Free Astrology Software

Minderwiz

Go to Lot of Fortune and make sure the second option is selected, that is giving a different calculation depending on whether it’s a diurnal (day) or nocturnal (night) chart.

May I ask what is the second option called?

I see Diurnal

The other check box is "Use whole-signs not degrees"

The option that is checked right now is diurnal.

Which program are you referring to. In the context of the thread, my initial guess was that you were referring to Starfisher. But on a re-read, I'm not sure that is so.

To speed things up, I'll respond in context and assume it's Starfisher, but if it is something else, such as Morinus, I'll respond when you tell me.

In Starfisher, you need to select Tools and then Settings. What you are after is the default bodies tab. That's where you can select planets and important points. You will see two entries for Part(sic) of Fortune.

One is simply called:

Part of Fortune and the other is called
Part of Fortune (diurnal)

The first changes the calculation depending on whether it is a day (diurnal) chart or a night (nocturnal) chart. The second only uses the day (diurnal) calculation, irrespective of whether it is a day or night chart.

The reason why there are two alternatives is that Ptolemy decided that it was simpler to just use the diurnal calculation, even though all his contempories, such as Vettius Valens used the calculation relevant to Sect (diurnal or nocturnal) and their practice, rather than Ptolemy's was passed on to Persian and Arab Astrologers.

In the later Medieval period there was a belief that the Parts were of Arabic origin (hence Arabic Parts) and this had two effects. Firstly they believed that the Arabs had perverted Astrology from its true form. As Ptolemy was their only real original source of Hellenistic Astrology, they started using his calculation. They also dropped most of the Parts because they were 'not original', as Ptolemy didn't use them.

Secondly, both Ptolemy's calculation (which was used by Lilly in Horary) and the name Arabic Parts were transmitted to Modern Astrology. So you will find many Modern Astrologers, using that calculation rather than the day/night version.

Only in the last twenty or so years have we discovered that the Lots were of Hellenistic origin and that Ptolemy was atypical of Hellenistic Astrologers. I use the day/night version (simply Part of Fortune in Starfisher) but if you don't want the calculation to change with the Sect of the chart, then use Part of Fortune (diurnal).

Virtually all software which calculates the Lot of Fortune offers both alternative ways of calculating it.
 

daphne

In the later Medieval period there was a belief that the Parts were of Arabic origin (hence Arabic Parts) and this had two effects. Firstly they believed that the Arabs had perverted Astrology from its true form. As Ptolemy was their only real original source of Hellenistic Astrology, they started using his calculation. They also dropped most of the Parts because they were 'not original', as Ptolemy didn't use them.

Secondly, both Ptolemy's calculation (which was used by Lilly in Horary) and the name Arabic Parts were transmitted to Modern Astrology. So you will find many Modern Astrologers, using that calculation rather than the day/night version.

Only in the last twenty or so years have we discovered that the Lots were of Hellenistic origin and that Ptolemy was atypical of Hellenistic Astrologers. I use the day/night version (simply Part of Fortune in Starfisher) but if you don't want the calculation to change with the Sect of the chart, then use Part of Fortune (diurnal).

Virtually all software which calculates the Lot of Fortune offers both alternative ways of calculating it.

Beautiful explanation, I read it with avid curiosity! You are a such a wealth of information.

I cannot go deep in astrology right now, maybe never, but I am left with a strong attraction to the subject. That is why I always read your posts with much pleasure, you have a gift of rendering complicated notions in simple and structured way.

I guess I just wanted to thank you so much for all your time and attention to details in your posts and let you know that you have at least one enthusiastic reader. Maybe someday you will write a book about astrology in your elegant and careful way, that for sure I would have the patience to read it.
 

CosmicBeing

Which program are you referring to. In the context of the thread, my initial guess was that you were referring to Starfisher. But on a re-read, I'm not sure that is so.

To speed things up, I'll respond in context and assume it's Starfisher, but if it is something else, such as Morinus, I'll respond when you tell me.

In Starfisher, you need to select Tools and then Settings. What you are after is the default bodies tab. That's where you can select planets and important points. You will see two entries for Part(sic) of Fortune.

One is simply called:

Part of Fortune and the other is called
Part of Fortune (diurnal)

The first changes the calculation depending on whether it is a day (diurnal) chart or a night (nocturnal) chart. The second only uses the day (diurnal) calculation, irrespective of whether it is a day or night chart.

