Predictive astrology is a divination method that reveals when significant life events occur or changes are likely to unfold based on planetary positions. However, it’s important to note that predictions are not guaranteed, they are potential outcomes. They are also influenced by the natal chart’s condition, an individual’s current situation or environment, and can manifest in a number of different ways.

Predictive astrology generally highlights periods of opportunity, challenge, or periods of growth using a number of various techniques such as transits, progressions, solar and lunar returns, solar arcs, and annual profections. While these methods are often used for personalized predictions, they can also apply to relationships, businesses or even nations as long as the exact moment of formation is known.

There are numerous astrological methods used for prediction, however this article focuses on Western astrology, which includes both modern and traditional astrology techniques.

Transits

Transits are one of the most common methods used in predictive astrology. They are most useful when applied to the natal chart. This is when a planet in the sky makes a connection by aspect to a natal planet or personal point (Ascendant, Descendant etc.), marking possible shifts in a person’s life. The transits of inner, fast-moving planets like the Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars indicate short-term, daily or weekly themes such as emotional shifts, mental focus, or immediate events. Tracking slower planets, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto, can identify periods of growth, transformation, or important opportunities over a few years. Transits are versatile and used to generate daily, weekly, and yearly horoscopes. When applied to the natal chart, they are used to create personalized horoscopes. They are also used to make generalized predictions, not specific to a person (see Mundane predictions below).

Diurnal Daily Horoscope

Diurnal daily charts show which planets are most active on a specific day and are exclusively applied to natal charts, revealing short-term shifts and daily influences. They are generated by casting a transit chart, but using the exact time and location of a person’s birth instead of where the person currently lives. The ascendant ruler of a diurnal chart and aspects to the angles are key to interpretation. Diurnal charts can help highlight the best days for action and reflection, and when combined with transit-to-natal charts, can create more detailed predictions. This type of chart is used to generate highly personalized daily horoscopes, and are only used when the exact birthtime is known. 

Solar Return

Solar return charts highlight the themes most likely to shape a given year. They are also known as birthday readings and are cast for the exact moment the sun returns to the position it held at birth. These charts reveal which areas of life may come into focus during the upcoming year. House placements, planetary aspects, and connections to the natal chart identify potential themes, opportunities or challenges, offering a roadmap for the year ahead.

Lunar Return

Lunar return charts reveal the dominant themes likely to influence someone during a specific month. They are cast for the exact moment the moon returns to the position it held at birth and highlights key areas of focus. House placements and aspects are used to identify emotional shifts, periods for reflection, and are also used to narrow down the timing of events over the coming weeks. This type of chart, when combined with transit-to-natal charts, is used to generate highly personalized monthly horoscopes, and are only used when the exact birth time is known.

Primary Directions

Primary Progressions, also known as Primary Directions, is a technique based on the Earth’s daily rotation. It uses right ascension to symbolically progress the Ascendant and Midheaven (move them by 1 degree around the Zodiac for each year of a person’s life). When these axes form aspects to natal planets or angles, they are interpreted as activations of specific life themes or major external events, such as career shifts, relationship changes or periods of transformation. This technique is very sensitive to the time of birth, so it is only used with an exact birth time.

Secondary Progressions

Secondary progressions are a method that advances the natal chart, using a system where each day after birth represents one year of life. These charts are created by progressing each planet and angle by its own speed. This means the transit chart of the 2^nd day after birth symbolizes the 2^nd year of life, the 15^th day after birth symbolizes an individual’s 15th year. Similar to Primary Directions, the chart is compared to the natal chart to identify aspects and other significant alignments to predict long-term themes and life events over the medium term (typically 3-12 months).

Solar Arc Directions

A solar arc measures how far the Sun has moved in degrees from its birth position to a given date, which roughly equals the person’s age in degrees. This distance is then applied to all planets and points in the natal chart. For example, running a solar arc direction for someone’s 22^nd year means moving all the planets forward through the zodiac by 22 degrees. This technique, similar in scope to a solar return and secondary progression (see above), highlights long-term themes, trends, areas of growth and key life events. This method can better highlight themes associated with the outer, slower-moving planets when compared to secondary progressions.

