Observing & Applying Timing Techniques
Annual Profection, Solar Return, Transits
Introduction
Hi, welcome to my thoughts on the past couple of years in my life. I feel like I’ve been in a slump creatively and spiritually for a while. In 2024, I found my spark again for astrology approximately two weeks after my birthday, entering my 2nd house profection year marking my 12th anniversary of when I found my true passion for astrology. This is my first post here so I am going to touch on a few topics, namely: annual profections, nodal and planetary transits, and solar return.
So that there is no confusion, I will explain some of the basics of each technique and share my thoughts on each technique.
Annual Profections
An instrumental technique to track and narrow in on what would be louder placements and planetary movements to more closely observe can be determined by a timing technique known as Annual Profection. This is a timing technique that has been brought down the traditions and brought back in the past 20-40 years during the revival and translation of ancient astrological texts.
The technique states that each of your placements is not of equal activation at all times throughout your life. Each year within your life is ruled by a specific planet signified by the domicile ruler of the sign which rules the house that is currently activated starting with your 1st house following zodiacal order (Brennan, 2017, p. 536-537). What this means is that starting from the moment you are born, you enter life into a 1st house profection year. At your first birthday your Ascendant, according to Annual Profection, advances to the next sign in zodiacal order, which then would take you to a 2nd house profection year. The name Annual Profection suggests that for each passing year of your life, you advance through your chart activating a new area and setting the tone for the year to come. In ancient Hellenistic practices, this technique was meant to determine what the most prominent planet would be for the chart holder any given year, terms commonly used for this planet would be Time Lord or Lord of the Year.
On its own this timing technique offers a lot of leg to stand on, especially considering how rich a single chart is to dissect and pick apart. However, Annual Profection to me comes alive in particular when you see it as a way of focusing your chart in combination with other timing techniques. This becomes increasingly more evident when you keep a chronology of what themes each year of your life presents so that when you then repeat a profected house, you’re able to compare and make some predictions of what might present itself to you.
When you’ve found your profected house and thus your time lord, pay attention to which house said time lord is placed in. The essential and accidental dignities of the planet will determine the foundational quality of that year, and wherever your time lord is placed the house significations will be imported to your profected house.
To illustrate, if the ascending sign of your chart is Leo and you are in a 5th house profection year, then count the 5th sign from Leo, taking us to Sagittarius, and look towards the ruler of Sagittarius. We know that Jupiter rules Sagittarius making Jupiter the time lord in a 5th house year in this instance. and in this scenario:
Jupiter is in Taurus
Taurus is the 10th sign from the ascendant
Let's analyse this further. Essentially, a year with this configuration would likely emphasize themes associated with the 5th house – such as love, children, creativity, sports, and sexuality. Since the lord is positioned in the 10th house, we should also consider career, public image, aspirations, and legal matters.
Therefore, we might envision scenarios such as your child receiving a significant promotion, a legal dispute arising over creative rights, or perhaps you may choose to become more open to finding love.
It is crucial to remember both the natal and transiting positions of the time lord. For instance, if your natal Jupiter resides in Taurus, the 10th house, this establishes the overall tone for the entire 5th house profection year. However, the position of transiting Jupiter is also significant. If it is located in Libra, your natal 3rd house, this provides more specific indications about potential occurrences. The natal position represents the broader context, while the transiting position pertains more to daily life – consider 3rd house themes such as acquiring new skills, working at your former school, or even obtaining a vehicle to facilitate creative endeavours.
Annual profection wheel with Leo as the Ascending sign.
Remember that each planet, excluding the Sun and Moon, governs two signs. Thus, it is necessary to identify the other sign ruled by your time lord to gain a comprehensive understanding. For example, a Jupiter-ruled 5th house year also activates Pisces and 8th house themes – encompassing matters such as death, rest, other people's finances, and occasionally taxes or inheritance – all intertwined with the 5th house matters.
