Last week, in my November forecast, I mentioned that certain timing techniques can help filter out which transits are likely to be personally impactful. This is especially helpful during periods of astrological extreme weather, like we’re experiencing right now. With so much going on out there, it can be useful to identify certain planets whose transits will be important to you and to (sort of) ignore the rest.
Otherwise, especially among those with a basic grasp of astrology, there can be a kind of paralysis amidst an overwhelming torrent of aspects — i.e., there’s so much crazy stuff happening! I think I’m just going to stay inside until December!
So, this week, I’m going to give a basic introduction to one of those methods, annual profections, which assigns each year of a person’s life to a different planet. It’s super easy to use and a great entry-level “time lord” technique.
As detailed in Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune by Chris Brennen, time lord techniques appear to have been lost at some point during the transmission of astrology over centuries and languages. (Note that in India, where the practice of astrology has continued uninterrupted over the past two thousand years, these techniques have continued to be used.)
Fortunately, in the last several decades these techniques have been recovered as part of an extensive translation project. One of the major discoveries was these time lord techniques, which offer an invaluable look at the life of an individual and how it may unfold over time.
The technique known as annual profections is the simplest and most accessible of these time lord techniques, while zodiacal releasing, which shows the “chapters” of a life over various multi-year periods, is more advanced.
A couple of things to keep in mind when using annual profections:
Whole sign houses must be used.
Traditional rulerships must be used.
The basic idea of annual profections is that each year of a person’s life advances one whole sign house in their chart, starting from the first house, where the ascendant is located. The ruler of the sign that corresponds to that whole sign house becomes the “lord of the year” until their next birthday, when they “profect,” which means to progress or move forward, to the following house.
So, if someone has Virgo rising, for example, from birth to age one they’re in a first house year ruled by Mercury, the ruler of Virgo. On their first birthday, they move into a second house year ruled by Venus, since Venus is the ruler of Libra, the sign that follows Virgo. On their second birthday, they move into a third house year ruled by Mars, the ruler of Scorpio, which would correspond to their third house. And on it goes, around and around the birth chart.
The topics of the house that is highlighted by an annual profection are likely to come up during that year — i.e., children and creativity in a fifth house year, or relationships during a seventh house year. However, the way these topics work out that year has a lot to do with how the ruler of that year behaves, both in the natal chart and in transits.
The time lord of the year — the ruler of the sign of the profected whole sign house — becomes, in this way, extremely important. Transits by this planet to other planets and points in a chart can become crucial moments in the year; likewise, transits to this planet in the natal chart also become important.
Finally, any planets located within a house that is activated for the year become active as well, along with the ruler of the sign of that whole sign house. For people who have a stellium — groupings of three or more planets in one sign — years that activate their stellium houses will be extremely busy or impactful.
Let’s take a look at how annual profections play out with the chart of Lady Gaga:
Lady Gaga turned 35 this March, which means that she is currently in a twelfth house profection year. As a Gemini rising, her twelfth house corresponds with Taurus. The significations of the twelfth house, known in ancient times as the “House of Bad Spirit,” are often difficult — exile, enemies, solitude, misfortune, mental and physical health challenges.
However, Lady Gaga’s twelfth house is ruled by Venus, the ruler of Taurus, and her Venus is fairly well-placed, in Aires in the eleventh house, known as the “House of Good Spirit.” Aires is the sign of detriment for Venus, meaning that Venus struggles in this Mars-ruled sign. But Venus’ placement in the eleventh house softens the effects of the detriment, as does the fact that Venus can “see” its ruler, Mars, which is exalted in Capricorn in the eighth house of other people’s monty. There is a bit of a mixed bag situation to this placement, since Mars is technically “overcoming” Venus, by a superior square, which is a condition of maltreatment, but the placement of Venus in the eleventh house is strong.
Lady Gaga currently has a movie coming out, House of Gucci, in which she plays Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Mauricio Gucci (played by Adam Driver), who was convicted of hiring a hit man to murder her ex-husband when she learned that his impending second marriage would reduce her alimony. Reggiani was reportedly influenced by a friend (played by Salma Hayek) described as a “high-society psychic,” who set up the logistics of the murder.
