Frequently asked questions

Charts > Some special tricks

  1. How can I add Chiron to the Transit-Rhythmogram?

    It is done by a special manipulation of the URL line in the browser. To begin, you must call up the Transitrhythmogram chart.
    Then, you must locate the URL line in your browser, and make sure to position the cursor for adding something to its end without deleting the rest.
    Now, append the code &stx2=pt=%2bc to it, so that the complete URL is similar to www.astro.com/cgi/chart.cgi?gm=a2&btyp=4t&sday=17&smon=11&syr=2015&rs=0&stx2=pt=%2bc
    Then press ENTER, and the chart will appear with an extra red line for transiting Chiron.
    If you want to have Chiron considered among the natal planets for this chart, the URL code must be: &stx2=pt=%2bc/pn=%2bc
     

  2. How can I change the Universal Time on transit charts?

    There's a trick. Start at Extended Chart Selection with chart type 'natal chart with transits' and see that it shows UT: 00:00:00 below the date, in the upper left corner.
    Now edit the URL in the browser and append. &stx2=vshgmt=16 and press ENTER.
    You will get the transits for UT 16:00.
    For setting the minute, you need to use decimal hour fractions, e.g. vshgmt=16.5 will result in 16:30 UT etc.

     

  3. How can I change the vertical scale in the graphical ephemeris?

    This applies to: Free Horoscopes -> extended chart selection -> special charts -> Graphic ephemeris for 1 year and to other special charts from this list:
    .
    The vertical zodiac axis in these charts is folded into 45° sections, a drawing style designed by Astrodienst in cooperation with Reinhold Ebertin in 1981. This allows to see aspects of 45°, 90°, 135° and 180° as crossings of lines.
    Some users would like to have different foldings, for example 60° sections which show aspects of 60°, 120° and 180° as crossings.

    There is a secret feature: If you sneak into the URL the suffix &stx2=mod=90 then you can trick the program into giving you a 'modulo 90°' drawing. Use only 'modulo values' which are divisors of 360, unless you want to see an irregular drawing with jumps at 0° Aries. Meaningful values are 30, 45, 60, 90, 180, 360.
     

  4. Is it possible to offer a house system option that consisted of no cusps, nor Ascendant and Descendant?

    This is done via unknown birth time.
    If you select unknown as hour, it will take noon and not do houses.

    unknown time
    unknown time

    If you know the time, you can enter it and append u to the minute field. It will use the time, but still not do houses.

    This 'no houses due to unknown time' property sticks to the birth record. It can be lifted by editing the minute field and removing the trailing u.

  5. How can I add Juno to the Astro-Woldmap or Astromap Europe?

    It is done by a special manipulation of the URL line in the browser. To begin, you must call up the Astromap chart.
    Then, you must locate the URL line in your browser, and make sure to position the cursor for adding something to its end without deleting the rest.
    Now, append the code &stx2=pn=%2bJ to it, so that the complete URL is similar to www.astro.com/cgi/chart.cgi?gm=a2&btyp=71&rs=0&stx2=pn=%2bJ
    Then press ENTER, and the chart will appear with an extra black line for transiting Juno. The last letter of the special code is a capital J like in John.
    If you want to have the four Asteroids Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta considered among the natal planets for this chart, the URL code must be: &stx2=pn=%2bCPJV (four capital letters C P V J, obviously the initials of these asteroid names. It will not work for other asteroid names! For Lilith (mean apogee) it works with the lower case letter i.).
     
    If you want to get rid of Chiron, use &stx2=pn=-c (lower case c).
     

  6. In Astroclick Travel there are options to have aspect lines drawn in the maps. Do these options also exist for the Astrocartography maps in Extended Chart Selection?


