S2 – Ep 38 – Predicting with Secondary Progressions: Prince Harry , Progressed Mars and the Balsamic Moon Phase
This episode explores the technique of secondary progressions, one that Kelly uses frequently with clients as well as in her own personal work with friends, family, and herself. Kelly looks at several components of Prince Harry’s chart during the time period he and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, broke away from the British Royal Family. This example provides a great glimpse into astrology in action.
A new live cohort of Kelly’s course ‘Predicting with Progressions’ starts. The live cohort includes access to lessons, readings, homework and the discussion forum, but also includes several LIVE Q&A sessions throughout the month of June. Find out more here
Show Notes
Predicting with Progressions – a chart example about endings and striking out in a new direction
Hi There and welcome back to another show of the Kelly’s Astrology podcast.
In today’s show I’m going to share about one of my go to timing techniques, secondary progressions. This is a predictive tool I use all the time – with clients and students and in my own life too.
I’m going to take you through a public example chart, about a major ending and change. We’ll be looking at the chart of Prince Harry, in regards to January 2020, when and his wife Meghan Markle, ended up breaking away from the Royal Family.
Before we dive into that, I wanted to let you know that I have a live cohort of students going through my Predicting with Progressions course right now. If you’d like to learn the technique of secondary progressions so you too can use this predictive tool in your life, I hope you can join us. We have live Q and A sessions happening this June. You can find out more or register today over at kellysastrology.com
Ok back to Prince Harry and early 2020.
Some of you might remember this story, with Harry and Meghan looking to step down as full time royals and the negotiations that happened around their roles within the royal family. And some of you might not! That’s ok.
This public example chart means you can track the story against the astrology, but mostly my intention is to illustrate what it can look like when an individual might go through a major shift in their lives. That way you’ll know some of the kinds of astrology triggers to look for.
As we move through this example, you’ll also get some insight into how progressions work, and I’ll share how I layer progressions and transits together. This is fairly intermediate level astrology, so I hope you find it interesting, and of course if you’re intrigued and want to learn more, i’d encourage you to check out my online astrology courses on progressions over at www.kellyastrology.com
A quick intro to secondary progressions. This is a symbolic timing tool that moves the chart forward one day in time for each year of life.
A simple conceptual way to understand this is to think about your age, whatever number that is. Say you’re 41 years old. In secondary progressions, we’d look to the planets placements when you were 41 days old, and give them meaning for you at 41 years old.
It sounds wild and kind of wacky, but after more than 20 years in practice, I can tell you it is astounding in terms of insight and timing.
So there are actually 4 different predictive things I want to mention that are active in Harry’s chart in early 2020. There are two important progressions, and two transits, and the way I weave some interpretation into the transits will draw from the quality of energy that the progressions are bringing forward.
So let’s start with the progressions.
First off, the progressed Moon phase for Harry in early 2020 was the balsamic or dark Moon phase. This is an approx 3 – 4 year period where the Moon is in her dark phase. It’s a season in life associated with endings, closure and completion. It’s also a time when people are typically more worn out or tired, or run down, as if their spirit is spent and they need a more extended break or slower pace, or they crave retreat and hermit time.
Everyone experiences this four year balsamic Moon phase at some point every 30 years. So it’s an important one to know about as you’ll want to lay low and get more rest and you will likely be less productive or motivated during this time.
Harry was just heading into the balsamic Moon phase as 2020 began, and so it’s a clue that moving forward, at least for the four years to come, Harry had themes of retreat and of pulling back coming through.
Next we come to the major progression I wanted to mention, which is a unique aspect that not everyone will have. This is progressed Mars conjunct the ascendant. For Harry, this progression was active from December 2019 – May 2021.
This is a complicated progression, that brings forward the qualities of Mars.
In modern astrology Mars is often linked to energy, drive and motivation. Which is part of the story. In ancient astrology, Mars is also linked to combat and battles, along with tension and discord. Mars is associated with sharp, cutting implements, like swords and knives, and so when Mars is active by timing, it’s possible to experience these kind of cutting or severing events. You might cut yourself away or cut yourself free. Or you might find yourself in a battle or a tense stand off type situation.
Mars is connected to anger too, and feeling full of anger or frustration and then driven or compelled to act from that place would also be likely with such a prominent Mars aspect coming into play.
For Harry, Mars is especially influential as it rules his Scorpio MC, so progressed Mars on the ascendant might also indicate an increase of emphasis or priority about career and life direction goals, as if he’s ready to take action or push forward, regardless of disruption or upheaval. Perhaps a sense of wanting to strike out in a new direction.
The combination of these two progressions clues us into the themes of ending or breaking away – the progressed balsamic Moon phase which seeks closure while progressed Mars on the ascendant can show cutting ties with the past, with an undertone of perhaps wanting to try something different.
The experience of breaking away from a family business or shared undertaking with others would fit thematically here.
I mentioned there were two transits to bring in too.
First is Jupiter in Capricorn conjunct the ascendant. Typically this would be considered a positive, about growth and new adventures, as well as perhaps new cycles starting. It’s certainly an omen to emphasize the self rather than others, as the ascendant is the most individual part of the chart.
However, given that Jupiter is in fall in Capricorn and that transit Jupiter is on the ascendant while progressed Mars is also there, there’s more to this transit than might first appear – and it might be more of a mix of endings and beginnings, rather than just luck.
The second transit is from Neptune in Pisces to natal Mars in Sagittarius, a square aspect by transit that was in play from May 2018 – Feb 2020. This longer transit reinforces many of the themes that have already emerged – it can be a period in life of disillusionment, loss of passion or motivation, tiredness and feeling weary or worn out, as well as confusion and uncertainty about what to do or which direction to head in. A sense of surrender?
If this was a client, I’d be honouring their need for a different kind of life, acknowledging they might need a slower pace for a while and discussing who or what they were ready to step away from so they could move towards who they want to be. I’d also share that the progressed Moon phase they are currency is about letting go of the old, and that once they move into the progressed New Moon phase, they will have more of an orientation towards planting new seeds for a new future. The progressed New Moon cycle began for Harry in July 2023.
Early 2020 was definitely a kind of messy combination of predictive elements, where disruption and tension would be part of navigating change. It might also be a time – between transit Neptune square Mars (which is the MC ruler) and the progressed balsamic Moon phase – where a person might be less productive or motivated, kind of like they might be drifting or dabbling in different things without fully seeing clearly where they might go or what they might do.
So that’s a brief look at some important timing factors influencing Prince Harry in early 2020. I hope this gives you a taste of how incorporating progressions into your timing work can be insightful. If you would like to learn more about predicting with progressions, I hope to see you in class this June.
Thanks so much for joining me everyone, till next time, take care
