Calculation and display settings
Change the system houses, zodiac, circle design and interface language.
Screenshots show the Ukrainian app interface. The English guide describes the same controls.
What it is and why it matters
The settings define the rules of building a chart and how it is displayed. The system houses and the zodiac change the calculation; colors and style help it read.
When to use it
- To work according to the rules of your school.
- To understand the reason for the differences between two charts on the same data.
Terms explained
- House and cusp
- Houses are the twelve chart sectors associated with life topics in astrological practice. A cusp marks the beginning of a house; its position depends on the time, location and house system.
- Tropical and sidereal zodiacs
- Two ways to define the origin of zodiacal coordinates. Choosing a different system changes the positions displayed within signs.
- Ayanamsha
- The angular offset between the tropical and selected sidereal zodiacs on the chart date. Different ayanamshas can produce different sidereal positions.
Where to find it
The “Calculation Settings” button with the slides up.
How to use it
- Open the chart and press the settings button.
- In the section "Calculation" select the system houses, tropical or sidereal zodiac. For sidereal choose ayanamsha; if necessary enable topocentric positions.
- Under Wheel, Degrees and minutes on the wheel controls exact labels beside planets and house cusps. This section also contains colors and outer-ring houses.
- For custom colours, ring dimensions and symbol placement, click Edit wheel style. Changes appear immediately and can be reset with Default style.
- Under Wheel → Aspects on the wheel, select conjunction, sextile, square, trine and opposition as needed. The selection changes only the lines on the wheel and in exports, is saved on the device, and keeps all calculated aspects in the tables.
- The South Node (true) checkbox under Calculation adds or removes this point. For a saved chart, the choice is stored with the chart.
- In the “Interface” section, select a language. Close the window and turn new options into the signature chart.
Settings and options
Select an option to learn how it works and when to use it. The label beside its name shows whether it affects calculations, chart appearance or data.
House systemCalculation
Houses are the 12 sectors of a chart. In astrology, they represent topics such as identity, resources, relationships and work. The house system determines the boundaries of these sectors, called cusps. You choose it separately from the zodiac.
- What changes
- Changing the system moves the cusps. A planet’s house, house rulers and formulas involving cusps may change. Choosing a different house system does not itself move a planet through the zodiac. Asc and MC do not coincide with the first and tenth house cusps in every system.
- When to use it
- For beginners: keep Placidus for your first chart unless your textbook specifies another system. For practitioners: use the system required by your method and record it in your report. Select the same system when comparing programs.
- Example
- Suppose Asc is at 18° Taurus. In Equal houses, the first house starts at 18° Taurus; in Whole sign houses, it starts at 0° Taurus. A planet at 10° Taurus may be assigned to a different house even though its longitude has not changed.
Available options
- Placidus
- Division of diurnal semi-arcs; the default for a new chart.
- Koch
- Division based on the rising time of the MC degree.
- Porphyry
- Each quadrant of the ecliptic is divided into three equal parts.
- Regiomontanus
- Projection of equal divisions of the equator through the horizon.
- Campanus
- Division of the prime vertical passing through the east point and zenith.
- Equal houses
- Equal 30° houses starting at the exact Asc.
- Whole sign houses
- The entire sign containing Asc becomes the first house.
- Alcabitius
- Division of the Asc semi-arc on the equator.
- Morinus
- Transformation of equal equatorial divisions into ecliptic coordinates.
- Topocentric
- The Polich–Page algorithm, similar to Placidus.
- Meridian
- Equal right-ascension steps from the meridian.
- Vehlow
- Equal 30° houses, with Asc in the middle of the first house.
- Sripati
- Boundaries halfway between the Porphyry cusps.
- Krusinski–Pisa–Goelzer
- Projection of divisions of the Asc–zenith circle.
- Horizontal
- Projection of equally spaced horizon directions.
- APC
- Division of the parallel of declination through Asc.
- Equal houses from MC
- Equal 30° houses, with MC beginning the tenth house.
- Equal houses from 0° Aries
- The first house always starts at Aries.
- Carter, poli-equatorial
- Equal right-ascension steps from Asc.
- Pullen, sinusoidal delta
- Unequal quadrant division using sinusoidal differences.
- Pullen, sinusoidal ratio
- Unequal quadrant division using sinusoidal ratios.
- Sunshine (Treindl)
- Houses calculated with the Sun’s declination taken into account.
At a latitude where the selected system cannot be calculated, Zorya Astro reports a fallback to Porphyry. Check the system actually used in the Houses tab. The Topocentric house system and the Topocentric positions setting control different calculations.
Swiss Ephemeris: Geometry of Houses Systems (§6.2) ↗
Link to this controlZodiac: Tropical / SiderealCalculation
The zodiac is a scale of 12 equal signs of 30° used to express planetary positions. The tropical zodiac starts at the March equinox. The sidereal zodiac uses a different origin tied to a stellar reference; the ayanamsha specifies the offset. Sidereal signs are also equal in size; they are different from the unequal astronomical constellations.
