Win*Star Plus’ powerful Searches feature allows you to execute up to six different types
of searches at once. You can select the type of search method for each of the six (e.g., transit-
to-transit, tertiary progressed-to-natal, etc.), both the search planets and the natal planets to
use, search for natal midpoints, the aspect set for each method, and whether to show stations,
ingresses, parallels, and entering/leaving dates for each method. Finally, you can select the
time range for the set, and then name and save as many sets of searches as you want.
After running a search, you can sort the listing in many ways, create a custom layout of
which columns to show and where, merge the listing with another listing (even another person’s,
whose name will be shown to differentiate both sets of transits—outstanding!), hide or only dis-
play some of the items in the list temporarily (e.g., inner transits), and view a bi-wheel chart for
any event around the natal chart. No program makes complex searches so easy to create.
Win*Star Plus also excels in the exceptional quality and power of its beautiful astro-maps.
It offers the ability to zoom in and out on any area of a map smoothly and easily with the click of a
button. Additionally, the program can show the current longitude and latitude and ascendant and
midheaven wherever the cursor is placed. Astronomical lines, such as the ecliptic or horizon, and
constellations, such as the zodiac, can be shown on maps, as can space-based house cusp lines (e.g.,
Campanus, Regiomontanus, etc.), and even the region of a map where a planet actually is at the
moment of birth, and/or where on the map a planet occupies a specific house (by any house sys-
tem). The maps produced by Win*Star Plus are by far the highest-resolution and best quality.
The Win*Search function not only allows you to quickly and easily search your chart file
(or any subset of it) for a planet by sign, house, specific degree position, aspect or angular separa-
tion from another point, dignity, date range, or quadrant, or charts with emphasis of a mode or
element, or a lunar day or phase or quarter, but it includes an extremely powerful and unique
Astro*Query search language that enables astrologers to create complex “and/or” searches of
their own. Win*Search can also create distribution graphs for an entire chart collection (or any
subset) showing all or specified planets by sign, house, degree, and many other factors.
Janus.This program (by Janus Astrology Software) is the newest professional-level and
comprehensive Western astrology program. It is very easy to use, and has the best context-sen-
sitive help screens of any program, which not only document all of the features of the screen
you’re working on, but also are cross-referenced to allied topics, and include excellent refer-
ence tables, and a bibliography on the technique.
Janus offers horary astrologers a fine module specifically designed for their needs, that
makes it effortless to turn the wheel, evaluate the considerations of the horary chart, and see
the significant factors (e.g., lunar aspects, aspects to Arabic parts and fixed stars, planetary
hours, receptions, and dignities). The Electional module is similarly well organized, and adds a
graph for the day of changing dignities for each of the Ptolemaic planets, easy time shifting of
the chart (by seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years), and the ability to adjust what
strength aspects are displayed.
Janus also has the best Planetarium/Sky Map, which shows the celestial sphere with the
constellations, signs, and stars clearly marked. Its functions include day/night shading, anima-
tion, zoom, find (a star, planet, sign, or constellation), and the ability to set colors, select whatTHEASTROLOGYBOOK [865]Appendix D: Astrological SoftwareAstrology BM.qxp 12/22/08 12:18 PM Page 865