Important Note: Astrology House as released a new version of Janus with an incredible number of new features and enhancements.
You can learn about the new Janus 5 here and purchase it here .
Janus 4.3
The authors of Janus are continually at work improving their flagship program Janus, and the latest update (which is free for owners of Janus 4.0 and above) adds many useful features.
Among them are the ability to create a bitmap of any chart and copy it to the clipboard or save it to a file, so that you can easily paste or import the image into your word processor, paint program, etc. You can control the wheel size, what's placed in the center of the wheel (aspects, birth data, or nothing), choose from a large selection of wheel styles and colors, and more. See this example:
For those wanting more calculation features, an important and major addition is a complete Primary Directions module with many choices of methods (Ptolemy, Naibod, Kepler, Placidus or Regiomontanus, direct or converse, choices of Promittor), and much more. For those just starting out with Primary Directions, the program offers a very detailed help section.
For Hellenistic astrologers, version 4.3 adds the ability to define and edit Lilly term rulers, and includes 50 more fixed stars.
One can now cast Progressed Solar and Lunar Return charts, Progressed Lunar Phase charts, and Precessed Tropical Returns.
One can now add interpretations to the transit report for planetary stations, Solar and Lunar Eclipses, and New and Full Moons.
And it is easier to find places in the atlas with the new find city option.
It is great that Janus continues to become more and more powerful.
My Publshed Review of Janus 4.1 from The Mountain Astrologer
Janus 4.1
By Mark Griffin, Hamish Saunders, and Angela Thomas
for Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista
Janus 4.1 was released in 2008, and runs on Windows PCs and on Intel-based Macintosh computers running Windows. I last reviewed Janus 3.0 in February 2002 in the Mercury Direct section of The Mountain Astrologer. The new update is greatly enhanced, and now uses the Swiss Ephemeris for increased accuracy of calculations.
Since Janus conforms well to the Windows Graphical User Interface conventions, it is easy to open several different modules and arrange them on your screen to your preference. For example, you can resize and position one or more wheels on the screen and an astromap and a graphic ephemeris, viewing them all at the same time. Janus also remembers the size and placement of the windows for every module, so that the next time you open them, they will reappear just as they were.
Most of Janus' features have been improved, and there are several completely new ones. For example, added to version 4 is a Chart Search feature that enables users to find charts on file which have planets, angles, other points, or midpoints in specific signs, houses, aspects (to other points), midpoints, or formula, as well as search chart notes for keywords, with the ability to combine searches with AND & OR. E.g. Find charts with the Sun in Aries, and Ceres at the Moon/Mercury midpoint. You can also save search criteria to review or use again later.
You can now see two charts (or dials, or biwheels) side-by-side, and view biwheels (and bidials) with aspect lines between the planets in both rings, even during biwheel animation. Separating aspect lines can be shown as dashed lines (in order to distinguish them from applying aspect lines). Janus can also give emphasis to strong aspects by placing a box around the aspect glyph when the aspect is within 1 degree or a user-specified percentage of its orb. (Janus can also animate single wheels and dials with the same aspect line features.)
Perhaps the most profound enhancement in the new version occurs in the astromapping module. The maps are of much higher resolution than before, you can zoom in to a much greater degree, you can see map lines for aspects (and at the same time as midpoint lines), can animate the map with Cyclo*Carto*Graphy ® or other settings, show multiple Solar Eclipse paths, display Geodetic signatures, use astromapping techniques for rectification (by watching the map while the birth time is shifted forward or backwards), add cities, regions, and countries to maps, and easily reposition maps on the screen. The "planets" used to generate lines can include the standard planets, the four major asteroids and comet Chiron, six angles, the Trans-Neptunians, and twelve additional points (including the Part of Fortune, Moon's nodes, Black Moon, etc.)
