But what about the time before birth? For a number of persons I calculated the solar charts just one year before, i.e. before conception. The results were quite astonishing, did reveal many aspects of the individuals' personalities. In some respects this prenatal chart (I'd like to call it) even seemed to be a better fitting birth chart! In short, the empirical observations and investigations convinced me of the prenatal chart representing the previous life.

The theoretical reasoning or background is as following:

The birth chart is valid for your whole life. Yet, used as a solar chart, it is particularly describing the events and experiences of your first twelve months. Simultaneously, according to the law "macrocosm = microcosm" ("as in the great, so in the little") the first year contains all which is to come - in a refined, concentrated, somehow shortened way. (By carefully noting, studying and analysing what is happening during that time we may know every topic of future life and every trait of the baby's personality - if we are able to read the signs, if we can translate the analogies...)

So if that solar chart "No 0" (i.e. your birth chart) is the code of present life, accordingly the solar chart -1 (the prenatal chart) symbolizes your previous life. Consequently, the solar chart -2 is telling you about the main features of the second life before, the solar chart +1 (the postnatal chart) is giving significant hints regarding your next incarnation, etc.

Thus this life (your radix chart) is truly the junction of lines reaching both into the past and into the future.

In fact, medial reports confirm that the Sun's position stays the same during the incarnations.

But how does this prenatal method secure some variety of experience from this life to the next?
Because of the laws of the solar every year the Sun (together with Mercury and Venus) is located in a different quadrant - so the chart's weight each time gets shifted. From one year (or life) to the next the MC is progressing by 80 to 95 degrees (the Ascendant moving forward several signs, too). The Moon is proceeding between 125 and 145 degrees, Mars between four and eight signs, Jupiter one sign (jumping backward through the houses). - This way diversity and multiplicity of "joys and duties" are guaranteed along our path of incarnations...

I don't want to discuss the "factual existence" of former lives (this would be pretty fruitless efforts). Some people believe in it or feel subjective evidence for such cycles; some even say they have proofs - which are questioned by scientifically oriented people (those guys usually objecting to astrology's efficiency , too). Anyway, when arriving at this world we are not a clean table ready to accept everything put on us. We already own specific traits, habits - and anxieties. In strict astrological analogy the prenatal chart can tell us what we did, thought and felt before this life, what we bring in here; in the postnatal chart we can see what will be hereafter. Altogether, this technique is providing a lot more information about karma and dharma than Saturn or the nodes do!

Surely this could be a dangerous tool, by means of the computer chasing through the times and incarnations... There are so many people just being curious about these stories, neglecting the responsibility of knowledge. To be honest: by calculating the prenatal chart you cannot offer your client his actual previous life (with exact details like century and place). But you are authorised to offer him his last incarnation's psychological contents (astrology dealing with psychology anyway), especially those complexes of importance to his present life - the birth chart remaining the reference point of the whole procedure.

However, I believe the prenatal chart is most rewarding to self-experience. You will detect remarkable things: so far subconscious, latent qualities, peculiarities you always sensed within yourself but couldn't find in your birth chart, also characteristics (of relatives and friends) you instinctively understand and magically - by way of projection - feel attracted to...

But let's have a short look at a prominent person, say, what additional information the solar method might give us about the political career of Chancellor Kohl. (In order not to lose myself in unprovable speculations upon his former or future lives I keep my statements connected to this life; so the interpretations can be verified or falsified more easily.) The prenatal chart will illustrate his first 49 years, his foundations, where he is coming from; the postnatal chart is signifying his second 49 years, his perspective, where he is going to.
In the prenatal chart Ascendant Sagittarius is explaining well Kohl's physical size, including that obvious joviality and apparent optimism. Venus and Jupiter in Taurus/ 5th house are a nice metaphor of his delight in food. Saturn in the first house and Moon in Capricorn are indicators of his self-discipline and conservatism. The Sun close to IC also stresses traditionalism, patriotism and domestic affairs, picturing the soulful "father of all Germans". Finally, the triangle Moon-MC-Pluto (the latter in 7th house, directed to others) is telling us about power and dominance, symbolizing the people's leader, the masses' idol. - All these features are pretty difficult to find in his radix chart with that 12th house Sun!
The postnatal chart with Mars right at the Ascendant is introducing an energetic, self-assertive man to us (this he is supposed to be since 1979). Ascendant Leo is speaking of nobility, of that glamour and glory the "sovereign" Kohl being amidst. His government, offices and dignities are revealed by the 10th house Sun (the ruler of 1st house in 10 and the ruler of 10th house in 1 indicating quite an important individual). The qualities of Moon and Saturn are similar to the prenatal chart; the Moon in conjunction with the fixed star Spica may promise success. But Kohl isn't as strong and stable as he looks like! With Venus opposite Neptune (furthermore Venus located in Pisces and Neptune in 2) there is also much vulnerability, weakness - and inability to deal with money. So in the long run we expect his loss of power; with Uranus in 10 it should be a sharp, sudden decline.

[Data: Helmut Kohl: 4/3/1930, 6 h 30 MET, Ludwigshafen
Prenatal chart: 4/3/1929, 0 h 43 ' 55 MET, "*
Postnatal chart: 4/3/1931, 12 h 11 ' 19 MET, "*

Placidus houses, please.
(* In calculating solar charts I take the birth place.)]

(written in '95)