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It is best to use an astrology program, but you can also use online calculators.

When determining the New Moon and Full Moon, a free calculator on the English-language website Astro-seek can be helpful.

Important note: progressive phases are calculated between the progressive moon and the progressive sun. A common mistake is to take into account the progressive moon in relation to the natal sun, an aspect that only affects us for about a month.

From the new moon to the full moon, the moon waxes, so this is generally a time of greater creativity, creation, and building.

After the full moon, when the moon begins to lose its light, it is a time for rebuilding and reorienting existing structures, for letting go and withdrawing.

Although the new and full moons are the most important, each of the eight phases has its own individual nature. Below is an approximate meaning of each phase.

New Moon (0°- 45°) – symbolizes the beginning, often compared to an embryo or sowing seeds in the ground. Waxing crescent (45°- 90°) – the time when the seed begins to break through the shell, followed by the first tentative steps.

First quarter (90°- 135°) – a period of struggle and action, the plant begins to break through the ground and is now visible. This is a crucial time when it must build its structures in order to survive.

Gibbous (135°- 180°) – one of the most creative periods, the time of the final touches before the full moon. Buds are already visible.

Full moon (180°- 135°) – the culmination and result of our actions or neglect over the last 14 years. The harvest time, whose success is determined by actions taken in the past.

Disseminating (135°-90°) – time to share the harvest with others, sow seeds.

Third quarter (90°-45°) – Need to take action to improve or modify old structures, identity crisis.

Balsamic moon (45°- 0°) – a time of rest and withdrawal. The plant “dies” in order to be reborn.

How to use progressive lunation in astrological forecasting?

Transits are currently one of the most popular forecasting techniques.

However, transits alone provide us with limited information. Take, for example, the transit of Uranus square Venus.

(For simplicity, I am not taking into account the rulerships, aspects, and positions in the houses.)

The general meaning of this transit is sudden changes in relationships that bring liberation from old limitations and patterns that no longer serve us.

If a client with this transit is in the first quadrant of the progressive chart, I would expect her to embark on an affair that will change her perception of the relationship and may lead to divorce (if not immediately, then probably during the progressive full moon, which is a time of escalation). If we see the same transit in a client whose progressive moon is entering the balsamic phase, a more likely scenario would be that her husband suddenly runs away with his mistress, leaving her in shock and forcing her to make changes.

Saturn transits coinciding with the progressive moon in the waxing phase will bring more responsibilities, often resulting from our actions, such as business development or training, while in the waning phase they may bring health problems or some kind of loss. During the full moon itself, with Saturn in transit, we may experience a long-awaited promotion that will bring new responsibilities or repercussions for overlooked or neglected matters in our lives.

About two years ago, I had a consultation with a regular client who was determined to start a new business. She was in the final phase of the third quadrant and was fed up with her job. Seeing the approaching balsamic phase and the current transits of Neptune, I warned her that this was not the best time to start something new and that her judgment might be clouded at this time. A period of withdrawal lay ahead of her, where intangible values and spiritual practices would come to the fore.

My client is a person who does not attach much importance to this type of activity, and the peak of her spirituality was her meetings with me, which she used to plan her financial and professional strategies. I asked her to hold off for a few months and saw that she was not enthusiastic about what I said. (I really wish I could tell clients what they want to hear and that it always works out). A few months later, when the pandemic began, my client contacted me and thanked me for my advice to put her business on hold. She had planned to buy and renovate a restaurant, which would have consumed all her savings and required a large loan. When the pandemic broke out, her company did not renew her contract, and she began to have health problems. The last time I spoke to her, she still hadn’t returned to work and was enjoying the slower pace of life and meditation.

Of course, it should not be assumed that every balsamic phase will be associated with losses or illness. Much depends on the position of the progressive moon in the sign and house, transits, and, of course, the natal chart itself. Life consists of cycles, and each one follows the other. Naturally, in today’s world, we would like to grow constantly, but we must remember that after every activity there must be rest, and after every winter there is spring…