For those who want their software to interpret astrological charts and maps, Janus 4.1 has several major and minor additions. Foremost is the incredibly extensive new astromapping report. It interprets a huge number of factors (all of which can be turned on or off) including planets on angles, aspects on angles, planetary midpoints on angles, stars on angles, local space lines, aspects to local space lines, midpoints to local space lines, stars to local space lines, planets in relocated houses, relocated angles, and three sets of Parans (planet + planet, planet + star, and star + star) and three sets of Destiny crossings (where Paran lines cross Astro*Carto*Graphy planet lines). This is an incredibly powerful and valuable feature!
There are added interpretations for midpoints in both natal and compatibility reports, and also synastry delineations for one person's planets in the other person's houses, as well interpretations of the interaction of the predominate mode and predominate element between both people's charts. In the transit module there are interpretations for transit-to-transit, progression and directed to natal, and transiting midpoints.
The predictive capabilities of Janus were furthered in this edition by the extra predictive searches for Supermoons, Transits to Directions & Progressions, and Declination events such as out-of-bounds and zero declination events, as well as Parallels and Contra-Parallels. You can now double-click on the date of any event in the transit list to immediately see a chart for that date and time. It is also possible to merge several different searches, and to select a specific aspect file for each transiting, progressed, and/or directed planet. This is a very useful capability!
There is also a new graphical depiction of predictive events called the Time Line. This shows all of the chosen events along a time axis. While it doesn't show the dates or times when events enter orb, reach exactness, or leave orb, its depiction of sign and house ingresses is well-done. (It also includes events that started before the search period but don't complete during the period.)
One can map Solar eclipses in a couple of ways, either one at a time, showing the Solar Eclipse path with both totality and degree of partial eclipse visibility shown, or one can choose to map multiple eclipses, in which case the paths of totality for up to the eight of the most recent Solar eclipses are shown on the map.
For those who regularly work with asteroids, version 4 has very powerful features. For 1000+ asteroids you can see their positions, velocity, and house placement, aspects and angular separations between them, midpoints and midpoint trees, and half sums and many formulae (to a specific asteroid or using the whole set).
It is very hard to find astrology software that calculates tables of houses (and such tables are hard to find online, too) but Janus does so very well. You can choose from 18 house systems and create a listing for a specific date or a table for any portion of (or a whole) day, for any range of latitudes, and for any year.
Another feature that will really come in handy on occasion is Calculate Chart Origin. Here you enter the Zodiacal position (degrees, minutes, seconds) of all of the planets and the Ascendant and MC, and select a date range, and Janus finds the date and time and place for the data entered. If you ever run across a chart without a date or birth place written on it, this module will prove very useful.
While looking at a single, bi-, tri- or quad-wheel, you can now see data listings to the right of the wheel display. The choices of data lists include house positions and planet positions (to the nearest second of arc), house cusps (to the nearest second of arc), planet to planet aspects with orbs, planet to house cusps aspects with orbs (within one chart or between charts), midpoint trees (within one chart or between charts), one chart's planets in the other chart's houses, and also for single charts: antiscia points, contrantiscia points, conjunctions to antiscia and contrantiscia, and a large variety of formula (e.g. A + B - C).
Janus has a well-earned reputation for its outstanding Medieval and Ancient Greek astrological functions in its Medieval, Horary, and Electional modules. All three of these now have Temperament analysis and an Aspect Perfection list. Additionally, the Medieval module has profections by date and directions by terms; and both the Horary and Electional modules have the choice of modern or traditional Void-of-Course Moon calculation, as well as Arabic Parts sorted by description, longitude or house. In addition, the Electional module allows you to drag & drop the Ascendant, MC, Sun or Moon to any zodiacal position, after which it immediately draws the chart for the moment when the point reaches that position; it also shows the Moon's Lunar Mansion in its Results table.
Other innovations include the ability to create an Octoscope (chart based upon an eight house method) and progressed Solar Returns, a facility to generate multiple ingress and return charts, the ability to move Graphic Ephemeride forward or backward in time, and the ability to add and edit additional aspects.
