[PAGE 467]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
                                CHAPTER XXIII
                      DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
                           AND THE REASON FOR THEM
   Besides the physical world in which we live,  move and have our being  at
the present time, where sunshine and rain, storm and snow, heat and cold af-
fect our physical being in various ways,  a world of finer substance  perme-
ates the denser matter, and the forces indigenous to that realm impinge upon
our souls, as feelings, desires and emotions, because the soul is clothed in
substance from that world.   Mystics therefore call this realm in nature the
Desire World.  A still more subtle substance, an ocean of Thought,  pervades
both the Desire World and the Physical World, and as the mind is composed of
substance  from  that region,  it senses the waves of thought  generated  by
other spirits endowed with mind.
   Here  in the physical world,  Time and Space are prime factors of  exist-
ence,  but  in the Desire World distance is practically  eliminated  because
spirits  having dropped the mortal coil travel with the speed of  lightning,
and as spiritual sight pierces the densest substance,  light there is  never
obscured,  so there is no night, neither does heat and cold affect the soul,
hence there is no seasonal division either, to mark time as definitely as in
[PAGE 468]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
the  physical  world.   But nevertheless,  there is a  certain  sequence  of
events.   In soulflights from place to place on the globe,  we sense the na-
ture of intervening country in spite of speed,  but in the World of Thought,
to think of a place,  is to be there instanter, neither is there past or fu-
ture;  events are not separated by time, or places by space,  but all is one
eternal HERE and NOW.
   As  the science of Astrology is founded in cosmic fact,  there  are  also
three  stages in progression from incipient events in the World of  Thought,
to  accomplished facts in the Physical World,  and there are two methods  of
horoscopic  progression  pertaining to the finer realms besides  the  actual
movement of planets observable in the Heavens.
   Suppose  a pole billions of miles long stuck into the earth at the  Equa-
tor,  and at right angles to the poles,  then,  as the earth turns upon  its
axis,  the end of the pole would describe a circle in the heavens;  this the
Astronomers  call the "Celestial Equator,"  and the position of  a  heavenly
body  on this line is measured in degrees and minutes of "Right  Ascension,"
from  the  point where the sun crosses the equator at  the  vernal  equinox.
This axial rotation of the earth brings a new degree to the zenith,  or  Me-
ridian about every four minutes,  and by the rules of one system of progres-
sion we may calculate how many degrees of Right Ascension come to the Merid-
ian  position  from  birth  to  the  formation  of  a  certain  aspect.  The
[PAGE 469]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
intervening  degrees  are  then  converted  to time at the rate of 1  degree
equals 1 year.
   The other system of progression is founded upon the orbital revolution of
the earth,  but in this system the positions of the planets are expressed in
degrees of Longitude and measured on the ecliptic or Sun's path,  from Aries
0  degrees to Pisces 29.   The measure of time is the same as in the  system
first mentioned:   1 degree equals 1 year,  but there is this important dif-
ference,  that while the earth takes only 4 minutes to turn 1 degree upon it
axis, it requires 24 hours to move 1 degree in its orbit.
   Thus,  by one system of progression all the aspects that govern events in
a  life of 60 years would be formed in 60 times 4 minutes,  which  equals  4
hours or one-sixth part of a day.
   By  the other system,  formation of aspects for the same period  of  life
would require 60 days, or 2 months, or one-sixth part of a year.
   Thus coming events cast their shadows before,  but the shadows varies  in
length according to the exaltation of the sphere of life whence it is cast.
   From  the sublime height of the World of Thought,  where all things  have
their inception in the eternal, the progression of events in a life are sil-
houetted upon the screen of Time while the infant is still upon the  thresh-
old  of  birth,  but the shadow is so short,  1-360 part  of   a  day  being
equivalent to a year,  that an error of 4 minutes in the given time of birth
would throw predictions out a whole year.  Few people know their birth  hour
[PAGE 470]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
to  the minute,  therefore this systems of progression is of little use  and
little used.