- What changes
- The degrees, and often the signs, of planets and angles change, and dependent tables are recalculated. Because the offset is shared, the longitude difference between two planets does not itself change. In Whole sign houses, changing the zodiac can also change houses because they depend on the sign of Asc.
- When to use it
- Keep Tropical if you are studying a tropical method. Choose Sidereal for a sidereal school and to reproduce its examples. Professional reports should also name the ayanamsha.
- Example
- Illustrative example: the tropical Sun is at 10° Aries and the ayanamsha is 24°. Its sidereal position is 16° Pisces: 10° − 24° = −14°, or 346° around the circle. The birth date has not changed; the coordinate origin has.
Available options
- Tropical
- The usual starting mode of the new chart; Ayeamsha field is inactive.
- Sidereal
- Opens the choice of Ayaamsha; applies it to sidereal calculation.
Sidereal is not a “more accurate” setting. It is a choice of tradition and coordinates. The 24° value is illustrative: see Data for the actual ayanamsha on the chart date.
Link to this controlAyanamshaCalculation
The angular offset between the tropical zodiac and a particular sidereal zodiac. Different schools define different origins, so “sidereal” alone is not enough to reproduce a chart.
- What changes
- Available after selecting Sidereal. Changing the ayanamsha recalculates sidereal longitudes. Near boundaries, the sign, nakshatra, varga and initial dasha balance may change.
- When to use it
- Start with Lahiri unless your teaching method requires another ayanamsha. When comparing with a colleague, check the ayanamsha, date and node mode. The Vedic and Periods screens have their own ayanamsha selectors; check those separately.
Available options
- Lahiri
- Zorya Astro’s default, for reproducing Lahiri calculations.
- Raman
- B. V. Raman’s variant, with its own offset.
- Krishnamurti
- For methods that explicitly require this variant, including KP.
- Fagan–Bradley
- A separate standard in the Western sidereal tradition.
- Yukteshwar
- The Swiss Ephemeris definition for this school.
- True Chitra
- Spica is anchored at 0° Libra.
- Galactic center at 0° Sagittarius
- The coordinate origin is anchored to the Galactic Center.
The field is disabled in Tropical mode. A greyed-out field is expected because this offset is not applied in that mode.
Swiss Ephemeris: sidereal modes and ayanamsha ↗
Link to this controlTopocentric positionsCalculation
Geocentric calculation looks from the center of the Earth, topocentric — from the observation spot on its surface. The difference is due to parallax; it is especially noticeable for nearby Moon.
- What changes
- Enabled: the position is asked for the chart location. Off: standard geocentric. Change can affect the exact longitude and aspects. This is not the choice of topocentric system houses.
- When to use it
- Leave off for the usual geocentric natal chart. Turn on if your methodology or control calculation clearly uses topocentric coordinates; location coordinates should be correct.
- Example
- Compare Longitude Moon before and after switching, keeping the date and system houses unchanged. So you will see the effect of the observation point.
South Node (true)Calculation
The true South Node is the point 180° opposite the true North Node.
- What changes
- Adds or removes the node from positions, the wheel and aspects. It is enabled in the standard selection; an explicit choice is stored with a saved chart.
- When to use it
- Enable it to see both nodes; when comparing programs, match the true node rather than the mean node.
Aspects on the wheelAppearance
Checkboxes for conjunctions, sextiles, squares, trines and oppositions control the lines on the wheel individually.
- What changes
- All five types are enabled by default. Clearing a checkbox hides the lines and their detail buttons while keeping the aspect in the tables. Clearing all types hides every aspect line.
- When to use it
- To simplify the chart, keep only squares and trines, for example. Use the aspect page to change the calculation itself.
The selection is saved on this device and applies to natal charts, links between rings and exports. It does not change calculations, orbs, configurations or the conjunctions table.
Link to this controlDegrees and minutes on the wheelAppearance
Exact planet and house-cusp positions are visible directly on the wheel.
- What changes
- Enabled by default. Nearby labels are separated, with fine lines marking the exact positions. Turn it off for a compact view; the preference is stored on the device.
- When to use it
- Use it to compare the wheel with Planets. The switch changes presentation only and also applies to chart export.
Aspect profileCalculation
A set of rules that sets the angles of aspects, permissible deviations orb and coefficients. The aspect is not required to be mathematically accurate: the page determines how close to the angle it should be.
- What changes
- The found aspects are listed; the grid, figures and forecast charts that use these rules may change.
- When to use it
- Select natal profile for natal chart, transits - for appropriate comparison. For matching with another program, the same coordinates are not enough: the same orb is needed.
Available options
- Natal (ZET)
- An embedded natal set that plays the ZET profile.
- Transit (ZET)
- A built-in profile for intercard links.
