Calculating midpoints - ugh!

[sagittarella]

I've just spent most of today calculating all my midpoints..... then I realized technically there could be 2, depending on which direction you're going.

For example, my Saturn is Gemini and my Jupiter is Capricorn; 7 signs away going counterclockwise but only 5 away going clockwise. Do I count chronologically through the signs counterclockwise or do I take the shortest distance between the signs and calculate it that way?

Sorry if that seems like a dumb question to those of you much more experienced.

[Kim Falconer]

Hi sagittarella

Welcome to the forum!

It's a good question that we can clear up quickly. Do run a search on this forum for midpoint posts. There are quite a few.

The basics:

There are always TWO midpoints between any combination of planets.

The two midpoints are always opposite each other (like the nodes).

The midpoints are plotted by finding the midway mark between two given planets or points. If a person’s sun is 1 degree of Aries and their moon is 1 degree of Leo, the midpoint will fall in two opposing places. The nearer midpoint is 1 degree Gemini, and the farther midpoint is directly opposite at 1 degree Sagittarius.

Because the horoscope is spherical and not linear, there will always be two midpoints exactly 180 degrees apart for every combination of planets. One will form a shorter arc and the other a longer one. The shorter arc is generally considered stronger, though both are important.

Often it is not easy to see the midpoint at a glance and the quickest way of deriving an accurate figure is to reduce the points to a degree between 0 and 360, add them together and divide by two.

This is the same technique for finding composite planets and points. Example: To find the composite Eros when the asteroids are at 15 degrees Aries 18 minutes and 27 degrees Scorpio 35 minutes, they can be reduced to 15.18 and 237.35 respectively, added together and divided by 2. This gives a far midpoint Eros of 126.26 or 6 degrees Leo 26 minutes and a nearer midpoint of the exact opposite or 6 degrees Aquarius 26 minutes. The following list reinterprets the signs into degrees of the circle.

Aries 0
Taurus 30
Gemini 60
Cancer 90
Leo 120
Virgo 150
Libra 180
Scorpio 210
Sagittarius 240
Capricorn 270
Aquarius 300
Pisces 330

If that doesn't make sense, let me know your sun and moon degree and sign and we can go through it one step at a time.

Kim

[ariesmoon]

Hi Sagittarella

I almost hate to say this now you've spent ages doing it by hand (although that's a great discipline!) but there is a free online calculator which I've found is fantastic -

www.noendpress.com/pvachier/midpoints/index.php

There is also an Arabic Parts calculator too if you scroll to the bottom of the page.

[Kim Falconer]

Thanks for that link, Ariesmoon. It's great, and it's also really valuable to understand the concept -- how midpoints are determined. Knowing the methodology and why there is a near and far midpoint (the non-linear nature of the zodiac) aids interpretation.

I recommend doing the inner planet midpoints the first time by hand and double checking with the calculator link. That way you are sure to be on board with the HOW and WHY, making the WHAT fall into place.

Cheers!!

Kim

[sagittarella]

Kim,

Wow! What a terrific and lengthy reply! Thanks so much for taking the time to explain all that. (I was doing it a harder way.)

I suppose I could have clarified.... when I finally figured out there were 2 (duh!) I was wondering if the midpoint in the shorter arc or the longer arc would be the one to use. Upon further research, it seems the midpoint in the shorter arc is generally viewed as the more significant whereas the other would act more as its opposition point. Would you concur?

By the way, I enjoyed listening to your Virgo download yesterday.... you have such a lovely and soothing voice. Great info, too.

Ariesmoon,

Thanks for the heads up!

[Kim Falconer]

Thank you Sagittarella. That's a great boost, re Eros in Virgo talk, as I'm about to do Eros into Libra!

Most astrologers use the near midpoint while keeping in mind there are actually two. There is always a polarity in astrology between opposite degrees of the zodiac because we are working with a circle, not a straight line. I think of midpoints as being both near and far--I just automatically 'see' them both. This applies to composite charts as well, which are midpoint charts between two people. I always consider the far MP not so much as an opposing force but an alternative expression.

Studying the opposition of the signs can be helpful here. Each is a shadow of the other. Each is the 'opposites' other half. I have a short description of this, somewhere. I'll hunt for it later today and post.

Kim

[psychick]

Kim,

Do you think that midpoints activating midpoints (for example sun/moon square sun/moon exact) have any significance please?

[Kim Falconer]

Hi Psychick,

Do you mean in synastry or by transit? Transiting su/mo square natal su/mo or Person A's su/mo square person B's su/mo?

If there is this contact in the synastry, there is also a sun-sun, moon-moon, or sun-moon planetary aspect in the synastry. Give me the example with the degrees of each natal sun and moon and I will explain.

Thanks Kim