Now this might seem like a lot to keep track of, and we’re still only using one technique! However, don’t fret, let us clean up the tracking here. The chart is in a 5th house profection year, so everything will almost always feel like they return back to the 5th house and its themes. The ruler of the 5th house, Jupiter, represents you or someone who strongly symbolises the 5th house in your chart. With Jupiter activated, both houses it governs are activated, meaning that the 8th house will be secondarily activated but will pass through the filter of the time lord (Jupiter) before coming back to the 5th house. How could this manifest? It could mean that if you have a child, you have to figure out parental leave from work. Or perhaps you’re going through legal and financial documents and applications for an art project. Taking into account that the transiting Jupiter is in the 3rd house, we could see themes of your child paying off a debt to be able to invest in their career, for example.
Consequently, if this hypothetical person were in an 8th house year with the same configuration, then everything would be flipped. The main focus would be on 8th house matters, and the 5th house would be more like the supporting character. Consulting authority figures for creative projects could be one manifestation.
Solar Return
Now the SR (Solar Return); once a year the sun returns back to the exact place it was at the moment of your birth, down the second. Each year, on the anniversary of your solar cycle’s rebirth you get a snapshot of the planetary and house configurations that set the tone for that year until the sun returns back to its position in your natal chart and the cycle starts over again.
Now, an SR chart fundamentally looks like a natal chart just that all the other planets move along on their individual cycles. So where might one start when examining your or someone else’s SR? Here are a few key considerations:
Always Keep the SR Rooted in the Nativity: Look at the configurations, house placements, aspects and degrees.
Repeat, Echo, Activate, Determine: Look for repetitions between your SR and your nativity. See whether you have a repetition of a planet in a sign or house in your SR that is similar to your nativity. An echo is similar to a repetition, just that here we are looking at the aspectual configuration or house configuration of planets and seeing whether we have a similar configuration in the SR. Activation has to do with an SR planet making a prominent aspect to a natal planet, activating that planet for the year. Then determine what seems relevant and what doesn’t, it is just as important to eliminate what doesn’t seem all too relevant vs what does, how might one do that? That’s where combining techniques becomes handy which we will discuss later.
Locate the Ascending Sign: Look at your ascendant in your natal chart, and where it falls in your SR. Similarly, look at the SR ascendant and see where it falls in your natal chart. Both will point towards areas in life that will be more apparent this year.
Locate the Moon: the SR moon tells us a great deal regarding our health, and our emotional experience of that year and she can also point towards how you view that year as a whole. Consider the lunar phase, its relation to the natal Moon and whether you’re having a lunar return coinciding with your SR.
There is a lot that can be said about SR, these are some of the main considerations that I make when I look at an SR chart but as for this specific case study, I am using the SR as a supporting technique used with other timing techniques.
Transits
Now comes the meat of the article. Have you got your hot drink and biscuits? This part is going to touch primarily on the transiting motion of the Lunar Nodes, also known as the North Node (NN, Rahu) and South Node (SN, Ketu), but also touching on some planetary transits and aspectual echoes. (I will primarily use the abbreviations “NN” and “SN” but might say “Rahu” and “Ketu” occasionally).
The Nodes of the Moon
What are the lunar nodes? Well, that depends on which school of Astrology you adhere to, some will say they are karmic points, the NN having to do with destiny and SN with past life and karma. According to the school that I follow and adhere to, speak of them a bit differently. There’s a great passage in the book Introduction to Traditional Astrology: Abu Ma’shar & al-Qabisi, translated and edited by Benjamin N. Dykes:
“[Abbr. IV 19-20] But according to the most ancient of the philosophers, the nature of the Head of the Dragon is increasing; indeed if it were a lucky [planet], it adds to the good; but if there were a malevolent star in it, [it adds] to the bad; but on the contrary, the Tail [is] decreasing what it finds. However, the Head [is] good with a good one, bad with a bad one. But the Tail [is] bad with a good one, good with a bad one.”
Later in the same chapter, they speak of how the NN is of the nature of Jupiter and Venus and the SN is of the nature of Saturn and Mars. This to me makes sense that wherever the NN is, the sign, and planets consequently, are being brought into bigger prominence, similar to the benefics, the NN allows and says “Yes” to wherever it is; while the SN, similar to the malefics, says “No” to wherever it is. But what does this mean for us on a more personal level? Glad [I asked for you] you asked!