Janus 4.1 is a major update which enhances the power of the software considerably. The program now has many features not found anywhere else, and a truly great astromapping module. For both traditional and modern astrologers, Janus is an amazing value and a very worthwhile program.
A First Look at Janus 4.0
Janus 4.0 now uses the Swiss Ephemeris in all of its calculations, for greatly increased accuracy. Among the major enhancements are:
1. An incredibly powerful astromapping module. The new Astromapping module is the magnum opus -- most important enhancement -- to Janus. I am continually amazed that companies can add capabilities not found elsewhere, and the Astromapping feature of Janus 4 is both outstanding and innovative.
Janus 4 can create high resolution maps that show Astro*Carto*Graphy lines (including aspect and midpoint lines), Local Space planetary, aspect, and midpoint lines (Wow!), Great Circles, Geodetic Signatures and more. You can choose any or all of the planets plus (optionally) the four major asteroids and the comet Chiron, the trans-Neptunian points, the Moon's nodes, Part of Fortune, and many additional points. You can select maps for a large number of countries, U.S. states, and continents, as well as map of single or multiple Solar Eclipses on a single map, and use the "rectifiy chart" mapping tool to change the birth time forward or backward by any increment and watch map changes. You can zoom in on map locations with a single mouse click, and creating relocated charts for any place on map is effortless.
In addition to creating regular static maps from birth charts, the program maps progressed and directed charts, and can do Cyclo*Carto*Graphy and other dynamic mapping methods, at user-specified animation rates. In this feature, as well as many others, the program provides many options for the user to choose from.
Janus' astromapping can also create one of the most extensive relocation reports I've ever seen, including interpretations for ACG and Local Space lines, aspect lines, midpoint lines, relocated angles, ACG and Local Space fixed star lines , and parans and destiny crossings (optionally including planet-star and star-star parans). Reports can be copied to your word processor, and they label each influence with the all-important indication of the its relative strength.
Janus 4's astromapping is a wonderful and powerful addition to the capabilities of Janus.
2. Many Wheel and Dial Styles. Janus 4 offers uses over 100 choices of chart wheel and dial styles, including wheels with colorful zodiacal bands, dials for differing moduli, and wheels where aspect lines are emphasized. Astrologers will enjoy the new range of choices provided here.
3. More Powerful Dynamic Searches. Astrologers can now include in their transit and progressed searches Out of Bounds planets, planets at Zero Declination, many types of Parallels and ContraParallels. the Super Moon, a variety of ingresses, and much more. Janus 4 also can create a more graphical Time Line of predictive events, and show a biwheel of any event around a natal chart, or a single wheel if the user has selected transit to transit hits only, or a tri-wheel if calculating, for example, a transit hit to a progressed position..
4. Chart Searches. You can now search chart files for planets or midpoints in specific signs or houses, planets at specific midpoints, planetary aspects in any harmonic and with any orb, for planets at particular "lots" (e.g. the Sun at the point which equals the Moon plus Mars minus Saturn), for specific keywords in chart notes, and for up to 5 criteria at once, and save search criteria for future use.
5. Aspect Perfection Sequence in Horary, Electional and Medieval modules. For traditional astrologers who use Profections, this tool provides the dates that specific planetary aspects profect. Janus 4 has also added other traditional tools.
6. Midpoint Interpretations. Midpoints are now interpreted throughout Janus, in natal, transit, synastry, and relocation reports.
7Table of Houses Generator. An astrologer recently asked me which programs generated tables of houses. After much research, my answer was "none". Now Janus 4 will create tables of houses for any of 18 different house systems, for any year, for any range of latitudes or for any specific latitude. This is a great resource.
Other additions to Janus 4 include the ability to move forward and backwards in time while viewing the Graphic Ephemeris, western Sidereal techniques, the ability to retain charts from one session to the next, and more.
