Secondary progressions are a standard method of timing in astrology, but also a system that operates very different from transits. The positions of planets by secondary progression do not correlate to their actual, current positions in the sky but instead in the past. With this system, each year of life equates to one day of movement after the date of birth. As a result, the “movement” of secondary progressions are more symbolic and “tailored” to the unique life of an individual. They reflect internal growth over a lifetime. 

While there are many ways to evaluate the interactions between progressed and natal planets, the highest priority is always the Sun and the Moon. Because the lunation cycle is the way in which we can evaluate a cycle of growth in any form, its progressed equivalent re-envisions this cycle of growth as it specifically applies to a human life. This is why it is one of the most powerful facets of the secondary progressed system of timing. 

WHY IS THE NEW MOON SIGNIFICANT?

As the Moon moves through its relationships with the Sun (New Moon, Crescent, First Quarter, Gibbous, Full Moon, Disseminating, Third Quarter, Balsamic) it symbolizes the growth and unfolding of what was born at the New Moon. For a human being, the New Moon is a phase of life where a new identity and way of life begins. For progressions, it is the beginning of a new cycle that will last 29 years. As with anything in astrology, the beginning (or birth) of anything is critical for evaluation. In the lunation cycle the exact moment of the New Moon offers an opportunity to view this journey of growth at a high level. It results in a chart that provides insight into the upcoming 29 years of life that will be entailed as the progressed Moon moves through all its phases with the Sun. 

This analysis will show the power of the secondary progressed New Moon chart and its resonance for events in our lives. 

MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it will probably be a good idea to prioritize some of the factors within the New Moon chart. Below are the major considerations to evaluate with this chart:

1. Houses Ruled – Because the movement of the progressed house cusps closely mirror the movement of the progressed Sun there is a high possibility that the New Moon will remain in the same house. This means that the major focus of the New Moon is tied to the natal “promise” represented by the Sun. Where we need to manifest our core energies most prominently will impact our later growth and evolution through the New Moon. Also, since house placement does not represent a significant deviation from the natal, then house rulership becomes a focus in the delineation of the New Moon chart. In these evaluations I give a slight priority to the house ruled by the Moon. Overall, these areas of life will show a connection and color the manifestation of the area of life where the Sun and Moon are placed. 
2. New Moon Aspects – Any planet configured to this New Moon should be factored into the delineation of the overall manifestation. These aspects should receive a higher priority. While the house placement of the new Moon may not change, the aspects will highlight differences in how that house is experienced throughout the course of this journey. These planets will offer critical insights into that evolution. 
3. Ascendant and Chart Ruler – With any chart, the Ascendant and its ruler always receives high priority. It shows the general direction of the native and the energies and qualities they project most visibly. For the New Moon chart, it shows the general direction over the timeframe and the themes that will be important to the native and visible to others. 
4. Angularity – Any planets positioned on an angle will be visible and active over the next 29 years. Those planets positioned on the Ascendant will factor into the direction and focus of this period of growth. 
5. Other Aspects – While it is accurate to maintain a maximum orb of 2 – 3 degrees for progressed aspects, I believe the orb can be expanded for the evaluation of the New Moon chart. This chart will be active for almost 30 years, so it is probable that aspects with wider orbs will still manifest. 
6. Include the Natal – For reasons that will become apparent, the New Moon chart can be as resonant as the natal. So, it makes sense to create a bi-wheel chart with the New Moon chart on the inside and the natal chart on the outside. All the considerations listed above should consider the comparison of the planetary bodies between the natal and New Moon charts. 

CASE STUDY – CAITLYN JENNER

I find Caitlyn Jenner’s life fascinating. Her life branched off in different directions that were so radical it is almost surreal to observe. A couple years ago I wrote a short article with a general delineation of Jenner’s natal chart that supports her transformation, but did not evaluate her journey towards that eventual outcome. That journey occurred over a very long period. This makes it a good test case for an analysis of the New Moon chart because it begs the question, “Do these charts reflect the extreme degree of variance in manifestation from her major chapters of life?” 

Let us find out. 

CHAPTER ONE – OLYMPIC ATHLETE

Jenner’s first progressed New Moon occurred on August 31, 1972. The bi-wheel chart (chart #1) contains the comparison to the natal chart and the significant aspects are itemized below:

Aspects

1. Secondary Progressed (sp72) New Moon conjunct sp72.Mercury and sextile sp72.Jupiter. 
2. Natal (n) Ascendant partile sextile sp72.Midheaven. 
3. Sp72.Mars conjunct sp72.Saturn and trine sp72.Venus. 
4. N.Mars conjunct sp72.Midheaven. 

Delineation

The New Moon in the 1st house reinforces the position of Jenner’s natal Sun. She is very much an individual who needs to be front and center and is driven towards self-promotion. The tight conjunction to sp72.Mercury symbolizes that what Mercury represents will be intertwined into how Jenner expresses this 1st house need through this first progressed lunation cycle. Mercury rules the 10th house of achievement and is also the chart ruler. This means that Jenner was obsessed (Scorpio) with becoming famous for achieving something. Aspect #2 echoes this possibility as does aspect #4 because n.Mars is the chart ruler of the natal chart. 

