I found the accidental dignities very difficult to determine and very easy to make a mistake. Is there any software or app or website that makes islt for free?
It depends what you want. If you just want to identify the accidental dignities then there is free software that can do most of it, and you can complete the rest by inspecting the chart. If you want the scoring of accidental dignities used by Lilly or medieval Astrologers, then the answer is no - The best program for that is Janus and it costs $135 even at discount prices. I don't think Solar Fire will do it, certainly not straight out of the box.
But given the budget constraint the following steps will solve the problem:
1 Download or bookmark the table of accidental dignities at Skyscript:
http://www.skyscript.co.uk/dig5.html
2. Install Morinus Traditional version from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/tradmorinus/?source=typ_redirect
(this is the latest version but any freeware program is going to give you the information by inspection)
3 Cast your chart:
Lilly's table of accidental dignities gives the following:
House positions - these are numbered and easy to score using the table
Direct/Retrograde - Retrograde planets are marked Rx
Speed Morinus has a table of planetary speed (Tables/Speed). Unfortunately it only gives the actual speed and doesn't tell you whether the planet is fast or slow. You should judge the speed against the average for the planet. I've attached a sheet that I compiled sometime ago. It deals with the next issue as well.
Oriental/Occidental Basicially, oriental planets rise before the Sun and occidental planets set after the Sun (Lilly). This is easy for Mercury and Venus, as they are always near the Sun. So if they are behind it in the Zodiac (in an earlier degree or Sign) then they are oriental and if they are ahead of it in the Zodiac they are occidental. For Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (and indeed for the outers) Lilly says that they are oriental between the conjunction with the Sun and their Opposition. From the Opposition to the next Conjunction they are occidental (Lilly's Definition). As for the Mercury and Venus, Oriental is in an earlier degree or sign, Occidental is in a later degree or Sign.
Moon increasing/decreasing in light. That is from the New Moon to the Full Moon - the Moon is ahead in the Zodiac but not at the opposition. For decreasing in light the Moon is between the opposition and the New Moon, that is behind in the Zodiac. This might sound the opposite of the situation for the superior planets but the Moon is faster than the Sun, they are slower, so relative speed to the Sun defines the phase.
Free from Combustion/Sun's Beams This depends on the definitions used. Lilly takes Under the Beams to mean a planet is within 17 degrees of the Sun on either side. Lilly defines Combustion as a planet being within 8.5 degrees either side of the Sun
and in the same sign. Presumably if it is not in the same sign but within the range it is still under the beams,a as Lilly does not limit that by sign. Personally I could see no reason for insisting on the 'same sign' for combustion, it's not logical and I now use the Hellenistic definition which is a planet is under the beams if it is within 15 degrees of the Sun (either side). I don't bother with Combustion as such (though I might use the term LOL)
Cazimi or within the heart of the Sun. Lilly defines this as a conjunction with the Sun to within 17 minutes of a degree. Although he doesn't say so, it's likely that he means in the same degree - i.e. 8 degrees 55 minutes and 9 degrees 05 minutes would not count. I don't use this dignity now. Again it's a medieval innovation and I don't see any rationale for it.
Partile Conjunction Jupiter/Venus (good) and Mars/Saturn bad You can do this either by inspection or use Morinus' table of Aspects (from the table menu) This gives not only the aspect but also the separation of the two planets. Partile means in the same degree - so 8 degrees 15 for planet 1 and 8 degrees 58 for planet 2 is partile conjunction.
Partile Aspects:
Trines Jupiter and Venus
Oppositions Mars and Saturn
Sextiles Jupiter and Venus
Use Tables/Aspects to check the aspect and its separation.
Conjunction with Regulus and Spica (good) Algol (bad). Lilly allows 5 degrees for Algol but doesn't give any orb for Regulus or Spica. Morinus has a table of conjunctions with fixed stars Tables/Fixedstars conj). At the time of this post the Sun is conjunct Algol.