How to fix the sign cusp in a Piano-Key chart view.

Hello!

Recently, I received a question about a chart not displaying cusp signs correctly. In fact, it was a strange-looking chart: partially natal, with all the planets correctly displayed, and partially a piano-key chart with an hourglass on each cusp. The customer asked, “How do I fix it?”

Here’s an example chart that is similar to what they saw:

Note: If you’ve never seen a ‘Piano Key’ chart view, the inspiration is from the works of the Dean of American Astrology, Marc Edmund Jones. In his book, “The Guide to Horoscope Interpretation Patterns” he explored various astrological chart patterns through the use of ‘Piano Key’ charts. They are very helpful in visualizing hemisphere emphasis, especially as a beginner.

You might never encounter this hybrid chart because you must click on a particular sequence of steps, but if you do, here is how to fix it. 

Let’s start by explaining that there are two ways to select your chart preferences.

1. Default Page Display Options.
2. “Options” on the right-side panel.

1. Default Page Display Options.

You can access these settings from the menu Utility>Settings>Options: 

1. Check the “Hide custom chart options in the Right Panel.”
2. These preferences will apply to every chart you draw.

Note: This is the default setting when you open astroPeregrine for the first time.

After you hide the “Customs Chart options Page” then the ‘Options’ section in the “Information panel” (right panel) will disappear and you will only have the ‘Chart Edits’ tab:

2. ‘Options’ on the info panel (right panel).

1. This option setting lets you easily customize each chart based on your needs. It is also readily available next to your chart view.
2. To find the ‘Options’ tab on the “Information Panel” (right panel) make sure you have unchecked the “Hide Custom Chart Options Page in Right Panel” (image below). 

3. Now, when you open the “Information Panel,” you’ll notice a new tab named ‘Options’ has been added next to the ‘Chart Edits’ tab.

Note: When the ‘Options’ section is visible, any changes made will apply only to the selected chart. None of the other charts are affected in this ad-hoc mode.

How to fix the error.

The error is a result of having the Piano Keys selected in this ‘Options’ section of the “Info panel.” See the red rectangle in the image below:

So here’s how we fix it:

1. Deselect the ‘Piano Keys’ checkbox.

2. Go back to Utility>Settings>Options. In the ‘Default Page Display Options’ (Only when custom chart panel is hidden).

3. Select this checkbox which will hide the ‘Options’ tab in the “Info Panel.”

4. Close the Settings window.

The chart will redraw and the cusps will be created with the signs as they should be:

astroPeregrine has a lot of flexibility. Once you become comfortable using the default settings, you can explore the customize-as-you-go (aka, ad-hoc) options that will allow you to have different options on a chart-by-chart basis. You might like this approach!