The sextile to sp72.Jupiter indicates that this something is going to be big. Jupiter rules the 2nd house and the 2nd is the derived 5th from the 10th house. In other words, Jupiter represents achievement (10th) through games (5th). This was the “big achievement” that Jenner wanted to define herself by for this chapter of her life. 

The theme of achievement through games and contests was more directly represented through sp72.Mars’ rulership of the 5th and placement in the 10th. The preparation and organization she would invest into this goal was represented by the earth element placements of sp72.Jupiter as well as 10th house sp72.Mars – Saturn trine sp72.Venus. The third aspect reflects work, discipline, determination. It was reported that Jenner’s training regimen for her massive 1976 Olympic gold victory was insane, an apt manifestation for the double Mars emphasis here. 

Overall, this New Moon chart reflects an individual obsessed with winning, recognition and fame and driven to work themselves to the bone to achieve it. 

CHAPTER TWO – THE TRANSITION

Jenner’s second progressed New Moon occurred on February 21, 2002. This time frame was epitomized by her transition from Bruce to Caitlyn Jenner. The bi-wheel chart (chart #2) and itemized list of significant aspects are below:

Aspects

1. Sp02.New Moon partile square sp02.Mars. 
2. Sp02.Chiron and n.Chiron both rising. 
3. Sp02.Jupiter conjunct n.Moon, square n.Sun – Ascendant, and trine sp02.Midheaven. 
4. Sp02.Venus opposite sp02.Pluto. 

Delineation

As strange as it may appear, aspect #2 offers the most immediate glimpse into how this time will shape up for Jenner. With both Chirons rising we can quickly deduce that the most immediate and visible theme of this chapter of her life would be a wound associated with her general identity. Also, with the change over from Scorpio (introverted) to Sagittarius (extroverted) at the Ascendant, she may have felt a bit freer in coming out with her true identity even if there was fear (Chiron) in doing so. 

Chiron’s impact then provides insight into the tight square between the sp02.New Moon and sp02.Mars (aspect #1). The New Moon’s continued presence in the 1st house will manifest differently this time around. With the last New Moon, it manifested as a drive to express its self most prominently and visibly. Here, it is a direct war with the self and the battlefield was identity. That war was against the male archetype, Mars. Jenner was tired of being a man. The sp02.Moon’s rulership of the 8th house of transformation confirms that the expression of self during this time frame would be very different from the first New Moon (sp72.Moon ruled the 9th). 

The corroboration of these themes is driven home with chart ruler, sp02.Jupiter (aspect #3). Its placement in Aquarius reflects a general demeanor to do things differently and in a big way. It’s alignment with the n.Sun – Moon square highlights it’s connection to Jenner’s historic inner conflict and the trine to sp02.Midheaven symbolizes how she was going to make a name for herself by coming out and that this would become a part of her enduring reputation. 

In regards to that reputation, we then turn to sp02.Venus, the female archetype and ruler of sp02.Midheaven. Its opposition to Pluto (aspect #4) reflects the transformation Jenner confronted to become a female. It should also be noted that Jenner was born when Pluto was direct, experienced her first New Moon when it had stationed, and her second New Moon when it was retrograde. Because of Pluto’s incredibly slow movement by secondary progression, this is a rare occurrence and underscores the significance of her transformation and how deep it went. 

These two New Moon charts reflect a markedly different picture in terms of how Jenner would grow and evolve. They are accurate reflections of the journey she would embark upon at its beginning but we still need to go deeper. We need to confirm the correlations from transits for the major events from each time frame that defined their respective chapters. 

CORRESPONDING TRANSITS & PROGRESSIONS

For this next stage of the analysis, we are going to do things a bit different. Usually, an astrological analysis of an event is performed using transits and progressions in their interactions with the natal chart. Because this analysis is focused on the resonance of the progressed New Moon chart, we are going to evaluate transits and progressions for the events based upon their interactions to the original New Moon chart instead. 

EVENT # 1 – OLYMPIC WIN

On July 30, 1976, Jenner took home the gold medal with the decathlon and set the record with most points. After the win, Jenner became known as “the world’s best athlete” and began appearing in movies and commercials. The tri-wheel (chart #3) contains all three charts (New Moon – inner, progressions – middle, transits – outer) and the most significant aspects are itemized below:

Aspects

1. Transit (t) Mars & secondary progressed (sp) Mars trine sp72.Venus. 
2. Sp.Venus partile trine sp72.Saturn. 
3. Sp.Sun – Mercury square sp72.Midheaven. 
4. T.Jupiter partile opposite sp72.Mercury – Sun – Moon.
5. T.Moon – sp.Moon – sp72.Jupiter – t.Jupiter grand trine (kite with # 4). 

