Date:          Tue, 21 Apr 1998 10:12:43 -0400

The following is a short overview condensed from over twenty years
of research, by one astrological researcher.  

                     The Personal Sensitive Points

The Personal Sensitive Points (PSPs) are ONE of the SEVEN traditional
parts, or tools, of astrology.  These seven parts are named the: planets,
signs, houses, aspects (or harmonics), the Personal Sensitive Points, fixed
stars, and long precessional cycles.

The PSPs derive from the astronomy of the quality of TIME around an event.
The PSPs are time sensitive.  The accuracy of the time used when erecting a
chart is important in determining the accuracy of the PSP locations for that
chart.  That is, every chart which uses an accurate time gives accurate PSP
information.  Charts with questionable times could show less accurate PSP
positions.

There are eight (8) PSPs.  They are each paired points.  That is, they are
NOT one location in the horoscope, but they lie across a chart axis as a
PAIR of points.  It is important to think of them as a paired set of points.

The pairs should NOT be separated when working with most astrological
delineations.  One common exception to this is the use of the Moon's Node in
esoteric astrology.  Otherwise, for example, when delineating meanings for
the Ascendant this automatically also includes the Descendant; the MC and
the IC are a delineation set; etc.
 

Primary Name             (abbrev.)              Paired Name                  (abbrev.)

Ascendant                  (ASC, AS, A)        Descendant                     (DSC)
Midheaven                 (MC, MC,  M)    Lower Heaven                    (IC)
Equatorial Asc           (EQA, EQ)           Equatorial Descendant    (EQD)
Vertex                       (VTX, VT)        Anti-Vertex                          (AVX)
Co-Ascendant            (CAS, CA)       Co-Descendant                    (CDS)
Polar Ascendant        (PAS, PA)       Polar Descendant                  (PDS) 
The Aries Point         (APT, AP)       The Libra Point                     (LIB)

The Node of the Moon can be logically included with these personal
sensitive points and its name, symbolic abbreviation and its opposing point
is:
      North Node     (NN)            South Node     (SN)

I recommend use of the Moon's True Node, not the Moon's Mean Node.  Some
computer programs incorrectly call the Equatorial Ascendant 'the East
Point.'  Astronomically, the East Point is the east point on the horizon,
and NOT the Equatorial Ascendant which astrologers use.  The correct name
for the astrological point is 'the Equatorial Ascendant.'  Please ask your
computer prgrammer to correct any erroneous labels in his / her programs.
 

Each of the PSPs contains information about parts of the human mind.  This
is VERY important to understand.  The human mind is NOT one thing.  It has
parts to it.  There is a forefront of the mind, there is a back of the mind,
there is a part of the mind which receives non-sensory information, etc. 
The PSPs deal with the structure of how you receive, process, distribute,
and then give back information through your five normal senses as well as
your ESP senses.

The planets, signs, etc., introduce earthly attributes and traits, but the
PSPs represent our personal interpretation of these qualities and traits.
E.g., Venus astrologically represents love, money, etc., but greed and
jealousy are shown through the Venus associated PSP.  Mercury represents how
you communicate, or process and classify information, but the Mercury
associated PSP deals with how that information is treated by the mind.

The Yang and Yin pairings show extremes of contrast within each PSP.
 

PSP Pair Name    Planet Ruler       Yang idea             Yin idea

Ascendant        Mercury       everyday attitudes     narrow mental focus
Midheaven        Saturn        growth, maturity       a lack of discipline
Equatorial Asc.  Moon          inner archetypes       no role models Vertex 
Venus         wish fulfillment       greed, jealousy Co-Ascendant  
Mars          ESP awareness          self-centeredness Polar Ascendant 
Jupiter       community ideals       bending of rules Aries Point      
Sun         seizing opportunity    irresponsibility 
Moon's Node      (none)     affiliation, joining   unsettled issues
 

Here is how to hand calculate the PSPs:

   LST = Local Sidereal Time on the Midheaven (MC)
   LIT = Local Sidereal Time on the Lower Heaven (IC)
         LIT = LST + or - 12 hours
   LAT = Terrestrial Geographic Latitude (LAT)
   CLT = Co-Latitude = 90 degrees minus LAT
 

Name of point     Use          Use       Look up in Table of Houses
ASC               LST          LAT          Ascendant Column
MC                LST                       MC Position / Notation
EQA               LST       0 degrees       Ascendant Column
VTX               LIT          CLT          Ascendant Column
CAS               LST          CLT          Ascendant Column
PAS               LIT          LAT          Ascendant Column
APT               - -          - -          Use: Zero Aries
Moon's Node (True)                          Look in Ephemeris
 

The PSPs present information to you.  If you wish to work with the
information they are offering, then it is necessary that you work with each
of these paired points.  Some of these PSPs are more astrologically popular
to use than others.  Some you may not even have heard or read about.  This
does NOT mean that they are not useful in an astrological way.  You do not
HAVE to use each PSP, but I strongly urge you to do so.  They can add much
to the information that you gain from charts.