Everything to Know About the Annual Profections Astrology Technique
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By now, you're probably familiar with reading your horoscope, which is based on your astrological sign. You may enjoy reading daily, weekly, or monthly predictions based on your star sign. You likely identify with at least some of the personality traits attributed to your sun, moon, and rising signs. It's fun to theorize what lies ahead and to learn more about yourself through astrology. Want to get even deeper? Enter, annual profections. This predictive astrology technique involves advancing the Ascendant (also known as the rising sign) of a natal chart by one sign per year, progressing through all twelve signs in a cyclical manner.
What are annual profections?
Simply put, annual profections can help you identify life themes for the year ahead of you based on a circular chart (like your astrological birth chart). Each section in the circle represents an astrological "house" that is timed based on your birthday. Every time you have a birthday, consider that your personal, annual profected year.
"Annual profections are a part of Hellenistic astrology and are a form of predictive astrology, which uses whole sign house systems to determine what single year after birth defines your year’s theme," explains astrologer Babs Cheung.
Each year, the focus shifts to a different house in the natal chart, and with it come associated themes and events related to that house. Through learning about your annual profection, you can gain insight into major events that may occur in your life during a particular year. These focal points are said to shape your experiences and key developments in your love life, career, family, and more.
As Stina Garbis, professional astrologer at Tarotoo, says: "Your annual perfection — depending upon which house it’s in and what sign and planetary ruler — determines your main theme for the year."
Garbis provides two examples:
If you're 42, your profection lands in the seventh house. And if you have Taurus rising, your seventh house would be ruled by Scorpio and the planet Pluto. Since the seventh house rules love and relationships, this could be a year where you decide to focus on relationships, and perhaps meet the person of your dreams. Since it’s ruled by Scorpio and the planet Pluto, it could be someone that you have a lot of physical chemistry with. You might find that you guys carry some of the same baggage like you both have been divorced before or your partner is a widow.
Say you are 45, your profection would land in the 10th house and if your rising sign is Aries your 10th house would be ruled by Capricorn and the planet Saturn. This could be a year that you focus on your career and you quit your job and focus on a passion that you’ve had since you were younger. If you have any planets in the sign of Capricorn, that would also have an effect on your profection year. So say if you had Jupiter in Capricorn and Jupiter is the planet of luck, then you may find that you get your dream job, or that you get an amazing promotion making a lot more money, or that you become recognized by the public as being an expert in your field of work.
In other words, each person's profection will differ. "The idea is that each year has a different tone and different area of focus, and this year begins with the solar return or the birthday year. It is not to be confused with the calendar year," Cheung says.
Ahead, you'll learn how to determine your own annual profection, as well as practical ways to apply this knowledge in your daily life.
How to calculate your annual profection
In astrology, annual profections — also known as "profectional houses" or "solar return houses" — are a predictive technique used to gain insight into the themes and events that may unfold in a person's life during a particular year.
The annual profections astrology technique is very technical, which is also what gives it the potential for accuracy. We've broken it down into steps:
Determine the Profected Ascendant: Start by identifying the natal Ascendant or rising sign in the birth chart. This is typically the sign that was on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth. (See the next section to calculate.)
Assign a Ruler: Each sign has a planetary ruler. For example, Aries is ruled by Mars, Taurus by Venus, Gemini by Mercury, and so on. The ruling planet of the profected sign becomes the "profector" for that year.
Progress the Ascendant: Move the Ascendant one sign forward in the zodiac each year. For example, if your natal Ascendant is in Aries, in the first year of life, the profected Ascendant will be in Taurus, ruled by Venus.
Examine the Profected House: The profected Ascendant determines the profected house for that year. This is the house that takes center stage in your life during that year.
Analyze the Natal Chart: Look at the natal planets located in the profected house and any aspects they make with other planets. This provides insights into the key themes and events that may manifest during the year.
Consider the Profector: The ruling planet of the profected sign (the profector) also plays a significant role. Its condition and aspects in the natal chart and transits to it during the year can provide additional information about the year's developments.
Repeat the Cycle: The profection cycle continues year by year, moving through each of the twelve houses in the natal chart. It returns to the natal Ascendant after twelve years, completing one full cycle.
So what house are you in this year? The way to know is by using the profection circle and counting counter-clockwise starting with age 0, which is the first house. Age one is the 2nd house, age two is the 3rd house, and so on.
This year, figure out what house you're in as you count all the way to the age you are today.
"The easiest way to calculate your profection would be to Google it and determine your rising sign. Based on the time you were born, you can find what sign and planet rules your profection year and have a computer figure it out," suggests Garbis.
You can use rising sign calculators on sites like Astrofame and Astro Seek.
In addition to the date and time you were born, you'll also need to know your birth city and country to determine your rising sign.
Once you know what your rising sign is, continue to number 2 in the above section.
How to use the annual profections wheel to find your theme for the year
Want an example of the annual profection calculation? Cheung illustrates calculating one's profection year:
Imagine you are a Scorpio rising. Here's the profection year lineup:
Year 0 - Scorpio (1st house profection year)
Year 1 - Sagittarius (2nd house profection year)
Year 2 - Capricorn (3rd house profection year)
Year 4 - Aquarius (4th house profection year)
Year 5 - Pisces (5th house profection year)
Year 6 - Aries (6th house profection year)
Year 7 - Taurus (7th house profection year)
Year 8 - Gemini (8th house profection year)
Year 9 - Cancer (9th house profection year)
Year 10 - Leo (10th house profection year)
Year 11 - Virgo (11th house profection year)
Year 12 - Libra (12th house profection year)
Year 13 - back to Scorpio (1st house profection year)
How to interpret your annual profection
"Annual profections to the first house mean all things identity, appearance, self expression, and presentation to the world. There is also an emphasis on beginning something new and it usually relates to how a person wants to project themselves," Cheung says. "In the example above, the rising sign is Scorpio which means the ruler of that year, for a first house profection year is Mars because Mars rules the sign of Scorpio."
