Example of Thematic Directions

Astrologers usually make annual forecasts covering all areas of life. However, my practice shows that it is more effective to make a forecast for the entire lifetime on a specific topic. We can call such a forecast can thematic, and the directions constructed for a particular event thematic directions.

These directions are similar to a horary question: "When will a good or destructive event happen in such and such an area of life?"

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Why Thematic Directions Are More Effective

Imagine you are asking the question, "When will the native have a child?" You may see two promittors of children—Mercury in its triplicity and Jupiter in Pisces.

Although Mercury is beneficial, and in its triplicity, it is still not as promising as Jupiter, which is in its domicile and is the universal significator of fertility.

Remember, we mentioned earlier that directions occur on prominent promittors. If the potential for having a child in the natal chart is singular for a lifetime, and there are two ways for this potential to manifest—through Mercury and Jupiter, the natal chart, like water seeking an outlet, will pour all its potential through Jupiter rather than Mercury.

If you know this in advance, you won't expect the birth of a child during the direction of Mercury. However, let's assume you need to learn this and make a forecast for the year. This year, all the promittors are exclusively unremarkable—these are peregrine planets, which neither destroy nor create anything. The year should pass as usual.

The only promittor that stands out among the others is Mercury in triplicity. It rules the 5th house and is approaching the 5th house cusp, and it seems to you that it will bring the main event of the year—the birth of a child. But… It brings nothing due to the reasons mentioned above.

Therefore, by seeing all the promittors in a given area of life, you can easily highlight the most prominent ones (the most destructive or creative) to determine the specified event's timing accurately.

So, let's go through an example to see how this works.

Horoscope of a Woman

Here is the horoscope of a woman. We know nothing about her life except that she leads an active social life, and we do not expect her to live her entire life in isolation on an island without contact with men.

According to the principles of terrestrial determination, the astrological 5th house, with varying strength, causes planets to manifest in the realm of childbearing. We have already demonstrated how this works with an example.

Identifying the Rulers of the House

Let's repeat similar judgments here.

• The most prominent ruler of the 5th house is a planet within the 5th house. But there is none here.
• Next, a prominent ruler is the lord of the cusp of the 5th house. It is Mercury.
• Next, we have two planets that cast a fairly close aspect to the cusp of the 5th house: the Moon and Venus.
• We have no co-ruler of the house nor an exaltation ruler of the house.

Although Mercury is the easiest to manifest in the affairs of the 5th house (this house most conditions it), it has less potential for childbearing than the other two planets.

Indeed, Mercury, though benefic planet by nature, lacks dignity and acts as an accidentally neutral planet. On the other hand, Venus is in its sign and manifests itself through its dispositor—Jupiter—the natural ruler of fertility.

The Moon, which, like Mercury, is peregrine in this chart, has a significant advantage regarding the affairs of the 5th house. It is the natural ruler of newborn children, which perfectly aligns with the nature of the 5th house in matters of the birth of a child.

Determining Promittors

As you already know, a promittor can be either the ruler of a house or any of its aspects. Since we are looking for a good event in a favorable house, we will choose the best aspects by effect of these three planets, including their bodily positions.

I have already shown an example in my horoscope how to evaluate the effect of an aspect. We will repeat the same logic here.

The Moon

Listed below are the favorable aspects and positions of the Moon – promittors for a child:

• qW in g. Moderately favorable bodily position of the Moon.
• eW in al. Moderately favorable trines of the Moon.
• rW in s. The square removes all good accidental dignities from the Moon. However, the Moon has no accidental dignities – it is already peregrine. Therefore, the square creates a neutral copy of the Moon and places it in Taurus. Since Taurus is the exaltation of the Moon, the nature of the Moon in the place of its square becomes a benefic. Thus, this aspect can also bring a child.
• tW in dj. Moderately favorable sextiles of the Moon.

Venus

Venus also has favorable aspects that promise children in the horoscope:

• qR in c. The most favorable bodily position of Venus.
• eR in f. Moderately favorable trine. The second trine of Venus falls into Scorpio – the place of Venus' detriment, and is unlikely to produce anything productive.
• tR in v. Moderately favorable sextile.
• tR in s. The most favorable sextile.

Mercury

Since Mercury is a less expressive promittor for children than the Moon or Venus, we expect the natal chart to realize its entire childbearing potential through the aspects above, but not through Mercury or its aspects.

As I mentioned, the natal chart, like water, seeks the most accessible paths to realize its potential.

Determining the Significators

As you recall, a significator can be a planet in the house, the ruler, or the cusp of the house. In our case, this is Mercury and the cusp of the 5th house.

A significator can also be the natural ruler of children, but only if the 5th house determines it. In our case, this is the Moon connected to the 5th house through a close aspect to the cusp. So, the Moon will also be a significator of the 5th house.

The cusp of the 5th house is much stronger than Mercury. The cusp receives close favorable aspects from two prominent promittors of children, while Mercury lacks such support. Therefore, the cusp of the 5th house will more effectively receive the promises of approaching promittors and channel them into the realm of childbearing. The same applies to the Moon—it is a more effective significator for the matters of the 5th house regarding childbirth than Mercury.

Primary Directions

Now, let's consider all the forming conjunctions between the promittors of children mentioned above and the significators of the 5th house. We will have quite a large list of possible directions, but they all occur over an interval of 0 to 180 years. We are interested in the short interval from 20 to 40 years when the woman has the maximum childbearing potential.

In the end, we get a relatively short list:

Note: In my observations, at least in women's horoscopes, the approach of a child promittor to the cusp of the 5th house indicates the date of conception rather than the date of birth. Therefore, I will add nine months to the corresponding dates.

Now, considering that Mercury is much less effective at receiving impulses from approaching promittors than the cusp of the 5th house or the Moon, as stated above, the two directions in this list are less likely to bring children than all the others.

Therefore, I propose indicating the more expected events in a separate table. I will also add nine months to the three conception dates. The result is the most expected dates:

Reality Check

This was Queen Elizabeth II's horoscope. Her birth time and life events are well-documented, making it easy to verify our calculations.

As you can see, the discrepancies between the directions, constructed in the Morin's circle of aspects, and reality are minimal, only a few months.

In the following article, we will manually calculate one of these directions.