   Shadows  of events projected from the denser Desire World are longer  and
more definite;  it does not require great delicacy or precision to calculate
progression  at the rate of 1-360 part of a year equal to 1 year.   By  this
method  an error of 2 hours in the given time of birth would only  cause  an
error of 1 month in predictions; this system therefore gives universal  sat-
isfaction,  and is most commonly used.   In the following pages we shall ex-
plain a simplified method of this system of prediction, whereby mathematical
calculation of events for a whole life may be performed in a few minutes  by
any intelligent child who can add and subtract.
                        THE ADJUSTED CALCULATION DATE
   When a child is born at 7 A.M.,  in New York,  and another at 6 A.M.,  in
Chicago, a third at 1 P.M., in Berlin, a fourth at 2 P.M., in St. Petersburg
and a fifth at 12 noon in London,  the Observatory clock at Greenwich  would
point to noon, at the exact moment when all these children were born,  hence
though  the clocks in their several birthplaces pointed to different  hours,
the Greenwich Mean Time of their births would be identical:--noon.   And  as
the planets' places in the ephemeris are calculated for Greenwich, noon,  it
would be unnecessary to make corrections; we should simply place each planet
[PAGE 471]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
in the natal horoscopes as tabulated in the ephemeris.   This would be  most
convenient,  but he saving of calculation in a natal horoscope where the  G.
M.  T.  is noon, fades into insignificance before the facility this gives in
progressing the planets for years subsequent to birth,  as required to  pre-
dict events,  for in natal horoscopes where the G. M. T.  is before or after
noon,  the places of the planets must be calculated for each year  just  the
same  as at birth.   We have evolved the following simple method  of  saving
this  calculation  and  of copying the progressed planets  direct  from  the
ephemeris into any horoscope.
                                  THEOREM I
   If the Greenwich Mean Time of birth was BEFORE noon,  it is evident  that
the  planets'  places in the ephemeris are calculated for a LATER  time  and
also that,  as they progress at the rate of a day (of 24 hours) for a  year,
they will reach the Longitude given in the ephemeris some day within a  year
after birth.
                                 THEOREM II
   If the G.  M.  T.  of birth was AFTER noon, it is plainly to be seen that
the  planets'  places in the ephemeris for the year of birth are  calculated
for  an EARLIER time than birth,  and that the position there  given  corre-
sponds to a certain day in the twelve-month BEFORE birth.
[PAGE 472]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
   Furthermore, if we can find the date in the twelve-month before birth, or
after as the case may be,  when the planets were in the degree and minute of
longitude  registered in the ephemeris,  we may use that date as a  starting
point of calculation instead of the birthday,  and as aspects formed  during
the  travel of the planets from the position given on any noon to  the  noon
next following, indicate events in the corresponding year of life,  the same
starting date may be used for any year.  Therefore,  once that adjusted cal-
culation  date  has  been found,  no further  calculations  is  required  to
progress the planets in that horoscope;  they may be simply copied from  the
ephemeris.   It  is only necessary to bear in mind that the  horoscope  thus
erected does NOT apply to the year FROM BIRTHDAY TO BIRTHDAY,  but from  the
adjusted  calculation date of one year to the same date of the next.   There
are  two methods of finding this date; the first is the more  difficult  and
not  so accurate,  but it shows the philosphy of the correction better  than
the second method, and we therefore give examples of both.
   We will use the figure No.  26 (Medical Astrology Section),  which is the
horoscope of a man who died of hemorrhages in June, 1918,  to illustrate how
the  adjusted calculation date is found, but defer description of  the  case
and its crises.  The man was born April 24, 1884, Longitude 95 W.,  Latitude
42 N.,  at 2 P.M., True Local Time.  We first find the G. M. T. by adding to
the local time of birth 4 minutes for each degree the birthplace is west  of
Greenwich.
[PAGE 473]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
True local time of birth, April 24......................2:00 P.M.
Correction for 95 degrees W. Long.......................6:20
                                                        -----------
Greenwich Mean Time of birth April 24...................8:20 P.M.
   In compliance with Theorem II, we subtract from the birthdate,  April 24,
a correction of 8 hours and 20 minutes which the G. M. T. is past noon.  The
measure of time used in this system is as follows:
         24 hours correspond to 12 months.
