The horoscope or radical chart is a picture of the heavens at the moment of birth, showing the celestial bodies in their relation to each other and the zodiac, and indicating the path of life of the incoming Ego according to its self-generated destiny from past lives and experiences. The child is immersed in an atmosphere charged with the stellar vibrations peculiar to that moment; these are stamped upon each atom of its sensitive organism by the air inhaled with the first breath.

   Time does not stand still, and the planets do not remain stationary. While the birth chart indicates the tendencies, traits, and potential character of the infant, the "progressions" for the coming years indicate growth and change in the native and his environment.

   The progressed positions of the planets are called "directions"; they mark the time in life when changes are due to occur. There are two kinds of directions, primary and secondary. Primary directions are formed between the progressed planets and their original positions in the birth chart. Secondary directions are formed by the progression of the Moon to aspects with the planets, particularly the radical.

   The secondary aspects are of vital importance for unless the primary directions are supported by aspects of a similar nature from the progressed Moon, or unless there is an aspect from a New Moon, they are not effective.

   The "progressed years" correspond to the number of days after birth. Every day in the Ephemeris subsequent to the birthday tells of the progressed conditions of the corresponding year of life. For instance, the primary positions 25 days after the birthday indicate the conditions of life at 25 years of age.

   The old accepted method of progression was to calculate a new chart for every year of life in the same way used in making the birth chart, only substituting the Sidereal Time and planetary positions of the particular year (day) wanted. This is very cumbersome and entirely unnecessary, so we use Max Heindel's simple method, which is called "the Adjusted Calculation Date."

   This permanent A.C.D. date, used throughout life, is the starting point of directions instead of the birthday. It enables us to copy the noon positions of the planets straight from the Ephemeris for whatever year is wanted without making any more detailed calculations. Please study attentively chapters 22 and 23 in The Message of the Stars beginning here » ("Fate or Free Will.")

   To reiterate: the progressed years always start on the Adjusted Calculation Date and not the birthday. An exception is when a person is born at such a time that the Greenwich Mean Time will be Noon.

   Suppose the birthday is May 12th and the Adj. Calc. Date found is March 24th. Then the progressions always start on March 24th every year. Study closely "The Message of the Stars."

   The basis for finding this Date is always the G.M.T. of birth. Quoting from "The Message of the Stars":

  I. If the Greenwich Mean Time of birth is before noon, the planets' place in the Ephemeris are calculated for a later time, and 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.

  II. If the G.M.T. of birth is after noon, the planets' places in the Ephermeris for the year of birth are calculated for an earlier time than birth, and the positions there given correspond to a certain day in the twelve-month before birth.

   (1) Find the interval from G.M.T. to the following noon.

   (2) To this interval add the Sidereal Time for Greenwich noon on the birth day 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 (this may happen in east Longitude), count forward in the Ephermeris till you find a day having the required S.T; that date is the Adj. Calc. Date.

   (4) When the G.M.T. at birth is P.M. on the birthday, or A.M. of the succeeding day, read backward in the Ephemeris till you find the day having the required S.T.; that date is the Adj. Calc. Date.

   We will now proceed to find the Adjusted Calculation Date for our practice chart of July 4th, 1932, 2:15 A.M., Lat. 34 N. Long 118 W. The G.M.T. is 10:15 A.M.

   As our G.M.T. is A.M. on the birthday we go forward from July 4 and find the nearest S.T. to be that of July 30, which is the Adj. Calc. Date.

   Having once found this date we use it for the whole life. But remember the Adj. Calc. Date has nothing whatever to do with that date in the Ephemeris. It means that the noon positions of the planets any day after birth are the progressed positions of the planets for the Adj. Calc. Date, which thus begins the native's progressed year instead of at the birthday. In the present case this is July 30th instead of July 4th. To help in understanding this better we mark in the margins of the Ephemeris as follows, using a day for a progressed year:

   Let us suppose that the G.M.T. is 1:45 P.M.

   Looking backward in the Ephemeris from birthday to a day having this required S.T. we get June 7th as the Adj. Calc. Date. This will be the correct A.C.D.

   Going back in Ephermeris to a day having this required S.T., we find it to be April 23, 1932.

   Looking forward in the ephemeris we find this to correspond to February 3, 1933, which is the exact Adj. Calc. Date.

