The most notable advance in astrological techniques for centuries has been the development of Harmonics into Age Harmonics. Most experienced astrologers are familiar with the general concept of Harmonics, as expounded by John Addey. They have been in use from ancient times. But only the advance guard of astrologers have grasped the significance, uniqueness and great utility of Age Harmonics.
What is different about AGE Harmonics? It is principally the concept of using the age of a person, an organization, a nation, a city, an enterprise, etc, to elicit information concerning the future of that person, nation, enterprise, etc. This is probably its most important role but by no means the only one. Age Harmonics have a unique value in several areas of Astrology where they shed light on questions that have perplexed practitioners from time immemorial.
They are outstanding in their ability to predict with certainty the outcome of a political battle, an Election, and contests of various kinds. Notable examples are the Election of George Bush to the Presidency in 1989 and of George W. Bush (reelection) in 2004.
Another application of great practical utility is in distinguishing with certainty which of two possible birth times is correct. It often happens a person cannot remember whether the mother said, for instance, the birth was a quarter to seven or a quarter past seven, five minutes before twelve or five minutes after twelve, etc. In these cases, setting up an Age Harmonic for some important events in the person’s life leaves no doubt as to which is the correct time.
In Rectification of Natal Charts after a time is established within about a quarter of an hour, Age Harmonics enable a degree of fine tuning not approached by any other method.
Age Harmonics are of signal use in Synastry, where two charts are compared for compatibility or other issues. You can see the interaction between two people, their attitude to one another or what preoccupies them at any point in time, by setting up their Age Harmonic Charts for the same date and putting them in a BiWheel, with one outside the other. The inter-chart conjunctions with an orb of one degree or less are the most important factors, describing their relationship to one another. Interchange the chart positions for a different view and for further insights through the different House positions. The computer program Solar Fire from Esoteric Technologies is ideal for this purpose and facilitates the whole operation.
If you do this same comparison with the usual Secondary Progressions to the same date for each Chart you will be surprised how inferior it is to the Harmonics BiWheel.
A further application of Age Harmonics is the delineation of defining moments in the lives of people. These are moments of great significance to the individual when some stroke of destiny changes the person’s life, maybe orienting it in a very different direction for some years. Because of its richness in Aspects, the Chart for the Harmonic Age at the time can give a better indication of the future life than can the Progressed or Solar Return Chart.
Age Harmonic Charts are rich in Aspects because they are not restricted by the normal relationships of planets. Venus and Mercury, for example, can be in any Aspect to the Sun – opposition or square, for instance – not limited to 45° or less.
Among the great advantages of using Age Harmonics is that they obviate questions such as should Return Charts be calculated for the place of birth or the place of residence. Harmonic Charts are related to the place of birth only. You can experiment with different locations but my researches have led me back to the birth place.
It is essential to have an accurate birth time to get the best results from Age Harmonics. The large multiplication factors involved in the calculations magnify the differences in charts caused by a small time error. On the other hand, this is also a strength as it enables very fine adjustment to inaccurate birth times, as mentioned above. If the birth time you happen to be working with is not too far out of exactitude you can still derive much good information from a harmonic chart by examining the Aspects and disregarding the Houses. This, however, should really be a stimulus to rectify the chart.
Interpreting Age Harmonic Charts
Interpret the Age Harmonic just as you would a Solar Return Figure. Firstly, read the Chart on its own (without the Radix). Alone, this will usually give the significant matters. When you combine it with the Radix you find confirmation or extension of what is indicated in the Harmonic Figure.
Occasionally when you surround the Harmonic Chart with the Natal Figure some important Natal Aspect (hard or soft) is moved into a highly significant position in the Harmonic Chart. For example, the planets in a natal square could be moved into the Angular position of Asc and MC. This then becomes a powerful indicator along with what else appears in the Harmonic Chart.
Look for CLOSE ASPECTS (within 1°). The conjunctions are the most important but any Aspect, even a semi-sextile, is significant if less than 1°. Give these close Aspects priority, but having found and interpreted them see what is added by the other Aspects up to about 5° orb.