          2 hours correspond to 1 month.
          1 hour corresponds to 15 days.
          4 minutes correspond to 1 day.
According to this scale we subtract
from....................................................April 24, 1884
Correction for 8 hours--4 months
Correction for 20 minutes--5 days
                                                      --4 months, 5 days
                                                     ----------------------
Adjusted Calculation Date...............................December 19, 1883
   We may,  however, find the Adjusted Calculation Date much more accurately
and with less labor by the following fourfold rule:
                                    RULE
   (1)   Find the interval from G. M. T. to the FOLLOWING noon.
[PAGE 474]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
   (2)    To this interval add the Sidereal Time for Greenwich noon  on  the
birthday,  as given in the ephemeris.  The sum of these is the Sidereal Time
of the Adjusted Calculation Date.
   (3)   When the G. M. T. at birth is A. M. of the birthday,  or P.  M.  of
the preceding day,  COUNT FORWARDS in the ephemeris till you find a day hav-
ing the required S. T.; that is the Adjusted Calculation Date.
   (4)   When the G. M. T. at birth is P. M. of the birthday or A. M. of the
succeeding day READ BACKWARDS in the ephemeris till you find the day  having
the required S. T. which designates it as the Adjusted Calculation Date.
   We shall use the same example as before to demonstrate this method.
   Section 1 directs us to find the interval between G. M.  T.  and the fol-
lowing noon.   Please observe this, the FOLLOWING noon, for all depends upon
this being accurately understood.
From.................................................April 25, 12:00 NOON
Subtract G. M. T.....................................April 24.  8:20 P.M.
Interval from G. M. T. to next Noon, 15 hrs. 40 min.
   By Section 2 of Rule:
Add S. T. of birthday
   as given in ephemeris....................................2 hrs. 11 min.
S. T. of Adjusted Calculation Date..........................17 hrs. 51 min.
[PAGE 475]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
   By Section 4 of Rule:
   As G.M.T. is P.M. we read backwards in the column of the ephemeris giving
S.T.,  until we come to Dec. 19, 1883.  On that day the S.T. is 17 hrs.,  51
min., and the A.C.D. is therefore Dec. 19, 1883.
   Thus,  by both methods we have arrived at identical results,  but  slight
discrepancies may appear in using the proportional method because that makes
no allowances for long and short months,  hence the method last demonstrated
is  more accurate as well as easier.   If this man had been born  two  hours
later,  the  Adjusted Calculation Date would have been  November  19,  1883.
Where children are born LATE in the year and EARLY in the morning,  the  Ad-
justed  Calculation Date may run into January or February of the next  year.
IT  IS  THEREFORE VERY IMPORTANT TO STATE THE ADJUSTED CALCULATION  DATE  BY
YEAR also, in this case December 19, 1883.
   Now,  that we have arrived at the point where we are to make use  of  our
A.C.D.  to progress the man's horoscope and show how accurately it marks the
crises,  the  first application of the date to the horoscope  is  a  crucial
point,  and the student is earnestly warned to overlook no word in  our  de-
scription so that he may acquire understanding of the principle.   Once hav-
ing grasped the point, an immense amount of labor will be saved,  so it will
pay to follow our instructions to the letter.
   Write  in  the margin of your ephemeris for 1884  opposite  the  birthday
(April 24), December 19, 1883.  Opposite April 25 write December 19, 1884.
[PAGE 476]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
Opposite April 26 write December 19, 1885, and so on, as shown below.  Every
day  after birth corresponds to a certain year of life which starts  on  the
day written in the margin, and the planets in line with any A.C.D.  indicate
the events for twelve months from that date.
Dec. 19, 1883....Apr. 24               Dec. 19, 1897....May  8
Dec. 19, 1884....Apr. 25               Dec. 19, 1907....May 18
Dec. 19, 1885....Apr. 26               Dec. 19, 1916....May 27
Dec. 19, 1886....Apr. 27               Dec. 19, 1917....May 28
Dec. 19, 1887....Apr. 28               Dec. 19, 1918....May 29
   The  motion  of the Sun and planets from day to day is slow,  and  as  we
count a day for a year,  we may liken their progression to the short hand on
the clock of destiny:  they indicate the year when a certain condition shown
in  the natal horoscope has ripened,  and is ready to manifest as an  event.