Arc Openings

This is a technique typically used in Uranian astrology, using the length of the arc between two planets or personal points, as they are seen on the 90-degree dial. When the age of a person matches an arc length in degrees between two planets or natal points, it activates that pair, revealing a potential opportunity for the pair’s themes to manifest around that age. Single points can also be activated using the Aries Point (0 degrees Aries). As the arcs grow longer each year, different pairs come into view in a unique sequence. These activations can either be interpreted using standard aspect meanings or using Uranian astrology planetary picture meanings. This technique is a quick way to look at potential life themes of consecutive years, but it is often combined with other predictive techniques to make full predictions. Pat White has a good overview of this method. 

Annual Profections

Annual Profections is time-lord technique that originates from Hellenistic times. It assigns each year of life to a specific house in the natal chart, starting with the first house at birth, the second house at age one, and so on. Each house highlights the areas of life that will be most active or important during that year, offering insight into themes, challenges, and opportunities. The ruler of the profected house, called the time-lord, is especially significant, as its condition and aspects in the natal chart indicate how the year’s events may unfold. This method provides a simple, year-by-year guide for changing life themes. In order to use this technique, the time of birth is needed since this method utilizes the ascendant and houses.

Zodiacal Releasing

Also known as zodiacal aphesis, zodiacal releasing is another Hellenistic time-lord technique that divides a person’s life into symbolic chapters and sub-chapters. Each chapter has a planetary ruler (time-lord) for each period of varying length. It highlights which long-term cycles of different life themes are most active in any given time period. Within these cycles, there are peak periods that often mark significant or intense phases in life. This method is particularly useful for understanding broad life patterns, such as work and career, financial stability, health, and other major turning points. Since this method involves the use of Lot of Fortune and Lot of Spirit, it is only effective when the birth time is known.

Firdaria

Firdaria is a Medieval astrological timing technique that divides a person’s life into long, sequential chapters of planetary periods. Each period is ruled by a particular planet and lasts between 7 to 13 years, which are divided further into minor periods of different planets, depending on whether the individual was born during the day or night. The ruling planet combinations of a period identify the most dominant themes, challenges and potential lessons of that period. Compared to other timing techniques, it is relatively straightforward in interpretation and can be used when the exact birth time is unknown, as long as the general time of day is known (either a daytime or night time birth). The original translations of these planetary period interpretations can be found on Robert Hand’s post: ‘Firdar, Alfridaria or Alridaries’.

Electional Astrology

Not exactly a predictive technique in the ordinary sense, electional astrology is a method that helps people choose the best time to begin an important action by ranking the most favorable times to schedule an event, typically in the near future. It is done by analyzing the positions of planets, signs, and houses of potential dates. A selection of dates is then narrowed down to the most favorable, also known as auspicious times. They can either be generally favorable days in the calendar or personalized picks done by assessing the transits to an individual’s natal chart. This technique is used for planning events such as weddings, business launches, scheduling medical procedures or travel, in order to maximize positive outcomes and minimize obstacles.

Horary Astrology

Horary astrology answers specific questions by casting a chart for the exact moment the question is asked. Instead of analyzing transits to a person’s birth chart, horary focuses on the planetary positions at the time the query is asked, interpreting aspects, houses, and signs to provide guidance. It’s often used to clarify situations, help make decisions, or predict outcomes for questions about relationships, career, finances, or other immediate concerns. This technique emphasizes precise timing, and the system has its own set of astrological significations that relate to places, objects, and people involved in the question.

Mundane Astrology

Mundane astrology studies themes and events affecting nations, cities, and global trends by examining planetary positions, signs, and houses to interpret political, social, economic, and environmental developments. It provides insight into the timing of wars, political events, natural disasters, and major cultural shifts, revealing broad patterns and cycles in world affairs. Unlike personal astrology, it focuses on collective experience and newsworthy events using its own set of significations. Many techniques mentioned above apply to mundane astrology, though transits remain the most popular method for these predictions.

When to use each predictive astrology technique?

The table below provides a general guide of when each predictive technique can be used, which ones can be personalized, and whether a technique can be used without a known or birth time.