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SoftStar Astrology Software Weblog


"Hank Friedman is the only person on Earth
who understands astrology software better than I do"
Mark McDonough, creator of AstroDatabank.

My "love affair" with astrology software began in 1978, when a grateful client gave me the money for my first microcomputer (as they were then called). Things were so primitive back then that I had to load my first astrology software via cassette tape, and it took several tries to work. But I was totally hooked when I first saw the planetary positions for a birth chart appear on my 9" green computer screen.

Since then, I've watched an almost unbelievable evolution in astrology software. The programs are so powerful that most astrologers will never use half of the features of the best programs, so friendly that even children can run them, and lovely, with beautiful charts and graphics.

During the past 40+ years, I have helped all of the major astrology software firms design and debug their programs, add many new features, and keep the prices down. I've guided thousands of astrologers to the software that best meets their needs, and written a book on astrology software and software reviews in American Astrology, the Mountain Astrologer, and the AFA bulletin.

You can get free astrology software, download free demo versions of professional programs, and read my published reviews and articles to learn more about computer programs for astrology at my web page: The Ultimate Guide to Astrology Software.

Please visit my Learn Astrology Free website, and explore my 160+ free lessons in Western & Vedic Astrology.

And my new ongoing column on Insights in Western and Vedic astrology -- Updated October 10, 2021

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Note: SoftStar Weblog has updates almost every month.

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, January 29, 2024 My new Vedic Tutorial "The Importance of Skew in Astrology", and brand new True Color Photos of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, November 19, 2023 Countries are abandoning Daylight Savings Time and how it affects astrology software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, September 25, 2023 Janus 6 -- a major new upgrade

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, August 2, 2023 Great new free Nakshatra resource

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, July 23, 2023 Your astrology program is miscalculating charts

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, June 25, 2023 Daylight savings in Mexico, Why keep software up-to-date

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, May 25, 2023 Uranus photos, Understanding Nakshatras, the best books on Nakshatras

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, April 15, 2023 Mars Retrograde, Open AI, and Aromatherapy

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, March 1, 2023 The Optimal Use of Astrology Software -- Updated

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, January 21, 2023 An Important ACS atlas update, Astrolabe's free 2023 Hot Degrees and Going Deeper into Retrogrades, How Infant Temperament Extends Its Reach Into Young Adulthood, and a brief tutorial "Understanding Retrogrades"

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, December 15, 2022 Why I no longer have a column in The Mountain Astrologer

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, October 5, 2022 The Magic of Chandra Lagna

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, August 23, 2022 Mini-articles in my Insights column and great photos

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, July 18, 2022 Great astronomy photos, and a new tutorial "Psychology and the 4th House Cusp"

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, June 15, 2022 Asteroids on 13 June 2022

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, June 6, 2022 All about Astrology Software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, June 5, 2022 The End of and Beginning of a New Era

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, May 18, 2022 Never buy a Windows "S mode" computer

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, May 12, 2022 The Upcoming Lunar Eclipse

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Internal and External Aspects

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, April 20, 2022 The Most Transformative Transits

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, March 23, 2022 The Sky for a Year

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, March 20, 2022 My new article: Beyond Contradictions in Astrology

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, March 7, 2022 Back after crash, Astro Gold update, Moon Phases 2022, and more

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, January 19, 2022 The free Windows program every astrologer should have

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, January 2, 2022 The most beautiful photo of a comet ever made!

SoftStar Weblog: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 Temporal Significators -- The True Indicators of Life Themes

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, December 12, 2021 The most detailed photos of the Sun ever created

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, November 18, 2021 Incredible Solar and Planetary Animations

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, November 15, 2021Transcending Reductionism in Astrology: Part Two

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, November 2, 2021 A stunning array of Jupiter photos from the new Juno space mission

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, October 27, 2021 The Top Ten Astrology Programs

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, October 26, 2021 An amazing Jupiter video

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, October 12, 2021 Mars rotating video

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, October 10, 2021 Transcending Reductionism in Astrology: Part One

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, October 4, 2021The new mission to Mercury

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, September 28, 2021 How to import Solar Fire files into Astro Gold for the Mac

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, August 29, 2021 Insights on Partiles, Passion, and Sexual Deviance

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, August 9, 2021 Subscription-based astrology apps

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, August 3, 2021 How to select chart points and aspected points in Solar Fire -- my latest YouTube video

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, July 24, 2021 My Tea and Oud blogs -- Updated!

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, July 21, 2021The Top Ten Astrology Software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, July 14, 2021 Astronomy Guide & Events Calendar 2021-2022 – Best Things to See in the Night Sky

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, June 29, 2021 The Temporal Status of Planets as benefics and malefics

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, June 20, 2021 The actual brightness of the planets

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, June 7, 2021 Looking at Eclipses from Both Sides by Zane B Stein

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, May 21, 2021 Malware surges in Mac computers

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, May 14, 2021 The Second House: Ownership and Self Esteem

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, April 26, 2021 The Transit Oasis -- When Less is More

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, April 19, 2021 The Importance of the Ascendant and Confirming your Ascendant degree

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, March 22, 2021 Predictive Graphs and Time Maps in Astrology Software -- Updated!

