Beginners and Intro to AC – iPhone 

Newbie to the iPhone, or newbie to astrological charts, concepts and best/usual practice? Start here! Or just want a clear overview of how to start out?

You may want to read this before you buy AC for the iPhone, it may help you decide if it’s for you.

AC (AstroConnexions) is easy to use, and has many advanced features built over seven years of continuous development. But if you haven’t used an astrology app or program before it can seem overwhelming at first. You’ll soon get used to it though. Take it easy, don’t expect to figure it out, or do it all, in one session. The basics are easy. Some of the other stuff you will (may) need to learn. It’s an iPhone app – astro-charting has never been so easy and affordable.

Some of the screenshots are from the iPad version.

Here’s some recommended links to posts/articles that may (should) help you get to grips with AC. All articles/posts are on the AC website or on its Blog.

Configure AstroConnexions – iPhone Updated 28th Aug 2024Concepts and Principles – iPhone iPhone FAQ AC in action – iPhone

Then there’s the AC searchable Knowledge Base – often updated

Knowledge Base

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The first thing most do after installing AC is to create (or cast) a chart for their birth or a friends birth. Known as a natal or radix chart. After you’ve read all the above of course!

Creating your first chart

Note that all initial AC default settings when you buy it are configured to usual or best astrological practice as I understand it. By that I mean, for example that secondary progressed orbs to natal planets/points are set to 1 degree, The Zodiac is set to Tropical, single-wheel orbs are variable, eg 8 degrees for an opposition, 4 degrees for a sextile, etc. This means that that AC is usable straight away. As you get familiar with AC you can, of course change the settings.

If some of the things written here are incomprehensible to you don’t worry, just know that AC’s configurations are initially set to standard astrological settings.

Made a mistake creating your (first) chart? Here’s how to fix it.

Editing a Chart

Tap Edit Chart, and edit what you need to change. Similar to when you created a chart. Edit Chart always edits the currently displayed chart providing it is a natal chart. Please note that a natal chart is the only chart you can edit – all other charts are derived from the natal or radix chart.

1. Ensure that Natal is selected
2. Tap Chart Details text area

3. Tap Edit Chart

The chart’s time zone is wrong. You actually know what it should be. How to fix?

Time Zone fix

I’ve got a lot of charts that I’ve created in another astrology app/program. How do I get them into AC?

Import/Export

What about historical charts? Pre 17th century?

Historical Charts – Culpeper

Historical Synastry

Creating synastry charts – comparison and composite charts

Synastry Charts

Changing the look of AstroConnexions – themes and chart colours

Colour Themes

Chart Colours

Your Charts – sorting, filtering, browsing

Your Charts

Deleting a Chart

Deleting a Chart

What are those lines in the centre of the chart?

Those are aspect lines. They show the aspects between planets and points. For an explanation of astrological aspect please do a Google search.

What are the blue stars and red stars (*) ? (answer, aspects from the fixed stars)

FAQ

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Let’s go further and examine the main view using Al Pacino’s natal chart. Get it from AC’s Provided charts.

We’ll look at his secondary progressed bi-wheel.

Provided Charts and Your Charts

Bi-Wheel Tapped, options from the Miscellaneous menu view (this is for your info, you don’t need to do anything with these settings)

 

Natal Chart, before tapping Bi-Wheel (iPhone 12), Display Zoom set to Larger Text

This is iPhone 12 with Display Zoom not set and Light Teal background

Natal chart progressed by Secondary progression, Bi-Wheel tapped. Display zoom set.

Outer Wheel planets/points – secondary progression for the date shown Jul 13, 2020 @ 04:02:00 PM

Inner wheel planets/points – natal positions

Here’s more info on secondary progressions

Progressions and Directions

But my display/chart doesn’t look like this!

You may want to tap Brighten Charts/Tables for enhanced colours and brightness. Most people do.

 

1. I’m not using Dark Mode (change from light to dark mode and vice versa requires a relaunch of AC)
2. My settings may be different than yours

I’m using AC’s Grey Theme with background, and a proportional chart wheel. I’m using the default 1 degree orb for secondary progressed aspects to the natal chart.

Here’s the natal Chart in Dark Mode – this is what you may see

Here’s the Progressed Chart – bi-wheel, dark mode

Outer Wheel planets/points – secondary progression for the date shown July 13, 2024 @ 04:02:00 PM

Inner wheel planets/points – natal positions

My Wheel Settings

Here’s my bi-wheel settings – see if yours are the same

Animated GIF – wheel choice/type

Wheel Setting – animated GIF

Planets and Points selected

My Secondary Progression settings

Why has the progressed chart now got a date of July 13, 2024?

As a convenience when a chart that is selected as a Transit, sec. prog etc, the date of the progression/transit changes to a Now date (ie the date the progressed chart was displayed). This does not happen with historical charts.

The concept of wheels within wheels

Looking at the above progressed chart Al Pacino Light Mode Bi-Wheel what is going on here?

It’s quite simple:

1. the inner chart (planetary positions) is the natal chart
2. the outer chart has the progressed planets/points
3. the aspect lines now show the aspects to the natal chart planets/positions from the progressed chart planets/points positions.
4. the house positions are always the natal chart positions, such as the Asc at 4 degrees 58 secs of Leo

Note a point can typically be the Ascendent (Asc), the Midheaven (MC)

The inner chart never changes – because it’s the natal chart. The outer chart (progressed planets and points) is the progressed chart. The progressed positions can be changed in a variety of ways.

Play around with the progressed positions – you can’t do anything that will cause problems with AC! If you get confused. just tap on the Natal button and start again. Thats what I do.

Looking at the aspects in the Aspect Table

Let’s start with natal aspects. Tap the Natal chart button for Al Pacino and then tap the Aspect Table icon. See below.

Here’s some guides to astrological glyphs

Astrological glyphs  – Goes to an external web site.

Astrological glyphs  – Goes to a different external web site.

Sorted

The table is sorted by the smallest separation of an aspect, ie the closest aspects first, as these are usually deemed the most effective. Let’s see how the aspects in the aspect table relate to what’s shown on the chart.

The arrowed aspects shown in the above screenshot:

1. Moon 120 degrees to MC, a trine. The aspect line is shown in blue. A trine is considered ‘easy’.
2. Mars semi-square (45 degrees) to Pluto. The aspect line is shown in red. A semi-square is considered ‘difficult’.

Note that parallel aspect can’t be shown on the chart.

Al Pacino’s bi-wheel aspects – his secondary progressed aspects

Al Pacino’s progressed Mercury conjunct (0 degrees) to his radical Pluto (ie his natal Pluto) – isolated.

Just tap the Mercury square Saturn aspect in the Aspect Table to see the isolated aspect. Tap again to revert back to show all the aspects.

iPhone isolated aspect

The top left corner of the Aspect Table show the orb allowed for the currently displayed chart. Note that it is possible to set different orb values for different types of charts.

A look at the menu buttons

 

Tapping and long-press

• A single-tap below Info/About button area will bring up the Snapshot view. Your Charts only.
• A single-tap bottom right of the chart brings up the Notes View
• Single-tap over a planet in the chart to view some of its details.
• An asterisk indicates whether the currently viewed chart is from Your charts or Provided Charts database. 
• Long-press, bottom left brings up the Returns Save View – if a Returns chart is displayed. Otherwise an individual Transit bi-wheel orb settings view is displayed.
• Double-tap over chart to zoom. Pinch to see different parts of the chart. Double tap to resume to standard display size.

Please Investigate any of the above menus options etc, using AC’s knowledge base:

Knowledge Base

Enjoy!