The  swift moving Moon is the long hand;  it marks the months  when  aspects
culminate  in events.   Therefore we divide its motion during the year  com-
mencing with any adjusted calculation date, by 12, but for rough figuring we
may  consider  the Moon's travel in the progressed horoscope  one  degree  a
month.
   Planetary  aspects alone do not operate, however;  an aspect of the  pro-
gressed  Moon or a New Moon is required to focus the hidden forces.   There-
fore crises shown by the planets are sometimes retarded beyond the time when
the aspect culminated and we may think we have safely escaped, but the first
[PAGE 477]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
aspect of the Moon which excites it will prove that "though the mills of the
gods grind slowly,  they grind exceeding fine."   The finer forces lose none
of their intensity by lying latent in Nature's lock-box of events.
    Now  let  us see how the planets worked in the horoscope  we  have  just
given.   In the year 1915 we find the progressed Sun,  the  life-giver,  had
reached the conjunction of the Midheaven,  Gemini 5-0.   The New Moon on May
2, 1916 fell in Taurus 11-44, square to the radical Mars; on the 31st of May
the second New Moon was in Gemini 9-40 in conjunction with the radical  Sat-
urn  in the M.C.,  which latter had been obstructing the capillaries of  the
lungs;  thus hemorrhages resulted.  At this time the young man,  who had be-
come  a very efficient astrologer,  began to realize that he was entering  a
critical period and did all possible to overcome its influence.   But a suc-
cession of lunations during the year 1916 afflicted his Midheaven and Saturn
by square and opposition in the sign ruling the lungs,  Gemini,  made a con-
stant struggle necessary.  With the negative sign of Virgo on the Ascendant,
with Uranus in the First House square to Venus in Gemini,  and with  Jupiter
afflicted by a square of the Moon, both the venous and arterial circulations
were restricted,  preventing deep breathing and complete oxygenation of  the
blood in the lungs.
   In the Spring of 1918 this young man, after consulting his own horoscope,
unfortunately made up his mind that he  would pass out on a certain day, and
[PAGE 478]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
made  all necessary arrangements for his funeral.   This state of  mind  was
very dangerous to one in his weakened condition and to one with his negative
Ascendant.   He precipitated the crisis even before its normal time,  as  we
will show.
   We will now proceed to find what brought about the crises that terminated
the life on June 1,  1918.   We first find where the progressed planets were
at  that time.   We take the date May 28,  1884 for the places of  the  pro-
gressed planets on the Adjusted Calculation Date,  Dec.  19,  1917.   We now
progress the Sun and Moon 5 1-2 months beyond this date to June 1, 1918.  If
we  subtract the Moon's longitude on a given day from its place on the  fol-
lowing  day,  the difference is its motion during the 24 hours  intervening,
which corresponds to a year of life in progression.   Division of this by 12
gives us the rate of its monthly travel.
Moon's place on A.C.D. Dec. 19, 1917,
   (May 28 in ephemeris for 1884)...Cancer 27.11
Moon's place on A.C.D. Dec. 19, 1918,
   (May 29 in ephemeris for 1884)...Leo    11.14
                                   ____________
Moon's travel by progression from Dec. 19, 1917 to
Dec. 19, 1918 ............................  14.03
   Dividing 14 degrees 3 minutes by 12 gives the Moon's monthly travel as  1
degree 10 minutes.   This we add to its place for each month as shown in the
following table:
[PAGE 479]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
Dec. 19, 1917 CANCER...27.11                        Mar. 19, 1918 LEO...0.41
Jan. 19, 1918 CANCER...28.21                        Apr. 19, 1918 LEO...1.51
Feb. 19, 1918 CANCER...29.31                        May  19, 1918 LEO...3.01
   As we see above, the progressed Moon was in Leo 3.01 on May 19, 1918, and
as it moves 1 degree 10 min.  per month, in the 13 days to June 1st it would
travel  0 degrees 29 min.,  reaching Leo 3.30,  and making a square  to  the
radical Sun.