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, February 23, 2021 Stunning Space Photographs

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, February 12, 2021 Astrolabe's Hot Degrees and Retrogrades 2021

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, February 1, 2021 My new ongoing column:
Insights in Western and Vedic astrology

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, January 31, 2021 Wrong time zone in TimeCycles IO software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, January 17, 2021 A Journey into Vedic Astrology -- my latest tutorial

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, January 15, 2021 A New Course in Vedic Astrology

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, January 11, 2021 Moon Phases in 2021

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, December 28, 2020 My review of Jyotish Studio 4

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, December 18, 2020 Wonderful Planetary Images

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, November 20, 2020 The best animated view of Mars rotating

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, November 15, 2020 New Vedic articles on prediction

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, November 10, 2020 You can't run your Windows astrology programs on the new M1 Macs

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, November 2, 2020 The Importance of Placement in understanding Jyotish

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, October 27, 2020 Don't Buy a Microsoft Surface Pro X

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, October 11, 2020 Astro Gold 5 for the Mac has been released

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, September 27, 2020 The Synodic Month

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, September 22, 2020 Life on Venus, Part 2 and the Equinox

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Life on Venus

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, September 13, 2020 My article, "Keys to Chart Synthesis" revised

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, September 6, 2020 Updated : my Free Astrology Software page

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, August 2, 2020 Astrology Calendars in Western and Vedic astrology software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, July 30, 2020 A great free KP astrology program and a complete Jyotish book

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, July 24, 2020 My Mountain Astrologer review of Parashara's Light 9

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, July 19, 2020 Stunning astronomy videos of Moon and of Mars in rotation

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, July 16, 2020 Jyotish articles from Jyotisha Bharati

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, July 12, 2020 Over 100 new minor planets beyond Neptune discovered

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, July 11, 2020 New Update to ACS Atlas

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, June 27, 2020 Websites and email working again, a video of the Sun's changes over a decade, and tips for astrology software owners

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, June 8, 2020 Astrobackup for Solar Fire, Astrolog 7.0, and How to Approach Oud/Agarwood oil

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, May 20, 2020 The Solar System and Beyond Poster Set

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, May 10, 2020 Updated two articles: Ending the War between the Astrologers and Astrological Techniques and Uncertain Birth Times

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, May 2, 2020 A Gigantic Magnetic Bubble around Uranus

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, April 25, 2020 My new tutorial: The Meaning of the Modes in astrology

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, April 15, 2020 My Shelter-in-place Astrology Software Sale

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, April 5, 2020 Levels of Analysis -- How to approach a Vedic chart

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, April 1, 2020 Using GC/MS to determine the quality of essential oils

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, March 12, 2020 Interactions between the birth chart and other influences -- Part One

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, February 25, 2020 A Potpourri of Interesting Links and Information

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, February 9, 2020 About Lunar Eclipses

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, January 20, 2020 Astrological Calendars -- my upcoming The Mountain Astrologer article

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, January 17, 2020 A Lovely Photo of the Moon's Phases

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, January 10, 2020 Astrolabe's 2020 Hot Degrees and Retrograde Shadows

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, December 28, 2019 Dasa Interpretation -- revised

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, December 17, 2019 The New Janus 5.3 Update

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, December 13, 2019 Hype and Astrology Software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, November 8, 2019 Mercury transits the Sun

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, November 3, 2019 An incredible video tour of Pluto

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, October 21, 2019 The Optimal Use of Astrology Software -- revised

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, October 6, 2019 A visual guide to the NOT planets

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, October 1, 2019 8 Reasons why Pluto should have planet status

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, September 23, 2019 The Quick Guide to Finding the Best Astrology Program

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, September 16, 2019 Keeping Jyotish Pure

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, September 13, 2019 Saturn and its Moons in Orbit

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, September 11, 2019 Where to get Vedic Astrology Books

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, September 11, 2019 A Tale of Two Skies

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, September 10, 2019 How Pluto truly looks

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, September 10, 2019 IO Edition Astrologers: Don't Update your Mac to Catalina?

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, September 2, 2019 Astro Gold for the Mac

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, September 2, 2019 The End of the IO Software

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, August 8, 2019 Stunning new video of Jupiter rotating

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, July 14, 2019 What is the right Zodiac to use for astrological work?

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Tuesday, June 25, 2019 Greatly improved search engines for my websites

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, June 24, 2019 The Analemma at Sunset

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Thursday, June 20, 2019 A lovely Solar System model for your desk top

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, June 10, 2019 The fastest growing astrology program

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, May 20, 2019 A NASA video of The Tilts and Spins of the Planets

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, May 5, 2019 NASA's Mercury in Depth

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, April 17, 2019 My latest tutorial: The Importance of an Accurate Birth Time

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Friday, April 12, 2019 Improved tutorials and Learn Astrology Free website

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, April 10, 2019 My Top 7 Astrology Programs article -- Updated!

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, March 20, 2019 An amazing video: Earth's motion around the Sun, not as simple as I thought

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, March 17, 2019 Infographic: Astronomy Highlights Spring 2019

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, February 16, 2019 My newest tutorial: The Most Important Transits and Dashas

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Wednesday, February 6, 2019 A Lovely Jupiter Flyby

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, January 21, 2019 What Planets Are Visible Tonight? -- 2019 Astronomer’s Guide to the Night Sky

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Saturday, January 19, 2019 Tonight's Supermoon Eclipse

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Monday, January 14, 2019 The new changes and enhancements in Janus 5.1

SoftStar Weblog: Updated Sunday, January 13, 2019 Everything in a chart influences each planet's expression, a new tutorial.


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