The NN's presence intensifies the focus on a specific area. You may also notice that the planetary energies of the areas the NN transits over become more prominent. In the past 1.5 years, the NN has been transiting the sign Aries, depending on where that falls in your chart the house Aries covers would be brought into more focus; let’s say you have a Leo Ascendant, making Aries the 9th sign from the Ascendant and consequently ruling the 9th house. Rahu in the 9th house might give prominence to interacting with foreign people, travelling abroad, legal disputes, or religious and spiritual pursuits, putting these into focus. But what about Ketu? considering that Rahu and Ketu are bound by an eternal dance, always being in an exact 180° opposition from each other.
While Rahu is bringing focus to the 9th place, Ketu is diminishing and decreasing the relative importance of the 3rd place. A very straightforward way this could manifest is for instance that you spend a lot more time travelling away from home, perhaps you find yourself moving away from your neighbourhood to pursue higher studies, or perhaps you end up in a legal dispute where the focus is placed on external authorities and less on your own personal autonomy.
Planetary Transits: In Relation to the Lunar Nodes
Okay, so using the lunar nodes as our pivot point really helps narrow things down when we look at transits, right? We can focus on the houses they're moving through in your chart and the key time periods. For instance, when the nodes shifted into Aries and Libra, we knew we needed to pay close attention to their rulers, Mars and Venus, to get a richer picture of what the nodes were up to. It's also super useful to track the Sun and Moon during these times. Even though they travel steadily through the sky, we can pinpoint significant moments by seeing when they get close to the nodes – that's when our new and full moons turn into eclipses!
When the nodes switched signs from Taurus/Scorpio to Aries/Libra, the planets ruling them basically swap jobs, which causes a pretty big vibe shift astrologically. The North Node, which is all about increasing, emphasis, and where things are heading, starts taking on the flavour of the planet that used to rule the South Node. Meanwhile, the South Node, which tends to decrease focus and relate to the past, picks up the energy of the planet that was ruling the North Node.
This whole swap adds another layer to how we understand the nodes' journey. As they move along, they carry echoes of their previous rulers, in a way encouraging us to mix our past experiences with our future goals – it's all part of that ongoing karmic story, wouldn't you say?
Image depicting the fire on Rhodes in the summer of 2023
So, let's dive into what Mars and Venus were actually doing around the time the nodes moved into Aries/Libra on July 13th, 2023. If we look back, just ten days later – bam! – Venus stations retrograde in Leo on July 23rd, 2023. On that exact day, the Sun was hanging out at 29 Cancer, the Moon was at 27 Virgo, and Mars was at 7 Virgo. What's wild is that this means none of these planets could "see" Venus by sign – she was kind of hidden from view, aspect-wise.
With Venus stationing retrograde in Leo right after the nodes moved (making Venus the ruler of the South Node in Libra, and Mars in Virgo the ruler of the North Node in Aries), it's fascinating to look at what was happening in the world around that specific time. Let's check out some headlines from late July 2023 and see how they might echo these astrological themes, especially keeping in mind that Venus was doing her retrograde thing somewhat under the radar from the Sun, Moon, and Mars.
What Was Happening Around July 23rd, 2023?
British Gas Profits: News reports indicated that Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, achieved substantial half-year profits (£6.5bn). British Gas's earnings experienced a significant increase of nearly 900% to almost £1bn during a period when consumers faced considerable energy cost burdens.
Lionesses Inspire: Conversely, the England women's national football team commenced their World Cup campaign, generating considerable public enthusiasm and fostering community spirit. Their participation served as an inspiration, particularly to young girls, and highlighted advancements in women's athletics amidst historical sexism.
Rhodes Wildfires: Alarming reports emerged from Greece concerning large-scale evacuations on the island of Rhodes. Extensive wildfires, exacerbated by extreme temperatures and high winds, devastated residences and hotels, necessitating a prolonged and substantial emergency response operation.
Breivik Manifesto on Waterstones: Notably, the manifesto authored by far-right terrorist Anders Breivik was discovered listed for sale on the Waterstones retail website. Although subsequently removed, its appearance initiated public discourse regarding online content moderation policies and the accessibility of extremist materials.
