Manual Copyright 1991, 1992 Jeffrey S Smith (portions)
and Concept Development Associates, Inc. (portions)
Program Copyright 1990, 1992 Jeffrey S Smith and Jeffrey Benegar
Illustrations Copyright 1992 Leigh A. Cooke
All rights reserved worldwide.
Visions is a trademark of Concept Development Associates, Inc.
Visions for Windows is a complete system for deriving astrological calculations and for casting horoscopes. Whether you are just curious about astrology or deeply involved in the topic, you will find value in Visions for Windows.
Comments from thousands of users have helped make Visions for Windows the most sophisticated, yet easy to use astrology system available at any price. Its intuitive pull-down menu structure guarantees that you'll be using Visions for Windows productively the very first time you open the box.
This User's Guide is designed to give you a working knowledge of the system. It begins with instructions for installation. Then it explains each of the menu options individually. The final section is a guide for novice astrologers. It addresses the Art & Science of Astrology.
If you encounter any problems installing Visions for Windows, refer to your Windows manual for additional help.
S Y S T E M O V E R V I E W
O P E R A T I O N
Visions for Windows is completely menu driven, following standard Windows conventions. It automatically adjusts to your system and to the type of mouse or color monitor installed.
S T A R T I N G T H E P R O G R A M
After installation, launch the icon (i.e. double click on it) to start the program.
A menu bar will be displayed at the top of the screen with the choices "User", "Options", "Chart", "Horoscope", "Help".
Visions for Windows requires a mouse, trackball or other Windows compatible pointing device.
To make selections with the mouse, simply move the arrow over your choice and click and hold the left mouse button once to pull down the menu; release the button to activate your menu choice.
D I S P L A Y N O T E S
Visions for Windows can be run in all modes, including 1024 x 768 that are supported by Windows and your hardware. Consult Windows Setup to change the display mode if desired.
V I S I O N S & W I N D O W S C L I P B O A R D
Several sections of the program include a button to move the prepared text, chart or map to Windows Clipboard. From there, it can be pasted into many different types of applications. Because Visions uses a variable point font for its displays, tabs and alignments may not appear correctly in Clipboard. However, when you paste the file into Windows Notepad, Windows Write, or another fixed font application, the tabs and alignments will once again be displayed correctly.
You can use the displays that are pasted from Clipboard as an alternate print format. You can also integrate the text and graphics (within the bounds of the licensing agreement) into desktop publishing, word processing or graphics programs to create your own presentations.
E N D I N G T H E P R O G R A M
Anytime the main menu bar is displayed, you can exit the program. Highlight "User", pull down the menu, and select "Exit".
H E L P
Complete directions for using Visions for Windows are incorporated into a hypertext help section of the program. To find the sections that concern you, pull down the "Help" menu and use the Index. Topics include operation of the system as well as a general guide to astrological concepts and terms. You can also click on any "Help" button for context sensitive help.
TH E V I S I O N S A S T R O L O G Y S Y S T E M
The following section explains each of the primary features, which are activated by pulling down the appropriate menu item from the menu bar at the top of your screen.
U S E R
Visions for Windows is structured to allow you to prepare both Natal and Daily horoscopes for anyone, anywhere they might be, at anytime in the past, present or future. The subject is called a "User" in Visions for Windows.
You define these three items for each User's birth, or Natal Data, only once. You must define the subject's time and place, however, each time you want to generate a Daily Horoscope to obtain correct astrological data.
The User Info screen lets you easily define these items each time you add a new user or load an existing user.
You begin by entering the subject's name - anyone.
U S E R B I R T H D A T A
Next, you enter the subject's birth date, birth time and time zone. This last item - time zone - allows you to adjust for daylight savings time, war time or other variations from standard time that may have been in force at the time of birth.
Lastly, you enter the longitude and latitude of the subject's birthplace. An extensive international database of cities and a set of maps are provided to assist you. If you choose a regional or world map, simply place the cursor over the city and click the mouse. If you choose the database, open any map, enter the name of the city and state (U.S.), or the city and country. Either way, Visions will insert the correct longitude and latitude for you. If your city is not listed you can manually enter this data from an atlas. For future use it will automatically add the location to the database.
This collective set of birth data, called Natal Data in Visions for Windows, never changes for a subject unless you edit the users information at a later date.
O P T I O N S
By default, Visions for Windows will use the system date when casting daily horoscopes. The Options menu allows you to change the DAILY HOROSCOPE DATE and to adjust certain other parameters.
These other items include the maximum natal and daily Orb sizes, the House system and whether you want graphics displayed with your horoscope text. Refer to the section "The Art & Science of Astrology" and the on-line Help for details regarding Orbs and Houses.
D A I L Y H O R O S C O P E D A T E
The time and time zone (hence, a broadly defined "time and place") used for daily calculations will usually need to be redefined when you load an existing user.
