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If you haven't visited my website for a while, you might be interested in: New gourmet chocolate recipes Updated May 2011 My Extensive Tutorials in Western Astrology and for Vedic Astrology SoftStar Weblog: Updated: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Advances in Astrology Software The Ultimate Guide to Astrology Software Updated Weekly Frequently Asked Questions About Astrology Software -- Updated April 2011 Teachings in Western and Vedic Astrology Updated Bi-Monthly Saturday, May 26, 2012 I posted my Hank's guide to making truffles article, outlining the basic steps to making truffles, what tools to use, and more. You can read it here. Thursday, January 27, 2011 I just posted my latest YouTube video online: An Introduction to Astrology Software You can see it (best viewed at 720p high definition in full screen mode) by clicking here. Saturday, September 11, 2010 I am now writing a regular column in The Mountain Astrologer on Software News. You can read each by clicking here. Saturday, August 21, 2010 My latest tutorial article: "Paramount Considerations in Chart Interpretation" will help you to focus on the dominant factors in a chart. The article explores both Western and Vedic astrological approaches, with clear examples. I hope it is of great value to you. Sunday, April 04, 2010 Once again, I've revised and improved my Optimal Use of Astrology Software article. This time I've added to the accuracy tests a test to see if your software switches correctly to Daylight Savings time during a transit search. If you haven't ever read this article, I promise it will be of value. Wednesday, July 6, 2011 I added a new page to my website with direct links to demo versions of all of the major astrology programs. To get the demos, click here. Sunday, January 17, 2010 I just revised my essay, "Ending the War Between the Astrologers" by adding a final segment on "How I use both astrologies" I hope that you enjoy it. Click here to read the revised version. Sunday, December 13, 2009 My sixth astrology software video tutorial explores the chart animation features in Solar Fire Gold You can view it by clicking here. Hope that you enjoy it! Monday, December 07, 2009 Here's my fifth astrology software video tutorial entitled, "Extra Points Wheels in Solar Fire Gold" You can view it by clicking here. Hope that you enjoy it! Saturday, November 14, 2009 Here's my published article from The Mountain Astrologer called "The Ruler of the Chart", complete with a full set of example charts and other enhancements. You can read it by clicking here. Tuesday, October 27, 2009 Here's my fourth astrology software video tutorial entitled, "Valuable Features in Shri Jyoti Star 6" You can view it by clicking here. Hope that you enjoy it! Monday, October 19, 2009 Here's my third astrology software video tutorial entitled, "The Dynamic Astrology Transit Graph in Millennium StarTrax 7.0" You can view it by clicking here. Hope that you enjoy it! Wednesday, October 14, 2009 I just posted my second astrology software video tutorial entitled, "Finding the built-in reports in Kepler and Sirius" You can view it by clicking here. Hope that you enjoy it! Saturday, October 10, 2009 I decided to write an article today called "How to determine the strongest planet(s) in a chart". It integrates both Western & Vedic approaches, with examples. I hope you like it. You can read it by clicking here. Monday, October 05, 2009 I spent many hours this past week researching how to begin to offer free video software tutorials to you on this website. I tested many programs and finally found a workable solution. You can watch my first tutorial, about Solar Fire's Time Map feature, by clicking here. Sunday, September 20, 2009 I have been a busy Chocolate chef and have just added three Chocolate Truffle recipes to my gourmet chocolate cookbook. Two use raw chocolate, which is a totally different experience, and the third uses a blend of two fruits. To go to my chocolate recipes, click here. Wednesday, September 09, 2009 My recent software testing has led me to add even more material to my ground-breaking article, The Optimal Use of Astrology Software. I've added another section on Issues with calculating Progressions to the addendum exploring the effects of location and time zone, programs with imprecise calculations, and the Parallax Moon. To read it, click here. Monday, September 07, 2009 I have been adding tutorials to my Learning Astrology section every other month for a long time. I have just written a new one, called "Who affects Who? Unilateral Aspects in Vedic Astrology". To read it, click here. Monday, August 17, 2009 Because of questions posed to me in emails from astrologers, several new themes to discuss are now included in my ground-breaking article, The Optimal Use of Astrology Software. The new version has a large addendum exploring issues around Composite charts, astromaps, precise planetary ingresses, and much more. To read it, click here. Sunday, July 12, 2009 I just completed an article called The Most Important Significators of Life Themes and their use in chart delineation and astrology software, which you can read by by clicking here. It uses both Western and Vedic astrological approaches to explore what factors really represent a specific theme in a person's chart. On Monday night, July 13, 2009, I did some further "polishing" of the article, so if you read it on Sunday or Monday, you might want to re-read it. Monday, June 22, 2009 One of the most important articles that I've ever written on astrology software is called "The Optimal Use of Astrology Software". Over the years, I have revised it, and have just