The Symmetry Screen

 

The Dial Display is central to this window, and the contents of the Dials can be modified with the various controls that line the left side of the Symmetry screen such as:

 

•Home – Returns the information on the Dial back to its original material with a single left click and retains any added material to the Dial. Double left clicking returns the chart to its original display and erases any material added to the dial. Right clicking (Mac: Ctrl + click) allows a chart to be saved to the Calculated Charts Window in Solar Fire’s opening screen.

Note: Charts added to the Calculated Charts Window should be saved to a chart file if you want to keep them for future use.

 

•Realtime – Displays the current positions. Can also toggle as an updating display of current planetary positions (Windows: right click, Mac: Ctrl + click), with the button turning red and updating every 10 seconds.

•Dynamic – Adds Transits, Progression or Directions to the Dial or a ring on the Dial.

•Synastry – Adds another chart to the display and you can toggle between a synastry BiDial or a composite chart.

•TNP – Toggles whether Transneptunian Planets are displayed or not.

•Refl/Hse – Left click toggles Dial positions showing reflections from the Pointer. Right click (Mac: Ctrl + click) toggles whether and how house cusps are displayed.

•Asp Insp – The Aspect Inspector allows the display of any aspect or phase chart between two factors during a user selectable time interval before and after the Current Date in the Working Data window.

•Coord – Coordinate allows the conversion of the displayed chart into any one of various coordinate systems.

•WD – The Working Data window sets the Date, Time, and Location for all dynamic techniques.

•Options – Sets Dial options for display.

 

To the right of this column of buttons is:

 

•Search – Allows you to search for entered keywords to locate formulas and interpretations containing such keywords.

•90° Dial – Toggles between the 90° and 360° Dial display.

•Pointer – A drop down menu of choices for how the lower Up and Down arrows work in moving material on the Dial, whether by Position, Dial Ring, Solar Arc or Time.

•11 15 00 – A window with a drop-down menu for selecting the rate of Dial motion when using the Up or Down arrows below this choice. When Pointer is selected, this drop-down lists selectable spatial pointer movements; and for Time, this drop-down lists time increments for moving positions on the dial.

•Up and Down Arrows - For controlling the movement of the dial pointer or the positions displayed on the dials or rings around the dials.

 

The lower right-hand side of the Symmetry screen shows various pieces of information pertaining to the chart such as:

 

A window called Current Formulas, showing the current midpoints and formulas wherever the dial pointer is located.

 

To the right of the Current Formula window are a series of informational windows, such as:

 

▪Formula Box for entering Planetary combinations either with the Dial Pointer or manually using the keyboard. You can add formulas visually to the dial and/or lock the pointer to a specific location or formula when using dynamic functions.

▪Stat - Whether SA is locked in place. Also, whether Ring 1 (and Ring 2 in Synastry or Dynamic modes) on the dial are locked in place.

▪Pos - Position of the Dial Pointer in 360° modulus broken into signs and degrees, whether the dial is 360°, 90° or any other harmonic.

▪S Arc - Current or entered Solar Arc.

▪Mod – What Modulus is in use.

▪Harm - What Harmonic is in use.

▪SA+ and SA- – The direct (+) and inverse (-) SA position from where the Dial Pointer is located. Clicking on either of these will move the Dial Pointer by the SA increment either forward or backward.

 

The lower center of the screen is an Interpretation Pop-up that delineates the connection of various factors on the Dial. This pop-up window is only visible when a combination is selected. The main delineations were compiled by Dorothy Johnson. Currently there are two alternative interpretation files. One is from the work of David Beasley of his Useful Planetary Pictures and when a formula is selected that he has interpreted, it will be displayed as green. The other is interpretations of the earliest and ancient 96 Lots and Parts translated by Dorian Greenbaum and will be displayed in red.

 

On the upper left-hand side of the Dial Display window is the current chart’s birth data. When other charts are in use, the upper right-hand side contains the second chart’s information, and the lower right-hand side will display any third chart material.

 

On the extreme right side of the screen are the buttons used anytime the View Chart is evoked from the Main Solar Fire Menu, under View. Some of these buttons are grayed out indicating they are not accessible from the Symmetry Dial Display window. You can find detailed information on these buttons in Using View Chart screen Buttons.