PSSR calculations

[Jim Eshelman]

I thought some of you might like the PSSR calculator I created in Excel.

Fagan's PSSR is an important technique, but one that the leading astrology computer programs won't calculate. The attached file calculates the time for which the PSSR chart should be calculated - and you can then just drop this day, month, year, and time into your favorite astrology progarm to get the planets and angles of the PSSR.

HINT: Put your own current SSR data in the spreadsheet and save it. That way, it will always be there. When you work on another chart, input data but don't save, and your own data will remain in the spreadsheet for next time you open it. ALTERNATE HINT: Make a new tab (worksheet) in the Excel file for different charts with which you're working, and just copy the main page to the new tab.

Its kinda clumsy, but WAY easier than doing the whole thing by hand!

NOTES I want for the future: The Sidereal Year (J2000) is 365 days 6:09:10 in ET.

How to use

Fill in the blanks next to the yellow boxes.

First, put in the date and time of the current SSR. (See the spreadsheet for an example.) I recommend you do this in your local zone time, because it will give you a more usable figure at the end; but Excel doesn't realy care what time zone you use!

Put the hours, minutes, and seconds of the SSR's Sidereal Time in their respective boxes.

Put the degrees and minutes of the SSR Sun's right ascension in the respective boxes. (I picked degree rather than hours because Solar Fire outputs this in degrees. So do most other such programs.)

Calculate the SSRY (Sidereal Solar Return Year). This is current SSR's ST subtracted from the next SSR's ST plus 24 hours. It will always be a few minutes more than 30 hours. The data in the attached spreadsheet are for my own current SSRY.

Add the transiting Sun's right ascension. Once you set this up for yourself or another person, this is the only value you will have to change until you get a new Solar Return.

HOW ABOUT THE SOLAR QUOTIDIAN: I've found that the SQ works best when advanced by the mean solar rate - that is, as a simple, mean rate Q2 progression of the SSR. However, some people prefer to use the apparent solar rate (increment according to the speed of transiting Sun in right ascension). For those who want to do this, I've added the purple cells - which simultaneously calculate the ST and date/time of the (apparent rate) SQ.

[Jim Eshelman]

I just added a replacement file to the top: A new version of the spreadsheet that includes PSN calculations requested.

[Jim Eshelman]

I just updated the spreadsheet. Later today, I will write a new thread expanding on the use of this file but, for now, I encourage you to get the new copy, attached to the top post.

[Jim Eshelman]

I just updated the spreadsheet to simplify how the Mean Rate tab works. (I removed an unnecessary complication.)

Being a PSSR, it's still tedious for a single calculation, but it's much more efficient for ongoing checking. Once you have set it up for yourself for the year, all you have to do is type the date and time for which you want a PSSR and you instantly have the date and time for which to calculate it.