completed my latest revision. Anyone using astrology software should read it, as it reviews the best ways to get the most out of your software, how to protect yourself and your data, how to test the accuracy of your software, what calculations you can't trust, what techniques are most affected by inaccuracies in birth times, how to update your software, and much more. You can read my latest revision of the article by clicking here. Monday, June 08, 2009 Last year, I began the journey of finding the best teas in the world. I've had an incredible time and discovered teas that will fill you with Light and joy. Read about the teas I've found by clicking here. Tuesday, May 12, 2009 I just wrote a new Vedic tutorial article called, "Determining the planet that represents a theme in a chart". It focuses on how to ascertain which planet(s) will most represent a life theme, with example delineations. You can read it by clicking here. Friday, April 10, 2009 Cosmic Patterns has started a new sale on specific report writers and on upgrades to their Sirius software. I am offering these new sale prices. To see the reduced prices of upgrades to Sirius (and to read my review and new Frequently Asked Questions about Sirius), click here. Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Because many people are struggling financially at this time, I added a 40 minute psychic session (for $100) to my offerings. Many people have found these shorter sessions quite valuable, with plenty of time to address several important themes. To learn about scheduling a session of any length with me, click here. Wednesday, March 04, 2009 I just wrote a short essay entitled, "Why Astrology can never be systematic". You can read it by clicking here. Hope you find it of value. Important Note: I added a second section to this article on Sunday, March 08, 2009 focusing specifically on the issues that arise concerning astrology software delineations. You can read it by clicking here. Saturday, February 07, 2009 Another source of free astrology books! The Internet continues to astound me. In addition to the scribd.com website I mentioned earlier on my website, I just discovered that you can go to Google Books -- by clicking here -- and view and download free astrology books!. Notice at the top of the page shown -- after you click on the link above -- indicates "Full view only". I chose that option because the other two options either link you to books you have to purchase or only show you short previews. If you click on any book link, you can download it as a PDF file and read it at your leisure on your own computer. What a great resouce for astrologers. Wednesday, February 04, 2009 I have added two new great passionfruit chocolate truffle recipes using passionfruit puree, to make them both tart and sweet. Go to my chocolate recipe page to see them by clicking here. Enjoy! Saturday, January 24, 2009 I'm happy to announce that the holiday pricing for Janus 4.1 has been extended indefinitely. You can read my published reviews about Janus and purchase the program at the incredibly low price of $135 by clicking here. Friday, January 16, 2009 I just posted, in my free Learning Vedic Astrology tutorials section, another Hart de Fouw and Sheshadri Iyer-based tutorial about using Divisional Charts for predictive work. I wrote it for one of my classes and my students found it quite valuable. I hope that you like it. You can read it by clicking here. Monday, January 12, 2009 In addition to adding each week to my astrology weblog at the link above, today I introduced a priceless source of free astrology books (both Western and Vedic). You can register (at no cost) and search for books on this great website by clicking here. Monday, November 17, 2008 I have just revised and expanded all of my booklists (books that have changed my life, the best Western astrology books, and the best Vedic astrology books) and created a page on Amazon that both describes each book and allows you to easily order any of them. You can view this new listing by clicking here to see what books helped me along the way, and even get copies for yourself. Monday, November 03, 2008 I just finished writing a review for The Mountain Astrologer on the astrology program Intrepid 2.0. So that you won't have to wait until next year to see what I discovered, I've written a shorter review of Intrepid for this website. Click here to read the review. (I've also added Intrepid to my secure astrology software order form, so you can get it with free shipping worldwide by clicking here. Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Early in 2007, I published an article in the BAVA journal called "Narcissism, Self-Effacement and Rahu and Ketu" about the Moon's nodes and their effects on personality. This year, I decided to greatly expand the article and re-publish the new version on my website. If you want to understand the nodes, I highly recommend reading it. Click here to go to the article. I hope it proves valuable to you. Sunday, October 19, 2008 I have finally added a new truffle recipe to my gourmet chocolate recipes. I had purchased Trader Joes wonderful dried slab apricots and decided to use them to make truffles. The result was great! To go to my chocolate recipe index, click here. To go straight to my new Wonderful Dried Apricot Truffle recipe, click here. I hope you enjoy my creations. Tuesday, September 23, 2008 The price of Janus 4.1 has been just been reduced by 20%. Janus is a remarkably powerful program and definitely worth having at my new discounted price of $179. You can read my reviews of it and purchase it by clicking here. Saturday, September 13, 2008 The first astrology book that I read was Astrology: