AstroPatterns Reference

This document provides reference material to several topics which could not be treated completely in the User's Guide.

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Ranges

Range Type Constant Value Arguments Description
IntervalRange AP_INTERVAL_RANGE 1 stepwidth Iterates from jd_start to jd_end in steps of stepwidth days.
AspectRange AP_ASPECT_RANGE 2 planet1;planet2;angle Scans all occurrences of the angle angle between planet1 and planet2. The orientation (i.e. which planet comes first) doesn't matter. The planet numbers refer to the current customizing.
TransitRange AP_TRANSIT_RANGE 3 planet;position All transits of the given planet over the specified position.
IngressRange AP_INGRESS_RANGE 4 planet All ingresses of the given planet into any zodiac sign.
CardinalIngressRange AP_CARDINAL_INGRESS_RANGE 5 planet All ingresses of the given planet into a cardinal sign.
SyzygyRange AP_SYZYGY_RANGE 6 All syzygies (full and new moons) in the given time span.
NewMoonRange AP_NEW_MOON_RANGE 7 All new moons in the given time span.
FullMoonRange AP_FULL_MOON_RANGE 8 All full moons in the given time span.
ParallelRange AP_PARALLEL_RANGE 9 planet1;planet2 All parallel aspects between planet1 and planet2 in the given time span.
RisingRange AP_RISING_RANGE 10 planet All rising times of planet in the given time span.
EquatorCrossingRange AP_EQUATOR_CROSSING_RANGE 11 planet All the times when planet has zero declination.
EclipticCrossingRange AP_ECLIPTIC_CROSSING_RANGE 12 planet All the times when planet has zero ecliptical latitude.
ExtremalDistanceRange AP_EXTREMAL_DISTANCE_RANGE 13 planet All the times when planet achieves the apogee or perigee (or aphelion, perihelion, if option helio is active).
ExtremalLatitudeRange AP_EXTREMAL_LATITUDE_RANGE 14 planet All the times when planet achieves its maximum ecliptical latitude (i.e. distance from the ecliptic).
StationaryRange AP_STATIONARY_RANGE 15 planet All the times when planet has velocity zero in the ecliptical part of its motion.
SolarRange AP_SOLAR_RANGE 51 All solar returns of the reference horoscope in the time span between jd_from and jd_to
LunarRange AP_LUNAR_RANGE 52 All (zodiacal) lunar returns of the reference horoscope in the time span between jd_from and jd_to
DiurnalHoroscopeRange AP_DIURNAL_HOROSCOPE_RANGE 53 All diurnal horoscopes in the given time span (daily horoscopes, cast on the LMT of the natal chart).
ListRange AP_LIST_RANGE 16 filename The argument is the name of a CSV file containing the list data to be entered. Alternatively, the records of the list can pe passed one after one using ap_add_to_list_range
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Patterns

Pattern Type Constant Value Arguments Description
AlwaysTruePattern AP_PATTERN_ALWAYS_TRUE 1 Only for test cases – this Pattern function always yields the boolean value 1 = true.
ElementPattern AP_PATTERN_ELEMENT 2 element;
useMundanePositions;
useAsc;
useMC		 Counts the number of horoscope factors in a given element. Weighted sum with mundane positions and inclusion of ASC and MC are optional.
ResonancePattern AP_PATTERN_RESONANCE 3 useTransits;
useReturns;
useReceptions;
useMundanePositions		 Resonances with the reference horoscope – see detailed description in the Users' guide.
HousePosPattern AP_PATTERN_HOUSE_POS 4 astroObjectID;
houseBitMask		 Planet, house cusp or midpoint given by astroObjectID is positioned in one of the houses given by the houseBitMask
SignPosPattern AP_PATTERN_SIGN_POS 5 astroObjectID;
signBitMask		 Planet, house cusp or midpoint given by astroObjectID is positioned in one of the signs given by the signBitMask
AspectPattern AP_PATTERN_ASPECT 6 astroObjectID1;
aspectID;
astroObjectID2		 If, according to the customizing, there is an aspect between the two Astro Objects, the Pattern retrieves its strength.
PosInArcPattern AP_PATTERN_PLANET_IN_ARC 7 astroObjectID;
from;
to		 Tests whether the specified Astro Object has an ecliptical longitude in the Range between the two double-precision values from and to.
ClusterPattern AP_PATTERN_CLUSTER 8 clusterSize Tests whether all the customized planets together span an arc of less than clusterSize degrees. Returns the tightness (difference of actual arc from clusterSize) as strength.
CyclicIndexPattern AP_PATTERN_CYCLIC_INDEX 9
AndPattern AP_PATTERN_AND 10 Combine several Patterns with the logical and operator. Can only be defined with special, designated API functions.
OrPattern AP_PATTERN_OR 11 Combine several Patterns with the logical or operator. Can only be defined with special, designated API functions.
WeightedSumPattern AP_PATTERN_WEIGHTED_SUM 12 Combine several Patterns by forming a weighted sum. Can only be defined with special, designated API functions.
NegatedPattern AP_NEGATED_PATTERN 13 Takes the complement of the given Pattern function. Can only be defined with special, designated API functions.
FreePattern AP_FREE_PATTERN 14 Use an external score function. Pattern can only be defined with a special, designated API function.
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Using the self test functions

In the AstroPatterns.xls workbook, there is a sheet SelfTest containing some automatic tests. The purpose of this little test suite is mainly to check the VBA glue code (although they are integrated, i.e. they do not test the VBA code in a manner isolated from the rest of the world). But it also tests the correct access to the functions of the Swiss Ephemeris library.

When hitting the button "Do Tests", all these tests will be executed. You get a summary on top of the sheet:

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Extending AstroPatterns

Since it is a normal Excel workbook, you can extend or manipulate AstroPatterns.xls in many ways. You may copy or rename the workbook, you may add further worksheets, you can chance the appearance of the existing worksheets. For example, you could add a worksheet and calculate an ephemeris of the current planetary positions using the Swiss Ephemeris library.

Using copies of AstroPatterns.xls is a good idea if you have are working with different configuration sets: If you usually do classical astrology, but from time to time would like to observe the results of the Hamburg school, you can simply configure a copy of AstroPatterns.xls to work with the Hamburg school "planets" and restrict the aspect scheme accordingly. (Of course, you can't get a full Hamburg school astrology program this way, but it should be sufficent to get a glimpse on the main trends.)

There are two Don'ts, however. Some details of the AstroPaterns layout shouldn't be changed: