Introduction to Annual Profections
How the Technique Works
Annual Profections is one of my favorite timing techniques to use in my forecast for clients and myself, and it has helped me discern when certain parts of the chart are activated, at certain parts in the native’s life, as opposed to the entire chart being activated all at once. So what is this technique?
Annual which is defined as occurring yearly, and the word profection which means “to advance or the degree of advancement.” When we put this phrase together, the definition of annual profections means we are advancing, or profection, any point in the natal chart on a yearly interval. Annual Profections come from the Hellenistic Tradition of Astrology, using whole sign houses, but the Medieval Islamic Astrologers expanded upon this technique and developed something known as Continuous Profections. The Renaissance Astrologers would then pick up this technique from the Medieval Astrologers.
Annual Profections can be done from any planet in the chart. You can “profect” anything in the chart in order to track the topics associated with that planet. Most commonly, the Ascendant would be profected. The position of the Ascendant in the chart would act as your starting point, and each year you get older, you would advance the Ascendant into the next sign. The sign where the Ascendant gets profected into is activated duirng this period of your life.
The concept of annual profections is that we are advancing, or profection, any point in the natal chart on a yearly interval to predict when a person will experience particular events in their life.
The premise of the technique is that your birth chart is not something that is always active and that you’re always experiencing. But rather, we can see when the things that are promised in your natal chart will become activated and then their effects materialize into actual events and circumstances you’re dealing with that year in your life, and from there we can see how these experiences will shape where you head in the future.
When something becomes “activated”, it will be a combination of the planet, sign, & house, and depending on what all of these represent in your natal chart, these topics and themes will characterize the types of experiences you’ll have in that year. For this reason, Annual Profections is known as a Time Lord Technique in which the planets are said to govern over certain chunks of time in your life. When the planets govern over this period of time, the things they represent in your natal chart will manifest in that period, in particular. There are larger time lord techniques like Zodiacal Releasing that span over decades, but Annual Profections is known as an Annual Timing Technique. The ancient Greek Astrologers used the word Chronocrator to describe this, which literally translates to “time lord”.
Annual Profections is known as a Symbolic Timing Technique. Each degree in the zodiac can be used to symbolically represent a chunk of time, depending on various timing methods, but these symbolic understandings of time are usually rooted in the real astronomical rate of change of the planets. All symbolic time is rooted in real-time cycles.
For annual profections, our rate of profection is:
30º to represent 1 year of life.
The reason why we move 30º is that the length of one zodiac sign is 30º. If we advance any point a full 30º, it will move into the next zodiac sign after one year has passed. Whole Sign houses were developed in the Hellenistic Tradition of Astrology, so the primary house system used was Whole Sign Houses. If you’re unfamiliar with this house system, it makes 0º of every zodiac sign the starting point of that house. So if a planet was to profect into the next zodiac sign, it would also be profecting into a different house. In a visual, it will look something like this.
Software: Astro Gold for MacOS
We can divide this up further, and if there are 12 months in a year, we would then divide 30º into 12 sections which is 2º30’ each, and each 2º30’ section can represent 1 month of time. This is known as Monthly Profections.
When using Hellenistic Profections, your profections for everything in your chart will shift over on your birthday. For a lot of reasons, ancient Astrologers like Abu Ma’shar would combine Profections with the Solar Return chart since they both change over every year. However, if you use Continuous Profections, this will not be the case.
How to Interpret Profections: The Basics
When interpreting profections, there are a few things you’ll need to pay attention to. First, you’ll want to decide what point you want to profect from. Typically, contemporary & ancient Astrologers profect from the Ascendant. Other astrologers will profect from the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, Lot of Fortune, or Midheaven. Once you calculate your age and see in your chart what house the point you want to profect has moved into based on your age, you’ll then want to find the following information:
House of the Year (HOTY): This is the house of the profected point. Those house topics will be pushed to the forefront of the native’s life for that year.
Zodiac Sign of the Year (SOTY): This is the zodiac sign of the profected point. Any planets moving through this house by transit in that year will be important as they shape your experience with those house topics when they ingress (enter that sign).
Planets in the Activated House: What they represent in the chart will come into focus for the year, but they will also act as one of your Time Lords. Examine the planetary condition.
