Sirius Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does Sirius have the same interface as Kepler?

Yes, Sirius runs identically to Kepler in almost all respects. However, Sirius adapts to different screen resolutions better than Kepler, and therefore is preferable for notebooks and netbooks.


2. Does Sirius have any additional interpretations not present in Kepler?

Sirius has the same interpretations as Kepler plus short interpretations of Dasas and Bhuktis plus a complete Fixed Stars report.


3. Which modules in Kepler have been improved significantly in Sirius?

The rectification module, the page designer, chart animation, astroclock, graphic ephemeris, astromapping, Vedic features, and the pop up chart. These are explored in detail on my website at this link: http://www.siriusastrology.com/sirius11.htm

In addition, for those who like working with several different programs open at once, Sirius is much enhanced over Kepler. Basically, in order to work in Kepler, you have to maximize the screen. In Sirius, you can resize the screen and the display of charts, maps, reports, etc. automatically resize to fit perfectly in the window. This will allow you to work with Sirius side-by-side with your word processor, internet browser, etc.


4. Does Sirius have many features not in Kepler?

Yes, quite a few. Among them are an astrological calendar, many ancient astrology capabilities, huber astrology tools, animated midpoint dials, planetary pattern analysis, a pop-up astrology chart, a complete business manager module, and more. Again, go to my reviews by clicking here for more details.


5. Does Sirius have as many Vedic features as the foremost Vedic astrology programs (Shri Jyoti Star, Kala, Parashara's Light)?

No. While Sirius has significantly more Vedic functions than any other Western astrology program, the dedicated Vedic programs have a great many features not found in Sirius, including Vedic research capabilities, Vedic chart animation, a Vedic page designer, many pages of user-customizable screen layouts, rectification tools, many more dasa systems, a larger selection of divisional charts, much more extensive Muhurta capabilities, Jaimini features, 5 levels of Dasas (Sirius offers 3), many more tables and graphs, etc.

Nevertheless, the Vedic features built-in to Sirius can serve many astrologers who want to explore Jyotish, making it unnecessary for them to purchase a dedicated Vedic astrology program. Sirius even offers three different Vedic reports, built-in, too.


6. Why does Sirius cost so much?

In order to create Sirius, the company invested a huge amount of time and effort. The astrology software market is quite small, and they need to recover their investment, and they consider the incredible range of features in Sirius worth the price.


7. How can I learn to use Sirius?

While the printed manual that comes with Sirius is relatively small, every feature in Sirius is explained in detail in their Help menu. In other words, the program includes a very large and searchable Sirius manual within their software.


8. Is Sirius the most powerful astrology program in the World?

Sirius has an unparalleled breadth of features including modern Western, Vedic, Huber, Medieval, Hellenistic, and more, as well as the ability to run the largest selection of the best quality add-on reports, and a comprehensive set of tutorials in modern Western astrology.

Every program, however, has its strengths and weaknesses and unique features. For example, in Sirius and Kepler one cannot combine predictive searches using different methods, e.g. transits, progressions, directions, etc. into one integrated graph, nor -- in its astromapping module -- show local space lines or paran lines in the same astromap as Astro*Carto*Graphy lines, and other programs have these capabilities.

Note: in May of 2011, Cathar Software released their Regulus Platinum program which has a comparable range of calculation features as Sirius at less than half the price. However, Regulus Platinum does not have nearly as many built-in interpretive reports, nor the library of excellent add-on reports which Sirius has.

I have compared the strengths of the top professional astrology programs here.

There are a surprising number of top astrology programs having a wide range of capabilities, including the other "giants": Solar Fire, Janus, Kepler, and Millennium, as well as the smaller ones, e.g. TimePassages and AstrolDeluxe, with a wide variance of price ranges, ease-of-use, and of features, and so determining which is the best program for each astrologer requires careful consideration. That's why I offer free guidance to everyone who wants to get astrology software (just email me at the link below).

To visit my Ultimate Guide to Astrology Software, click here.