Hi Atlantean,
I'd like to make another remark in connection with the topocentric PDs and to adding more and more techniques to this program.
It is very important how we check the PDs, I think there are two ways:
A: We create the list of PDs (sometimes with 20 or more directions for a year) and then select the one we think will work
B: Knowing properly which planet means what in the radix, we know what effect will/should occur from the direction of two planets(or their aspects) and we create the PDs of those two planets and see the hitdate.
In my opinion the second(B) way is the correct one. Of course, this can only be done after delineating the radix properly.
I have been following J-B Morin's method (plus the secondary directions/progressions -as far as I know it's a Placidian technique-).
His method is:
PDs
Solars
Lunars
Transits
and I also check the the SecDirs right after the PDs.
As I understood him, he uses both the PDs and the solars. If there is a Sun(in Xth house) D --> Jupiter PD but in the revolution for that year the Sun is in the 12th house with saturn quadrat without any fortunate aspect of Jupiter then the PD will produce nothing, and only ineffective attempts for honours will occur along with impediments and perhaps also misfortune in connection with honours.
What he means is both the PDs and the Solars should be checked. If they are concordant then the event will occur.
The next thing is the lunar to find the month in that year then comes the transits to find the day.
I managed to predict several(maybe all since I read Morin's method) important events in my life with Morin's method.
My own experience tells me that solars are very important: if a planet is in a house of the radix and it is in the same house of the revolution then the thing what it signified always happend(the dignity of the planet in the two charts also matters: it attenuates or enhances the effect).
I have to admit that I always fail with the transits because there are several concordant ones in a month.
What I am trying to say is PDs are useless without the solars. They can come up with newer and newer PD-systems, without the solars they won't work. Morin never said that the PD will occur on the very day of the event(not even in the same month). E.g I have a planet in my 9th house: if it is in the solar's 9th house then I go abroad, as it always happend. Of course this is true for the ruler of the 9th house too. It is very fascinating that in this case usually there is a concordant PD or secondary direction. But only one of the two types of directions.
This is why I don't understand this PD-craze. However, I am planning to add the topocentric PDs.
I hope that my comment is not too pompous .
EDIT:
Sometimes there were both PD and SD.
In my chart I have Jupiter and Venus close to each other: both the PD and the SD happened to me but the Solar showed both.
Experience tells me that the solar should be casted for the birthplace.
rob