An illustrated guide to Morinus directions

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.

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:

Before casting the directed chart we should set the PD-in-chart dialog with ecliptic-feet option:

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:

in the same way Regiomontanus should be set like this (Naibod key)

pd in chart should be zodiacal-from the planets

and then

we will do the same for mundane ones

and then in pd-in-charts, terrestrial option

and eventually

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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