Remember, you can prepare daily astrological data and sky maps for any day - past, present or future - no matter where in the world your subject may be.
When you load an existing user, Visions for Windows will use the time and day from your computer's internal clock as current default values. It will use the subject's birthplace time zone as the default time zone.
This data will be correct for today's horoscope for subjects who were born in the time zone where the computer is located and who currently live in the same time zone. To prepare data for any other situation, simply change the appropriate entries on the DAILY HOROSCOPE DATE screen.
Since your subject will be in a different time and may be in a different place the next time you prepare a daily horoscope for that subject, this daily data is not stored in the user file. Instead, the program will once again use the defaults mentioned above.
I L L U S T R A T I O N S / T E X T
The program normally produces horoscopes consisting of text and illustrations. In order to speed up printing and display, you may turn the illustrations off by checking the "text only" box from the Miscellaneous dialog. You can turn them back on at any time when in "text only" mode, you can copy the text of a horoscope into clipboard for later pasting into a word processor.
M A X O R B S I Z E
You can set the maximum orb size for both natal horoscopes and daily horoscopes. The bigger the orb size, the more aspects Visions will detect.
For example, lets say that the Sun and Mars are 3.5 degrees apart. If the max natal orb is 3 degrees, then Visions will decide that the Sun is not conjunct Mars. If, however, the max natal orb is set to 4 degrees, then Visions will decide that since the Sun and Mars are only 3.5 degrees apart, they are indeed conjunct.
The default values for these maximum orb is 7 degrees for the max natal orb and 2 degrees for the max daily orb.
To learn more about orbs, see the section "Astrological Data Explained" and the on-line Help.
H O U S E
Visions for Windows is three astrological systems in one. It prepares data and horoscopes using your choice of the Placidus, Equal House, or Koch systems. The differences among the systems are explained in the on-line Help and in the section of the manual called "The Art and Science of Astrology".
C H A R T
Visions for Windows is based on time honored principles of astrology that take into account the relative position of planets in the signs of the zodiac. The program quickly calculates natal and daily astrological data and sky maps that would take hours of labor if done by hand. The calculations are based on the information you supply when you load or add a new user, and planetary movement data from the U.S. Naval Observatory.
These calculations are more fully described in the section that follows, called "Astrological Data Explained". The resulting data can be used by astrologers in casting horoscopes; they are also used by Visions for Windows in deriving its own astrological predictions.
The calculations are automatically made when you select either Natal Data or Daily Data, and the results are displayed on the screen. To print the data, press the Print button that is displayed.
S K Y M A P S
The sky map video displays place the planets in the 12 signs of the zodiac according to their geocentric longitude. This gives the most lifelike representation of the night sky and gives you an idea of how the sky actually would look if you could see the planets. This display is neutral in the sense that it is the same for every person, regardless of their personal zodiac houses.
To see the planets in relation to the House Cusps, check the House Cusps box with the map of your choice displayed. This display is personalized to the active User, since the House Cusps are displayed in relation to his or her Natal Data.
L O O K I N G F O R A L I G N M E N T S
Certain planetary alignments play an important role in casting horoscopes. With either the Daily Data Chart or the Daily Sky Map displayed, you can advance or reverse the date one day at a time by pressing the appropriate buttons. This will put the sky in motion until the desired planetary alignment is made.
This new date will automatically be used throughout the program in casting the daily horoscope and data.
P R I N T I N G D A T A A N D M A P S
To print the Natal and Daily Data Charts and the Natal and Daily Sky Maps, select the on-screen Print button.
General printing functions are controlled by Windows; make sure your printer is properly installed. Certain variables for printing the Sky Maps are controlled through a dialog box at the time of printing.
H O R O S C O P E S
Visions for Windows uses the calculations discussed above to prepare both natal and daily horoscopes. The predictions and observations will be automatically displayed when you select this feature.
To print the horoscope, select the Print button.
TH E A R T & S C I E N C E O F A S T R O L O G Y
Astrology has been practiced by man for thousands of years. It is one of the world's oldest belief systems. Since ancient times, man has looked to the planets and constellations to gain insight and understanding about God, mans place on earth and the meaning of life. Astrology is a method of delineating the effects each planet has on an individual's life with respect to other planets and signs of the zodiac.
Perhaps the earliest horoscope dates to 2767 B.C.; this horoscope was cast by an Egyptian, Imhotep, architect of the Great Steppe Pyramid at Saqqarah. The practice of astrology spanned such diverse cultures as the Greeks, Babylonians, Indians, Chaldeans, Chinese, and the Indians of the Americas. Ancient astrological artifacts have been found all over the world, such as Stonehenge and the Mayan Sun Stone. Even the Old Testament contains numerous references to astrology. Many early astronomers also practiced astrology, such as Ptolemy, Kepler, Copernicus, and Nostradamus, famous for his prophesies.
