ASTROPLAN
                         Philippe Laurent
                       Version 1.0 25/11/98


                        Quick start guide


(Only English version of this file is available for now. If my fellow
French people wake up a little bit, I will translate it).


Installation
------------

OK, you know all this stuff... Create a folder \system\apps\astroplan
on your Psion, and unzip all files in it. You will also need a folder
\astroplan to store your natal data files created with Astroplan.

Now you must see a new icon in your Extras bar. That's all !


Features at a glance...
-----------------------

As a freeware, this version of Astroplan has of course some limitations.
But the main features of an astrology program are in there, and believe
me, all of them have been carefully implemented.

The only house system available is Placidus (the most common one). So
don't try to compute a natal chart for a latitude above polar circle,
or you will get a nice calculation error (don't try this, because you
will certainly need to delete the file astroplan.ini to start again !).

At the start of the program, the last chart is automatically redrawn.
(The first time you run Astroplan, it will be 1/01/1900, 12:00am, or
something like that).

The menu lists the main functions of the software. The first one, of
course, is "new chart". Try this first, and enter your birth data.
Sorry, you have to know the time shift at the time and location you were
born in, as well as the longitude and latitude. Don't blame me, you can
buy a pocket atlas for $10 ! Longitudes and latitudes are entered as
degrees.minutes. Time shift is in hours.fractions of hours.

Just after the data introduction, the natal wheel appears. The start
point is always the ascendant (or rising point), at the left of the
circle. The right part of the screen contains the aspects matrix. 
You must know the planetary symbols (if not, why using an astrology
program ?). If you are not sure with the aspects symbols, you have :
a single circle with a line (conjunction), two circles joined by a line
(opposition), a square (square !), a triangle (trine), and a star
(sextile).

Compare two charts : you need for that at least one natal data file
recorded. This function draws the recorded wheel at the right of the
screen, with the start point equal to the one of the primary wheel. 
This enables you to graphically compare the two charts. This applies
for all secondary charts (see below : progressions, transits, etc.).
The top right box is for closing the window (you can also press Esc).
The bottom right box opens a new window showing all aspects between
the two charts. In the main menu, you can chose between standard orbs
and fine orbs.

The menu option "View" is for forecasts computations :

- Transits : a chart is calculated for a given day. The "Asp" box draws
  all the aspects (transits) with the natal chart.

- Monthly transits : lists all transits occuring in a given month.
  Only the slow transiting planets are considered, from the sun to
  Pluto. You have the choice of considering only the fast moving natal
  points, or also the slow ones. The first option (default) is generally
  the best, because it is more specific to the individual, slow planets
  are appliable for almost everyone around the world. In the list, you
  can see the number of the day followed by the aspect. Only the sun
  to Jupiter are listed this way. The planets from Saturn to Pluto are
  listed at the right of the screen, without any date (their effect
  applies to the whole month).

- Symbolic direction : enter the year for calculation. All points of the
  natal chart are shifted 1 degree for each year passed the birth.

- Secondary direction (or progression) : enter year for calculation.
  One day is added for each year passed the birth, and the chart is
  re-calculated with this new date.

- Solar return : enter the year for calculation. The exact moment of the
  solar return is calculated (with a minute precision), and the chart
  is re-calculated with the new date and time. The location is kept (if
  you want, you can change it in the natal data before calculating).

The rest is self-explanatory.

Now, may the stars be with you !


Philippe Laurent
philau@compuserve.com