Janus 4 shines brightly with its important enhancements, especially the great and powerful astromapping module. Janus now offers a complete suite of interpretive reports and a wide range of astrological techniques.
Janus 3.0
By Mark Griffin, Hamish Saunders, and Angela Thomas for Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP
Janus states a calculation range of 7299 BC to 12299 AD for the planets, and the asteroids and Chiron can be calculated from 1487 AD to 2102 AD.
With the release of version 3.0, Janus has become a powerful astrology software program. It includes access to the full ACS atlas data for over 250,000 cities, and has more interpretive text than most top-of-the-line programs. Janus 3.0 is pretty stable, and remarkably easy to use. While the listed computer system requirements are minimal (32 megabytes of RAM, a CD-ROM drive, 150 MB of hard disk space, and Windows 95, 98, 2000, or ME), you’ll be much happier using the program, especially if you want to generate interpretive transit reports, if you have a more powerful computer (500 megahertz or higher Pentium III and 128 megabytes of RAM).
Janus 3.0 has all of the standard capabilities of most professional programs including single, bi-, tri-, and quad- wheels; natal, return, progressed, composite, Davison, coalescent, relocated, and harmonic charts; a synastry grid; lists of natal aspects (including true body aspects), interaspects, Arabic Parts, fixed stars and aspects to fixed stars (with interpretations of the fixed stars at hand), rising/MC/IC/setting times, midpoints, and complete transit/progressed/directed hit lists including stations, eclipses, entering and leaving times, lunar phases, and ingresses. Janus 3.0 can import files from Janus 2.0, Quick*Charts, Solar Fire (via Quick*Charts), AstroDatabank, and AstroCalc formats and can export files to the Quick*Charts and Janus formats. Janus can calculate planets for a period from 7299 BC to 12299 AD, and for the asteroids and Chiron from 1487 AD to 2102 AD.
Janus has a few weaknesses: There are no inter-aspect lines in bi-wheels; there is no transit/progressed time graph, no research functions, no interpretation for synastry, the texts used for interpreting progressions are the same texts used for interpreting transits, and over half of the computer’s system resources are used when you run the Page Designer -- don’t try to use it with other programs open.
While Janus does not come with a manual, its help screens are completely context-sensitive (which means that when you click on help at any point in the program, you get the precise help you need for the function you’re working with), exceptionally well detailed, and can to help you not only learn how to use the program, but also how to use many of the astrological techniques. The program also thoughtfully provides detailed bibliographies for most techniques. You can also pop up a screen that shows all of the glyphs used in Janus, for planets, points, signs, angles, aspects, etc.
In addition to progressed/directed/transit hit lists, Janus offers many additional predictive tools. The dynamic quad-wheel shows the transiting, progressed, directed, and natal positions concentrically. You can easily relocate the chart, or change the progression or direction method or house system, or switch to a quad-dial, and you can either step forward or backwards in time or have the wheels shift automatically. This tool can be used for watching the impact of present cycles (especially conjunctions). The Advanced Rectification tool is almost identical to the dynamic quad-wheel, except that you can shift the birth time forward or backwards by any time increment very easily to see changes in the four wheels. See Figure Two (Dynamic Quad-Wheel -- file name janusquad.jpg)
There are three types of Graphic Ephemeride in Janus: the standard longitude graph, a Uranian graph that includes TransNeptunians and optionally midpoints and formulae, and a declination graph. In all three, in addition to graphing planets, you can display lunar phases, ingresses by house and sign, and eclipses, and use converse, precessed, and relocated positions. These are nice touches. The Cycles function allows you to see planetary aspects (e.g. Saturn square Saturn) and planetary returns quickly and easily for any time period. You can also see recurrences of midpoint patterns, e.g. when the Sun/Uranus midpoint aspects itself. Janus also enables you to quickly see listings of Primary Directions, using Actual , Mean, or Birthday Solar Arcs, or the Degree for a Year arc methods.
