A s t r o l o g i e - Mandala

MIDPOINTS : text by Allen Edwall.

The use of midpoints is an astrological method for helping anyone find chart strengths and weaknesses.
Ptolemy in his First Century AD work "Tetrabiblos" stresses the use of midpoints as helping to locate places of power in a chart. Midpoints were also used before and during the Middle Ages, although one form of midpoints became more popularly known as 'Arabic Parts' during those times, and that name carries to this day.
Earlier in the 20th Century, midpoints as a technique were "re-invented" by a group of astrologers living in Hamburg, Germany.
Planetary pictures are a form of midpoints activating midpoints. Arabic Parts and planetary pictures each use a method of looking for the interaction of either three or four planets or points in a chart. To do this they use a formula of this type: A + B - C = D.
More popularly, for astrologers, this would look like: Ascendant + Moon - Sun = Jupiter. An astute astrologer would quickly note that this particular formula is saying that the Part of Fortune for a day birth is conjunct Jupiter.
A midpoint oriented astrologer would quickly note that the midpoint of the Moon and Ascendant (written as Moo/Asc) hits, or activates, the Sun and Jupiter midpoint (Sun/Jup), or, Moo/Asc = Sun/Jup. It is all the same thing, it is just how you care to label this information.
The Solar Arc is the difference in degrees and minutes between the natal Sun and the secondary progressed Sun. When the Solar Arc (often abbreviated as "SA"), or half Solar Arc, or double Solar Arc is added to a midpoint or a natal planet's location, then this new location indicates a place which is sensitive to that time in life.
In Germany in the 1930s, certain members of the Ebertin family, starting with Elsbeth Ebertin and then Reinhold Ebertin, tried to work with the Hamburg School, but had certain sharp disagreements with them. This led Reinhold Ebertin to start his own movement, which he titled "Cosmobiology." He went on to write an enormously successful book in 1940 which was later translated into English in the mid to late 1950s. We know it as "The Combination of Stellar Influences" or COSI, for short. Through the 1960s and 1970s many new follow-on books were issued by the Ebertin School, and they also popularized the use of midpoint "trees" during this time.
A midpoint tree is a listing of the various midpoints hit by a planet, in a chart or tree listing. Midpoint trees are an important organizational tool.
By the 1950s and 1960s the use of midpoints became a very popular technique in the United States, especially among New York area astrologers. Leading the teaching and use of midpoints were people like Charles Jayne, Charles Emerson, L. Edward Johndro, Dr. Edgar Wagner (Ph. D, Chemistry), and even Hans Niggemann.
In the late 1980s Michael Munkasey wrote a book on midpoints which emulated the Ebertin format and layout, but broke with them in the interpretation of the midpoints. The Ebertin book was primarily event oriented, while Munkasey's book was more psychologically oriented. Munkasey also introduced a new way of "weighting" midpoints as a way of locating chart strengths and weaknesses. He called his method "The Midpoint Weighting Analysis" (MWA), and because it is a mathematical method, it lends itself to computer calculation. The MWA is both a computer program and an astrological tool. The advantage of the MWA over the 90 degree dial or midpoint trees, is that the MWA "weights" or ranks midpoints, while the 90 degree dial and midpoint trees simply list midpoints without regard to any ranking or weighting scheme.
Regardless of the method that you care to use, trees or the MWA, the use of midpoints is a powerful tool. The MWA is introduced here for you to try. Look at the ranking of the midpoints from a chart, and take the top dozen or so stronger ones and work with those as a group. Do not say that "A" is stronger than "B", but think more like "these top dozen or so midpoints define the strengths that I have in this life. How should I define and use these strengths? How should I apply these strengths to my life?" People who use their chart strengths to advantage tend to be happier and more well adjusted. People who try to strengthen their weaknesses find more frustration and difficulty. So, find your strengths. Using midpoints is a good way to do this. Then apply these strengths to your life.

Books which are helpful in interpreting Midpoints include:

"Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets," Michael Munkasey, ACS Publishers, 1990, 399 pages, ISBN 0-935127-11-9.

"The Concept Dictionary," Michael Munkasey, Arcturus Publishers, 1990, 288 pages, ISBN 0-9628990-0-3.

"The Dial Detective," Maria Simms, ACS Publishers, 1991.
An illustrated introduction to Uranian astrology. Over 100 illustrations of the dial (many with red highlights) graphically show how the dial is used & read. Appendices include a list of planetary pictures, a short list of the 'grim' ones with alternative delineations & tips & terminology of Uranian astrology. Dials for surgery, relocation, composites, events & more. Paper.

"The Combinations of Stellar Influences," Reinhold Ebertin, American Federation of Astrologers, 1972, 256 pages, ISBN 0-86690-087-X.
This basic cosmobiology textbook was first printedin Germany (1949) under the title the 90 degree dial in practice. After many additions and improvements it was released again in 1972 under the current title. Ebertin takes the fundamentals of the basic horoscope one step further by condensing the 360 degree horoscope wheel to 90 degrees and placing the planets into their groups of cardinal, fixed and mutable (TNPs not included). The analysis then becomes very simplified, yet with details that are astounding. Explained are the methods, interpretations, use of solar arc directions, graphic ephemerides and more. See for yourself how using cosmobiology makes astrology become a quicker and more useful tool.

Alfred Witte 3/02/1878, 21:12 LMT, Hamburg -- 8/04/1941, 4:01 MET, Hamburg.

Midpoints 101 van Steven Lee.