    Yes, but it must done via a manipulation of the URL. Once the map is shown, this code must be appended to the URL:
    &stx2=a=NUMBER
    where NUMBER is one of these values:

    • 14 with squares
    • 54 with trines and sextiles
    • 62 with squares, trines and sextiles
    • 198 with semisextile and quincunx
    • 774 with semisquare and sesquisquare
    • 3078 with quintile and biquintile

    PS: to combine the tricks of question 5 and 6, use: &stx2=pn=%2bCPJV/a=NUMBER


     
  7. How to create a 3-dimensional chart
    • Go to the "Extended Chart Selection" and select the method "Special charts", and then the chart type "3-dimensional chart","3-dim. chart w. primary directions 10 years" or "...30 years ". Show the chart and then click into the chart drawing to show it in a large format.
    • Print out the chart drawing. (Or, if you possess a PDF subscription, print out the PDF).
    • Cut the chart drawing into two strips along the dotted middle line; and cut exactly along the right edge at the end of the zodiac and equator scale
    • Connect both strips so that they fit together (permanently with glue or stapler, or temporarily with paper clips).Bild 2
    • Bild 3Bend the whole strip into cylinder shape and fasten both ends so that they fit together. Connecting ends are marked by arrows. To make a permanent and stable connection, cut out a circular cardboard disc with a diametre of 171 mm, and glue it inside the cylinder.
    • Bild 4For correct spacial orientation, turn the cylinder in such a way that the MC line comes to lie to the South. Tilt the cylinder so that the horizon (AC-DC line) is horizontal. Then a realistic representation of the spacial constellations of the sky at birth becomes visible.

     
  8. Can I place my birth chart around a composite chart, in order to see how the connection affects me?
     
    Not directly.
    But there is a slightly complex work-around: you show the composite chart and click on the button 'with transits' above the drawing. Then, you will see the transits for today, 27th May 2016, midnight UT.

    If you look at the URL more closely, you can see the parametres sday=27;smon=5;syr=2016;.
    These three parametres can now be changed to one's own birth dates. Then press ENTER and you receive the transit planets for midnight of your own birthday around the composite. This is almost your birth chart. 
    If your birth was in the second half of the day (i.e. UT of birth was PM), it is better to take midnight of the following day, in order to be closer to the actual birth time.

    You could even work a little more and enter the exact birth time. But this only makes sense for the exact position of the Moon, which may otherwise deviate by a maximum of 7°. The other planets are exact enough to work with. If you want to change the time, please read question 2 above. 

    However, the URL already possesses a parametre that looks like this:  &stx2=s=outs=24
    This must not be destroyed, but you need to add to it, so that it looks like this:
    &stx2=s=outs=24/vshgmt=8.25 if the birth was at UT 8:15, for example.
     
  9. Is it possible to render a chart without the north node?
     
    There is no direct option in the user interface, but there is an URL trick to do it.
    Call up the chart in the style you want. Now locate the end of the URL line in your browser.
    Append to it this code: &stx2=p=0123456 and press the Enter key.
    This overrides the normal set of planets for the given chart style, and tells it to use only planets 0 to 6, which are our internal codes for Sun to Saturn.
    The codes are: 0 = Sun, 1 = Moon 2 = Mercury, 3 = Venus, 4 = Mars, 5 = Jupiter, 6 = Saturn, 7 = Uranus, 8 = Neptune, 9 = Pluto, n= mean node, t = true node. The codes must be in a sequence without gaps.
    This allows also to make charts with, lets say, only Sun, Moon, Venus by adding &stx2=p=013
    This can be useful for teaching purposes.

  10. Can the house cusps be shown in Astromaps?
     
    There is no direct option in the user interface, but there is an URL trick to do it.
    Call up the Astromap you want. Now locate the end of the URL line in your browser.
    Append to it this code: &stx2=h=P and press the Enter key.
    Now the house cusps for system Placidus will be shown also, where their ecliptic degree rises, sets or culminates.
    Instead of P for Placidus, these house systems may be chosen:
       A  equal
       B  Alcabitius
       C  Campanus
       D  equal / MC
       E  equal = A
       F  Carter poli-equatorial
       H  horizon / azimuth
       I  Sunshine
       i  Sunshine alternative
       K  Koch
       L  Pullen S-delta
       M  Morinus
       N  Whole sign, Aries = 1st house
       O  Porphyry
       P  Placidus
       Q  Pullen S-ratio
       R  Regiomontanus
       S  Sripati
       T  Polich/Page ("topocentric")
       U  Krusinski-Pisa-Goelzer
       V  equal Vehlow
       W  equal, whole sign
       X  axial rotation system/ Meridian houses
       Y  APC houses
    


  11. Can I put the Aries point on the left side of the birthchart
     
    This is always the case for charts with birth time unknown, but then of course no Ascendant or houses will be shown in the chart.
    There is an URL trick to do it for charts with known birth time
    Call up the natal chart you want. Now locate the end of the URL line in your browser.
    Append to it this code: &stx2=diagor=5 and press the Enter key.
    Now Aries 0° will be on the left.