The reason why there are two alternatives is that Ptolemy decided that it was simpler to just use the diurnal calculation, even though all his contempories, such as Vettius Valens used the calculation relevant to Sect (diurnal or nocturnal) and their practice, rather than Ptolemy's was passed on to Persian and Arab Astrologers.

In the later Medieval period there was a belief that the Parts were of Arabic origin (hence Arabic Parts) and this had two effects. Firstly they believed that the Arabs had perverted Astrology from its true form. As Ptolemy was their only real original source of Hellenistic Astrology, they started using his calculation. They also dropped most of the Parts because they were 'not original', as Ptolemy didn't use them.

Secondly, both Ptolemy's calculation (which was used by Lilly in Horary) and the name Arabic Parts were transmitted to Modern Astrology. So you will find many Modern Astrologers, using that calculation rather than the day/night version.

Only in the last twenty or so years have we discovered that the Lots were of Hellenistic origin and that Ptolemy was atypical of Hellenistic Astrologers. I use the day/night version (simply Part of Fortune in Starfisher) but if you don't want the calculation to change with the Sect of the chart, then use Part of Fortune (diurnal).

Virtually all software which calculates the Lot of Fortune offers both alternative ways of calculating it.

Thank you for the reply. I was talking about Morinus....but is starfisher better... If i comprehended your post correctly...Morinus doesn't have a noturnal. In the Morinus.. I didn't see a noturnal just a diurnal.

I think maybe I'll download the starfish one instead..
 

Minderwiz

Thank you for the reply. I was talking about Morinus....but is starfisher better... If i comprehended your post correctly...Morinus doesn't have a noturnal. In the Morinus.. I didn't see a noturnal just a diurnal.

I think maybe I'll download the starfish one instead..

It's horses for courses. For Traditional Astrology Morinus is much better and it does have a check box for diurnal or day/night calculations. What's more it allows you to add a whole host of other Lots (though to be honest twenty is the maximum I would suggest and you can do nicely on half a dozen.) It's unparalleled when it comes to Lots and entering your set.

I think, some time last year, or possibly 2014 I posted a set of lots that could be pasted into the settings, once you had downloaded the program.

But as I said in an earlier post, it's not one or the other. Both are free and together they give you a powerful set of features. Indeed Traditional Morinus, Full Morinus and Starfisher provide a very good set of free programs.
 

CosmicBeing

It's horses for courses. For Traditional Astrology Morinus is much better and it does have a check box for diurnal or day/night calculations. What's more it allows you to add a whole host of other Lots (though to be honest twenty is the maximum I would suggest and you can do nicely on half a dozen.) It's unparalleled when it comes to Lots and entering your set.

I think, some time last year, or possibly 2014 I posted a set of lots that could be pasted into the settings, once you had downloaded the program.

But as I said in an earlier post, it's not one or the other. Both are free and together they give you a powerful set of features. Indeed Traditional Morinus, Full Morinus and Starfisher provide a very good set of free programs.

Where can I find the check box for day/night calculations? I honestly only see diurnal and then another check box that says "use whole-signs not degrees"...I am looking under the lots... so i don't know what I am overlooking.. I can take a screen shot.
 

CosmicBeing

I figured it out.. I saw a post in this thread.. and The check box that is next to Diurnal automatically switches between diurnal and nocturnal base on the time/cast time of the chart.
 

angreese2013

No Better Ephemeris Software

I'm a fan of Morinus which, for an open-source program, is fantastic Value. Although I specialise in Celtic Astrology I aim to also deliver insight translated into the Western Zodiac system. I've found Morinus a fantastic tool to aid that process and would recommend it wholeheartedly.

The one thing I would say is that it does take a little getting used to so make sure and validate your knowledge by running some test calculations with known outcomes before letting it loose on your own material.
 

Minderwiz

The one thing I would say is that it does take a little getting used to so make sure and validate your knowledge by running some test calculations with known outcomes before letting it loose on your own material.

When I first used Morinus I did exactly that. I could not believe that a freebie program could deliver the accuracy of an expensive paid for program but it does! Any small discrepancies usually comes down to the geographical co-ordinates used for large cities.