The Wheel Designer and the Page Designer in Janus are amazingly easy to use. I was able to design wheels and pages without even consulting the help screens. While the process of designing your own wheels and pages may be time-consuming, even computer novices will be able to use these features effectively. Both modules are operated by the same methods, so if you learn to use one, you’ll be able to use the other.
Janus’ Print Chart selection is wonderful. You can see an alphabetical list of all of the pages included with Janus (and those that you’ve created) and view large previews of each page. You can select different charts (up to ten at one time) for multi-chart pages, e.g. using different people’s charts and/or dynamic charts like returns, composites, etc. that you’ve calculated. You can change the aspect set, turn on or off aspect lines and symbols, and even apply an orb percentage to the lines, which means that you can precisely control what aspects are drawn (i.e. you can tighten the orbs and only show exact aspects, use the full orbs, or any increment in between). This is the most functional page printing module I have seen in any software. See Figure One (Janus Print Chart -- file name janusprintwheel.jpg)
Janus offers several special advantages. Among these are a full natal interpretation report and a full transit interpretation report. Both may be edited with your word processor and sold commercially. The comprehensive natal text is comparable to commercially sold natal report software, and includes delineations for planets by sign, house & aspect, for elements & modes, and for natal house rulers by house & sign. Here’s a sample:
Your Saturn is in the First House:
You have a serious personal manner, and can come across to others as cool and reserved. Generally, you don't speak or act without good reason or intention. You are naturally prudent and careful with good self-control and self-discipline. Your early life may have been difficult, with hardships or limitations to overcome. Yet, you have the power to achieve positions of prominence and responsibility in life, through sheer hard work and perseverance. At times, you can be too serious and given to bouts of discontent and gloominess. You tend not to suffer fools.
The program’s interpretive transit reports are also well-written. They include transiting planets by aspect & house, and transits to the midpoint of the Sun & Moon and the Ascendant & Midheaven. Here’s a sample that has the wisdom to take into account different results for different temperaments:
Before Sep 1 2001 - December 31, 2001, strongest around September 23, 2001 and December 5, 2001, Transiting Uranus is Sesquiquadrate your Radix Mars
This can be a difficult transit because it has the potential for explosive and volatile emotional or physical reactions, either by you or others. However, the types of experiences it can bring depend, to great extent, on the sort of personality that you are. If you are an essentially calm and composed person, you will probably only go through periods of becoming irritated and impatient with others, but not to such a degree that you're likely to blow your stack or "lose it". However, if you have a reputation for reactionary and aggressive behavior, you are more likely to experience the dramatic potentialities of this combination, which can include altercations, physical attacks or even accidents. If you misuse this energy, you run the risk of causing mishap or injury to either yourself or others. When all is said and done, the best way to counteract the destructive side of this combination is to be as circumspect as you can and to slow down when you feel yourself getting worked up or angry. In special circumstances, this transit can signify a need for surgery, but other factors need to be present to support such an event.
There are also delineations -- in a report that applies to all charts -- for all of the astro-locality lines, i.e. rising, setting, culminating, and anti-culminating for each of the planets and crossings. You can also see interpretations of 1individual fixed stars in the Sky Map module.
If you are motivated to create your own reports, Janus provides the framework (but no texts) for adding your own interpretations for natal Sabian (degree) symbols, synastry and composite aspects, synastry midpoints, and synastry and composite planets in houses.
Janus has truly excellent and well-organized Horary features. On its main Horary screen, you can view the chart and an excellent 30 degree horizontal dial of positions, as well as a wide range of options. With the greatest ease, you can Turn the chart to place any house in the first house position. Janus thoughtfully even provides significations for each house to help you make your selection. You can just as easily change the chart displayed, or the date, time, or location, see the Horary considerations or results, pop up an extensive Dignities table, or change the program’s Horary parameters (e.g. display only applying aspects, change the moiety for each planet, select Triplicity, Term, and Decan rulers; and much more.)