Lord of the Year (LOTY): This is the ruler of the activated sign and it is known as your Lord of the Year. This planet will govern over the types of experiences, moods, attitudes, circumstances, and overall vibe of the year. The ancient astrologers believed that the planets governed and had management over your life, and every year on your birthday, your Lord of the Year will change, and a new planet will govern over the next year of your life. Determining the lord of the year and its quality allows us to identify what types of experience the individual will have in any given year, and how they will shift and change over the course of several years. It is important to look at what house the planet is located, as the themes of that house will also be activated in the natal chart. Additionally, the other sign/house that the activated planet rules will be important. You’ll also want to pay attention to the transits this planet makes: if it changes signs, if it stations retrograde, any aspects that planet makes. This planet is the most relevant planet for you this year. So say hello to your new best friend.
When using Annual Profections, the Hellenistic Astrologers used Traditional Rulerships and Whole Sign houses. I recommend that you use the same to accurately understand the technique they were utilizing, however later in the tradition, other astrologers experimented with quadrant houses, so the house system is negotiable.
The Sun rules Leo; The Moon rules Cancer; Mercury rules Gemini & Virgo; Venus rules Taurus & Libra; Mars rules Aries & Scorpio; Jupiter rules Sagittarius & Pisces; Saturn rules Capricorn & Aquarius.
It also helps to be familiar with the significance of each house as it will help to inform your approach and interpretations of what the year will be about.
Example Chart
I’m going to be using Donald Trump’s chart to demonstrate how this technique works. As of November 8th, 2020, Donald Trump is 74 years old. When the native is born, they enter a First House Profection Year, and then once that year of their life has been completed, the next house then becomes activated, when they turn a year old. As we move in sequential order in the activation of each house, corresponding with each age, we can see that when Donald Trump turns 74 years old, his 3rd House will be activated. Let’s go through our checklist to see what parts of his chart and information will be brought to the forefront of his life for that year.
House of the Year: 3rd House
Sign of the Year: Libra
Planets in the Activated House: Jupiter
Lord of the Year: Venus in Cancer, in the 12th House, ruling the 10th House.
Let’s take a look at the 3rd House and some of the general significations and what can be of prominence for this year. The Third House is a Cadent House, so it is a house of decline and transition, so this can certainly be a very broad theme for Trump for this year of his life. Additionally, the Moon rejoices in the 3rd house, and because the luminaries were associated with power and authority (Moon as the Queen and Sun as the King), the 3rd and 9th House were primarily associated with power held by administrators, governors, or royalty, as a result of having followers. We could see, given the context of who Donald Trump is (the 45th President of the United States), we could interpret this as a transition of power and change in authority/rulership over the homeland and government (given that the 3rd is declining from the 4th, usually representing the homeland). In my practice, I’ve found, because the Moon is associated with the body and health matters and the fact that it rejoices in the 3rd, that the 3rd House Profection Year tends to coincide with health-related themes, and this was indeed confirmed through Donald Trump getting COVID days after the first Presidential Debate on September 29th, 2020.
Libra is activated so any planets transiting through Libra will be relevant, but Jupiter is also in Libra in his chart, which activates this. In Donald Trump’s chart, Jupiter is the ruler of the 5th house, representing livelihood and one’s ability to experience pleasure and joy. It can also be representative of the native’s advancement or success. Because the Ruler of the 5th is in the 3rd, who is activated, this can be interpreted as a decline in the livelihood in the native’s life, a decline in generosity in the native’s life, and/or a decline in governmental power. As of November 8th, 2020, Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, which is on-brand for this 3rd House Profection Year’s interpretations. We can take this further and take a look at the fact that Jupiter, the activated planet, is the ruler of the 8th house as well, “signifying idleness, weakness, dullness, inactivity, squandering what is gained…” (Brennan, 2017, pp. 360). Additionally, the topic of taxes, debts, and loans may be of prominence for the year ahead. Given that Jupiter is Donald Trump’s most positive planet in his chart, as it is his Benefic of Sect, this would generally be a great year for him, however, because Jupiter is below the Horizon, tempering the heat and expansion of Jupiter, in addition to it being Retrograde, this can represent a reversal of fortune and good luck, or a decline of good fortune.
