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I have just looked at the new Win*Star Express program, designed for beginning astrologers. It is much easier than the standard Win*Star to use for creating bi-, tri-, and quad-wheels both onscreen and printed out (however, unlike Win*Star, the number of choices of wheel styles is limited to just four types). It is also easy to print reports; load, print, and save charts; swap charts in bi-wheels, or switch to heliocentric positions. You can enter new charts, using a built-in electronic time change atlas to automatically enter the correct longitude, latitude, time zone, and time change for you for 7800 cities, and view an ever-updating astro-clock of the present positions and an interaspect listing between any two charts. You can also look at a variety of data tables for each chart, such as natal positions, aspect sortings, elemental balances, rulerships, dignities, Lilly strengths, and more. Novices will definitely enjoy the point-click-hold feature of Express. You can point to a planet in a wheel or bi-wheel -- or a transit or progressed event in the TimeScan -- and get an immediate pop-up interpretation! Express interprets natal planets by house, sign, and aspect, progressed and transiting planets by house, and progressed and transiting aspects. Perhaps one of the nicest features is the new Time Scans, which can scan short periods from 3 days to long periods of up to 20 years, showing different transiting, progressed, and directed to natal aspects depending upon the length of the scan. For scans of a few days, the aspects made by the transiting Moon are shown; while for the lengthy several year scans, transiting outer planet conjunctions (Saturn thru Pluto) to natal points, as well as all of the ptolemaic Progressed and Directed to natal aspects are shown). The display is quite beautifully colored, and simple to use, but the scans only show exact hits, no entering or leaving dates, and you can only print out one screenful at a time, not a complete scan. While Win*Star Express (priced at $99.95) doesn't have most of the more powerful features of Win*Star Plus (and other professional programs) have like astro-mapping, entering and leaving orbs for transits and progressions, etc., those who keep growing in their astrological needs can upgrade to Win*Star Plus within six months and get full credit from their purchase of Win*Star Express. A new version of Shri Muhurta (now priced at $250) has just been released by GeoVision Software. I just received it and will review it here soon. The program helps you select the best date(s) to begin activities -- like starting a business or going on a trip -- by analyzing time periods using Vedic methods, to find the best dates and times for the activity. Neat Stuff I have just reviewed TimePassages by AstroGraph Software for American Astrology, ($199 for the program complete with the full ACS U.S. and World Electronic Atlases for PCs, $235 complete for the Macintosh). I was amazed at the extensiveness of the point-and-click interpretations, the incredible excellence of the add-on ($119) synastry interpretation module, and the well-designed animation feature (so you can watch transits move around a natal chart). TimePassages is an excellent program for both beginning and intermediate-level astrologers, because it includes the ability to calculate Solar and Lunar returns, transit hit lists (with entering and leaving orbs), and composite, Solar Arc, and progressed charts; as well as detailed delineations of natal planets, houses, and aspects, and transits to natal points . You can explore the program at by reading my review TimePassages, and can purchase the program through me at a discount. My article in the latest issue of The Mountain Astrologer, "The Optimal Use of Astrology Software", has been published, and I've received dozens of calls & emails praising it. Because it points out important design flaws and ongoing bugs in astrology software, and allows everyone to test their programs and atlases for accuracy, it should be read by every astrologer who uses software for their work. Please read it. Important Notes SoftStar News is still in its infancy, and is not yet reaching many astrologers. Please send this page to your astrological friends, or tell them about it. Thanks. Discounts on Software When you purchase astrology software through me, you will get: 1. My free expert guidance in choosing the right program. 2. The best pricing distributors are allowed to offer. 3. Free U.S. shipping, unless prohibited by the manufacturer, and for some programs, free Priority shipping. 4. Additional benefits. E.g. I offer a very inexpensive excellent transit report for purchasers of Kepler & Sirius, over 60 free beautiful extra artistic wheels for Solar Fire Gold, etc. 5. You are supporting my website, allowing me to continue posting astrology tutorials, software reviews, and much more. 6. Your software is fully registered to you and shipped to you directly from the manufacturer, with their full customer support as well as mine. To go to my secure astrology software order form, click here. You can support SoftStar News by: Telling others about our website. Sending us your insights and feedback on astrology software, Alerting us to new programs and astrological resources, Linking your website to ours, and by purchasing your astrological software through this site. Click to Return to 
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