On the Horary Considerations screen, Janus examines the horary chart and displays all of the relevant considerations for you. This is an excellent tool.On the Horary Results screen, you can view the planetary day and hour, Moon phase, final dispositor, the aspects with their orbs and applying/separating tags for the horary chart, lunar aspects before and after the time of the chart, and 1 degree orb aspects to Fixed Stars and Arabian Parts. Its Electional screen follows the same format, but adds a dignities graph which shows – for each planet – the changes in their Lilly scores throughout the day.
Janus offers astrologers using Medieval techniques a Traditional Wheel display. This screen shows a large square chart, and can pop up a Results window showing an analysis of important chart features (such as the planetary day and hour, final dispositor, moon phase, void of course Moon, the Hyleg, what planets are in hayz, and more) as well as 120 year Firdaria tables, mutual receptions (by ruler, exaltation, triplicity, term, and face), seven Arabic Parts, strong aspects, and house and chart almutems. You can also pop up a Dignities window, showing all of the essential dignities, and also profect the chart. These functions will be of great value to those studying this branch of astrology. See Figure Three (Traditional Wheel display -- filename janustrad.jpg)
While I am not versed in Cosmobiology, it is clear that Janus’ functions in this area are outstanding. The Cosmobiology screen shows a tri-wheel with the transits in the outer wheel, Solar Arcs in the middle wheel, and the natal positions in the inner wheel. One can shift the time and date forward, for all of the wheels simultaneously, from the birth date to any age just by using a slider bar. This is an incredibly easy to use tool. Clicking on any position in the circle shows both a visible midpoint tree and a midpoint table, and you can just as simply pop up windows showing exact planetary positions for all three wheels, harmonic positions, half sums, and sums to sensitive points; as well as view both Solar Arc and Trends listings (both coverings and indirect half distances) for any date range. You can also animate the tri-wheel – so that it shifts forward or backwards in time automatically before your eyes – to see patterns unfold. See Figure Four (The Cosmogram -- file name januscosmo.jpg)
Cosmobiologists and others will also relish the List Midpoints screen, which offers displays of midpoint trees and a variety of sorted midpoint lists, including half sum A/B aspecting half sum C/D, and allows you to easily change the modulus, orb, and coordinate system (from a wide range including Ecliptic, Equatorial, Horizon, Prime Vertical, Rationalized Semi-Arc, Galactic Longitude, and the Invariable Plane). You can also view individual chart wheels and dials from any of these coordinate systems. Uranian astrologers can view 22 dials, which can be re-sized and printed, and midpoints can be added to dials.
The Sky Map module allows you to view the celestial sphere, like a planetarium, Tropically or Sidereally, in ecliptical, equatorial, or horizon coordinates. You can customize the screen to show constellation names and boundaries, a coordinate grid (showing celestial longitude and latitude), stars and star names, zodiac signs, and more. You can animate the display one step at a time (forward or backwards) or in an automated manner, and even select an individual planet to track over time. See Figure Five (The Sky Map -- file name janussky.jpg)
Finally, Janus has several separate mapping modules. You can view Astro*Carto*Graphy rising and culminating lines, or local space lines, or eclipse lines. You cannot, however, combine these methods on one map. You can zoom in on any area, copy any map to the clipboard (to paste into another document),and measure the distance between any two points. In the Astro*Carto*Graphy map, you can click on any planet line and see a well-written interpretation of the line, and look at a list of parans and see interpretations for any paran.
Janus is an amazingly comprehensive and accurate astrology program that will meet the needs of most astrologers, and especially those using Medieval, Horary, and Uranian techniques. It is filled with thoughtful touches, it’s the easiest to use of all of the top professional astrology programs, has great page & chart wheel design functions, and includes more interpretive text than any other program.
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