When we get started examining the Lord of the Year, this is where stuff gets juicy. Trump’s Lord of The Year is Venus, the ruler of Libra, in Cancer in the 12th House. Given that this is a Cadent Year, and its ruler is in a Cadent House, we’re doubling down on the themes of decline and loss in power/strength, and specifically for the 12th House, it is the house of enemies, danger, suffering, injuries, and can represent death. Given the significations of the 3rd house being power held by administrators/governors, and their following, having that signifier be in the 12th house of loss, suffering, and enemies, it could very well be a sign that this year many people could turn their back on Trump. This could also be delineated as Trump, the administrative power, could be thrown in jail, isolation, or captivity. Some would try to harm him or even try to kill him. Another very common signification of the 12th is banishment or exile from one’s own country, which could also be another feasible delineation for this. Venus is also the ruler of the 10th house, involving career, occupation, and reputation, and given the level of prominence of Cadent House activation in Donald Trump’s chart this year, it's possible that his reputation and power as an authoritative figure, are in a state of decline or getting weaker this year, as a result of enemies, rejection, suffering, and banishment.
These are the basics of how this technique works, its application in a chart, and I hope this example was useful to familiarize yourself with how to use this technique to discern which parts of the chart are important for that year of the native’s life. Donald Trump is a very public figure and is still in the midst of his 3rd house year, so coming back to this on his birthday in 2021 and taking a look at the events that have happened from Nov-June, and comparing the accuracy of the prediction, will be something interesting to look at.
How to Use the Technique: Intermediate Steps
So I’ve shown you the basics of how you can apply this technique, but we can take this a few steps further and understand some further conditions to qualify your interpretation. In Dr. Benjamin Dykes’ translation of 8th Century Astrologer, Abu Ma’shar’s book On the Revolution of the Years of Nativities, an interesting concept is brought up in regards to using profections. Abu Ma’shar places a lot of importance on the Lord of the Year and its condition to understand more about the qualitative nature of that year. Additionally, he says to look at the condition of the Lord of the Year in the Solar Return to understand how the innate themes represented in the Birth Chart may come to a state of increase or decrease. Here’s a checklist you can use to determine the lord of the year’s condition. Apply this checklist to the condition of the Natal Lord, and that Lord in the Solar Return chart.
What planet is activated? The very planet itself can inform the qualitative nature of a year. A Jupiter ruled year can be experienced as really positive and take on significations of increase and expansion, whereas a Mars-ruled year can be experienced as a period of strife, discord, and separation.
What sign is it in? Checking the essential dignity of a planet can help to understand the ability of the planet to perform its essential task. If the planet is in a state of exaltation, this would be experienced as a more qualitatively pleasant year, whereas a planet in Fall is experienced as more qualitatively unpleasant.
What House is it in? Checking the angularity of the planet will be able to discern how potent the themes of the year will be: decline from power, pivotal moments, or rising to prominence. Looking at the Doctrine of Planetary Joys can help to understand more about the planet's strength in the chart.
What is the Sect of the planet? Mars in a night chart is going to act drastically different than Mars in a day chart. Understanding the sect of the chart and of that planet can help to inform the qualitative nature of how that year is experienced.
The motion of the Planet? Looking to see if the planet is direct, slowed, stationed, or retrograde will have implications for the effects of the themes that the activated planet will bring up, and whether they will be brought under review, being Retrograde, or brought to a halt when stationed.
Through examining all of these conditions in the Natal, and in the Solar Return chart, we can get a better understanding of Annual Profections ability to not only show the themes occurring in the year ahead but the qualitative nature of them. Think of it as forecasting the weather: it can be sunny and peachy, maybe with a dignified lord, but also thunderstorms and high winds with a debilitated lord of the year. Let's return to Donald Trump’s chart to contextualize annual profections with the Solar Return.
In Donald Trump’s Natal Chart, we see the Condition of his Lord of the Year: it is Venus, his benefic out of sect, promising moderate benefic that is not overwhelming, in Cancer, not in. a sign it particularly has dignity in, in the 12th house, the weakest house of the chart. So Trump has a pretty weak Venus in his natal chart.
If we take a look at his Solar Return for 2020, let’s examine the condition of Venus here. Venus is in Gemini, a sign that Venus also doesn’t have any particular dignity in, it is his benefic out of sect in this chart as well, promising moderate benefice, in the 12th house again, which particularly has weakening effects on planets here, as stated before, and Venus in this chart is also Retrograde. This is the main distinction between these charts because it signifies that the conditions of Venus are moving towards a state of decrease and corruption since Venus is moving backward.
Given that Venus is the ruler of the Natal 3rd House is in Gemini in the 12th, superimposed on the Natal Chart: in the 11th, the way we could delineate this is that Trump’s position of power as an administrator, and his supporters, are being revalidated, and his favorability amongst the people is being requestioned, revisited, and a call to action to make a change in his authority by the people is being made. Given that Trump lives in the White House, and the only people who live in the White House are the administration elected to office, the ruler of the 4th house in the 12th house, as the Lord of the Year, can represent being displaced, evicted, or exiled from the home, and the only reason that could happen, being that Trump is the President of the US, is if he lost his re-election campaign, which is indeed the case.
One other really interesting thing, and why these events described has been so literal, is because the Ascendant in the Solar Return is at 25º of Cancer, and in Trump’s Natal Chart this is the exact position of his Natal Venus, it brings that focus of punishment, exile, sabotage, and enemies directly to the forefront of his life, and how it is causing him to lose agency over himself, a common 12th house signification, and his ability to have agency to govern the masses, being that Venus is the ruler of the 3rd house. There can be the themes of abandonment, loss, and punishment for the year. Through using the Solar Return, we can get a much better understanding of the conditions of the natal promise, and whether they will improve or whether they will decrease.
Further Thoughts
You also want to check out your Lord of the Year, and when planets will come to an aspect that Natal Lord, and look for the motion of that Natal Lord in Transit. If someone is in a Venus-ruled Year, they’re going to feel the ingresses, retrogrades, and stations of Venus a lot more potently than someone who is in a Mars-ruled year. These can potentially be important for triggering events happening throughout the year. Additionally, using monthly profections, when the house the lord of the year resides in is activated, this can be important for timing events and activation of the major themes for the year, as well.
I want to explore some of the nuances with profections, though, in regards to the activated Lords during a Solar and Lunar Year (whenever Cancer/Leo come to be the profected sign and house). Abu Ma’shar and several other authors claim that because the Sun and Moon are too universal of planets to be reliable for timing, so we use a “proxy” planet. Dykes suggests that you should use the Sun and Moon for evaluating its condition, however for timing techniques, he suggests looking at planets conjoined to the Luminary in the Solar Return. Abu Ma’shar suggested looking at the directed longevity releaser (using primary directions). Dykes states “the report by al-Dāmaghānī vaguely states that one ought to look at their signs, the lord of their signs, and the mixtures with the other planets” (Dykes & Al-Balkhi, 2019, pp. 44). The order that Dykes states is:
Distributor
Lord of Directed Releaser
Planet in Leo (in the Root or SR)
Planets conjoined the Sun. For the Moon, if they’re void, lord of the Sign.
I’ve personally found success with using the following order for assessing who is Proxy Lord:
Planet conjoined the Luminary, as they’re acting as agents who carry the light of the Luminaries,
The Lord of the Sign
The bound lord of the Luminary
I should also mention, in regards to not including the Distributor in primary directions, I haven’t worked too much with distributors, so my stance on using distributors may change in the future, but as of now, I’ve found substantial success with this order.
Concluding Remarks
Annual Profections is a really powerful timing technique and can be used to have a meaningful understanding of the themes and parts of the chart that are active within a given year. There are a lot of things you can do with Annual Profections, such as working to remediate the activated Lord of the Year. Taking on the agency of your Lord, and exhibiting and working with the material that your lord represents will give you a better understanding of what the meaning of the events that transpired in that year are there to teach you, depending on the planet acting as an agent to materialize those events. If there are any further questions about this technique, do not hesitate to reach out to me at astrobymax@gmail.com.
For further information on Annual Profections, see the following articles and videos:
