HOW TO READ AN EPHEMERIS
What is an Ephemeris?The best Astrology Charting & Ephemeris tool for MacOS (and iOS)! Includes: Natal charts, Transit charts, Progressions, Relocation, Solar Return, Synastry and a tabular Ephemeris. Included Ephemeris coverage: 1700-2099, extendable to 4700 BC to 2995 AD (7700 years). Includes 'Sky Now', an Astro Clock that continuously updates for any location and with all reports. The Ephemeris tables can. Make any app yours. Our world‑class distribution platforms reach over 1.5 billion devices worldwide, allowing users to buy and download apps without lags or drags. When you download a universal app on one device, it automatically appears on your other devices.
A brief overview of the features and functions of iPhemeris astrology software for iPhone & iPad (iOS). Windows PCにiPhemeris占星術エフェメリス をダウンロードしてインストールします。 あなたのコンピュータにiPhemeris占星術エフェメリスをこのポストから無料でダウンロードしてインストールすることができます。PC上でiPhemeris占星術エフェメリスを使うこの方法は、Windows 7/8 / 8.1 / 10とすべて.
An ephemeris is defined as “a table or data file giving the calculated positions of a celestial object at regular intervals throughout a given time period.” They are used by astrologers to track and pinpoint the movement of the planets so that they can determine where they are located on any given day.
Perhaps the most well known ephemeris is The New American Ephemeris for the 21st Century, which covers the year 2000 to 2100. However, some folks may find it somewhat expensive and if you are using the ephemeris to erect birth charts the old fashioned way, as opposed to a computer program, it will not be usable for those years prior to the year 2000. In these cases, the ephemeris is an invaluable tool used in predictive astrology. With it can you check aspects between transit planets and the placement of your birth planets; or quickly scan the tables to see when a planet changes signs, turns retrograde or moves direct. Typically it will also give the dates of solar and lunar eclipses and they signs in which they occur.
The times and dates given in this ephemeris are calculated for Midnight UT (Universal Time) therefore, depending on where you are, you will have to convert the times to your location. For instance:
If you are in thethen Subtract
- Eastern Time Zone 5 hours
- Central Time Zone 6 hours
- Mountain Time Zone 7 hours
- Pacific Time Zone 8 hours
However, you would subtract one hour less during During Daylight Saving Time.
For those who may not quite be ready to invest in such a tome, there are alternatives. For instance, you may purchase a smaller book such such as Llewellyn Astrological Pocket Planner which is a daily ephemeris and aspectarian for any given year. Unlike the ephemeris mentioned above, the pocket planner is only good for one year and the times are given in both Eastern and Pacific time.
If you have a smartphone, you can purchase iPhemeris from the app store. This app has the benefit of being able to use it in perpetuity and you can set the time to your individual location eliminating the need to convert time.
Finally, you can find ephemeris tables online with a simple google search. However, these are often set to Universal Time (UT) which will, again, require you to convert the times given to your location.
Best Astrology Software Mac
The Anatomy of an Ephemeris
For the purpose of this article, we will be using the New American Ephemeris for the 21st Century. The image below is for September 2018
The shaded areas in each column indicate planets that are in retrograde. For example, looking at the chart above we see that Saturn starts off the month retrograde in 2 degrees, 34 minutes, 0 seconds of Capricorn. It turns direct sometime between midnight on September 5th and midnight September 6th. In order to determine the exact time, we can look to the bottom of the page for a little box on the left labeled Astro Data. The top portion is for the month of September and the bottom portion is for October. Again, looking at the second line of the top portion, we see the symbol for Saturn and a capital D followed by 6 11:08. This means that Saturn turns direct on 9/6/18 at 11:08 AM UT. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest, I would subtract 7 hours to determine what time Saturn turns direct where I am. Therefore Saturn will turn direct on 9/6/18 at 4:08 AM where I live.
In addition to the Astro Date Table, there are other tables at the bottom of the page. From left to right they are: Astro Date, Planet Ingress, Last Aspect (September), Planet Ingress, Last Aspect (October), Phases and Eclipses, and Astro Data again.
These tables provide a plethora of information. For example, the Planet Ingress indicates the date and time a planet enters a new sign. Let us take Mercury for example. Mercury starts out the month in 21 degrees Leo and remains there until 9/7 where it is is then in Virgo. Since these times are for Midnight, Mercury left Leo and entered Virgo sometime in that 12 hour period. If we want to know exactly when he changes signs we look to the Planet Ingress section of the ephemeris. Again the top portion is for September and the bottom portion is for October. Looking at this section we see that Mercury enters Virgo on 9/6/18 at 2:39 am (UT). Again, since I live in the Pacific Northwest I would subtract 7 hours to determine when this occurred in my time zone, which translates to 7:39 PM on 9/5/18.
Now let us say I want to know when and where the New Moon will occur in September. I look to the Phases and Eclipses section of the ephemeris. I look to the top portion for September and I see the symbol for the new moon and it occurs 9/9/18 at 18:01 in 17 degrees Virgo, which converts to 11:01 AM in the Pacific Northwest where I currently live.
