ℹ About Astropractice
Free professional astrology tools — astronomical calculations since 1984, from Commodore 64 to the cloud.
📜 A 47-Year Journey — 7 Platforms, 6 Languages
1979
🃏 Fortran — IBM 360 (Punched Cards!)
The very first program by Danko Josić: a steam properties diagram calculator, written in Fortran on an IBM 360 mainframe using punched cards. Where the coding journey began — 47 years ago.
1984
🎮 Commodore 64 BASIC
Original version written on an 8-bit Commodore 64 (64 KB RAM). Pure mathematical algorithms for planetary positions (Sun through Pluto) and the Placidus house system. A true software engineering legend.
~1985
💻 Turbo C — MS-DOS
Port from BASIC to Borland Turbo C. Compiled native executables for the IBM PC platform.
~1990
💻 Quick C — DOS/Windows
Microsoft Quick C port with further optimisation for the evolving PC ecosystem.
~1993
💻 Microsoft C — DOS/Windows
Professional-grade Microsoft C compiler. Continued cross-platform compatibility work.
~1996
📱 Watcom C — Palm Pilot
Remarkable port to the Palm OS PDA. Memory-constrained embedded-systems optimisation — astrology in your pocket.
1998–2000
🌐 PHP 3/4 — Web
Transition to the internet era. Apache/Linux web server, HTML forms, multi-user support for the first time. The calculation engine crossed onto the web unchanged.
2000–2025
🌐 Modern PHP Evolution
User authentication, MySQL database, Bootstrap 4 responsive UI, jQuery enhancements, session management, DST support.
2025
🔐 Security Modernisation
MD5 → bcrypt passwords, CSRF protection, environment-based config, XSS prevention, SQL injection defense (prepared statements). All security issues were in later additions, never in the original 1984 calculation engine.
2026
✨ Feature Expansion
Synastry, Composite Chart, Transits, Secondary Progressions, Solar Return, Lunar Return, Almanac suite (Ephemeris, Moon Phases, Retrogrades, Eclipses, Astro Calendar), Planetary Hours, Famous Charts, Zodiac gallery, Glossary. AI-powered natal synthesis and synastry analysis via Claude — personalized interpretations grounded in actual placements, cached cross-user for efficiency.
47+
years of coding
7
platforms
6
programming languages
11
planets calculated
🏆 Credits
🔨 AstroForge
Original Author & Maintainer (1979 – present)
- First code: Fortran on IBM 360 with punched cards (1979)
- Created the Commodore 64 BASIC astrology engine (1984)
- Ported through 7 platforms, 6 languages over 47 years
- Continuous development and astronomical validation
✨ StarSpark
2025–2026 Security & Feature development
- Security modernisation (bcrypt, CSRF, prepared statements)
- Synastry, Composite, forecasting suite
- Almanac, Famous Charts, Glossary, and UX improvements
- AI-powered natal synthesis & synastry analysis (v2.4)
⚙ Technology Stack
Backend
PHP 7.x+ · MySQL · Procedural PHP · Session management
Frontend
Bootstrap 4 · jQuery · FontAwesome · Responsive design
Security
bcrypt passwords · CSRF tokens · XSS prevention · Prepared statements
AI
Claude API (Anthropic) · SHA-256 cache-by-hash · XSS-safe HTML sanitiser · Cross-user shared cache
Calc engine
Original 1984 algorithms · Placidus house system · Julian Day / sidereal time · Validated 41+ years
⚠ Core engine note:
The 1984 astronomical calculation code is mission-critical and has never been the source of security issues — it is pure mathematics with no user input. All security improvements (passwords, sessions, CSRF) addressed code added during the web era (1998–2000s).
The 1984 astronomical calculation code is mission-critical and has never been the source of security issues — it is pure mathematics with no user input. All security improvements (passwords, sessions, CSRF) addressed code added during the web era (1998–2000s).
✉ Contact & Support
Questions, feedback, or bug reports:
"From punched cards to Cloud — 47 years of code, forged by AstroForge & StarSpark"
Quick Tools
✦ Astro Quote
Mean learning with an excellent judgement, avails more than a mean judgement with the greatest learning, yet is judgement with the greatest learning, yet is judgement very much assisted and perfected by learning; but everything prospers better, and is far more easily perfected that has nature for its guide and favourable stars, than that which is attempted by human industry though never so diligent. - Cardan Girolamo (1501-1576)