- Natal, corrected
- natal is the Zorya Astro variant with profile fixes; this is a separate set of rules.
- Transit, corrected
- Zorya Astro’s corrected transit profile.
- Simple orbs by aspect
- One orb for each type of aspect; the pair and decrease rule for differentiation are inactive.
- Imported
- Your sets of .a2 files appear after import.
Pair orbCalculation
In a page, each planet can have its orb for one aspect. The pair rule converts two values into one admission for a particular connection.
- What changes
- Mean of two averages the values; Larger of two gives a wider tolerance; Smaller of two gives a stricter tolerance. The field is disabled in simple-orb mode.
- When to use it
- Start with the middle. Change to play a specific school; the wider admission will include more aspects.
- Example
- For orb 8° and 4° you get 6°, 8° or 4°. Contact with deviation 5° will fall into the first two options, but not in the third.
Separating aspects: reduce orb byCalculation
The aspect of applying while approaching the exact angle, and separating when removed. The field sets the percentage of narrowing of admission for the second phase.
- What changes
- 0 % leaves the same tolerance. More value removes more distant aspects that are already diverging. The range is 0–100 %; in a simple profile the field is inactive.
- When to use it
- Leave 0%, until the methodology requires otherwise. In the professional report, specify the percentage along with the aspect page.
- Example
- Initial orb 6°, 50% reduction: for the difference remains 3°. The aspect with the deviation 4° will no longer be included in this phase.
Import ZET profiles (.a2)…Action
Adds your own aspects tables from a .a2 file to the library.
- What changes
- After importing, you can select a page in the list. The program reports about read pages and troublesome lines.
- When to use it
- Use if your school has its own corners or orb. After importing, check the name and some control aspects.
Delete imported profile…Action
Removes the selected set of rules from the library after confirmation.
- What changes
- The current chart moves to the “natal chart (ZET)”. Other charts that have linked to the deleted page will need to choose another.
- When to use it
- Before deleting, save the original .a2 if you need the option of re-import.
StyleAppearance
Drawing car chart.
- What changes
- The current list offers Classic. The visual style does not select a house system.
- When to use it
- To read a familiar scheme; the absence of other styles in the list is normal for this version.
Color a planet by its tightest applying aspectAppearance
The color of the symbol on the circle indicates its nearest precise aspect in the ascension phase.
- What changes
- On: the aspect color is used, and the Colored planets setting becomes unavailable. Off: you can restore the usual planet colors.
- When to use it
- For a quick visual selection of applying contacts. Exact angle and orb check in the grid — the color itself does not show all aspects.
Colored planetsAppearance
The colours of the planets in the circle.
- What changes
- On: color symbols; off: one-color display is restricted. Not available if the colors are defined by the aspect.
- When to use it
- Choose a way that makes it easier to distinguish the planets; their longitude is not affected.
Colored planets in tablesAppearance
Color symbols in the table.
- What changes
- On: planets differ in color; off: neutral display. Rules of calculation are not changed.
- When to use it
- The colors are convenient to view; turn off if you prefer a quieter reading.
Double chart: outer ring housesAppearance
Adds the houses lines to the external chart when viewing two circles.
- What changes
- On: see her own houses; off: fewer lines. The number in the column house natal chart may mean something else — belonging to houses radix.
- When to use it
- To compare local houses transits or return. In a single natal chart the visible effect may not be.
Whole degrees in the full table: ordinal / cardinalAppearance
There are two ways to name an entire degree of a sign: the number of the area or the number of degrees already passed.
- What changes
- Changes only the whole-degree format in the Full table. The column beside the wheel, Planets and exact wheel labels continue to show degrees and minutes.
- When to use it
- Stir style when the tutorial says “first degree” or works with the symbol of degrees.
Interface language / System defaultAppearance
Choose Ukrainian, Russian or automatic language definition.
- What changes
- Changes the signature of the interface. Birth dates and calculation numbers do not change.
- When to use it
- For convenient reading or translation of names with a guide in another language.
Show ZET namesAppearance
Tips with familiar names of similar ZET capabilities.
- What changes
- Enabled: Additional names help you navigate. Off: the usual signatures of Zorya Astro remain.
- When to use it
- To switch from the old program; these tips do not turn on another astrological algorithm.
The result
Calculation and appearance will be updated. Chart parameters are stored along with it.
Worked example
This is a teaching example; results for your chart may differ.
- Situation
- The teaching material used a different system houses.
- What to do
- Select the same system in Zorya Astro and compare cusps.
- How to read the result
- A comparison will have meaning when the method and the output data are agreed.
For professional practice
It allows explicitly to make methodical assumptions instead of comparing results with unknown standard parameters.
What to check for a precise comparison
For reproductibility, fix the houses system, zodiac, Ayaamsha and topocentricity separately from the design.
Keep in mind
Change in the houses or zodiac system affects the values of tables. When comparing the results, first scroll these parameters.