I firmly believe that life is always on our side, even when times are challenging. The belief that life, the universe, God, the cosmos, whatever name you want to call it – always wants us to feel supported, to live our soul’s fullest potential and to feel a sense of joy. Life is difficult, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have support. And one of the most useful tools that we have to support us in life is astrology – specifically astrological transits and timing techniques.

Here’s the thing that bears constant repeating: astrology doesn’t cause things to happen; it signifies. And so, if the cosmos are acting as messengers, indicating to us what is going on on Earth, what would it mean if we could see and interpret that language in our daily lives? What if we used astrology as a tool?

I have an entire video planned out for my astrology youtube channel where I want to dive deeper into the concept of fate vs free will in astrology, but here’s my quick thought on this: this divine language of the cosmos gives us insight into our fates so we can prepare for the inevitable highs and lows. The whole purpose of astrology is to help us, to guild us by giving us a preview of what’s to come. The universe is on our side. And these are just tools to help our minds make sense what is happening…what our inner voice, already knows.

Astrology is WAY More Complex

Most people think of “star signs” and horoscopes because of the sun sign columns that were popular in Cosmo and other magazines that originated in the 1950s. But when I write and talk about astrology, I am referring to the ancient techniques used by the Egyptians and Mesoptoampins in the 2nd century B.C.E. The specific technique that I love and specialize in, zodiacal releasing, dates back to this time.

While I’ve been studying modern astrology since 2011 (when I was a junior in high school), it was in 2018 that I began privately learning traditional Hellenistic astrology thanks to the Astrology School and Chris’ Brennan’s podcast. Zodiacal Releasing is my personal favorite timing technique and what I uniquely specialize in as well astrocartography. And in this blog post I want to share with you the ten things you should note when looking up your zodiacal releasing. 

How to Learn Zodiacal Releasing

Before we dive in, I’d like to mention that this is an introduction to zodiacal releasing. And all of the information I’m about to share with you on the blog is thanks to Chris Brennan’s research on the work of the 2nd-century astrologer and stoic philosopher, Vettius Valens. And if you’d like to learn more about zodiacal releasing, I highly recommend taking his 18+ hour zodiacal releasing course as well as his Hellenistic astrology course to actually implement and use the technique correctly.  It’s very complex and one of the most “out there” techniques that can take a while to learn but his lessons are very thorough and he shows a plethora of real-life examples. Everything I’ve learned about zodiacal releasing is from his and Patrick Watson’s work, as well as working with my own clients and seeing how accurate it is in people’s lives.

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10 Things to Note When You Look at Your Zodiacal Releasing Periods

I mentioned in my earlier zodiacal releasing blog post a brief introduction to the technique, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. And so in today’s blog post, I want to share a few extra things to note about the technique when looking up your own zodiacal releasing periods.

Use a Zodiacal Releasing Calculator Here!

1. Identify the Peak Periods

The first thing to look at when looking at that complicated list of numbers is identifying the peak periods. Astro Gold lists them as little + signs, but on free software like Astro.com, you’ll have to calculate them yourself. Peak periods are times of heightened importance. They aren’t good or bad, positive nor negative. Just important. They are more busy and active times in a person’s life and you can find your peak periods in life by looking at the angles from your Lot of Fortune (which you can find in your natal chart), and I share how to do that in this video.

Major Peak Periods – 1st and 10th from Fortune

Moderate Peak Period – 7th from Lot of Fortune

Minor Peak Period – 4th from Lot of Fortune

2. Challenging and Positive Times

You can find your more positive and challenging times in life by determining the sect of your chart and noting the signs that contain your malefic and benefic planet.

For day charts (sun above the horizon), your most positive planet is Jupiter and Mars more difficult. For night charts (sun below the horizon), venus is more positive and Saturn more challenging. Look to the signs that contain those planets.

Those signs listed in your zodiacal releasing periods will have that flavor. That’s a basic general rule of thumb but there are other techniques to determine how planets are placed in a chart (bonification/maltreatment) which is why I recommend booking a reading with an astrologer.

3. Note the Cycles of 3

Next, you’d want to identify the angular triads, or as I call them, the cycles of 3. Everyone has a beginning, mind, and end. And this is very easy to find in your zodiacal releasing: your peak periods are sandwiched between the preparatory period prior and followed by the ending.

4. Loosening of the Bond – Change in Direction

As mentioned in my past blog, the loosening of the bond is a pivot, change of direction or an uplevel depending on if it’s in a prep, peak or end period. When you have a loosening of the bond (LB) in a prep period, it’s taking the next step with something you’re starting. LB peak period is recognition or leveling with the thing you’re doing. An LB in the final period is a departure or letting go, it’s the period at the end of the sentence, like retiring, quitting, moving on from something.