A Cosmic Science by Isabel Hickey. It continues to be one of the best books ever written on modern Western astrology. I just found a link where you can download a copy for free! Click Here to download a copy of Astrology, a Cosmic Science by Isabel Hickey. [For the download to work, you need to register at the website -- which is free -- and choose the PDF format for the download.] If you are interested in Western Astrology, I highly recommend you read and study this book. Sunday, July 20, 2008 Today I've decided to change my bimonthly SoftStar News-letter into an ongoing weblog. I will be adding news and insights about astrology software more frequently, instead of accumulating material for two months for bigger online newsletters. The link to the weblog is: SoftStar Weblog. However, all of my previous SoftStar News columns are still available to read by clicking here. I hope that this new format serves you well. p.s. to see when the latest blog has been written, look at the link for SoftStar Weblog at the top of this page. Monday, June 02, 2008 I've written two new tutorial articles in Vedic astrology. You can read the ABCs of Vedic Chart Analysis by clicking here and read The Meanings of the Relative Distance between Dasa and Bhukti Lord by clicking here. My lastest issue of SoftStar News is also out, with many valuable sections including: my new review of Cosmic Pattern's Sirius 1.0 software, how to export from Solar Fire Gold's Calendar, the free Rainlendar program, the beautiful, free space navigating program called Microsoft WorldWide Telescope, and more. You can read it by clicking here. Monday, April 28, 2008 Cosmic Patterns Software is about to release their newest flagship program, Sirius. You can find out more about it, and get an excellent introductory price with special extras, by clicking here. I have not yet seen a copy, but am first in line to get one, and will post a review as soon as I can. Saturday, February 23, 2008 I just uploaded a table I created for my Vedic class. Entitled: The Unique Qualities of House Lords for Each Ascendant, it shows which planets carry specific themes for each Ascendant. In each case, whatever influences the planet heavily influences the theme. E.g. for Capricorn rising charts, Mars both rules the 4th house and is the signficator of real estate and property (4th house themes). Therefore, if Mars in a Capricorn rising chart is combust (i.e. within 6 degrees of the Sun) then acquiring lands and homes will be challenging for the person. You can read the article by clicking here. [In order to preserve the formatting, I uploaded the article to my website as a PDF file. That means that when you click on the link, your computer will either open it with Adobe Reader or save it to your hard disk so that you can do so.] Friday, February 22, 2008 The lastest issue of SoftStar News has just been released. In it, I share my new comprehensive article on "The Strengths and Weaknesses of Interpretive Software", plus an article on How to Create Chart Art Pages in Solar Fire Gold, and why we need to honor astrology software creators. You can read this issue by clicking here. I also revised my very important article, "The Optimal Use of Astrology Software". You can read the new version by clicking here. Friday, February 22, 2008 I have just spent many days taking photographs and designing over 60 new lovely Chart Art pages for Solar Fire Gold, to give to everyone who purchases Solar Fire Gold through me, at no extra charge. To find out more about Solar Fire Gold, click here. And to see samples of the pages I designed, and get them (after you've ordered through me) click here. Thursday, January 17, 2008 Esoteric Technologies and Astrolabe have just announced the release of Solar Fire Gold, also called Solar Fire 7. I have written a short article about the new features in Solar Fire Gold and am offering my readers a special introductory price. To find out more about Solar Fire Gold, click here. Note: I have added more information and graphics to this page on January 18, 2008. Sunday, December 09, 2007 Astrology House has just released version 4 of its flagship Janus program, with many new and valuable features. You can read about it by clicking here and also learn about the special introductory price offered during December 2007. Friday, December 07, 2007 Esoteric Technologies is about to release Solar Fire Gold, also called Solar Fire 7, in January 2008. I have written a short article about the new features in Solar Fire Gold and am offering my readers a very special pre-release price. To find out more about Solar Fire Gold, click here. Saturday, October 13, 2007 I just finished my latest issue of SoftStar News. In it, I explore the new free Astrobackup utility for Solar Fire, answer Frequently Asked Questions about astrology software, and look at What's New and What's Coming in Astrological Software. You can read it by clicking here. I hope you enjoy it. Friday, October 12, 2007 I have just published a new FAQ page. FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. On this page, I have addressed many of the questions my website visitors have about astrology software. You can view it by clicking here. Saturday, August 25, 2007 I have just published my latest issue of SoftStar News. You can view it by clicking here. Sunday, August 19, 2007 I have significantly improved my beautiful Nakshatra table in two ways: it is now vertical and thereby gives the viewer a more comprehensive understanding of the Nakshatras, and secondly, the proportions are now accurate. You can view it by clicking here. Sunday, July 15, 2007 I have revised my article "Ending the War between the Astrologers" which discusses the