   In such a case we must mark our ephemeris thus:

   Going backward in the Ephemeris we find the required day to be Aug. 19, 1931, which will be the true Adj. Calc. Date.

   When children are born early or late in the year, the A.C.D. may come into the year before or the year after the birth year, so it is very important to state the Adj. Calc. Date by year as well as month and day. And when the G.M.T. is close to midnight, there will be nearly 6 months difference between the birthday and the Adj. Calc. Date.

   The last example we mark thus in the Ephemeris:

   It is essential to have the correct Adj. Calc. Date and year, for this is the starting point from which we prognosticate probable conditions in coming years of life.

   There is a second method known as Time Correspondence, and it might be of benefit for the student to familiarize himself with it, as it provides a quick method of reckoning the A.C.D. But as it is not always accurate, we do not show it, rather referring the student to The Message of the Stars, for full instructions.

  (You are welcome to e-mail your answers and/or comments to us. Please be sure to include the course name and Independent Study Module number in your e-mail to us. Or, you are also welcome to use the answer form below. You will find the answers to the questions below in the next Astrology Independent Study Module.)

1. What is meant by the Adjusted Calculation Date?

2. How do we use it?

3. How do we find such a date?

4. If the G.M.T. is 12:59 P.M., July 4, 1932, what is the A.C.D.?

5. If the G.M.T. is 12:59 A.M., July 4, 1932, what is the A.C.D.?

6. Give the Adj. Calc. Date for the next 3 problems.

  (a) G.M.T. 8:26 A.M., May 14, 1932.

  (b) G.M.T. 3:20 P.M., January 9, 1932.

  (c) G.M.T. 5:14 A.M., December 24, 1932.

1. Pisces on the 11th house cusp indicates limitation in having hopes, wishes, and aspirations realized. As Neptune, ruler of this house basically represents superphysical entities of all degrees, and, as it signifies delusions, chaotic mental conditions and confusion from the material standpoint, the boy's worldly hopes will often be thwarted. Spiritualizing his aspirations will be his safeguard. Neptune sextile the Sun intensifies his higher vibrations and makes him peculiarly sensitive to the echoes from the heaven world. Therefore, with his fertile imagination and deep emotion (Neptune sextile Venus), he will do well to aspire high in life. If his aspirations are low he will meet many obstacles and disappointments. There is danger of psychism, mediumship, atheism, and if conditions are not carefully watched and controlled, discarnate entities may take hold of him and force him to go to any extreme to gratify his impulsive and lawless desires and wishes (Neptune square Mars).

2. Having an independent, original, and ambitious nature, coupled with an impulsive, abrupt, and headstrong manner (Uranus in Aries), he will arouse resentment and opposition all through life; and such conditions indicate loss of reputation, estrangement from kin and friends, and never-ending haunting fear of impending disaster (Uranus in 12th house), which, if he fails to curb his impetuosity, will undoubtedly materialize. Uranus square the Moon tends to augment the foregoing, inasmuch as it makes him erratic, overbearing, with desires for clandestine attachments which will always result in trouble and sorrow. On the other hand Uranus trine Jupiter will come to his assistance in that it will enable him to realize his broad, humane, and benevolent tendencies, and force him to develop his innate finer qualities of honesty and sincerity; the desire for the better and higher things of life will possess his soul if he will but allow it entrance.

3. Jupiter posited in the 4th house is excellent for all conditions in later life. The boy will accumulate money, probably inherit a legacy from his parents, and will end his days among friends. Old age prosperity is also promised by Jupiter trine Uranus, and this aspect and promise are augmented by Jupiter parallel the M. C. These configurations, together with Neptune in the 4th house will bring him into contact with spiritual science, and enable him to develop his spiritual faculties (Neptune sextile the Sun). Occult philosophy and religion will also play their parts in his later years (Neptune in the 4th house), but there is danger of their misuse due to an irascible and fanatical nature (Neptune square Mars); therefore he will constantly have to exert else restraint; physically, morally, mentally, and spiritually. Neptune sextile Venus will be an aid in this respect.

4. (a) Because Sagittarius is on the cusp of the 8th house and Jupiter ruler thereof, a peaceful death is indicated, although it may be sudden and unexpected, due to the fact that Jupiter is in aspect to Uranus.

