In the "Graphic Ephemeris Selection" dialog...

>> To select a base chart

1.Click on the required base chart in the list of Dynamic Radix Charts.

You may also optionally select a different chart from the Alternate Radix Positions Chart drop-down listbox. Usually this should be the same chart, but if you choose a different chart, then the generated ephemeris will show dynamic events of the Dynamic Radix Chart in relation to the radix chart points of the alternate chart. For example, if you choose “Sarah Jones” as your dynamic radix chart, and “David Smith” as your alternate radix chart, then when you generate an ephemeris, it will show Sarah’s progressed planets making aspects to David’s natal planets.

>> To select previously saved options

2.Choose an item from the Saved Selections drop-down list on the left hand side of the screen.

This will immediately update all the selections on the screen with whatever was stored under that saved selection description.

>> To set the date from which the ephemeris will start

3.Select the Now button

If the "Now" button is selected, then the "Date" will be updated to correspond to the computer's internal clock. This button is useful if you wish to produce an ephemeris covering a period from today onwards.

4.Enter a Date

Enter a date in any acceptable format. Most commonly used formats are acceptable. If the format is not acceptable then an error dialog box will be displayed. Acceptable formats are described in detail in Entering a Date.

Alternatively, to facilitate the setting of the date, there is a special feature to help you quickly set the date back by a day, to the beginning of a month, or to the beginning of a year. To set the date back by one day, double-click on the Days option button. To set the date back to the first day of the month (or to the previous month if the the day is already the 1st of January), double-click on the Years option button.

Once you have the desired start date then you can set the duration of the ephemeris to be any number of days, months or years.

>> To select the duration of the ephemeris

5.Select any one of the Days, Months or Years option buttons

6.Enter the number of days, months or years in the Period box. This must be a positive integer. The period that the ephemeris will cover will be this number of years, days or months, depending on which of these periods has been selected with the option buttons.

>> To select the location for which you wish the ephemeris to apply

7.Select either the Natal or Relocated option button

If a dynamic report is being generated for an individual, then it should normally be relocated to wherever they are living during the period of the report. However, if the chart's subject is someone who is living in the same location as they were born during the time of the report, then the natal option is appropriate.

If only progressions are being generated for an individual, then the location should normally be the same as the natal chart location. However, if the base chart is that of a person who moved during the first few months of their life, it may be appropriate to relocate it.

•If you select the Natal option, then all the boxes relating to location will contain the location details from the base chart.

Note that although it is technically correct to alter the time zone if the current time zone is different from the natal one, in practice this is only necessary if you are examining lunar or chart angle transits, as the difference in the resultant times is otherwise not significant.

•If you select the Relocated option, then all the boxes relating to location will contain the current default values, and you can enter new location data if you wish to. (See Saving and Restoring Settings for details on default values.) Any of these values may be altered in the same manner as when creating a new chart. See Casting a Natal Chart for instructions on how to alter location values.

>> To select the ephemeris dynamic type

8.Select one of the following options from the Ephemeris Selection list:...

•Transits - to display transiting planetary positions

•Progressions - to display any type of progressed planetary positions

•Directions - to display any type of directed planetary positions

If you select progressions, then the Progressions drop-down listbox in the "Dynamic Type" area will become enabled, and you can select any of the available progression types from that list. The progressions may be secondary, tertiary, minor, user-defined rate, age or age+1 harmonic.

If you select Directions, then the "Directions" drop-down listbox in the "Dynamic Type" area will become enabled, and you can select any of the available direction types from that list. The directions may be solar arc, ascendant arc, vertex arc, user arc 1°/yr or annual profections.

Also note that, unless the base chart is a natal or event type chart, then it will only be possible to select the Transits option. In this case, the other options will be disabled (greyed out).

9.If you wish to view Prec. Corr. or Converse planetary position, then you can optionally also click on their check boxes in the "Dynamic Type"  box, and you can also choose an arc multiplier using the Mult button if your are using Solar Arc, Ascendant Arc or Vertex Arc directions.

>> To select the graph coordinate type

10. Select Longitude, Declination or Latitude from the drop-down list box below the dynamic type selection. (Only longitude is available if you have chosen to use directions.)

If you select longitude, then you have the option of selecting an ephemeris modulus angle. If you select declination or latitude, then you can select an angle extent.

>> To select the ephemeris modulus angle

11. Select a pre-defined modulus angle from the Modulus Angle drop-down list

Alternatively, you can type any desired angle from 10 minutes of arc to 360 degrees directly into the Modulus Angle box. You can type in degrees and minutes and seconds, separating each with a space (e.g. 22 30 for 22°30’), and you can also use decimal format (e.g. 22.5 for 22°30’).

The graph will display the zero line at the top, and extends downwards by the amount of the specified modulus angle.

>> To select other display options

12. Click on the Radix Positions check box in order to have the radix chart’s planetary positions displayed on the ephemeris.

13. Click on the Radix Aspects check box in order to have an aspect glyph displayed wherever a dynamic planetary position crosses a radix position.

14. Click on the Sign Labels check box in order to have zodiac sign labels for each planetary line (both radix and dynamic), and sign change bullets on each planetary line wherever the planet crosses into a new sign.

15. Click on the Lunations check box to have New and Full moon position markers on the graph. These appear as small circles containing an N for a new moon (without eclipse), F for a full moon (without eclipse), ¨ for a solar eclipse on the new moon, and © for a lunar eclipse on the full moon. Note: This option setting is included as part of the Saved Selection, so if you wish its setting to be remembered as part of the current selection, you must use the Save Selection button after changing it.

16. Click on the Deg Gridlines check box in order to have dashed lines drawn across the ephemeris at each degree division. Having this option switched on helps locate positions within the ephemeris more easily, but may be distracting when viewing the ephemeris on a small screen.

17. Click on the Date Gridlines check box in order to have dashed lines drawn down the ephemeris at each date division.

18. Click on the Back Shading check box to have the entire ephemeris data area shaded with a light grey. This option affects the aesthetic appearance of the ephemeris only.

>> To plot financial data on the ephemeris

19. Click on the Import Financial Data button. This will allow you to import data from a file external to Solar Fire that will then always be displayed on the ephemeris for the current session of Solar Fire. If you don't want the data to continue to be displayed you need to quit Solar Fire and then restart it. See Tools for Financial Astrology for more information.

>> To select which chart points to use in the ephemeris

20. Click on the required point type (Transits, Progs or Radix) inside the Points Selection box.

This will display the "File Manager" which lists all the available point files. To select a file, highlight it and click the Select button. To see what is in a file and optionally make changes, click the Edit button. For more details on selecting and editing point files, see Editing a Chart Points File.

Note: Only those point types which are applicable to the current selections will be enabled.

>> To save these selections for future use

21. Click on the Save Selection button.

You will be asked to enter a description under which to save this selection. Type in a brief description, and then click on the OK button. The description will appear in the Saved Selections list on the left of the screen, ready to reselect in future.

>> To delete a saved selection

•Highlight the desired selection in the Saved Selections list, and press the Del key.