misconceptions Western and Vedic astrologers have about each other, and the need for respect for all branches of astrology. You can read it by clicking here. I have also published my Mountain Astrologer article "The Vedic Signs", which details how Vedic astrologers use the signs (quite differently than Western astrologers). Click here to read it. Monday, July 02, 2007 My September 1st - 3rd Three Day Intensive Vedic seminar for Western astrologers is definitely on, and there are a few openings left. I've added a table showing the scheduled sequence of topics to be introduced. To see the topics to be presented upon each day of the seminar, click here. I'm looking forward to helping Vedic astrology come alive for my class! Thursday, June 28, 2007 I just wrote an article on "The Future of Astrological Computing" for you. In it, I speculate what might be developed and what I'd like to see. I hope you enjoy it. You can click here to read it. Tuesday, June 26, 2007 After teaching my Vedic intensive in February and three follow-up evening classes, it became apparent that my students needed a clear delineation of the differences between the methods used in analyzing a birth chart and those used in analyzing divisional charts, so I wrote the follow article. I hope that you, my website readers, will also find it of value: Differences Between Analyzing a Vedic Birth Chart and Analyzing Divisional Charts Sunday, April 29, 2007 Had a busy day. I just more than doubled the number of free astrology program on the Free Astrology Software Page and updated several of the links in the process. These free programs are definitely worth exploring and quite unique. You can go to the freeware page by clicking here. Sunday, April 29, 2007 I finally have time to update my website again. Here are three new additions: My lastest issue of SoftStar News focuses on several new free astrology programs that are definitely worth exploring, Pholus, Maitreya's Dream (significantly updated), and Jyotishya Deepika. You can read the new issue by clicking here. I have also added to my Vedic tutorials page a new introductory article, great for those just beginning to approach Vedic astrology, called "An Introduction to Dasas". You can read it by clicking here. Finally, I've developed a truly smashing new truffle: Gianduja and Apricot Truffle. You can read my new recipe by clicking here. Saturday, April 07, 2007 I just got back from speaking at the Blast Conference in Sedona. The conference was wonderful, and both my keynote presentation on "Dasas Alive" and my two hour talk on "Approaching a Vedic Chart" were very well received. You can purchase audio or video recordings of either lecture at the Blast website: click here to visit the Blast website. I am also offering my three-day intensive on Vedic astrology again over Labor Day weekend. To see the details, click here. The workshop is already almost half full, since I keep the size at seven students, so if you are interested in attending it, contact me soon. Monday, March 19, 2007 As I mentioned earlier, I created an incredible Luscious Chocolate Polenta Cake with Chai-flavored Whipped Cream topping for Thanksgiving. It was a great success. Since then, I have received many, many accolades for the recipe. However, in the posted recipe, I had not mentioned the need to stir the polenta while it cooks (after it reaches a boil), and have changed this, and the amount of chocolate, in the recipe. You can read the new, improved recipe by clicking here. Thursday, March 01, 2007 If you use astrology software, read my latest issue of SoftStar News by clicking here for information on the new Daylight Saving Time Changes and how to test your software to see if it has them. Also in this issue: what about Microsoft Vista, and new free tools for astrologers Saturday, February 03, 2007 Here's a short new essay I just wrote called What's Unique about a Birth Chart? Just click in the underlined title of the essay to read it. I hope you enjoy it. Friday, January 05, 2007 I have updated my Vedic book list to include mention of James Kelleher's excellent new two volume set Path of Light, and added mention of which of my chocolate recipes have now been used by local restaurants. You can go to my Vedic book list by clicking here. Saturday, November 25, 2006 For Thanksgiving, I created an incredible Luscious Chocolate Polenta Cake with Chai-flavored Whipped Cream topping. It was a great success. You can read the recipe by clicking here. Thursday, November 16, 2006 I have just added an expanded version of my Shri Jyoti Star 6 review from The Mountain Astrologer. Shri Jyoti Star 6 is the most significant update of the program in many years. It adds a phenomenal number of new features and enhancements I also created a complete slideshow of many of the new features. You can read the new review and view the slide show by clicking here. Monday, November 06, 2006 In time for Thanksgiving, I've invented a lovely almond-honey truffle. I was inspired by the incredible (award-winning) Orange Blossom Honey from Marshalls Honey. You can get some of this superb honey by clicking here. You can read the new recipe by clicking here. Happy Holidays! Tuesday, October 24, 2006 I just finished my latest astrology tutorial article, Entitled Visible Astrology -- The Importance of Observable Phenomena. It's about the greater importance of observable factors (e.g combustion) than symbolic factors (e.g. signs) in evaluating the strength of planets in a chart. You can read the article by clicking here. Wednesday, September 20, 2006 My beautiful nakshatra table didn't print out correctly for some readers, so I changed it to a PDF file and it prints out beautifully now. To see it (and print it out), click here. Friday, September 15, 2006 I've finally finished my new secure order form for getting great astrology software at a discount. You can get calculation programs, research software, and more by clicking here. My class on Dasas is filling up. I only have room for two more participants. You can read more about this seminar and learn how to sign up for it by clicking here. Sunday, September 10, 2006 I've made it easier to order any of the major Western or Vedic professional-level calculation programs using a credit card (via PayPal). You can get to the PayPal buttons by clicking here. (Remember that not only will you get a great discount and my software support via email, but you'll receive the programs directly from the manufacturer, the latest fully registered versions, with their full support, too.) Saturday, September 09, 2006 In the latest SoftStar News, I updated my article on what hardware (computer, printer, monitor) to buy for running astrology software, added a link to two free lectures in Hellenistic astrology, reveal the new great price drop for the Janus program, and more. You can read the latest issue of SoftStar News by clicking here. Wednesday, August 16, 2006 My announced forthcoming Vedic Intensive seminar on Predicting with Dasas is now more than half full -- only three spaces left -- and I am committed to running it. We will explore both the basics of Vedic Astrology and then look deeply into using Dasas for predicting and guiding your life. You can read more about this seminar and learn how to sign up for it by clicking here. Sunday, August 13, 2006 and Wednesday, August 16, 2006 I just wrote a new tutorial article in Western astrology called, "Conditional Delineations and the Deepening of Western Astrology", about the need to place every interpretation within the context of the whole chart. You can read it by clicking here. I hope that you enjoy it. p.s. I just added an important postscript to the article. Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Because several of my software reviews are older, some programs have been discontinued, greatly changed (not always for the better), been neglected, or have had serious problems, I have created a new tag called Old with additional information after the names of some of the programs on my software reviews page. Be very careful about purchasing programs labeled Old, and contact me for more information. You can see the revised page by clicking here. Monday, July 10, 2006 I have added the full text and figures from my Mountain Astrologer review of Käla 2006 Käla 2006 is a major update to the Käla Vedic astrology program, with many new features and many enhancements. You can read the full review by clicking here. Monday, July 10, 2006 I have just announced my new Vedic Intensive seminar on Predicting with Dasas. We will explore both the basics of Vedic Astrology and then look deeply into using Dasas for predicting and guiding your life. You can read more about this seminar by clicking here. Sunday, June 18, 2006 I've just completed my latest issue of SoftStar News -- the newsletter of the latest development in astrology software. This issue covers: Free astrology and astronomy software: WXTide32 and Configuration Hunter, Tips for Astromapping in Kepler, a Free Online French Database of Famous People's Charts, the wealth of astrological software, and more. You can read the issue by clicking here . I hope you enjoy it. Saturday, June 17, 2006 I just wrote a new Vedic tutorial article, The Fundamentals of Evaluating Dasa Effects. You can read it by clicking here. Sunday, May 14, 2006 I just written a short essay on "A Problem with Modern Western Astrological Thinking" that will be useful for both Western and Vedic astrologers to read. You can go to it by clicking here. Sunday, April 02, 2006 I have just added a two-page table that I worked on for about a month that shows, for each Ascendant, the areas of life affected by each planet. While the table was designed using Vedic astrological principles, it will be valuable to Western astrologers, too. The way to use the table is to first find the rising sign for the chart you're looking at, and then review the position of each planet in the chart, one at a time, to see how the themes mentioned in the table (for that rising sign) are affected by the planet's position in that chart. You can see the new table by clicking here. Saturday, March 18, 2006 In my latest SoftStar News, I've published my Mountain Astrologer (Feb/Mar 2006) review of Matrix's new astromapping program Horizons. You can go directly to the review by clicking here. Thursday, February 16, 2006 I've improved my website version of my full Mountain Astrologer review of the Huber-oriented program Regulus by adding back the four figures that were in the printed article. You can see the updated review by clicking here. Saturday, February 04, 2006 I have just posted two great dessert recipes on my website: Crunchy Pistachio Chocolate Truffles, which are exquisite. You can go to the recipe directly by clicking here. And a wonderful, wonderful Dessert Sauce, for over ice cream or my great Flourless Chocolate Cake. You can go directly to it by clicking here. Or you can just visit my full listing of recipes by clicking here. Thursday, February 02, 2006 I have rewritten, revised, retested, and greatly expanded upon my article: Astrological Techniques and Uncertain Birth TimesMonday, January 30, 2006 I don't usually add an extra section to my SoftStar News, but I decided to do so today. I've added a link to my full Mountain Astrologer review of the Huber-oriented program Regulus. You can see the entire issue of the January 2006 issue of SoftStar