The Natal Horoscope is the principle object upon which all of astrology is based. It can essentially be thought of as a map of the position of the 10 planets (in astrology, the Sun and Moon are considered planets) with respect to Earth at the exact time of the person's birth. The 360 degrees of the map are divided into 12 "sections" each 30 degrees apart. The 12 sections represent the signs of the zodiac, which since ancient times have been composed of the constellations Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The signs of the zodiac lie in a band about 18 degrees wide on either side of the Earth's equator and can generally be seen from either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.
The Vernal Equinox determines where the signs of the zodiac lie on the horoscope. The Vernal Equinox happens but once a year, and marks the point when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving north from the Southern Hemisphere. This point is taken to be 0 degrees Aries and occurs around March 21 each year. The remaining signs of the zodiac are divided into 30 degree increments. Thus, Aries always lies between 0 and 30 degrees longitude, Taurus between 60 and 90 degrees longitude, and so on throughout the rest of the zodiac.
The SUNSIGN represents the sign of the zodiac the Sun is in at the exact moment of birth. Thus, if one was born on April 12, the Sun would be in the constellation Aries and that person's SUNSIGN would be Aries. Further, a person born on February 11 would have a SUNSIGN of Aquarius. The MOONSIGN, MERCURYSIGN, and VENUSSIGN likewise represent the sign of the zodiac each planet is in at the exact moment of birth. Each of the planet signs has particular positive and negative astrological significance, which is given under the NATAL HOROSCOPE option. For instance, the SUNSIGN represents the native's basic character and the manner in which he or she will express this character as an individual. The MOONSIGN indicates how the native will react (emotionally) to the external events of life. Further, the MERCURYSIGN marks a person's mentality or way in which the native thinks and communicates with others. Lastly, the VENUSSIGN represents how the native expresses affection and feeling to others.
Astrologers have also divided the horoscope into another classification of 12 sectors known as HOUSES. Whereas the signs on ecliptic (the zodiac) are distinguished by the annual revolution of the Earth around the Sun, HOUSES are related to the daily rotation of the Earth. Thus, the exact position of the Earth in its daily rotation at birth defines the positions of the houses. This dependence on time and location of birth is why each person's horoscope is unique. Each person's natal astrological chart has one particular sign of the zodiac associated with each house and each of the twelve houses stands for something different. Thus, the First House is generally accepted to represent a person's basic self or personality, the Second House business and money matters, the Fourth House family, the Fifth House romance and pleasures, the Seventh House conflicts, and the Tenth House friends and travel. The dividing line between one house and another is known as a house CUSP.
Astrologers have devised many systems for dividing the chart into 12 distinct houses. Visions for Windows employs three of the most common and popular methods of house division. These are the Equal House System, the most ancient method of house systems, first developed thousands of years ago, the Placidus System, probably the most popular system of house division used by astrologers, and the Koch System, another common and relatively new method of house division.
The Koch and Placidus Systems use slightly different methods of trisecting the diurnal demi-arc (arc around the horizon) in order to compute which zodiac sign a particular house cusp falls on. A semi-arc is a quadrant of an imaginary circle extending across the sky, bound by the horizon and the meridian. The meridian is a great circle extending from the North Celestial Pole to the South Celestial Pole. Thus, the position of the house cusps varies from user to user, while the signs of the zodiac never change. In the Equal House System all house cusps are 30 degrees apart.
There is another type of "sign" that is extremely important in astrology. This is the ASCENDANT or RISING SIGN which represents the sing of the zodiac on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. It can also be thought of as the sign located on the cusp of the First House of the chart. Thus, one born at 11:00 PM on the 22nd of December would have Virgo as the rising or Ascendant sign. The rising sing represents the native's basic personality traits and the way that person expresses him/herself in the world. There is another important house on the wheel, the Midheaven (M C), which lies on the cusp of the 10th house. The sign on the Midheaven is a zenith (directly overhead) at the time of birth.
The rising sign and planet sign are key components of delineating a person's natal horoscope. The other key factor in determining a natal horoscope is the computation of ASPECTS. Aspects are angular relationships between planets in the natal chart that have astrological significance. Aspects are determined by computing the angular difference between the longitudes of two planets, and if that difference falls within a particular range, the two planets are said to form an aspect. There are five major types of aspects in astrology: OPPOSITIONS: where the planets are 180 degrees apart, TRINES: where planets are 120 degrees apart, SQUARES: where planets are 90 degrees apart, SEXTILES: where planets are 60 degrees apart, and CONJUNCTIONS: where planets are 0 degrees apart. Each type of aspect has unique astrological significance; generally, conjunctions, trines, and sextiles are held to be favorable aspects, because they designate a time when the forces of both planets are working in harmony. Square and opposite aspects are not necessarily bad with negative consequences though. They may represent a time when conflicts or obstacles arise which, if dealt with properly, may make the native grow and become a better person. The natal horoscope data is computed by selecting the Natal Chart option. The actual horoscope text can be brought up by selecting Natal under the Horoscope option. The natal horoscope is divided into five different areas: Character (determined by Sunsign), Disposition (Moonsign), Mentality (Mercurysign), Affection (Venussign), and Personality (determined by user's Rising Sign).
Another type of horoscope is the DAILY HOROSCOPE, which details what effects the planets will have on the native for the present day or any day in the past or future. The daily horoscope is similar to the natal horoscope except the position of the planets for the current date are computed and compared with the position of the planets at the time of the native's birth. Any aspects that form between a planet today with the native's natal planets are called transits, and have astrological significance for the present date in question. Thus, if the present position of the Sun is 180 degrees longitude, and the user's natal position of the Sun is 90 degrees longitude, then a transit is taking place, namely Sun (present) square Sun (natal).
A transit can occur between any planet today with any planet on the natal chart. The type of transit (opposite, trine, square, sextile, or conjunct) has important astrological significance for the day in question.
The other type of transit in the daily chart occurs when a planet for the day in question is crossing or going through one of the twelve houses in the user's natal chart. Thus, Venus (today) may be transiting the Second House of a person's natal chart, and this has astrological significance.
Visions for Windows computes the daily chart information by selecting the Daily Chart option in the Main Menu. The actual horoscope for any day in question can be done by selecting the Daily Horoscope option. Visions for Windows divides the daily horoscope into five areas: Self, Business/Career, Family/Friends, Conflicts, and Romance. This is determined by computing which transits are taking place between planets and which planets are transiting particular houses of the natal chart.
Note: While the position of the planets is always changing those far from the Sun, like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto take a long time to move discernible distances on the daily chart. Thus, their effects on the daily horoscope are much more long-term and much subtler than those of the inner planets, like Mercury, Venus, and the Moon, whose effects are usually fleeting but quite intense.
AS T R O L O G I C A L D A T A E X P L A I N E D
When the Natal Data or Daily Data option is selected, Visions for Windows computes the relevant astrological data. Below is a brief glossary of what each term on the chart signifies:
JULIAN DAY: the number of days since the beginning of the Julian calendar, noon 4713 B.C. Astronomical calculations are based on this calendar system.
LONGITUDE: the number of degrees west or east of Greenwich, England that the user's birth took place. Lines of longitude run from the North to the South Pole.
LATITUDE: the number of degrees north or south of the equator that the user's birth took place. Lines of latitude run east-west and are parallel to the equator.
GMST: Greenwich Mean Sidereal Time, the user's true moment of birth as reckoned at Greenwich, England.
LMST: Local Mean Sidereal Time is the solar (sidereal) time for the user's birthplace and time. LMST is used in planetary calculations.
GEOCENTRIC LONGITUDE: the position of the planets in the sky either east or west of the Prime Meridian as reckoned in degrees between 0 and 360 with Greenwich being 0 degrees longitude.
GEOCENTRIC DECLINATION: the number of degrees each planet lies either above or below the ecliptic which is the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
ASPECT: the angular difference between the longitude of two planets which has astrological significance.
ORB: the difference between the actual aspect of two planets and the true aspect. Thus, if Sun is conjunct Moon with an orb of 1.5 degrees, the Sun and Moon are actually either 181.5 or 178.5 degrees apart. The smaller the orb the closer to the true aspect and the more powerful its effect of the native. Visions for Windows uses a default orb of 7 degrees in the natal chart for aspects and an orb of 2 degrees in the daily chart.
HOUSE CUSP: the dividing line between two houses on the chart.
CUSP LONGITUDE: the actual longitude on the astrological wheel where each of the 12 houses begins and ends, dependent on which of the three House Systems the user selects.
DEGREES IN SIGN: the number of degrees of longitude into a particular zodiac sign that a house cusp lies.
ELEMENTS: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water and the planets which lie in each element (Fire signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius; Earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn; Air signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius; Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces).
MODALITIES: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable and the planets which fall in each of the modalities. (Cardinal modalities: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn; Fixed modalities: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius; Mutable modalities: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).
PARALLEL ASPECTS: planets whose declination are parallel (equal in magnitude, opposite in sign). For example, if Mercury's declination is +8.5 and Mars' is -8.5, they are said to be parallel.
RETROGRADE: From time to time, some of the planets temporarily go retrograde (backwards from their normal path) across the sky. This apparent motion is an artifact of the Earth's own motion around the sun.
Note: Consult the on-line Help for additional astrological terms.
L I C E N S E A G R E E M E N T
Lifestyle Software Group
R E A D C O M P L E T E L Y B E F O R E U S I N G
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T E R M S
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