   (b) There are excellent significations that the native will endeavor to lead the regenerate life, but not; until his later years. If, at that time, he awakens to the higher vibrations of Jupiter, ruler of the 8th house, trine Uranus in the 12th house, and Jupiter parallel the M. C., he will undoubtedly strive to live and conform to the highest and best he knows. But vigilance is to be the watchword if success is to be realized.

   The word "affluence" is derived from two Latin words: "ad," meaning "to" or "toward," and "fluere" meaning "to flow." We usually use it to refer to conditions that are characterized by abundance, bountifulness, plentifulness of supply and wealth, but a consideration of the derivation of the word gives us the clue to its esoteric meaning. It is basically not a description of conditions but a quality of consciousness by which abundance is realized and manifested. In other words, the human consciousness—the "light by which a human perceives Light"—contains a potential of functioning "affluently" so that, correspondingly, conditions of abundance may flow toward and into human environments and affairs. As the desire to realize health is one of humanity's many endeavors to perceive Light, so is the desire to realize affluence; it is important to consider how a human being can generate the kind of consciousness that makes abundance evident in his life.

   If the consciousness of "hunger" is indicative of deeply-felt need, then "poverty" is a combination of that need with a conviction that the need can not, will not, or must not be fulfilled. Poverty is the opposite of affluence—it represents a "cut off" condition of consciousness that is represented outwardly by deficiency or relative lack of essential or desired things. We do not feel "poor" in not having something to which we feel indifferent; to "feel poor" is to feel deprived of that for which we have a strong feeling of desire or requirement. The poverty-complex is a form of mind-pattern, of congested quality, by which a human deprives himself of the realizations of affluence; this deprivation is a conviction of lack which characterizes his living generally or manifests in some specific factor or area of his life. The poverty-complex is always a karmic return from abuses or misuses of means and opportunities in past lives. It is essentially constructed on residual fear or guilt brought over—as reaction in the subconscious—from past actions characterized by wastefulness, destructiveness, dishonesty, or dishonor. By wastefulness we undermine our consciousness of right use; by destructiveness we set up a power of repulsion in the subconscious which "negates" our desire to attract that which we now want or require; by dishonesty or dishonor we deprive others of what is rightfully theirs and the subconscious residue, now registering as the poverty-complex, is the enervating and "lifeless" essence of fear and guilt. Whether of short or long duration, the "feeling of poverty" is always an indication, delivered up to the conscious mind by reaction from the subconscious, that a drastic revision of consciousness is required. That revision must be established in the subconscious mind before the improved conditions will appear in outer affairs. In other words, the person's feeling about life and himself must be changed by a process of "openingness" so that he, by expression of his consciousness, can "flow more freely into life" and so that the manifestations of life's abundance can "flow more freely into his affairs." Water is perhaps the most perfect symbol of the principle of life's affluence; remember that it must be released from its states of suspension as cloud, snow, and ice before it can life-givingly flow forth as rivers. It is the power of warmth that releases the water-potentials from their static state as ice and snow; correspondingly, some form of spiritual warmth must be established in the human's subconscious as a means of revitalizing his outlook on himself and his conditions. How is this renewing establishment made? Let us consider what the Great Astrological Mandala (the twelve-housed circle surrounded by the zodiacal belt with Aries as Ascendant-sign) has to tell us:

   Look first at the two signs which focalize the two arms of the vertical diameter: Cancer, cardinal water, is at the lower end; Capricorn, cardinal earth, is at the upper end; the total vertical line is the line of generation or parentage. The Moon, ruler of Cancer, is the archetypal mother-symbol; Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, is the archetypal father-symbol. Esoterically, these two signs, and the line which they form as "emanation" from the center of the wheel, refer to the attribute of a human being to generate his own destiny by the way he exercises his consciousness, from incarnation to incarnation. Man qualifies the evolutionary line of his existence by what he establishes in his subconscious mind (Cancer) and by the ways in which he out-pictures these establishments (Capricorn). By his participation in the creative power of thought, each human is the mother and father of the quality of his own evolutionary line. By his powers of reaction in feeling, he is made aware of what he has established in his subconscious mind; by his powers of expression (thought, word, and deed), he gives embodiment to that which he has established in his subconscious realms. The "conviction of poverty" is a "darkness in the subconscious"—it means that the person, in the past, has identified himself with deprivation by some kind of action representing misuse and/or abuse of opportunities and means. In short, by his defaults in these matters, he "parented" the present condition or situation which he "identities as poverty." Poverty is not a reality of life, it is an individual interpretation of conditions based karmic reaction. Think a moment: Is life "poverty-stricken?" Is our planet "poverty- stricken"? Does every human have the same kind of poverty-complex as every other human? Does everyone have to suffer from the poverty- complex eternally? The answer to all of these inquiries is no. Let us now consider a very important and interesting esoteric astrological clue to the means by which the poverty-complex may be decrystallized so that the locked-up energies may be released affluent-ly:

   This clue is found in the planetary exaltations—soulic powers of spiritual apperception distilled from conscious regeneration in past lives—as they are pictured in the Great Astrological Mandala: Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, exalted in Cancer; Moon, ruler of Cancer, exalted in Taurus; Venus, the principle of Equilibrium- through-exchange, rules Taurus and Libra; Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, exalted in Libra; Mars, ruler of Aries, exalted in Capricorn. First, Jupiter exalted in Cancer, as the apperception of the power of "givingness:"

   If we desire to overcome a poverty-complex we have to signify our sincerity on that point by doing something of an affluent nature to manifest the desired condition in human experience. That form of expression is what we call "giving." The statement "it is more blessed to give than to receive" is much more than an "old saw." It contains a profound metaphysical and esoteric directive: the act of giving is a blessing to the subconscious mind of the one who gives. If you are convinced, in your congested subconscious, that a desired or required state is "not for you" but you do something to make possible another person's realization of that thing, you take the first and most important step in decrystallizing your own poverty-complex. If your poverty-complex were "total," you would not even think of trying to make that particular thing evident to another person. The fact that you do give of that thing impresses the subconscious mind that you are aware of the thing's availability. With that action, performed in sincere helpfulness of motive, you begin to release the locked-up subconscious energies because giving is affluence in action. You have thereby opened yourself to the possibilities of realizing the desired or required thing in your own affairs and environment. Consequently, the result is that you have established more light in your subconscious mind and that establishment, from then on, becomes a magnet to attract those things consistent with your desire or requirement. With the en-lightened feeling, resulting from the "loosening" provided by your out-giving action and more out-giving consciousness, the exaltation of Mars in Capricorn makes you more aware of what you must do, as personal discipline and development, to make that improved establishment a "permanent fixture" of your soul-consciousness. In other words the new opening-up leads you onto a new path of spiritualizing endeavor which has as its goal the integrated establishment, for permanent use, of the new spiritual realization. One act of sincere and helpful giving-ness starts the affluent process; but exalted Mars—persistent constructive effort—has to be applied so that the poverty-complex of many years' standing may be completely dissolved and the energies pertaining to it may be completely translated into consciousness of Light. That means that more self-honesty may have to be realized; courage and self-confidence may have to be developed; more consistent and thorough application may have to be applied to current conditions and endeavors; all tendencies or inclinations to hold others—mentally, emotionally, or physically—in any kind of undue bondage may have to be relinquished. Remember, you want freedom from your poverty-complex so you must give others the gift of freedom; in order to do that you may have to let go of certain kinds of fear but fearlessness is, itself, an attribute of affluence. How could water flow if it were afraid of moving, or if ice and snow were afraid to melt? We have to be willing to melt and dissolve the secret congestions if we are to realize the consciousness—and evidences—of affluence. The powers of Truth, Courage, Faith, Love, Joy, and Freedom are the "thermal qualities" by which the Spirit melts the paralyzing constrictions established by the "personal ego" in its expression of unregenerate interpretations.

   If financial abundance is your desired and/or required symbol of affluence, then the two points which are exalted in Venus-signs give us some clues. The person who exercises disorganized and chaotic stewardship of present materials—no matter how much money he has — is operating away from affluence because this kind of functioning is concrete evidence of weaknesses at work. The Moon's exaltation in Taurus—the second house sign—might be said to convey the keyword: I establish affluence by right stewardship—now. In the home, in business establishments, in professional activities, or commercial matters, humans cannot establish disorder in patterns of financial exchange and expect to continue to register affluence. We impose burdens on others if we perpetrate disorder in our affairs and, sooner or later, we have to rectify the unbalance. The sign Taurus is polarized by the fixed water-sign Scorpio which refers to consciousness of sex. It has become an established fact, through psychological and metaphysical inquiry, that the consciousness of money is counterparted by the consciousness of sex. Both are aspects of desire for maintenance and perpetuation. It has been determined that congestions in the attitudes toward sex and/or money have a retroactive effect on the opposite. In these days of "evolutionary speeding up," humans are given the opportunities to resolve much karma from many past lives and sex and money have been the desires which have prompted much negative expression in our past experiences.