   On Dec.  19, 1917, the progressed Sun was in Gemini 7.29.   We count for-
ward from Dec.  19th to June 1, 1918, 5 1-2 months,  and as the Sun moves 58
minutes per year, making 5 minutes per month, in 5 1-2 months the progressed
Sun would arrive at Gemini 7.56, conjunction to Saturn.
   The  New Moon on May 10,  1918 fell in Taurus 19.00,  conjunction to  the
radical  Neptune.   This was the day the young man had chosen as the day  of
his death,  but the crisis was not reached until the transiting Sun  reached
the  conjunction  of Saturn in Gemini 8.33, the night of May 30th.   At  the
same  time Saturn was transiting conjunction to radical Mars and  square  to
radical  Sun,  depleting the vitality,  and the transiting Moon and  Neptune
were square to the radical Sun.   All this was too much for him to endure in
his weakened condition and he began to sink.   June 1st when the  transiting
Moon reached the square to Saturn and the Midheaven,  and the opposition  to
the Ascendant, he passed into the great beyond.
[PAGE 480]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
   Thus we see that we cannot base judgment upon merely one affliction.   We
must look to the progressed planets, the strong transiting planets, and par-
ticularly to the New Moon to excite a natal affliction.
                          PROGRESSION OF THE ANGLES
   Besides  the progression of planets which we trust has been  sufficiently
elucidated, we must also note a similar forward movement of the houses,  but
these must be calculated by the same method as when casting a natal  figure,
save that we use the Sidereal Time for the day which corresponds to the year
for which we wish to progress the horoscope.  In relation to the man's horo-
scope we have studied,  the critical year was 1918, and May 28 in the ephem-
eris  for  1884 corresponds.   We bear in mind that birth occurred  at  2:00
P.M.,  True Local Time,  in Lat. 42 N., Long.  95 W.,  for these factors are
used  in placing the degrees on the houses just as in the natal  chart;  the
only change is using the S.T. of the progressed birth day.
S.T. at noon previous to progressed birthday, 1918    H.   M.   S.
(see ephemeris for 1884, May 28)......................4    25    0
Correction of 10 seconds for each 15 deg.
birthplace is West of Greenwich.......................0     1    3
Interval from previous noon to birth..................2     0    0
Correction of 10 secs. per hr. of interval............0     0   20
                                                    ----  ---- ----
Sidereal Time of progressed birth.....................6    26   23
[PAGE 481]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
   With this S.T.  we turn to the Tables of Houses for the Latitude of birth
place,  and erect a horoscope with twelve Houses in the usual manner; we may
further insert the planets'  places on the A.C.D.  for 1918,  then we  shall
have a complete separate horoscope for the year,  which we may compare  with
the natal chart.   Some Astrologers use that method,  but we advise another,
which  we think facilitates comparison and judgment of aspects  between  the
natal and progressed position of the planets in a degree unattainable by any
other system; it is illustrated in the various figures used in this book.
   We  write  the natal chart in ink, as that is unchanged during  life;  we
also draw a large circle outside it,  to contain the progressed position  of
the  planets.   These and the houses we write in their  proper  places,  but
lightly,  and with pencil,  so that they may be easily erased and the  horo-
scope erected for another year without the necessity of rewriting the  natal
chart.
