Background

Daywave.com (Beta) is an experimental site that allows you to explore a new, real-time model of astrological interaction. We start with the theory that the most obvious astronomical cycle—the rotation of the earth—is of extreme importance in astrology. During the course of the earth's daily rotation, each planet will cross one of the four astrological “angles” (rising, culminating, setting, or anti-culminating). Traditionally, it is thought that planets in these zones have added focus and power — they are considered to be in an “active” state.

Daywave.com tells you the times of day when the planets are on the angles, calculated for your specific location. But how is this information useful?


Daily Activity: Symbolism in Real-Time

By noting the times of day that the planets are active, we can apply planetary symbolism to determine the most appropriate times to begin certain activities. For example, the planet Jupiter is associated with growth and enthusiasm, so when beginning a new financial endeavor or scheduling a job interview, one may want to choose a time when Jupiter is on one of the four astrological angles mentioned above. Conversely, the planet Saturn connotes restrictions and possible delays, so one would avoid times when this planet is active. (Obviously, other astrological factors may come into play here – this is just a simple example.)

Simply put, certain times of day are better than others for doing certain things. Rather than going “against the tide,” you can time your daily endeavors to work in harmony with ongoing astrological energy patterns.

To refine our analysis, we also look specifically at multiple planets that are simultaneously active (for example, Mars rises at the same time Jupiter sets). The technical term for these combinations is “paran,” and they have special significance. Parans represent a special kind of astrological aspect, or merging of planetary symbolism, and they may manifest independently of standard aspects.

On this site, we call the online view of the current sky positions of the planets the “Daily Activity” Report. It presents a unique, hour-by-hour “weather report” of astrological energies. (Astrologers refer to the current planetary positions as the “transits”; we use the same term here.)


Innate Patterns: The Natal Profile

Another key concept in our model is that your natal astrological chart (the planetary positions at the time you were born) establishes a baseline circadian pattern that remains with you for your entire life. We call this pattern the natal imprint, or “Natal Profile.” Think of it this way: your natal chart -- where all planets are treated as fixed points -- continues to rotate (with the rotation of the earth) after you are born, that is, roughly once every 24 hours. Thus, your natal Jupiter—as well as the rest of your planets— will cross each of the four angles once each day. The times of day that your natal planets cross the angles vary depending on the time of year and your geographic location. This establishes a unique set of personal, seasonal rhythms that affect your interactions with your environment.

As with the transiting planets, we can also use the symbolism of natal planet angle crossings as part of daily planning. Following on the previous example, you may not want to schedule a job interview when your natal Saturn (as well as transiting Saturn) is active. Or, at times when your natal Mars is on an angle, you should be able to more successfully focus or experience your Martian (assertive) energies.



Synthesis: Combining Natal and Daily Activity Patterns

By measuring and displaying when natal and transiting planets are on the angles at the same time, we are employing a powerful technique based on the idea that current planetary patterns can form locally defined aspects (paran relationships) with natal planets. This idea was first proposed by Robert Hand in a 1976 article titled “A New Approach to Transits.” This technique, which uses a different astronomical frame of reference than normal transits, can often reveal transiting influences that are missed or mistimed using standard approaches.

On Daywave.com, the combined view of natal and transiting activity can be accessed in the “Compare Natal Profile/Daily Activity” Report.



Real-Time Reports and Notifications

Daywave.com allows you to view daily patterns in easy-to-understand, color-coded online reports. These reports can scheduled to arrive in your email on a daily basis.

When you notice a specific planetary event in a report that is of interest to you, you can schedule a reminder to be sent as a text message to your cell phone, email address, or Twitter account. You can even add your own notes to reminders, allowing you to use them as a form of personal calendar manager.



Acknowledgements

James Valliere first popularized the use of angle crossings for daily planning in his pioneering monthly graphs published (by Astrolabe Software) as Valliere's Natural Cycles Alamanac. As mentioned, Rob Hand was the first to suggest combining natal and transiting angle crossings in his 1976 article (“A New Approach to Transits”).