We have released a major update to ZEUS Online. The highlights: synastry and return charts on the extra circles, plus new house systems and coordinate systems.
New house systems
Five systems join Placidus, Koch and Regiomontanus: Porphyry, Meridian (also known as the Zariel system), Morinus, Equal from the Ascendant, and Whole Sign. Pick one in Settings → “Houses & coordinates”; the choice is saved and carried in share links.
In systems where the cusp of the first house does not coincide with the Ascendant (Meridian, Morinus, Whole Sign), the true Asc–Dsc and MC–IC axes are drawn on the wheel as separate dashed lines with their coordinates — the exact position of the angles is always visible.
Natal, Solar and Lunar return charts on the extra circles
Circles 2 and 3 are no longer limited to transits, progressions and directions:
- Natal — a second birth chart with its own birthplace, i.e. a full synastry. A chart from the event pool loads into circle 2 or 3 with one click, and the “Synastry” orb set applies automatically to the natal×natal pair.
- Solar return and Lunar return — the moment the Sun or Moon returns to its natal position is found automatically (it is shown right in the circle’s label), and the chart is cast for that moment. The location can be set independently, so relocated returns work too.
Coordinate systems
Settings now offer a choice of coordinate system: geocentric (default), topocentric — accounting for the parallax of the birthplace (the Moon shifts the most, up to a degree), and heliocentric — the planets and the Earth around the Sun. In heliocentric mode the wheel starts from 0° Aries; houses and lots are not calculated, as they have no meaning heliocentrically.
Uranian configuration
- The dial now pinch-zooms on phones, just like the regular chart wheel.
- The Pointer gained markers for additional angular distances: ticks at 45° to the main axis and intermediate ones every 22.5°.
- The Pointer’s secondary half-axis is now much easier to see on mobile, especially in the dark theme.
The Cross of Fate lot
The Cross of Fate has been added — a major lot of the horoscope alongside the Wheel of Fortune: Ascendant + Mars − Saturn for a day birth, Ascendant + Saturn − Mars for a night birth. It is off by default and can be enabled in Settings → “Objects”.
Small things
Object coordinates on the wheel are now rounded up — the label shows the current degree the planet is passing through (26°01′ is the 27th degree). A number of minor issues found in the previous version have also been fixed.
The update is live: ZEUS Online — free, no signup. We keep developing the online version alongside ZEUS for Windows and macOS, and your feedback is welcome.
Calculations by Swiss Ephemeris © Astrodienst AG, licensed for the ZEUS product.