   But no matter how placed, two full horoscopes with 24 houses, 18 planets,
a couple of dragons'  heads, each with its respective "tail,"  and two Parts
of Fortune, make quite a maze, and if the full galaxy of aspects,  including
biquintiles,  sesquiquadrates and other highsounding nonsensicals are to  be
figured  out the astrologer will surely so lose himself in the  mathematical
labyrinth  that he will be unable to read a syllable of the message  of  the
stars.  During the first year of his astrological study,  one of the writers
[PAGE 482]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
being originally of a mathematical turn, had the habit of constructing  fig-
ures,  and tables of aspects,  so fearfully and wonderfully made  that  they
beat  the proverbial "Chinese puzzle;" they were veritable "Gordian  Knots,"
and  the destiny of a human being was so tangled in each,  that neither  the
writer who had concocted the abomination, nor anyone else could ever hope to
disentangle the poor soul involved.   May he be forgiven;  he has mended his
ways,  and is now just as zealous to eliminate all non-essentials  from  the
horoscope,  but having been enmeshed in the maze of mathematics, his experi-
ence should serve as a warning.  Our minds, at best,  are but feeble instru-
ments to fathom fate and surely we shall have the greatest chance of success
by applying our science to the most important facts,  and these are  usually
the simplest.
   If this be granted,  the question presents itself:   What are the  essen-
tials  and  what may be eliminated with advantage to  clear  the  progressed
horoscope of useless, befogging elements?
   First,  with regard to the progressed houses,  only two vital points pro-
duce results when aspected:   the Midheaven,  which is spiritual in  nature,
and the Ascendant,  which is a significator in material matters.   We  shall
treat that subject later;  for the present we confine ourselves to the argu-
ment  that  it will facilitate judgment of the progressed  horoscope  if  we
leave the ten unessential cusps out,  and draw two dotted lines with  pencil
to mark the progressed Midheaven and Ascendant.
[PAGE 483]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
   In the second place,  the student may readily convince himself by looking
through  the columns of any ephemeris, that the motion of  Neptune,  Uranus,
Saturn and Jupiter,  during the two months which represent progression for a
life of 60 years,  is so slow that they seldom form an aspect not registered
in the natal chart.  In rare cases where an important aspect is formed,  the
fact is easily seen, and the planet should then be entered in the outer ring
of the progressed horoscope, but in the great majority of cases it is better
to leave these planets out,  and enter only the progressed positions of  the
Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus and Mercury.
   In conclusion of our treatment of the method of Progression,  two  impor-
tant  points must be mentioned:   The Midheaven at a given Sidereal Time  is
the same for all Latitudes, so that two children born at the same S.T. would
have  the same sign and degree on the M.C.,  but if one were born in  Alaska
and the other in Mexico, the Asc. would vary much and change the grouping of
planets in the houses very considerably, with the further result that  plan-
ets which influence the First House affairs in one horoscope affect  Twelfth
House matters in the other,  etc.   Thus the lives of these people would  be
very different.
   The same argument applies to the progressed horoscope of a person travel-
ing  North or South from his birthplace.   His progressed M.C.  remains  un-
changed,  but he receives the forces from a different ascending figure,  ac-
cording to the  Latitude  where  he  resides,  and  the  grouping of planets
[PAGE 484]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
relative to the progressed Ascendant varies accordingly.  As examples we may
state that both writers have left their birthplace; one traveled 2,000 miles
West,  but is close to the same Latitude as her birthplace,  hence both  her
M.C. and Asc. are the same as if she had remained in her native city.
   The  other writer was born in Latitude 56 N.,  and now lives in  Latitude
32.   Had he remained in the far North,  his progressed Ascendant  would  in
(1912) be Virgo 6, exactly conjunction to Mars' place at birth,  but the As-
cendant of his new home is Virgo 0 degrees, and in this latitude he will not
feel the effect of the Mars ray for a number of years.
   The  other  important  point we had in mind is  the  necessity  of  being
definite  in  regard to the year for which we progress.   Perhaps  a  person
tells  us that a certain event occurred when he was 26,  and another in  his
50th year.   Such statements are ambiguous, and give no safe working  basis.
The  Astrologer may go home and do an immense amount of work to no use,  be-
cause he thought the person meant that one event occurred when he,  the per-
son,  was between 26 and 27 years of age,  and a later consultation  reveals
that he meant the year between his 25th and 26th birthdays.   Pin them  down
to the year,  1850, 1900, or whatever it may be, but never accept a person's
age as a starting point.