   Consider this in the light of the programs of heavy taxation we are now dealing with. Also, in the light of what is being revealed in these times regarding the sexual aspects of human nature—the karmic conditions of the generative consciousness which are being revealed in so many complex forms. Therefore, a man's "poverty-laden consciousness of money" could well be found to have its roots in psychogenetic conditions of a constrictive kind and these conditions all require more charging by the consciousness of love and/or good will toward other humans. Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, is exalted in Libra, the seventh house-sign of the Great Mandala. This is the insignia, in a simple astrological way, of the Golden Rule—the perfect fulfillment of experience through harmonized consciousness of human relationship and the consciousness of spiritual justice which that form of realization includes. Affluence is the provide-ence of Life for our sustainment. That "providence" is already established for our use but if anything in our consciousness seeks to deprive another of what is his rightful fulfillment, then we cut off our recognition of Life's affluence; we limit our expression of affluence; and poverty sets in.

   The traditional symbol of the Sun—the point circumscribed by a circle—may well be taken, for this consideration, as the symbol of all affluent potentials, the symbol of Life's entire provide-ence. From what it represents, all things necessary for our evolution are emanated—just as everything pictured in a horoscope is "emanated" from the central point. The Sun, as ruler of the fire-sign Leo, may then be taken as the symbol of the affluence of spiritual light—all Love, all Wisdom, all Truth, all Beauty, all Ideation which humans can realize and, as well, all material representations which we interpret from spiritualized consciousness. Power in all possible degrees is represented by the Sun and, thus, it represents every possible degree of power which a human may realize. Power is—it is part of our "life-job" to unfold recognition of it in ourselves.

   Since poverty is an illusion created by the relatively unevolved human consciousness, it is not strictly true, from a philosophical standpoint, that "Saturn is the symbol of poverty." Such an interpretation does Saturn an injustice. Saturn speaks to us, through our fears and guilts, of the unfulfilled areas of our experience; when these areas are fulfilled, security is established in consciousness and consequently that form of inner ease which generates affluence is brought about. Also, the square aspects in the individual chart represent areas of inner tension and each of these can be interpreted as a "poverty-potential." Alchemical regeneration by expressing the spiritual attributes of the planetary points involved will "melt the ice" of the inner congestion. The person who suffers from a sense of "poverty of education" must first heal his subconscious mind by re-charging it with a strong desire to learn; the desire to learn is the desire to experience affluence on the mental plane and this form of affluence can only be experienced when the mind is allowed to open. Tendencies to prejudice, dogmatism, opinionatedness, and mental tyranny must be loosened and the humility of a true learner must be established in the subconscious. If schooling, per se, is not available then the true learner will open his mind to the awareness of other channels of study and learning: libraries, bookstores, public lectures are abundantly available for all in these times. If specific schooling is the desired thing, then the person will have to indicate his sincere desire by being willing to organize his life and affairs for the realization of the goal. People can learn much by the inexpensive method of becoming more perceptive of the world around them.

   The poverty of love, friendship, and companionship is, perhaps, the most tragic of all karmic congestive evidences. People who suffer from these deprivations might well give attention to the fact that love and friendship are states of consciousness— establishing them in consciousness makes possible the affluent expression of them and the affluent realization of them in relationships. It is also important to recognize that many people who deeply yearn for relationship-joys and companionship-fulfillments are not friendly with themselves, however devoted they may possibly be to others. Respect and appreciation for one's self, as an expression of Divine Life, and one's potentials for revealing that which is good and beautiful, may have to be established in place of self-contempts, inferiority-feelings, and the like. Lack of harmony in such relationship-patterns as those with a parent or fraternal relative may have to be transformed by expanding the relationship consciousness in more universal ways. But, always, we should remember that the will to truthful understanding of others may—and can—unlock the tight areas of any human relationship. We must be affluent in our good will toward others if we would realize affluence in our experience.

Supplemental Student
Material Reference:
Studies in Astrology,
Elman Bacher