News by clicking here. Friday, January 27, 2006 The January 2006 Issue of SoftStar News has the full text of the article I wrote for the ISAR journal on "Tools for Astrological Research". I hope you enjoy it. You can read it by clicking here. Friday, November 25, 2005 Happy Thanksgiving! I went overboard in my preparation of the latest issue of SoftStar News. The November 2005 Issue has a First Look at Matrix's New Horizons astromapping software, how to keep your PC's clock accurate -- with a great free utility, a great new free program for both Vedic and Cosmobiology work called Maitreya's Dream, my own Outer Transit Interpretations for you to use, major issues in selecting astrology software, why not to purchase a used or mail-order computer, a compendium of astronomical programs available, new flash demos of astronomical events, and my process in reviewing astrological software. May this SoftStar News bring you many insights. You can read it by clicking here. Wednesday, November 23, 2005 Happy Holidays! My latest chocolate creation is quite appropriate for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. It's a new truffle made with pomegranate concentrate, so it's both sweet and tart and wonderfully fruity too.! You can read the new recipe by clicking here. (Be sure to go to the top of the screen to view all of my other chocolate creations too.) Friday, November 18, 2005 I have just added my latest Vedic astrology tutorial article, entitled "Important Dasas and Bhuktis" about which cycles are the most important and likely to indicate major changes and revolutions in your life. You can read it by clicking here. Monday, September 12, 2005 My revised article -- published in The Mountain Astrologer: Approaching Jyotish: The Differences Between Western & Vedic Astrology is now on my website. You can read it by clicking here. This articles delineates the major differences in both technique and approach between Western Astrology and Jyotish, and is designed to help Western astrologers understand how to approach the Science of Light (Vedic Astrology). My latest issue of SoftStar News is also on my website. Click here to read my full review of Solar Fire Deluxe from The Mountain Astrologer, learn how to get the full version of Jagannatha Hora including its Atlas -- via download. There is also a first look at the great new Nova ChartWheels program, plus links to two wonderful free astronomy programs, and more. Sunday, September 11, 2005 Recently, I developed an exquisite flourless chocolate cake recipe. I call it Flourless Chocolate Cake Supreme. It is both incredibly rich and light, and melts in your mouth. You can find the recipe by clicking here. (Remember you can see all of my gourmet chocolate recipes by going to the top of the same page.) Enjoy! Friday, July 29, 2005 My new essay on The Ascendant: The Most Important Point in the Chart is now finished. You can read it by clicking here. This essay explores both the Western and Vedic understandings about the Ascendant, and is sure to open doors of understanding about the many meanings of the rising sign. Monday, June 06, 2005 I just invented another incredible chocolate truffle recipe! I call it Chocolate Framboise Rose Truffles. The raspberry and rose flavors blend exquisitely, and are well worth the effort! You can find the recipe by clicking here. (Remember you can see all of my gourmet chocolate recipes by going to the top of the same page.) Enjoy! Friday, May 27, 2005 I have decided to teach a new class this Summer in Vedic Astrology. My two talks at the BAVA conference in London were exceptionally well-received, and have inspired me to give this new class on the Art of Vedic Prediction. You can read more about the class by clicking here. Friday, May 20, 2005 My new diet is working! I lost 11 pounds by cutting out rice, potatoes, pizza, pasta, bread, and most desserts for a month, and now am evolving a maintenance diet that includes some desserts. As a result, I am inventing chocolate recipes again. My lastest is an easy-to-make, delicious, and actually healthful Rum - Coconut Milk Chocolate Mousse. You can find the recipe by clicking here. (Remember you can see all of my gourmet chocolate recipes by going to the top of the same page.) Enjoy! Sunday, May 15, 2005 I have just completed a new issue of my astrology software column, SoftStar News, which you can read by clicking here. This newsletter has valuable information about a free powerful astrology program, the importance of keeping your software current, more on Solar Fire Deluxe, free astronomy software, and much more. And I have written a new essay on "Sight and Blindness in Giving Astrology Readings", which you can read by clicking here. Wednesday, April 27, 2005 In response to feedback from one of my website readers, I've changed my beautiful Nakshatra table to a JPEG (graphic) so that the columns line up no matter what computer and monitor you use. You can see the new table by clicking here. Tuesday, April 05, 2005 In response to one of my website readers, I've updated my Yogas Checklist to include a legend at the end of the listing and to fix errors. You can see the new checklist by clicking here. Friday, March 25, 2005 Matrix Software has a new sale on several of its programs. For more information click here. Monday, March 07, 2005 Solar Fire Deluxe, aka Solar Fire 6, is about to be released. I am offering a very special time-limited discount on this great new version. For more information click here. Saturday, February 05, 2005 I have just posted my latest SoftStar News astrology software newsletter, with information on the new Solar Fire Deluxe program, astrology software suites, free astrology books online, and