5. Foreshadowing of the LB

You can spot hints as to what the LB is all about by looking at the same sign the LB is in before in that subperiod. Was there anything you started or began during that foreshadowing period, any ideas percolating during that time that you didn’t finish or get around to? The LB is when that will be implemented.

6. Culmination Periods – The Climax

A culmination is the climax of themes and events that got started at the beginning of the period. Basically, when you start a period (L1/L2/L3/L4) you build up until the culmination point. How you find this in your own zodiacal releasing is by counting down to the 10th sign on the subperiod.

For example, if you start a L2 period in Virgo, you would count down 10 to the next sign. Virgo would be 1st, Libra would be 2nd, October 3rd, etc until you get to the 10th sign. That 10th sign is the culmination period or the “height” of the person’s life in regards to that general period’s theme.

 

7. Completion Periods – Coming Back Full Circle

Completion is when the subperiod (for example an L2) returns back to the original sign that started in. This only happens in Capricorn and Aquarius periods, but it’s really a time when there is a sense of endings, closure and completion to that time in life. It’s as if you’ve come full circle and you’re looking back at all that transpired since the start of the subperiod.

8. Note the activation of the Ruler of the Spirit Activated

This is one of my favorite parts of the technique. When you hit a time period where you activate the ruler of your lot of spirit, this is a time of uncovering your life’s work and purpose. It’s a magical time of clarity; the paths clearing the way for you and it’s also easier to manifest things during this time.

You can find this special time by:

• noting what sign your lot of spirit is in
• what is the ruler of that sign?
• where do you have that planet natally in your chart? That’s the sign activated.

For example: my lot of spirit is in Leo. The ruler of Leo is the sun. I have my sun natally in Taurus. Taurus periods are when this is activated.

Check out my recent video on zodiacal releasing here!

9. Note the Ruler of the General Period Activated

This is helpful in identifying the focal point for that time in your life. Simply note what sig you’re starting the general period on and the ruler of it, locate where that ruler is in your chart, that specific sign in your zodiacal releasing time periods will show you the focal point.

Also, here’s an extra tidbit: the angles that are relative to the general period are turning points that relate to the theme of the general period of life. Definitely not as big of a deal as a Loosening of the Bond in terms of a “turning point” but still! For example: if you started a Leo subperiod in L2, the remaining fixed signs Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius can show a turning point of sorts.

10. Spot the Repetitions

Repeating signs! How magical! ✨ Chris Brennan calls this the Replication Period and Ellen Black originally coined this specific set of dates the “amplification period” but it’s basically when the period repeats the same signs on multiple levels. For example, it might alternate signs between L1 + L2 and then again L3 + L4. These dates will stand out as an especially unique and important time in a person’s life chronology. Usually, peak periods are the most important times but these specific set of dates are more important than they would be typically. I’ve had many clients who’ve shared weird events and stories that took place on those dates that carried with them throughout their life.

Example: Leo – Aquarius – Leo – Aquarius

 

Other Timing Techniques (Besides Zodiacal Releasing)

You can also use transits when looking at zodiacal releasing. Personally, in my client readings, I have noticed that the transits (specifically the planets that are activated using the annual profections technique) do indeed line up perfectly with a person’s zodiacal releasing.

Timing: Seeing the Magic in Your Life’s Unfolding

When you think about it, this world, this life we live in is so magically timed and poetic. My passion and studies of Hellenistic astrology and stoic philosophy have taught me this. Thanks to the work of Vettius Valens and Chris Brennan and so many of the gifted astrologers bringing this ancient technique to the modern world, we have more resources, knowledge and awareness than ever before.

Astrology has taught me how divinely timed our lives are. And I believe our lives were planned for us, by us.

We are single drop in the ocean – but a purposeful one.

We are here on Earth with a unique set of abilities and gifts and a timeline that works with us. ✨Instead of being afraid of time…. dance with it, work with it, and celebrate it 🦋

BOOK A ZODIACAL RELEASING READING WITH ME

I love studying the chapters and places of a person’s destiny. And I’m far more fascinated by other people’s charts than my own. That’s why I love giving client readings. I’ve been passionately studying astrology for over 12 years but I uniquely specialize in astrocartography (or travel and relocation astrology) and zodiacal releasing as travel and time are my favorite topics to explore in a person’s life biography. As a storyteller and seeker, I feel most at home uncovering the truth within a chart. And I’m so thrilled to be sharing what I’ve learned with you.

If you’d like to book a personalized one-on-one reading with me, where we go deeper on the map of your soul’s blueprint and look at the detailed themes that will emerge at specific times in the future, whether that be in the lot of spirit or lot of eros,  you can learn more details and book an zodiacal releasing reading with me here.  

Just Have a Quick Question?

I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about your natal chart, zodiacal releasing or travel/relocation astrology map here on Hey Hero! Send me your questions and I’ll look up your chart and send you a unique, personalized video answering your questions!

 

See what my Zodiacal Releasing Readings Are Like in this Video!