  12. Can I create a noon ephemeris instead of a midnight ephemeris?
     
    Yes. On the page for ephemeris creation, write this code into the field 'Manual entry' where normally asteroid numbers can be placed:
    &stx2=t=12.00
    Other clock times instead of 12.00 are also possible.

  13. Is there a way to shut off the aspect lines drawn to the Arabic parts but to keep the aspect lines to the planets?
     
    Yes, there is.
    • Display the chart.
    • Locate the URL line in the browser.
    • Put the cursor at the end of the line and append &stx2=a=01234556789 and press Enter

    The digits represent the planets which you want to see aspected. 0=Sun, 1=Moon, 2=Mercury, 3 = Venus, 4 = Mars, 5=Jupiter, 6=Saturn, 7=Uranus, 8=Neptune, 9=Pluto is our usual encoding here. Remember not to have any other aspect options concerning the aspected factors activated.

    If you want Chiron also aspected, add a C to the list. For the node, add an n, for aspects to Ascendant add A and for MC add M.

    This works in all chart styles. The special code &stx2=a=LIST overrides the normal selection of aspected objects and replaces it by LIST (do not take the word LIST literally, of course).
    Example: If you want a chart only with aspects of the seven traditional planets Sun-Saturn, use &stx2=a=0123456
    If you want only aspects between Sun and Saturn, use &stx2=a=06
    That can be useful if you prepare chart examples for teaching purposes and want to emphasize particular aspects.

  14. Can I switch from 'different width' aspect lines to slim ones only?
     
    Yes, you can.
    • Display the chart.
    • Locate the URL line in the browser.
    • Put the cursor at the end of the line and append &stx2=abits=1 and press Enter

    To turn on wide aspect lines in chart styles which do not have them, &stx2=abits=9 will kind of work.
    However, the set of line styles, orbs and colors is composed in a way fitting with the aspect style. With a forced change of the latter, the result may not be the most pleasing.

  15. Can I combine several 'stx2' options in one chart?
     
    Yes, you can.

    The different options need to be combined like this with a / character: &stx2=a=0123456789/abits=1
    The part stx2= must appear only once, and the several 'stx2 options' are separated with a slash /.

  16. In the printed ephemeris, can I replace Lilith by Ceres?
     
    Yes, you can.

    This is done in Extended Chart selection, tab Ephemeris. You need to append this special code to the URL: &stx2=forward/p=ds0123456789tmFDd so that the URL becomes:
    https://www.astro.com/cgi/genchart.cgi?&gm=a3&stx2=forward/p=ds0123456789tmdFDd
    The meaning of the letters and numbers in the column control string p=... is like this:
    • d day column
    • s sidereal time
    • 0 Sun
    • 1 Moon
    • .. 9 Pluto
    • t true node
    • m mean node
    • A Lilith
    • D Chiron
    • F Ceres
    • G Pallas
    • H Juno
    • I Vesta
    You cannot have everything at once in the table, as there is not enough space on the sheet. If you want all 4 large asteroids, you need to drop one of the nodes, and the final day column. This code will do it:
    https://www.astro.com/cgi/genchart.cgi?&gm=a3&stx2=forward/p=ds0123456789mFGHI
    You could also drop the sidereal time, if you do not need it, and get space for Chiron:
    https://www.astro.com/cgi/genchart.cgi?&gm=a3&stx2=forward/p=d0123456789mDFGHI
    As usual, after modifying the URL, you have to press ENTER, and then the 'show ephemeris' button to get the output.

  17. Is it possible to get an option for progressed multi-composite charts?

    No, we don't have this option, but you can use this work-around:

    Please progress your x charts to the same date, and save the progressed charts as natal records. Then do a multi-composite of these records.

    This process has to be repeated for each progression date.

 

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