Manipur Violence Exposed: Disturbing footage surfaced depicting Kuki women in Manipur, India, being subjected to public assault. Activist groups contended that this exposure brought to light the systematic utilization of sexual violence as a tactic within the region's ethnic conflict, frequently occurring with impunity.
Iranian Women's Defiance: The Iranian government announced the reinstatement of the "morality police" tasked with enforcing hijab regulations. Despite this, resolute women activists pledged to continue resistance efforts, particularly preceding the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, notwithstanding the heightened risks involved.
Confronting Blackface Legacy: Historian David Olusoga was preparing a documentary examining the pervasive history of blackface minstrelsy within Britain, exploring its role in propagating racism through entertainment mediums over an extended period and addressing the complex questions associated with confronting this detrimental historical legacy.
E.ON Prepayment Meter Ordeal: A distressing account detailed how a woman and her daughter were displaced from their social housing for several months. This situation arose because an E.ON prepayment meter incorrectly carried debt from a previous tenant, rendering heating unaffordable, and the utility company exhibited significant delays in rectifying the error.
What Was Happening Around July 23rd, 2023?
British Gas Profits: News reports indicated that Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, achieved substantial half-year profits (£6.5bn). British Gas's earnings experienced a significant increase of nearly 900% to almost £1bn during a period when consumers faced considerable energy cost burdens.
Lionesses Inspire: Conversely, the England women's national football team commenced their World Cup campaign, generating considerable public enthusiasm and fostering community spirit. Their participation served as an inspiration, particularly to young girls, and highlighted advancements in women's athletics amidst historical sexism.
Rhodes Wildfires: Alarming reports emerged from Greece concerning large-scale evacuations on the island of Rhodes. Extensive wildfires, exacerbated by extreme temperatures and high winds, devastated residences and hotels, necessitating a prolonged and substantial emergency response operation.
Breivik Manifesto on Waterstones: Notably, the manifesto authored by far-right terrorist Anders Breivik was discovered listed for sale on the Waterstones retail website. Although subsequently removed, its appearance initiated public discourse regarding online content moderation policies and the accessibility of extremist materials.
Manipur Violence Exposed: Disturbing footage surfaced depicting Kuki women in Manipur, India, being subjected to public assault. Activist groups contended that this exposure brought to light the systematic utilization of sexual violence as a tactic within the region's ethnic conflict, frequently occurring with impunity.
Iranian Women's Defiance: The Iranian government announced the reinstatement of the "morality police" tasked with enforcing hijab regulations. Despite this, resolute women activists pledged to continue resistance efforts, particularly preceding the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, notwithstanding the heightened risks involved.
Confronting Blackface Legacy: Historian David Olusoga was preparing a documentary examining the pervasive history of blackface minstrelsy within Britain, exploring its role in propagating racism through entertainment mediums over an extended period and addressing the complex questions associated with confronting this detrimental historical legacy.
E.ON Prepayment Meter Ordeal: A distressing account detailed how a woman and her daughter were displaced from their social housing for several months. This situation arose because an E.ON prepayment meter incorrectly carried debt from a previous tenant, rendering heating unaffordable, and the utility company exhibited significant delays in rectifying the error.
Thinking Astrologically:
Looking at all that happening around the Venus retrograde station in Leo really puts things into perspective:
Venus Retrograde in Leo ruling Libra SN – Reviewing Pride, Values, Justice, Relationships:
Pride & Performance: You definitely see the Leo pride shining with the Lionesses – such positive female achievement! But then there's the flip side: the huge British Gas profits felt like corporate pride or maybe greed getting a hard look. And things like the Breivik manifesto resurfacing or digging into blackface force a confrontation with really toxic ideas often tied to twisted pride and supremacy. It all seems to connect back to reviewing fairness from the past, fueled by that retrograde Venus in Leo.
Values, Finances & Justice: Fairness and money issues jump out in the British Gas and E.ON stories – corporate moves hitting everyday people hard. That feels like a classic Venus Rx theme: rethinking values and money, especially how big companies operate. The Libra South Node adds that feeling of fairness and balance being off-kilter or needing a release. The awful events in Manipur and the situation in Iran highlight deep injustice against women, pushing for a serious rethink of society's values. And the Blackface documentary is all about facing historical injustice and messed-up values.
Relationships & Women: Venus Rx often stirs the pot in relationships. The Lionesses created a wonderful female community. But the horrors in Manipur and the defiance in Iran show extreme threats to women's safety and rights – in a sense it shows the reversal of rights, which echoes the diminishing vibe of the SN and the backward motion of Venus Rx. The E.ON story also shows the strain on a personal mother-daughter relationship.
The Past: This combo really screams "deal with the past!" It's super clear in the Blackface doc. The E.ON problem came directly from a previous tenant's debt. Breivik's manifesto is a dangerous echo from the past. Iran bringing back the morality police is a literal return – that phrasing alone points strongly to the SN in Libra ruled by Venus Rx. And the Manipur violence, though current, taps into long-running historical tensions.
Mars in Virgo ruling Aries NN – Action on Crisis, Service, Details, Criticism:
Crisis & Health: The Rhodes wildfires were a huge crisis needing a very detailed emergency response, this very much speaks to Mars in Virgo. You could even say the Aries NN energy brought the fire, while Mars in Virgo handled the meticulous (and maybe critical?) response. The E.ON story was a personal crisis born from system failures.
Failed Service/Work: The E.ON and British Gas stories definitely put a spotlight on poor service or questionable ethics in how companies work. The Manipur reports suggested the violence was disturbingly systematic and pointed to failures in policing, sectors governed by Virgo and policing being associated with Mars.
Criticism & Analysis: Mars in Virgo doesn't isn’t necessarily known for holding back on criticism. You see it aimed at government inaction (Manipur), corporate greed/incompetence (E.ON, British Gas), weak content controls (Waterstones), historical racism (Blackface), and oppressive regimes (Iran).
The Path Forward: The Aries North Node pushes for action, maybe even confrontation. But with Mars in Virgo steering the ship, that energy gets channelled into tackling practical messes, handling crises, digging into details, analyzing things critically, or demanding better service. The needed action seems to involve getting hands dirty with the nitty-gritty details and problems.
Venus Unseen: Remember how Venus Rx couldn't be seen by the Sun, Moon, or Mars? Maybe that suggests these underlying issues of values, justice, and relationships being reviewed felt a bit hidden, or unsupported by immediate circumstances and government, disconnected from the masses, or difficult to act upon directly at that precise moment. Things were simmering just below the surface, waiting to boil over or demand that detailed Virgo-style work later on.
So, yeah, looking back, the news from late July 2023 really seems to paint this picture: a time for digging into past wrongs and current emergencies (Venus Rx ruling Libra SN), facing tough questions about pride and fairness (especially for women), while the way forward demanded dealing with practical, detailed, and often critical issues around how things work (or don't work!) in the world (Mars in Virgo ruling Aries NN).
Conclusion
Analysing the North Node in Aries and South Node in Libra period through Annual Profections, Solar Returns, and Transits has been enlightening. Examining late July 2023 events, around Venus's retrograde station, showed how astrological weather mirrored global happenings, from corporate ethics and social justice issues to personal crises and re-evaluating past actions. The interplay between Venus in Leo ruling the South Node and Mars in Virgo ruling the North Node highlighted a tension between reviewing values and taking practical, often critical, action.
Personally, this deep dive into astrological timing techniques has provided a framework for understanding my own experiences. As mentioned, I felt creatively and spiritually stagnant, but 2024 brought renewed inspiration, I regained my passion for astrology, coinciding with my 2nd house profection year. Applying these tools shows how the transits and returns were setting the stage for that shift.
This exploration demonstrates the power of each astrological technique. Each offers a piece of the puzzle, creating a comprehensive picture. Tracking Annual Profections identifies yearly themes, Solar Returns add nuance, and Transits, especially Lunar Nodes, provide context and timing for significant events. Astrology isn't just about predicting the future, but understanding life's cycles and patterns. Ultimately, it's about finding our spark, even after feeling lost.
This article is an introduction, a foundation. Examining techniques and nuances was key before deeper analysis. Future articles will share personal experiences, using these timing techniques to explore specific life periods and events, and present other research projects, illustrating these astrological tools' practical application and insightful potential.