Solunars by Aldebaran Sidereal Academy

Playing around with the flexibility of TMSA. This is a "how to use" or "things you can try" post.

I just created a new chart options file called Returns Outstanding (in contrast to the usual Default Returns). In TMSA, you can create a new option set by clicking Chart Options, putting a new options file name in the name field at the top (such as my Returns Outstanding), editing it, then clicking Save. (You can first Load the closest options set so you have to make the fewest changes.)

I know Steve likes to filter a year's worth of lunar returns looking for those few that will produce the most powerful events ("outstanding events"). These are charts with partile aspects in the immediate foreground. I decided to create an Options file for this. My idea is to have the output show only things relevant to this particular question (you can rerun them with wider orbs and angularity later to get all the details).

So, I turned off all extra points, set it to not mark Background planets, marked it to NOT show non-foreground partile aspects (uncheck the Partile box near the bottom) and turned off midpoints. I then set Class 1 angularity orbs to ONLY show Class 1 and Class 2 (3°/7° for major angles, 1°/2° for minor) and ONLY a 1° orb for both ecliptical and mundane conjunctions, oppositions, and squares. Only aspects with both planets foreground (2 FG) are shown.

With this Options set, you can run, say, a year of lunar returns and only look at the aspects section. The only thing that shows will be partile aspects with both planets in the immediate foreground. If there's nothing there, then you move on to the next chart.

With this in mind, let's test it with Steve's chart. I'll run a year's worth of SLRs beginning at his next birthday, September 20. The entire process will take under five minutes - perhaps three minutes - though it will take me longer to type up what I find.

Using the "outstanding" definitions I picked above (you could set others for yourself), here are the only SLRs in that year for Steve with "outstanding" markers. (All these aspects fall in the immediate foreground.)

November 24, 2022
t Moon-Mercury co 0°17' M
t Mercury co r Moon 0°45'
t Jupiter op r Sun 0°54'

December 22, 2022
r Mars-Neptune sq. 0°10' M

February 14, 2023
t Venus-Neptune co 0°50'

June 3, 2023
t Mercury sq r Saturn 0°11'

July 28, 2023
t Jupiter sq r Saturn 0°38'

Jim wrote:

I know Steve likes to filter a year's worth of lunar returns looking for those few that will produce the most powerful events ("outstanding events").

Indeed Jim!!! Back in the late 80’s when I first came into contact with your book “Interpreting Solar Returns” and you taught how to recognized “outstanding event” return charts (only a couple pf paragraphs explanation), I eventually set-up all of my computer programing where my eyes could quickly recognize an “outstanding incident” return chart. Beleive me--if I can do this for myself--and interested person on the planet can be taught with the right book. In my 40 years of studying astrology-- rapidly recognizing “outstanding incident” return charts has become my most valuable astrological asset/tool in helping me, family, and my few clients better manage their lives with their individual TIMEs relative to their living environments. In fact, if I was ever presented the task of proving astrology as a true “Sacred Science” of TIME to a non-astrological person, I would take their SLRs charts isolating their few “outstanding incident” charts, and then telling em relative to their living environment a clear recognizable “outstanding incident” will happen. This is exactly what I do when I rarely meet a new person who I can tell is interested in my astrological work with “outstanding events” with the sacred science of astrology. In fact, if I had a time machine and could go back to a younger age, and have the same technology that is present today (TMSA), I would write a short book and have it published for the whole world to investigate, titled: “How to implement your computer quickly recognizing when an “outstanding incident” will happen in your future.” The book would have to be written in grammar school step by step instructed format that the layperson could easily understand. But, before the grammar school instructions began-- certain creative story telling needs to be told how it was possible to write this book, and this story telling needs to be told with the true story of Sidereal Astrology. Billions of people believe in astrology in one form or another but never have they been introduced to “outstanding incidents” astrology. When an individual can be introduced to something that appeals to their own private individual lives that allows em to see the “Sacred Science” of timing future “outstanding incidents” in their private lives---this would have the potential for a highly marketable “something,” and at the same time serving as a true humanitarian sevice.

My 75 years of life has taught me that most of our lives are filled with ho-hum living day to day which is called normal living, but at certain few times our lives are punctuated with “outstanding incidents.” I strongly feel that plotting “outstanding incident” SLRs for an entire life is a most valuable tool for better managing our lives with much better quality living, no matter if the incident is malefic or benefic. Both Fagan & Bradley taught the SLR is the most important chart of em all relative to our SSRs.

I strongly feel that the old schools of marketable astrology materials are dead and have been dead for a long time. We are now living in a completely new high tech world, and the masses are certainly buying high tech products that they can implement into their individual private lives. What needs to be taught with a layperson book is how each individual can easily become their own astrologer planning their lives better with “outstanding incidents” astrology. IMHO, what needs to be taught to as many individuals as possible is the true Sacred Science of timing “outstanding incident astrology” for the private lives of each individual. "Timing is Everything." This IMHO would bring back a sacred “awe” in people’s lives which is desperately needed in the world today, and the technology for this book possibility has now arrived on Planet Earth, along with Mike’s brilliant work with TMSA, which is the only specialized Sidereal Astrology program on the Planet and ‘God all Mighty’----its free!

Steve, although these menus will look quite different in the next version of TMSA, here is the current Chart Options page showing how I configured it to filter "outstanding solunars." The trick is to run a year of lunars etc. with these settings and only glance at whether any aspects show. If aspects show, it's an "outstanding event" chart - if not, then move on to the next chart. (You can, of course, adjust these values to suit yourself.) [NOTE 4/26/24: This is an older version. My current parameters are described above.]

I have just run a year of lunars with these settings and I find it awesome. I think I may continue with these settings as it gives such clear messages and makes it easier in case there are so many (non foreground) aspects.

Glad it's useful to you. - You will miss some important things with these narrow settings, but you'll probably always get the MOST important things.

Excellent TMSA tool Jim/Mike! If I had a magic wand I would wave it and implement this TMSA tool on everyone's I-phones on the planet so they could see/understand there is a science of astrology/time manifesting "outstanding incidents' in their individual private lives at certain times. I feel this would help restore "awe" into people's lives.

When men/women lack a sense of awe, there will be disasters. Lao-Tzu

The beauty of TMSA is that is once you have defined an option set your can apply it to any chart and recalculate virtually instantly. One possible tactic as Jim suggested is to cast a batch of solunars using outstanding incident setting, then recast those that qualify with a more inclusive option set to get finer detail.

BTW, the option pages with change for the new version, but all existing options will continue to exists--new options will be added. So if you can define an option set in TMSA 0.4, you will be able to use that set in in TMSA 1.0.

New options will include parans, alternative planetary dignities, mutual reception, and cycloid curve models for aspects angularity strength (separately selectable).

Mike, when do you estimate to complete the final version of TMSA?

Preliminarily hoping for August 1, for version 1.0, but features will continue to be added to new versions. I doubt I'll stop working on TMSA until my death or the onset of dementia. The latter is unlikely. My parents had none though they lived till their eighties, One of my grandmothers got dementia in her mid 90's.

Beautiful Sidereal Astrology programing Mike! I can remember when Matthew & I always dreamed of having a Sidereal Astrologer who could program some of the better/acute functions for Sidereal Astrology. Matthew would have loved to have done some work with you Mike and would have loved to have lived the day doing work with you. Thanks

Got that nasty bug squashed. Also spend the morning developing a custom dictionary type that will make providing sensible defaults much easier, and simplify programming. I would have loved to have programmed with Matthew.