Morinus is one of my favorite astro-software. Anyway the pd-in-charts settings potentially very useful because beyond showing the primary chart for the aspect’s perfection, they allow to calculate the directions for a given moment, are very poorly implemented, being totally unconnected from the primary directions settings.
Many times I told about this mistake, and the same did some primary directions experts, but we were totally unheard. Why someone should set again the chart in pd-in-chart when s/he already set them in primary directions menu? It’s a mystery to me, the only result is a very high chance of getting the wrong result. So I hope this short guide will be useful.
Primary directions settings in Morinus are under the OPTIONS MENU.
- Options menu
The first thing to do is choosing a directions key under PRIMARY KEYS (traditionally these are PTOLEMY for semiarc, NAIBOD for Regiomontanus, TRUE EQUATORIAL SOLAR ARC for Placidian underthepole & mundane.
Let’s start from semi-arc directions. After having chosen the Ptolemy key in the primary key dialog, we will arrange primary directions settings like that:
- semiarc options
Before casting the directed chart we should set the PD-in-chart dialog with ecliptic-feet option:
- semiarc chart options
now we can cast the chart from the TABLES MENU/PRIMARY DIRECTIONS
If we want to use under-the-pole directions the following settings are needed ((don’t forget to set the true equatorial solar key in key settings:
- under the pole options
in the same way Regiomontanus should be set like this (Naibod key)
- Regiomontanus options
pd in chart should be zodiacal-from the planets
- zodiacal charts settings
and then
we will do the same for mundane ones
- mundane settings
and then in pd-in-charts, terrestrial option
- mundane charts settings
and eventually
- mundane charts
whatever kind of directions, we can search a direction by the event date from the primary chart tables, clicking and choosing the needed date (or arc of direction)
Enjoy and good work!
Written by Margherita Fiorello, CIDA certified member, for heaven astrolabe blog @ year 2012. If you want to be notified the next time I write something, subscribe to my RSS feed.
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Dear Margherita,
thank you for this post. It is very informative.
But – what is the reason for using PD Placidus (semiarc) or Placidus under the pole or Regiomontanus. Is any kind better than other or they are used for different purposes?
Best wishes,
Trojan
I believe every author has is favorite method, that’s all. Moreover both Regiomontanus and Placidus argued that they were using Ptolemy’s method, which obviously was not, because Ptolemy’s method is the semiarc.
How would one enable the “fixed stars” option?
thanks,
Joseph
Morinus site is https://sites.google.com/site/pymorinus/