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Use the same orbs you would otherwise use. There is no special "translation of light orb".

The best way for a planet to translate light is for it to be separated but still in orb of that planet, and applying and within orb of the planet that it translates to.

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AstroNovice wrote:ok cool. So for you personally, do you use moieties of planets? Or do you use orbs according to the aspects involved?
I just use orbs for the planets and check to see if any planet is within those orbs. With a translation of light you're probably looking more to the Moon than anything, and the usual orb shown through the tradition is about 12 degrees, though Hellenistic astrologers often used 30 degrees.

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hey paul, one more thing; I was looking at a solar return chart and I noticed a kind of "pre-translation of light", that is to say, I had jupiter at 10 taurus, saturn in 14 libra and moon in 7 leo. Obviously if the moon was in between 10 and 14 leo then it would qualify as a regular TOL, but since the moon is not yet even separating from jupiter then it can't really qualify as a regular TOL. However I reasoned to myself that since the moon is already technically aspecting both planets, it is possible that it may be acting as a conduit of sort between saturn and jupiter. In your opinion is this somewhat valid reasoning? Did traditional sources ever comment on this?

(TOL has validity in natal astrology too right? As opposed to just horary? Or am I horribly misunderstanding the whole thing?)

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Really I use translation of light in horary only because it helps establish that two things which don't otherwise connect, connect with the help of an intermediary and this has specific symbolic meaning I can use.

In a natal chart, I would just recognise that several planets are connected, without, for example, personifying the translating planet as some third party that brings about a connection etc. like I might in horary.

So in theory you can use translation anywhere you want, but in practice I pesonally wouldn't get any symbolic use of out of noting a translating planet any more than I would that several planets are in aspect, or that a given planet is applying or separating to another. That's just me. I'm sure other people have more subtle and insightful uses for a natal chart.

In regards your example, this is something which sometimes confuses me too.

Let's imagine in your case that it IS a horary (just to make it easier for me!) and it was a relationship question and the significators were Saturn and the Moon. And therefore they want to connect. Well before it can, we're going to aspect Jupiter - well now that could be seen as a prohibition by Jupiter. Depending on what Jupiter signifies that could be seen as blocking our connection.

So the way it was recently described to me is to take into context the nature of everything involved and really whether or not that other planet is helping the situation or blocking it. In this case, despite Jupiter being a benefic, I might suggest that the situation is blocked because really it's the Moon and Saturn who want to aspect unhindered - maybe Jupiter is blocking the Moon for a good reason (stop them getting into a bad relationship) or maybe it's just that the Moon has to go through someone else first (perhaps a father or guardian figure) first.

If however Jupiter and Saturn wanted to connect, I would see it as being no bad thing that the Moon speeds up the connection by applying to one and then the other. It's not as per our strict definition, but perhaps it's good enough.

Unfortunately I think the area is, for me, still very murky - I guess all I could say is not to get too hung up on the exact technical definitions and instead try to think of the greater context of the story of the chart, and see whether or not the aspects would likely help or hinder our querent, and what they may represent.

Apologies for not giving a clearer answer to you though.

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thanks for the informative response, after thinking about it for a little bit, I think you are right, this is a pretty murky area and the difference between prohibition and (quasi) TOL could be entirely a matter of perspective. Npt that that clears up things entirely, but it definitely does help a little bit.