Mark encouraged me to open a new thread concerning the "Octilogram". (Octilogramme?)
Not many people can read German - for those who can: http://wiki.astro.com/astrowiki/de/Oktilogramm
There's a link to a text in which I give an account of how I found this, together with about 20 charts.
It's nearly impossible to present this in just a few sentences. I'll try nevertheless:

An Octilogram is a chart with the Sun at 15:00 in the fixed signs.
Obviously with a view at the fixed signs the Sun at 15 Aqu. has an initial function. I came across the idea while reading in the I Ching text. There it says that all the beings come into existence in the trigram "Thunder" ("Zhen" - there are lts of different transcriptions, I know...). This corresponds with the beginning of the Chinese New Year - which is on Febr. 4th. And this is mid-Aqu. - 15 degrees.
15 degree "fix". these grades are the only one where antisc. and declinations combine with the ecliptic. In a way these degrees are even more outstanding than the first degrees of the cardinal signs.

1st degree Cardinal sign: the beginning of whatever.
degree 15:00 the midpoint of a sign
degree 15:00 fixed: the midpoints of the four fundamental sections of the zodiac. The culmination, the "noon" of each quarter. The point where a phenomenon has developed its form, its shape, now clearly visible. The picture now has become "fixed".
The Octilogram gives an insight into the qualities of the four quarters of the year, beginning with Fehruary 4th.
It provides a "frame", including both potential and conditions - not only for mundane events but also for individual natives.

Talking about London on fire - here's the Geat Fire, 1666.
The August Octilogram (Sun at 15:00 Leo) together with the lunar preceding the event. (It seems that lunars are most helpful when one wants to "individualize" the event.)
LL

... these charts can be helpful when it comes to detecting the "essence" of an individual, an institution, an idea.... its/his/her mundane importance.
The following chart is probably the main Octilogram of the USA (as we all know the coming into being of the USA was a matter not of hours or days but of years, finally resulting in the 1789 Constitution). This one deserves special attention, it is the one preceding the July 1776 events.

First (and lasting) impression: Puritan origin, law and order, "justice" (whatever that may be).
This certainly is not the chart of a state, but it concentrates on that state's basic structures and conditions.

LL

Chinese new year changes every year (it occasionally falls on my daughters BD of 28 jan) its a lunar calendar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

Yes and no, there are two calendars. The people celebrate the New Year according to the lunar rhythms - but for the majority of the Chinese astrologers the New Year starts on February 4th. Anyway, what matters is that this is the point when the Sun is at 15 degree Aquarius.


The Lunar Chinese New Year Day is very different from the Solar (Hsia) New Year Day (February 4th 2011). The Lunar Calendar formulates the days of the month according to the cycle of the moon whereas the solar year is governed by the sun.
Whilst the solar (Hsia) calendar starts the New Year at the beginning of Spring, which falls normally between the 4th and 5th of February, the lunar (yueh) calendar marks the new year on the second New moon after the winter solstice. In 2011, Lunar Chinese New Year also called the ?Spring Festival?, falls on 3rd February 2011 which is the New Year that is celebrated by all ethnic Chinese. The solar New Year (4rd February 2011) is not celebrated at all and only used for Feng Shui placement and Chiese astrology - notably Bazi Suanming.


LL

As it can't be ruled out that there's some interest... let me continue.
I explained that the Octilogram is based on the chart for 15:00 fix sign, starting with Aquarius.
Those familiar with the Chinese astrological calendar know that each year is ruled by a) a Heavenly Stem and b) by an Earth Branch (animal) -e.g. 2011 Yin-Metal and Rabbit. There are 60 combinations of Stems and Branches. A 60 years's cycle starts with IV/1 - that is Yang Wood and Rat. The present cycle started on February 4th, 1984, the following one will start in 2044.
I have found out that the Octilogram for the beginning of a 60 years' cycle is the chart ruling the whole cycle. It can be referred to whatever place and whatever transit, direction, progression, septar may be applied. The results are most impressing.

Of course one may also have a closer a look at the cycles preceding the present one.
E.g. the one starting in 1504 (to 1684). As I mentioned London before - this is the chart for the cycle 1624 to 1684, London.

The chart (left) covers a great deal of the thirty Years' War that devastated Germany (1618-1648 / loss of on third of its population). See the corresponding dramatic apects of SUN- PL - MO/UR/SAT.

Second chart, right, sec.progressions, London 1666, Sept - the Great Fire.
AC/MC have just entered cardinal signs, AC in Aries, and its ruler MA is conj PL. Both are square the planets mentioned above in the main chart.
Note MA/PL (=major fire) is halfway/midarea of AC - IC, thus exerting its influence on both.

Moreover: For reasons that cannot be explained in detail here Chinese tradition combine three subsequent cycles to combine a 180 years' main cycle. The present one started in February 1864.
As I could illustrate by means of dozens of charts the Aqu.-Octilogram for 1864 reveals a lot about the time from Febr. 1864 to Febr. 2044. This might easily be demonstrated in another posting.

LL