tips and tricks for owners of Kepler software. You can read it by clicking here. Sunday, January 16, 2005 I have just modified my Vedic booklist by adding a book and listing three sources for obtaining the books. You can read it by clicking here. Monday, January 10, 2005 I have just written an important article called The Art of Astrological Prediction which talks about some of my most important insights that I've gained in the past 30+ years as a professional astrologer. You can read it by clicking here. Friday, December 03, 2004 I just added this important piece of information to two of my articles: Important Note: If you are creating charts for newborns living in foreign countries, go to www.timeanddate.com to confirm the correct time zone. According to David Cochrane of Cosmic Patterns, this website is the most accurate source for contemporary time zone information. Thursday, December 02, 2004 I have just completed work on a very extensive issue of SoftStar News. It includes a link to the completely revised Optimal Use of Astrology Software article, an extensive test of your astrology software's electronic atlas, how to protect your PC, a first look at Millennium version 5, a new Tips and Tricks section focusing on AstroDatabank, fresh links for getting free updates to the latest versions of your astrology programs, and much more. You can read it by clicking here. I also added a subset of my Optimal Use of Astrology Software revised article focusing upon What Astrological Techniques become completely unreliable if the birth time is inaccurate, in my December 2004 issue of my Teachings in Western and Vedic Astrology. If you want, you can read the December issue by clicking here. Sunday, November 28, 2004 Finally, for the holidays, I have added a new chocolate recipe, "A Wonderful Chocolate Whipped Cream Fruit Pie for All Seasons." You can read the recipe by clicking here. Just remember that you can see all of the other recipes by going to the top of the same page and using the menus I provide, too. Tuesday, October 19, 2004 I have added my Mountain Astrologer review of the Vedic Astrology program: Jyotish Tools for the Pocket PC. You can read it by clicking here. I have also added my Mountain Astrologer review of Digital Jyotish 1.5. You can read it by clicking here. Monday, September 13, 2004 and Tuesday, September 14, 2004 I have added (and then improved upon) a new paragraph to my new article for my ongoing Western & Vedic tutorials, Finding Synergy, One of the Keys to Chart Interpretation. You can read it by clicking here. Friday, September 10, 2004 Wonderful (Wonderful!) Hot Fudge Sauce -- Revisited. When my Mom and sister came to town, I created a new version of my hot fudge sauce that was truly trancendental! You can read the recipe on my chocolate desserts page by clicking here. Enjoy! Saturday, September 04, 2004 I have written a new article for my ongoing Western & Vedic tutorials, suitable for both Western and Vedic astrologers called Finding Synergy, One of the Keys to Chart Interpretation. You can read it by clicking here. Thursday, July 15, 2004 My Latest Issue of SoftStar News The July issue of SoftStar News is filled with important new information about the latest updates, free software, new programs, and more. You can read it by clicking here. Sunday, July 11, 2004 The Importance of Reality in Learning Astrology You can read my latest astrological essay, The Importance of Reality in Learning Astrology, by Clicking Here. It looks at how to use the charts, and lives, of actual people to test and understand the principles of astrology more fully. Sunday, May 09, 2004 My May Issue of SoftStar News You can read the latest May 2004 issue of SoftStar News by Clicking Here It has my full TMA Kepler 7.0 review, how to get the new free astrology program Harmogram, information about astrology software bugs and planetary stations, tips on using inkjet printers, an essay on my role in astrology software, and more. Wednesday, May 05, 2004 The Moon's Nodes I was asked to give a talk on the Moon's nodes to the San Francisco Astrological Society. Here are three articles and one table that I created for and after the talk. You see them by clicking here. Sunday, March 21, 2004 My Bi-Monthly Columns I decided to revise my article, Ending The War Between the Astrologers in my March "Teachings" newsletter, and added a section showing both a Western and Vedic analysis of Julia Robert's chart. You can read the new version by clicking here. My latest SoftStar News for March includes links to the birth data of famous people, a review of Kepler 7.0, and more. You can read it by clicking here. Sunday, February 22, 2004 The Comfort Keyboard I have explored ergonomic computer keyboards for years, preferring ones where the necessary pressure is not too high, and where my hands can have room between them. Recently, I discovered the Comfort Keyboard, which is by far the best keyboard I've ever used. Click here to see a photo of this keyboard and to learn more. Wednesday, February 04, 2004 New: Lower Prices for Kepler and Win*Star Plus I have decided to sharply reduce the pricing of the latest versions of Kepler and Win*Star Plus to match my unparalleled low price of Solar Fire 5.1. You can now get any of these three programs for $249 each, fully registered with the company, with manuals, etc. and get free U.S. shipping too (or $10 off international shipping fees. To order any of these programs, click here for instructions. Tuesday, January 20, 2004 Introducing My New Course: Vedic Astrology for Western Astrologers I am happy to announce that starting March 28, 2004 for 8 weeks (skipping Easter Sunday) from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, I