The term "Profection" originates from the Latin word "profectio," which signifies "going forth, setting out, a departure," and also conveys the meaning of "the source." Essentially, it involves the process of counting houses.
The birth chart represents a snapshot of the moment you were born, symbolizing your beginning or essence. Your destiny is established and depicted in that starting point, in that precise moment. At the instant of birth, you are considered to be 0 years old. After 365 days, you celebrate your first birthday. Another year passes, and you reach your second birthday, and so on.
In Medieval Astrology, the Ascendant serves as a significant indicator of life. Latin texts refer to it as "vita," meaning life. The quality of life experiences cyclic changes on an annual and monthly basis. The Profection technique is founded on the notion that this cyclical transformation is ingrained in each individual's life through the underlying pattern of their natal horoscope.
Profections consist of cycles spanning 12 years, reminiscent of the Chinese Zodiac system that also operates on twelve-year cycles. Upon your birth, the sign present on the ascendant and its ruling planet governs your initial year. Subsequently, each successive year is governed by the following sign and its ruler, progressing in twelve-year intervals. For instance, if Sagittarius rises at the time of your birth, Capricorn will rule your second year, and so on, with Sagittarius recurring at ages 12, 24, 36, and so forth.
To provide further clarification, let me explain in a different manner. Imagine you're counting and place your finger on the Ascendant while saying "O." The 2nd House cusp is then counted as 1, the 3rd House cusp as 2, the 4th House cusp as 3, and so forth, progressing around the houses until you reach the Ascendant again at 12.
Here are the steps to follow when using annual profections in astrology:
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Identify the Ascendant: Determine the Ascendant (also known as the rising sign) in the natal chart of the individual. This is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of their birth.
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Start with the Ascendant House: Begin the annual profection cycle by assigning the number 1 to the Ascendant house.
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Progress through the Houses: Move counterclockwise around the astrological chart, assigning consecutive numbers to each house as you go. For example, the 2nd house will be year 2, the 3rd house will be year 3, and so on, until you reach the 12th house.
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Determine the Current Year: Establish the current year of the individual's life. This can be done by subtracting their birth year from the present year. Or just knowing how old you are.
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Match the Current Year to a House: Find the house that corresponds to the current year in the profection cycle. For instance, if the individual is in their 28th year of life, the 5th house will be the active profection house.
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Analyze the Profection House: Explore the themes and significations associated with the profection house. Consider the planets residing in that house and their specific meanings. Also, identify the ruling planet of the house, known as the Lord of the Year, and note its position and influence.
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Interpret the Life Events: Interpret how the profection house and its ruling planet might influence the individual's life experiences during the current year. Pay attention to the dominant issue or area of focus indicated by the Lord of the Year.
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Repeat the Process Annually: Continue progressing through the profection cycle, assigning the appropriate house number each year, and analyzing the corresponding themes and influences for subsequent years.
By following these steps, you can effectively utilize annual profections in astrology to gain insights into different aspects of an individual's life as they progress through each year.
| Profection House | Ages |
|---|---|
| 1st House | 1, 12, 24, 36 |
| 2nd House | 2, 13, 25, 37 |
| 3rd House | 3, 14, 26, 38 |
| 4th House | 4, 15, 27, 39 |
| 5th House | 5, 16, 28, 40 |
| 6th House | 6, 17, 29, 41 |
| 7th House | 7, 18, 30, 42 |
| 8th House | 8, 19, 31, 43 |
| 9th House | 9, 20, 32, 44 |
| 10th House | 10, 21, 33, 45 |
| 11th House | 11, 22, 34, 46 |
| 12th House | 12, 23, 35, 47 |
We hope this gives you a good start to this technique. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them below.