   On  the same principle,  never predict that an event will happen  when  a
person is so and so old; that also is ambiguous and gives  them no satisfac-
[PAGE 485]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
tion;  give the year and month; never hedge; never predict anything of which
you  are in doubt;  when you are satisfied a prediction is justified,  speak
fearlessly,  BUT TACTFULLY;  believe in the stars,  and the stars will fully
justify your faith.
                            SOME IMPORTANT POINTS
   When  judging the effects of directions it is of the greatest  importance
to bear in mine the tenor of the nativity,  for even weak aspects which  are
in  harmony with the tendencies foreshown in the natal figure will  be  much
more  active than a strong aspect which is contrary to the  radical  indica-
tions.   Supposing, for instance, that there are strong testimonies of sick-
ness and accident, as Mars in Sagittarius in the Midheaven square the Sun in
Pisces  in the Twelfth House and square Saturn in Virgo in the Sixth  House;
then  the progression of Mars to square of the radical Ascendant  would  un-
doubtedly precipitate an accident or a fever of a serious nature, but if the
Sun  were trine Mars and Jupiter the effect of Mars square  Ascendant  would
produce little if any discomfort.   Similarly with all the other directions,
and  if the student neglects to take into consideration  this  all-important
point,  he is likely sometime to make a great mistake and wonder why a seem-
ingly powerful direction produced no result in one case,  while in another a
very  weak  aspect  had  such  a  far-reaching  effect.  Aspects between two
[PAGE 486]                                          THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS
progressed planets are unimportant.
   Another important point to remember is that aspects of the progressed  to
the radical planets operate in proportion to the power of the radical planet
in the nativity.  Let us suppose, for illustration, that in a certain figure
the Sun is elevated in Leo and aspected to a number of the other planets--it
matters  not  whether  the  aspects are good or bad  so  long  as  they  are
close--then even a weak aspect from a progressed planet to the Sun will have
a marked result.   On the other hand, if the Sun in that horoscope  received
no aspect, or only one or two weak ones, then even a strong aspect of a pro-
gressed planet would have little effect.
   It should also be noted that a good aspect from a progressed planet to  a
planet  that  is much afflicted in the nativity would produce small  if  any
benefit.   In short,  and to sum up,  progressed aspects operate only in the
measure  that  they are in harmony with the trend of the  nativity  and  the
planet wherewith they are blending.
   The third important point to remember when judging the effects of  direc-
tions  is that an aspect from a progressed to a radical planet is  never  in
itself  sufficient  to produce results;  a harmonious aspect from  the  pro-
gressed Moon or a lunation is absolutely essential to bring the tendency  to
fruition.   That is to say, if the progressed Sun comes to square of radical
Saturn, a sextile or trine aspect of the  progressed  Moon  or of a lunation
[PAGE 487]                                  DIFFERENT METHODS OF PROGRESSION
will pass unnoticed; no effect will be felt until either the progressed Moon
or a lunation comes into conjunction,  square,  or opposition to Sun or Sat-
urn,  and vice-versa,  if the progressed Sun comes to a trine of the radical
Jupiter a square or opposition of the Moon will not affect it,  it must wait
for a sextile or trine.  For this reason directions are sometimes delayed in
their action beyond the time of their culmination,  and at other times  they
are somewhat hastened because a lunar aspect of the requisite nature  occurs
slightly  in  advance of the time when the aspects of the planets  are  com-
plete.
   It also happens that in cases where the event indicated by an aspect  in-
volves two people the aspects of the planets by progression may be  complete
in one person's horoscope and fertilized by a harmonious aspect without pro-
ducing a result,  because the aspect in the other person's horoscope has not
yet matured.   In this connection we remember the horoscope of a lady  whose
Venus was placed in the Eighth House showing a late marriage.   In her  45th
year the progressed Sun reached conjunction Venus but neither engagement nor
marriage resulted; then the Sun and Venus came into conjunction in the horo-
scope of a gentleman of her acquaintance bringing an engagement quickly fol-
lowed  by marriage.   Thus one had waited for the other,  and unless such  a
contingency  is  taken into consideration the astrologer is most  liable  to
meet his Waterloo when forecasting events.