indicates a reversal of the energy concerned.
Periods of time
The Sun moves about one degree per day which translates into the progressive Sun being moved one degree of arc for each year. Venus moves around 1.5 degrees and Mars 0.5 degrees per day and therefore for each year by progression. Only Mercury is quicker than the Sun and moves around 2 degrees. The orb, which is the number of degrees that an aspect can deviate from exactitude and still be regarded as valid, used for progressed planets is small (around half a degree) owing to their slow movement. It should be remembered that even an orb of half a degree is equivalent to a period of around six to twelve months, although there will naturally be a focus on the theme concerned when the aspect is exact.
The Moon, which is the fastest-moving planet, is an exception: It travels around one degree of arc for every month. For this reason, the progressed Moon quite often forms new aspects to planets in the natal chart. It spends on average 2 1/2 years in one house or sign of the zodiac and activates this area of the horoscope during that period. An orb of around one degree can be used with the progressive Moon, which affects a period of about 2 months in real life.
Aspects
It is important not to place too much emphasis on the type of aspect formed by the progressed Sun, Mercury, Venus or Mars (Synthetic Aspect or Analytical Aspect). Which planets (and the themes they represent) are involved is most important because main aspects are relatively rare: for example, when the progressed Sun forms a square (90 degree aspect) to a planet in the natal chart, it takes another 30 years until the Sun forms the next main aspect (the trine which is 120 degrees) to the same planet.
Axes
The progressed axes are a special case. A birth time accurate to within a minute is required in order to be able to include these in any meaningful way, otherwise any predictions will be wide off the mark by at least one year. Several methods can be used if an accurate time of birth is available. One of the most common methods used is to advance the Medium Coeli (MC) by the same amount as the progressed Sun, in other words, the solar arc method. In this case, the angle between the Sun and the MC in the progressed chart stays the same as in the natal chart. The Ascendant and other house cusps are moved in accordance with the MC.