will be teaching an intensive course introducing Western astrologers to Vedic astrology The course will be held in my home in El Cerrito, CA (near Berkeley), cost $250.00 total, and include many instructional handouts. We will focus on the differences between Western and Vedic astrology, how to apply Vedic techniques both to Western charts and Vedic charts, how to use the powerful Vedic predictive methods, and the unique strengths and insights of the Vedic approach. Class size is very limited, so let me know ASAP if you are interested (you can call me at 510-525-3399 for more information or to sign up). I have also added a new article (using both Western and Vedic astrology) on The Importance of Timing in Compatibility Assessment. You can read it by clicking here. Wednesday, January 07, 2004 I've added two new updates: My latest SoftStar News with very important information about backing up your hard drive, the joys of beta testing astrology software, and more. You can read this issue by clicking here. And I wrote Part One today of my new series on Assessing Compatibility Between Charts, a Western astrological essay on chart comparison. Click here to read it. Sunday, November 23, 2003 I have uploaded my latest SoftStar News for November and December 2003 Read it by clicking here. I have reviewed the exciting new DayWatch calendar program from Matrix, a free software textbook on Hellenistic astrology, a great new Hellenistic astrology program called the Delphic Oracle, and much more. Wednesday, November 12, 2003 I have added two new items to my Vedic tutorial tonight: A Sequence of Steps in Evaluating a Prasna Chart A Graphic Depiction of the Prasna Yogas Both of these are made available for those already familiar with the terminology and methods of Tajika Prasna. Monday, November 10, 2003 I have been very busy writing articles for my classes and a lecture that I gave to the San Francisco Astrological Society, and would like to share all of them with you: For Western astrologers, I'm offering: Pattern Recognition in Astrology and Keys to Chart Synthesis For Vedic astrologers, I've written these articles: The Interpretation of Dasas A Textual Flowchart of the Iyer Method A Graphic Flowchart of the Iyer Method The Lord of the First in Each of the Houses May these articles bring you understanding. Monday, November 03, 2003 I added a new extensive reading list for Vedic astrology. You can see it by clicking here. Thursday, October 16, 2003 Added the new Matrix 26th Anniversary Software sale to my Special Offers and Software Discounts column. I am offering additional discounts on top of this great sale. To see this column, click here. Monday, September 15, 2003 I have uploaded my new September 2003 issue of SoftStar News, with information on the latest version of Kala, an upcoming Matrix program, a free astrological program for the Palm OS, free source code for astrological programming, TheSky Pocket Edition, and more. You can read the new issue by clicking here. Monday, September 08, 2003 I have added a new essay on Ways to Explore a Vedic Chart to my Vedic Tutorials, with a table of Lord of the First House in Various Houses. I have also added a new scruptious Ultimate Chocolate Mini-Muffin recipe to my recipe page. Monday, July 21, 2003 My Latest SoftStar News includes both the full text and the comparison table and figures of my Mountain Astrologer review of Astromapping software that covers all of the features of all of the Western and Vedic programs that have astromapping capabilities. I've added an Introduction to Prasna, complete with two useful tables, based upon a course I just took from my wonderful Vedic teacher, Hart de Fouw, to my Teachings in Western and Vedic Astrology bimonthly column. And I fixed serious formatting bugs in my Learning Vedic Astrology outline, so that it is now readable. Sunday, June 01, 2003 I added a new transcendental chocolate recipe, Chocolate Black Raspberry Jam Truffles, which are truly "out of this World"! You can click here to get to the chocolate recipes. Wednesday, May 21, 2003 I added a new chocolate recipe, Chocolate Apricot Jam Truffles, another summer treat. Yum! You can click here to get to the chocolate recipes. Tuesday, May 20, 2003 I added a new chocolate recipe, Chocolate Raspberry Jam Truffles, just in time for summer. Yum! You can click here to get to the chocolate recipes. Saturday, May 17, 2003 I'm posting my new May '03 issue of SoftStar News, which you can read by clicking here. In it, I explore the newly released AstroDatabank 3, preview the forthcoming Digital Jyotish 1.5, and more. Friday, May 09, 2003 I've just added a short personal essay entitled, "On Being Single: A Personal Reflection". You can read it by clicking here. I've also edited and posted a channeling from 1996 about Opening and Closing, and a Guide Mediation, which you can read by clicking here. Monday, May 05, 2003 Today, I was busy :-) and posted my new May issue of Stellar Insights featuring articles on the Evaluation Yogas, the Types of Yogas, and a Yoga Checklist. You can go directly to the new issue by clicking here. I have also collected all of my Vedic Astrology tutorials onto a single screen entitled, "A Tutorial in Vedic Astrology". You can view it by clicking here. Sunday, May 04, 2003 I've just linked two essays on "The Politics of Astrology" to my tutorial of Western astrology. To see them, click here. I've also improved the formatting of the tutorial to make navigation easier. I have also just added recipes for both Chocolate Coconut Truffles (yum!) and Chocolate Macadamia Nut Truffles: click here for the recipes. Click to Return to 
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