Now, twelfth house profection years are sometimes difficult to assess from the outside, since some of the difficulties that can come up often do so out of the public eye. Yet, Lady Gaga’s chart shows the potential for a fairly productive twelfth house year, since Venus is relatively well-placed in the fortunate eleventh house.
What’s striking to me is that Lady Gaga seems this year to be playing out a twelfth house story — of the downfall of a powerful woman who had her husband murdered because of a dispute over joint finances (note the connection to the eighth house), possibly led astray by a friend who turned out to be an enemy, and ended up in prison (where she attempted suicide no less) — through her artistic ruler of the year, Venus, placed in the house that represents the public, fans, and audiences.
Also noteworthy is that, earlier this year, before her birthday, Lady Gaga was in an eleventh house profection year when she sang at the inauguration of President Biden, a performance that was broadcast around the world at the start of a new political cycle. During her eleventh house year, corresponding to Aires, Mars was activated, as was her Venus and sun in Aires. The sun is exalted in Aires, and Lady Gaga is known for expressing her unique style, as she did on the world stage during the inauguration.
So, here are some step by step instructions to determine your lord of the year:
1. Identify which whole sign house corresponds to your age. Simply count around the birth chart, starting at the first house, until you reach your age. Note that the first year of life, corresponding to the first house, should be counted as zero, not one.
Also note that the first house corresponds to ages that are multiples of twelve (0, 12, 24, etc.), so if you’re not a spring chicken, start at the first house using the multiple of twelve that is just below your age. For example, if you’re 55, start with 48 on the first house and count forward to 55, which would bring you to the eighth house. Visual types will find this wheel representation helpful.
Here is how the houses (and their topics) match up with ages:
First House (self/identity/body): 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84
Second House (money/income/resources): 1, 13, 25, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85
Third House (siblings/neighborhood/colleagues): 2, 14, 26, 38, 50, 62, 74, 86
Fourth House (home/parents/elders/death): 3, 15, 27, 39, 51, 63, 75, 87
Fifth House (children/creativity/romance/recreation/good deeds): 4, 16, 28, 40, 52, 64, 76, 88
Sixth House (illness/subordinates/daily routines/pets): 5, 17, 29, 41, 53, 65, 77, 89
Seventh House (committed partnerships/one-on-one relationships): 6, 18, 30, 42, 54, 66, 78, 90
Eighth House (joint finances/death/inheritance): 7, 19, 31, 43, 55, 67, 79, 91
Ninth House (long-distance travel/religion/philosophy/higher education/astrology): 8, 20, 32, 44, 56, 68, 80, 92
Tenth House (career/reputation): 9, 21, 33, 45, 57, 69, 81, 93
Eleventh House (friends/community/audiences): 10, 22, 34, 46, 58, 70, 82, 94
Twelfth House (misfortune/confinement/exile): 11, 23, 35, 47, 59, 71, 83, 95
2. Determine the ruler of the sign corresponding to the activated whole sign house.
Here’s a review of traditional rulerships by sign:
Aires: Mars
Taurus: Venus
Gemini: Mercury
Cancer: moon
Leo: sun
Virgo: Mercury
Libra: Venus
Scorpio: Mars
Sagittarius: Jupiter
Capricorn: Saturn
Aquarius: Saturn
Pisces: Jupiter
3. Look at any planets located in the activated house as these will become activated as well as the ruler of the whole sign house.
4. Take into account the ruler of the year and any planets within the activated house when looking at transits.
Certain things become apparent when using annual profections. For example, everyone of the same age is experiencing the same house activated in their chart, but with different rulers (though everyone with the same rising sign of the same age would have the same ruler). This means that at certain ages, common themes arise — first major relationship at 18, having children at 28 or 40, a career high at 45.
This also explains phenomenons like the “27 Club,” which refers to celebrities who passed away unexpectedly at age 27, such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Jonathan Brandis, Amy Winehouse, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Age 27 activates the fourth house, the most mysterious of the active “angular” houses, whose significations include death, in addition to family, roots, and home.
So, knock yourself out with your new knowledge of annual profections! I’m personally in a Saturn-ruled ninth house year, which means I’m writing long articles about astrology. . . But, joking aside, I can use this knowledge to focus this month on Saturn transits, and boy do we have some of those coming up (PSA to remember that Mars squares Saturn on November 10th!).