Finally, the Last Aspect / Ingress area of the chart is for determining when the moon is Void-of-Course. The Moon is said to be void of course when it makes its last major aspect to another planet before entering a new sign. It is believed that anything undertaken during the moon void of course will not bear fruit. For example, during such a time folks will refrain from making any major decisions, submit resumes, take action against enemies, make large purchases, start a new project or job, etc.. Instead, these are times of prayer, devotion, meditation, journaling, and introspection.
Looking at the bottom of the ephemeris the Last Aspect / Ingress section on the left is for September and the one of the right is for October. We see that the first Void-of-Course moon for September will occur on 9/2/18 between 5:58 am and 8:02 am UTC.
The Ephemeris and You
My Astrology Pages
Calculating charts used to be the biggest hurdle for those who wanted to practice astrology. But modern astrologers have been blessed with computers and astrology software. What a relief!
Your computer makes the job of running charts so much easier. But how do you choose the best astrology software app for your budget and needs? I’ll lay out what I think are the best options available. I encourage you to leave your feedback, comments, and questions at the end of the post.
Web- and app-based astrology software
Astro.com (free, web-based)
Whoever said nothing in life is free never visited Astrodienst (say it: astro-DEENST) at astro.com. This is a great place for an astrology student, hobbyist, or enthusiast to calculate charts online, for free. They are based in Switzerland, so you know the charts are accurate. Astro.com has a ton of useful options, some great free reports, and valuable subscription services. I really like their “Personal Daily Horoscope”. Another free gem you can access here is Astrodatabank, an extensive collection of charts for research and education.
LunaAstrology.com ($, web-based)
This online software is as impressive as it is promising. You can use LUNA’s intuitive interface to easily create a beautiful, printable chart and generate some really useful reports and sortable lists. Save and organize your chart data. Because it’s web-based, you can access your charts from your desktop or mobile. All you need is a browser. At $5 a month or $36 a year, this is a great option for you if you’re not ready to lay out a chunk of change on a desktop package. Tech support is fast and friendly.
AstroApp ($$, web-based)
AstroApp is a subscription-based program that lives securely “in the cloud.” The free trial is limited, but it shows you what the app does– which is a lot! Click around, as I did, and you might also be excited by the promise of those greyed-out options.
Assuming this project is still in the early stages, I really think the hearts and minds behind AstroApp have created something promising! The full-featured pro-level subscription is well-priced at less than $100/year. Still too much? A monthly subscription option is available for the commitment-phobic!
Astro Gold ($$ iOS, Android)
Astro Gold is a suite of Android and iOS apps. Astro Gold makes it easy to get charts, bi-wheels, and aspect grids on the run, fast and easy. It’s my go-to when I check the “chart of the day” on my iPad in the mornings.
At $25 for Android, $40 for your iPhone/iPad, this is a great addition to your mobile toolbox.
iPhemeris
iPhemeris is another easy charting app for iOS. The interface takes a little more patience to master, but it is a solid chart calculator and on-the-spot ephemeris for your mobile. The price points make iPhemeris apps attractive options.
Professional astrology software
Astro Gold ($$$ iOS version)
Astro Gold is relatively new. The scuttlebutt has it that programmers who used to work for Solar Fire are now working on this competing package for the Mac. I cannot hide my love for this software. Astro Gold has incorporated some of my favorite features from the old Io series from Time Cycles Research– and made them a lot more user-friendly, too.
Astrology Programs For Ipad
$230 gets you a full-featured copy for your Mac. Astro Gold is constantly improving and adding new features, making your software investment more valuable as time passes. Customer service is friendly and quick to respond to bug reports.
A potential drawback of Astro Gold is that some of the best features do not work on older Macs that cannot run the newest version of Mac OS. I cannot print transits lists from my 2010 iMac, and that’s a bummer.
Solar Fire ($$$, Windows)
Solar Fire is the only software I use for my professional work, and the only reason I still have a computer with a Windows operating system. It’s the deluxe toolkit. It has everything AND the kitchen sink when it comes to astrological tricks and techniques!! It’s also fully customizable– configure the settings and use the Page Designer to get just the chart you want.
If you struggle to work your computer, this may not be the right package for you. There is a learning curve with the Solar Fire interface. It’s not the most intuitive. Check out the online tutorials to see if it looks like something you can comfortably handle. Once you have the “lay of the land” and know your way around the software, it is pretty fast and easy to get what you want out of it.
Solar Fire’s $360 price tag may put it out of reach for astrologers who are on a limited budget. (But– keep your eye on it on Black Friday!)
Matrix/Cosmic Patterns ($$$, Windows)
Pegasus is a robust little entry-level astrology software package that I was able to preview at the 2019 NCGR conference in Baltimore. It almost looks perfect for students, but you might eventually want to upgrade. Their top-of-the-line package, Sirius, goes for $550 and has all the bells and whistles. But – I have heard mixed reviews and buyers’ remorse from Sirius users.
Matrix probably has the biggest and best selection of computer-interpreted chart reports. (Preview some here.) Of course, a live reading is so much better than a computer, but the reports are fun– and often enlightening.
More astrology software for Windows
There are scads of astrology software apps and programs available for the Windows platform, and many of them are free! I couldn’t even begin to review them all.
Luckily, someone else has done the hard work for us. If you dare go down the rabbit hole, check out Hank Friedman’s extensive astrology software reviews.
Are you an astrology software company looking for a review? Please leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you quickly.
What do you think? Did I miss a good one? Let me know in the comments.