How An Astrologer Interprets Progressed Charts To Spotlight Soul Growth

Here's what to know about what a progressed chart is, how to calculate yours, and how to interpret what it all means for how you can best reach your potential.

The progressed chart is useful for showing slow changes over the course of life. It can very accurately describe personality shifts, emotional development, areas of current karmic focus, and notable achievements a soul has been working toward in this life.

Thus, when Jupiter or Saturn do change sign or direction (going retrograde to direct or vice versa) in the progressed chart, it is an indicator of a notable shift or new phase in life.

The biwheel is the chart I use more commonly to make predictions. The stand-alone progressed chart is interesting, though, providing a useful way to clearly visualize what's important for a soul now (how they are progressing on the goals of their birth chart). 

Since I am a psychiatrist as well as an astrologer, I approach astrology with an extra emphasis on helping people heal their wounds, understand their families, and accentuate their talents. In this way, astrology helps people reach their potential ("self-actualize" in psychology-speak).

I use the progressed chart, specifically, to identify someone's current emotional focus. The sign and house location of the progressed moon relay this information. If the progressed moon is in the 10th house, for example, career is at the center of their awareness. There often is a karmic (fated) professional opportunity happening. The progressed moon's sign also reveals a several-year "developmental stage" within the personality. Someone with their birth moon in sensitive Pisces and their progressed moon in grounded Capricorn, for example, is experiencing a more emotionally stable period.

The relationship between the progressed moon and the progressed sun is also quite important. When the two form a conjunction (every 27.5 years), it is called a "progressed new moon." It marks a major new beginning, the start of a fresh cycle (sometimes after a completion or loss). Progressed full moons (progressed sun opposite progressed moon), on the other hand, mark significant moments of achievement or accomplishment. They are energy peaks resulting from nearly 14 years of work and growth.

When the progressed sun changes houses (in a biwheel chart), especially when it crosses the first, fourth, seventh, and 10^th (the "angular houses") house cusps, significant shifts in personality and focus occur. Important milestones often accompany these crossings. When the progressed sun makes notable aspects (geometric connections) to birth or transiting planets (such as progressed sun conjunct birth Venus or Neptune), significant life events are common.

In a birth chart, the rising sign describes a key aspect of our personality. In the progressed chart, it moves about one degree per year and shows how a person's personality "presentation" has evolved. It's useful to note the degree of the progressed rising sign and see if it conjuncts (or makes other aspects to) planets in the birth chart. Aspects to tough planets may indicate a difficult year or two. Aspects to favorable planets usually foretell easier, more joyful years.

Progressed charts are one of the most valuable tools in astrology. They show gradual personality development and emotional growth cycles. Understanding these things, you comprehend how your life is evolving and the ways your soul is maturing. You can anticipate changes and make peace with challenges. "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" are two of the profound philosophical questions of life. With the help of the progressed chart, and astrology in general, we're a little closer to finding the answers while embracing the mystery.