Delineation

The tight alignment of both Mars in aspect # 1 is unreal. With Mars’ rulership of the 5th house and its natural rulership of athletics, its placement in the 10th for the event indicates that Jenner’s time had arrived. The trine to sp72.Venus that is placed in the derived 5th from the 10th rewards Mars’ strength and effort with elegance and balance and aspect #2 yields further benefits to Jenner’s goal. While both Mars align with n.Saturn in the natal chart, they do not receive the support of the beneficial trine to sp72.Venus. The alignment with the New Moon chart reveals why Jenner’s efforts and athletic ability (Mars) received a boost for this event. It was due to sp72.Venus. 

With aspect #3, the progressed Sun and Mercury had moved just far enough to align with sp72.Midheaven. This realizes the promise that the New Moon represented and reflected Jenner’s drive for achievement as a means to establish herself. 

T.Jupiter’s tight opposition to sp72.New Moon and Mercury was a “trigger” for this event and a major piece of evidence establishing the significance of the New Moon chart. If we compare t.Jupiter to the natal chart, this particular transit does not make any strong aspects. Here it shows the success and greatness that Jenner was striving for because of the core focus of this chapter of her life. 

The final triggers for this event were from both Moons aligning with t.Jupiter creating a grand trine configuration of harmonious energy and a kite configuration when considered with the alignments from aspect # 4. With the kite, the sp72.New Moon is placed at the apex of this productive configuration of energies, unlocking the power of this chart through the actualization of its core focus. These final two aspects combined to make Jenner a champion. They also provide a much more convincing testimony in their relationships to the New Moon as opposed to the natal chart. 

EVENT # 2 – THE ANNOUNCEMENT 

On June 1, 2015 at 12:10 pm, Jenner tweeted an announcement of her transition along with her new identity, Caitlyn. One month later, Caitlyn graced the cover of Vanity Fair. There are a high volume of transits and progressions for this event that align well with the progressed lunation. 

Aspects

1. T.Mars and sp.Moon partile opposite sp02.Chiron. 
2. T.Mercury – sp02.Jupiter – t.Mars – sp.North Node grand trine. 
3. T.Jupiter conjunct sp02.Pluto. 
4. T.North Node and sp.Mars conjunct sp02.Midheaven. 
5. T.Sun opposite sp02.Chiron. 
6. T.Pluto and sp.Sun conjunct sp02.Mercury. 
7. Sp.Venus partile opposite sp02.Pluto. 
8. T.Venus and t.Moon sextile sp02.Mars. 

Delineation 

Aspect # 1 is compelling. With sp02.Chiron being one of the key focal points in the New Moon chart, this tight double opposition in Gemini is a ridiculously accurate manifestation via Jenner’s announcement via Twitter. It should also be noted that this transit and progression do not make compelling contacts to the natal chart, while t.Mars’ opposition to sp02.Chiron is exact to only one arc minute! Aspect # 1 provides immediate clarity into this event which is then further strengthened by aspect # 5. 

Aspect # 3 brings chart ruler t.Jupiter into alignment with Sp02.Pluto, highlighting the completion of a major transformation to Jenner’s identity. 

Aspect # 4 requires a little deciphering to untangle, but it also makes sense for this event. First, sp.Mars is debilitated in the sign of Libra. This means that Mars will manifest its archetype in a manner that is alternative or different. Since Mars represents the male archetype, we can easily guess how this archetype is being turned on its head. And with t.North Node’s involvement in this alignment, we see the popularity, acceptance, and support from many within popular culture. While this transit and progression also forms a square with natal Uranus, the alignment with sp02.midheaven shows how this expression became a visible part of Jenner’s reputation. 

Aspect # 2 amplifies aspect # 4 by creating a grand trine with those dynamics. Sp02.Jupiter’s significance as the chart ruler of the New Moon chart has already been established earlier, so its trine to retrograde Mercury shows how Jenner was used this moment to communicate the revisions (retrograde) to her identity (Mercury is also dispositor of aspect # 1). 

Finally, aspect # 7 details more of the transformation to the female archetype and aspect # 8 offers more triggers to core conflicts within the New Moon chart, sp02.Mars. 

Overall, this event highlights a handful of unique alignments to the New Moon chart that confirms the resonance of this chart. The signature events for a particular time frame appear to have a stronger alignment to the New Moon chart than the natal chart. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I hope this brief analysis has illustrated the power of this interesting, yet powerful chart. Given its resonance displayed with Caitlyn Jenner, I think everyone would benefit from reviewing their current secondary progressed New Moon chart and becoming familiar with its placements. When experiencing events in our lives that do not have a strong correlation to the natal chart, there is a good chance that we may find it in the New Moon chart instead. This is key because one of the biggest challenges is finding the correct chart for evaluation. The New Moon chart represents the map at the beginning of a journey of growth for a large section of our lives. As such, it carries a level of significance that rivals even the natal. Its priority is immense. 

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