Star Struck

 

Issue 24

Nov/Dec 86

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The Astrologer

ANTIC Software 

£24.95

Twenty years ago or so, when I first started work I borrowed a book from the library entitled The Modern Handbook of Astrology. It told you how to construct and interpret an astrological chart and I duly set about producing charts for workmates, family and friends. The charts themselves required a lot of work but were great fun and the interpretations were uncannily accurate, even for people I did not know. I had great fun for many months but eventually other interests came along and all my charts lay forgotten. Still kept but no longer used and I seldom thought about them again until this program came along.

Star Struck is a program to produce astrological charts for horoscope purposes and takes all of the hard work out of the process. You must still interpret the charts yourself but interpretation is a very personal thing, that is only to be expected.

In case you don't know, two things are required to cast a horoscope - the time and place of birth. The place can be entered in Star Struck by using the Longitudinal and Latitudinal coordinates of the birthplace taken from an atlas, which is by far the most accurate way, or by selecting a map and using the mouse. Two maps are available, the U.S.A or the whole world. Simply use the mouse to point at the approximate place and the coordinates will be shown and can be input automatically. Time is selected from a comprehensive GEM based menu with options for different time zones and time variations such as Summer Time. Once these two variables have been entered just choose you chart type and it is drawn immediately. What used to take hours of research now takes only seconds!

Nine different types of chart are available but, although the program does include some explanatory notes you will need to buy or borrow a book on astrology to understand the differences. Likewise, some brief notes on interpretation are included but don't try and interpret a chart from these, they are far too general. There is a lot more to casting a horoscope than you might imagine. Other options allow the aspects, planets and zodiac to be shown in greater detail on the screen.

The manual is quite extensive but comes as a text file on the disk, you have to print it out yourself. This should however prove no problem as the prime purpose of the program is to provide printed charts and without a printer you will find its use limited.

Seeing those charts again brought back all the old memories of evenings spent working out those horoscopes many years ago. It looks like I may be going down the library again to see if they still have that book. If you are are already interested in Astrology, this program will be a godsend. If not, nip down the library and borrow a good text book, you could have hours of fun without all the hard work of drawing your own charts.

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