So, I kept hearing folks talk about this ‘annual profections’ technique. Sounded kinda old-school, but people seemed to get something out of it. Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided, okay, let’s see what this is all about. Not expecting miracles, just wanted to try it myself.
First step, obviously, was digging out my accurate birth time and place. You need that for the chart, right? Got my natal chart handy – I just use one of those free online generator things, nothing fancy.
Then, the actual profection part. It’s pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. You basically count houses starting from your Ascendant sign’s house as age 0. Then age 1 is the 2nd house, age 2 is the 3rd, and so on, wrapping around the chart. I was turning 34 that year, so I did the count: 0-1st, 1-2nd… all the way around. Let’s see, 34 mod 12 is 10, so counting 10 houses forward from the 1st (which is age 0, 12, 24, 36…), so age 34 lands in the 11th house. My 11th house.
Figuring Out The Focus
Okay, so the 11th house was my ‘profected’ house for the year. That house usually deals with friends, groups, hopes, wishes, that sort of thing. The sign on the cusp of my 11th house is Aquarius. The traditional ruler of Aquarius is Saturn.
Next, I located Saturn in my own birth chart. Where was it hiding? Found it tucked away in my 4th house. The 4th house relates to home, family, roots, private life.
So the logic, as I understood it, was: the year’s focus (11th house themes like friendships/groups) would be heavily influenced by the condition and activities of its ruler (Saturn), and where that ruler lives in my chart (4th house – home/family stuff).
Watching It Play Out
Honestly, I just kept this in the back of my mind. Didn’t obsess over it. But looking back? It was kinda weirdly accurate.
- Friends & Home Mix: That year, a bunch of my friends suddenly seemed to be way more involved in my home life. We started a regular board game night at my place. Never really hosted much before. One old friend even crashed on my couch for like two months between apartments. Definitely an 11th house (friends) meets 4th house (home) vibe.
- Group Stuff Felt Heavy: The Saturn influence seemed to make group activities feel more serious or burdensome. That game night? Fun, but also felt like a commitment, sometimes a chore (Saturn loves responsibility, right?). Also got involved in a community garden group (11th house) which involved a lot of unexpected hard work and rule-following (very Saturn).
- Hopes Tied to Family: My hopes and wishes (11th) also seemed tied to my family situation (4th). Spent a lot of time thinking about long-term family goals, maybe moving closer to relatives. Felt less about personal ambition and more about collective family stability.
It wasn’t like a crystal ball. Didn’t predict specific events down to the day. But the overall theme? The flavor of the year? Yeah, the 11th house topics filtered through that Saturn-in-the-4th lens made a lot of sense in hindsight. It highlighted where the energy or focus might naturally flow.
So, do I live by it now? Nah. But I do check my profection each year around my birthday. It’s like getting a little hint about the year’s potential themes. A simple tool to just… be aware. Sometimes it resonates strongly, sometimes less so. Just another layer to consider when reflecting on life’s cycles. It’s practical in its own way.