It is not since now that the free astrological software Morinus is one of the best English language localized software.
I have written in the past several posts about how using it, getting traditional primary directions, and how adapting the original algorithm, which is based on Kolev work (( see bibliography below)), to Bezza & Fumagalli (Cieloeterra) algorithm .
Now it’s time to examine closer the new update, which contains several VERY interesting things.
HOURLY DISTANCES AND TEMPORAL HOURS.
In the Placidian speculum hourly distance and temporal hour of planets and user points have been added.
Temporal hour is a significant portion of semi-arc, namely the hourly path of the given point. (( Placido Titi,Tabulae primi mobilis cum thesibus ad Theorigen, & canonibus ad praxim, additis in rerum demonstrationem, & supputationum exemplum triginta clarissimorum natalium thematibus, Pars I canon. IV)).
The hourly distance is the position of a given point in respect to the meridian.
PROFECTIONS
Profections are one of the main tools of prediction in traditional astrology, so Morinus is dedicating to them a special section.
- Profections menu in Morinus
At the moment are available different choices.
- Profections variants
a- traditional variant.
It is the usual technique known by Hellenistic/Medieval astrologers. It consists in advancing the ascendant, the houses and all the points of a sign, in a 12 years cycle.
This movement is not discrete: the Ascendant and the other points don’t jump of 30 degrees every year, but they move continuously of 30°/365 every day.
It is a well known technique mentioned since Middle Ages, included in the most known commercial astro-software.
b- Placidian annual in mundo variant
It is a reading of the method proposed by Cieloeterra, based on Ibn Ezra, and illustrated in the articles of Prof. Giuseppe Bezza The profection.How it should be calculated, how it should be interpreted. and the more recent Marco Fumagalli The profection encounters.

Details are better explained in Morinus page.
In every case, as it is evident from Cieloeterra articles, according Cieloeterra method, differently from Morinus, just the 5 hylegiacal points are used. So it’s up to the reader/user how to use data got from Morinus according to his/her necessity and method to read the profection.

c- Placidian annual zodiacal variant
Considering that Morinus is not direct only to Cieloeterra entourage (even if obviously the gentle author of this blog has a well known immense consideration for that Italian traditional association) Morinus has implemented a third variant based on the zodiacal positions — which is in a way more obvious (in the sense of logical) variant because in fact the radix chart is not a “in mundo” chart, it is “zodiacal.”
Here again the user can decide by her/himself what s/he prefers, Morinus gives a wide choice of how experimenting, as you can see.
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All the three variants can be viewed – rightclicking on the chart as single chart, biwheel (with radix) or positions.
RAPT PARALLELS
As cherry on the ice-cream, in the primary direction section Placidian rapt parallels have been added.
Couple of planets should be selected in the PROMISSORS column
As usually Morinus can be downloaded for free from here.
Please come back frequently to visit its page, because other great features are planned.
Written by Margherita Fiorello, CIDA certified member, for heaven astrolabe blog @ year 2011. If you want to be notified the next time I write something, subscribe to my RSS feed.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY AND NOTES
Morinus page is at https://sites.google.com/site/pymorinus/
The web address of Cieloeterra is www.cieloeterra.it
Rumen Kolev, Primary Directions to Asc. & MC (Varna, n.d.).
Rumen Kolev, Interplanetary Primary Directions (Varna, n.d.).
Rumen Kolev, History of Astrology vol. 1 Gauricus & Henry II (Varna, 2006.).