"It then means that this individual is highly sensitive to transits by Mars, meaning that if anything happens in that given year that affects Mars, like say a retrograde, where Mars hangs out in a sign longer than others, that is something to take note," Cheung continues.
As you dive deeper and analyze, Cheung points out that what generally happens during a profection year is dependent on what house year and what planetary ruler has taken over that year. If you are going through a Mercury year (Virgo or Gemini) then you will be highly sensitive to Mercury's retrograding periods throughout that year period. And if you are going through a Venus year (Libra or Taurus) then you will be highly sensitive to Venus' retrograding periods (if there are any) throughout the year.
Based on traditional time lords and rulerships:
Mercury rules over Scorpio and Aries
Venus rules over Taurus and Libra
Mars rules over Scorpio and Aries
Moon rules over Cancer
Sun rules over Leo
Jupiter rules over Sagittarius and Pisces
Saturn rules over Aquarius and Capricorn
To recap, your rising sign and your age can calculate your profected year, and from there, count how Cheung demonstrated above.
If you are 34, for example, and your rising is Pisces, here's what that count looks like:
0/12/24/36 - Pisces (1H)
1/13/25 - Aries (2H)
2/14/26 - Taurus (3H)
3/15/27 - Gemini (4H)
4/16/28 - Cancer (5H)
5/17/29 - Leo (6H)
6/18/30 - Virgo (7H)
7/19/31 - Libra (8H)
8/20/32 - Scorpio (9H)
9/21/33 - Sagittarius (10H)
10/22/34 - Capricorn (11H)
11/23/35 - Aquarius (12H)
This means you are in your Capricorn 11th house year.
Next, determine the ruler of Capricorn. In this case, it's Saturn.
Now you know that you are in your 11th House profection year, Saturn year.
Cheung explains the prediction for this example:
For a planet like Saturn, which moves quite slowly, your theme this year is learning and teaching valuable lessons. It's a year that rewards hard discipline and the ability to move forward despite limitations. And as it plays out in the 11th house of friendship and open enemies, this is the year you'll truly learn lessons around who you associate with.
Now let's assume you're 36 and a Pisces rising. Based on the above chart, we see that you are now in your 1st house profection year.
Cheung explains the prediction for this example:
Pisces is ruled by Jupiter which means Jupiter is the transit you are the most sensitive to. It's best to check where Jupiter is by using and ephemeris and where Jupiter will be for the duration of the year you are 36. Jupiter's themes are expansion, truly making more of whatever it touches. While this could be a great year to figure out who you are through lots of travels abroad, if money is tight you can also explore different religions or philosophies/spirituality to help broaden your horizons or get you closer to figuring out your identity. This could also be a big year of drastic physical appearances. Maybe you've had the same hair for the last 12 years and always wanted to shave it all off, this is the year to debut big moves and experiment. The first house profection year is an invitation to reimagine your image and identity for the next 12 years and there will be plenty of opportunities that prompt you to do that very thing.
What are the house themes in annual profections?
Once you've calculated your annual profection (i.e. which house you're in this year), read on to see what it means.
1st House - The House of Self: This is all about you! Your physical body, your self-image, and your unique personality traits are in the spotlight during this.
2nd House - The House of Income: Show me the money! Time to think about your cash flow, material possessions, and all things related to your finances.
3rd House - The House of Communication: Chatterbox alert! This house is all about how you communicate, what you're learning, your siblings, and those short trips you take.
4th House - The House of Home Life: Home is where the heart is! This one's about family, that cozy feeling of security, and your private life, away from the public eye.
5th House - The House of Romance: Love is in the air! It's when you can dive into romance, those flirty early stages of a relationship, your creative spark, and the joy of kids.
6th House - The House of Health: Time to take care of business! Here, you can focus on your daily routine, your well-being, your work day, and even your furry friends.
7th House - The House of Partnership: Two peas in a pod! This house covers partnerships of all kinds — from friendships to business collaborations, and of course, romantic bonds.
8th House - The House of Intimacy: Things get deep! During this, it's time to think about all things intimate — from passionate relationships to shared resources and even transformation.
9th House - The House of Adventure: Ready for an adventure? This house is all about long-distance travel, exploring different philosophies, and seeking higher education.
10th House - The House of Career: Climbing that career ladder! It's when you can dive into your public image, professional ambitions, and your role and responsibilities.
11th House - The House of Networking: Friends forever! Here, it's all about your social circles, your squad, your long-term goals, and the friendships that light up your life.
12th House - The House of Spirituality: Dive into the deep waters of the mind! This house explores your unconscious, your intuition, and the magical world of dreams.
The bottom line
"Astrology is one big connect the dots game; it doesn't look like much at first and then you begin to follow the dots and then suddenly you see a picture," Cheung explains. Annual profections offer a systematic way to explore different areas of life and anticipate significant events or changes. However, they are just one of many predictive techniques in astrology and should be used in conjunction with other methods for a comprehensive understanding of a person's astrological influences and life events.
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