Primary Directions in Western Astrology

Primary directions are an ancient predictive technique which was the mainstay of astrological forecasting for many centuries. In the hours after birth the sky continues to rotate around the earth (actually the earth rotates on its axis, causing the sky to appear to rise, culminate and set each day). As the changing positions of natal planets align with the natal positions of the points, planets and their aspects of the birth chart, "primary directions" form and can be used to forecast major events in one's life.

Primary directions are somewhat complicated to compute by hand, but with the advent of modern computer software they are staging a comeback. Such directions are very helpful in the rectification of birth charts. This presentation is an introduction to primaries for astrologers who are relatively unfamiliar with the method but would like to learn the basics and begin to apply such directions in their work. The main focus will be on the semi-arc method of Claudius Ptolemy, though Regiomontanus' method of implementing Ptolemy's ideas will also be discussed. Several case examples will be given to show how useful directions can be in astrological practice.