Done updating Delphic Oracle which now includes speed (fast or slow), acceleration or deceleration, speed in longitude, speed in latitude and speed in AU (astronomical units). Timaeus will be fully uploaded in about an hour.

That's great work - well done, and thanks!

Deb wrote:That's great work - well done, and thanks!

Thanks! I forgot to mention that the data is accessible by hovering your mouse over the planet glyph in the chart views. I can also include it in one of the printouts (probably in the Asteroids / Fixed stars section which allows selection of planets and points).

Deb - when a planet is retrograde do you consider it faster if the speed is decreasing (going retro faster)? Or is it the case that if a planet is speeding up in it's negative motion, is that "slower".

I have the conditions set for when direct motion is implied, but there is ambiguity under retrograde motion. It should be easy to change the conditionals though for negative values.

If the span of movement is increasing each day than I would describe the speed as getting faster, on the basis that the planet is increasing its speed. Even if it is in retrograde motion, it's motion is still getting swifter, which can be interpreted symbolically as someone or something acting with increasing force/impetus. (In horary, I might interpret this as something that is building a momentum towards a wrong direction or backward step). Historical point-scoring tables remind us to consider both the speed of movement as well as the direction, so I'm pretty sure it is theoretically correct to think of planets gaining speed as they travel backwards as well as forwards through the zodiac.

Thanks. Is there a range of motion which would be considered "stationary"? I've been thinking that a 3rd option of "stationary" would be useful. I have it checking speeds at 6 hour intervals and if one value is positive, one negative, then the planet changes directions - either stationary direct or stationary retrograde.

I'm not sure if anyone has ever established a consensus on that. Lilly includes a period of time in which planets are stationary but I assume it is only a rough "rule of thumb" that he copied from an older author. For example, in discussing Saturn he says (CA, p.58): "He is five days in his first station before retrogradation, and so many in his second station before direction"

For Jupiter (p.62) 1st = 5 days, 2nd = 4 days
Mars (p.65) 1st = 2 or 3 days 2nd = 2 days before, 1 day after
Venus (p.73) 1st & 2nd = 2 days
Mercury (p.76) 1st & 2nd = 1 day

Not sure if this is of any help to you, but it's all I have to offer Maybe other members will have other recommendations.

OK. Thanks.