Closeness to a Cusp increases the potency of the planet involved – principally the Angles but the intermediate Cusps also. Harmonic Charts are usually printed out with equal Cusps, so every planet on a Cusp bears some angular relation to the Ascendant and Midheaven. To my surprise, and having treated them with indifference for many years, I have found Porphyry Cusps to be the best in general work inasmuch as they indicate the most powerful position for a planet to occupy in a House.
It is largely a question of PRIORITIES – what astrological factor is more important and significant than another. This comes with doing lots of Age Harmonic Charts for events that you know in people’s lives. It’s serious rational work that counts – not lucky guesses. Of course for best results you need an accurate birth time.
Calculation of Harmonics
Harmonics are tedious (but not hard) to calculate by hand (with an electronic calculator). If the birth time is out, but not too far out, the inter-planetary aspects will be O.K. but the House positions may be wrong and in particular, planets will be removed from propinquity to Cusps, which are the strongest positions in the Houses. A number of computer programs calculate the Age- Harmonic Chart. Preeminent among them is the Program in Solar Fire designed by Esoteric Technologies. It is comprehensive, including valuable extensions such as giving an Harmonic- Age Chart for any day of the year and being able to give a chronological list of PROGRESSED Harmonic positions as in Secondary Progressions.
Those using a version of Solar Fire prior to V6 and dependent on my Table of Monthly Harmonics, should be careful to select the correct month. The correct month is the one that includes the date of the event. If the date of the event is 1st March and the birthday is the 23rd of July it is no good going to March in the July column of the Table for Monthly Harmonics. That would refer to the month 23 March to 23 April, whereas what is wanted is 23 February to 23 March, so in this case you look down the column for the fraction opposite February.
Each individual factor in the Birth Chart has to be multiplied by the Age Harmonic. Usually, this is done by a Program in the computer. (Solar Fire does it beautifully). The Ascendant is found by multiplying the Natal Asc by the Age Harmonic, and all the Cusps have the same degrees and minutes (Equal House). The Natal MC multiplied by the Age Harmonic gives the “Floating MC” which can be anywhere in the Harmonic Chart. It is more important and significant than the 10th Cusp.
Genesis of Age Harmonics
My attention was first directed to this revolutionary way of applying harmonics to a horoscope by artist-astrologer Ross Harvey of NSW, Australia, in 1983. Following his lead I made some investigations of my own and soon realized that this was indeed a momentous discovery, beyond any other advances of the last two centuries. From 1983 onwards I made it my business to promote this new technique by articles and demonstrations in Astrologers’ Forum of which I was Founder and Editor. Time and constant testing has confirmed its validity. I am glad to note the increasing number of astrologers who have accepted and now use it as a matter of course. In no small measure this is also due to the wonderful Program provided by Esoteric Technologies in their Solar Fire where Age Harmonic Charts and Daily Progressions are easily and instantly produced.
Here is an illustration of the utility of Age Harmonics: One of the Tests e-mailed recently to a large group of astrologers world-wide concerned a woman born in Pune, India, on 27 Aug 1947 at 2:20 am IST. Her Horoscope appears above. See Chart Sample A.
The question was to find what dramatic event occurred in her life on the date 10 February 2006. She was a married woman living in Bombay; one son, father dead, mother alive.
The answer is she underwent major abdominal surgery. This situation is portrayed graphically in her personal Harmonic Chart for the exact day of the operation-10 Feb 2006.
See Chart Example A Age Harmonics.
The dominant Aspect of Pluto square Saturn with an orb of only 0°2’ eclipses everything else. Pluto (drama and surgery) at the Midheaven square Saturn on the Ascendant (the body), symbolizes violence to the person. Additionally, Mars is rising semisextile to Uranus with an orb of only 0°22’ — typical of surgery.
Compare this solution with other methods of arriving at the answer and you will appreciate the precision and individuality of Age Harmonics. They add a whole new dimension to our Art.
