In astrology, an Annual Profection is a traditional timing technique that assigns each year of life to one of the twelve houses of the natal chart in a repeating cycle. The first year of life corresponds with the First House, the second with the Second House, and so on, returning to the First House every twelve years. Astrologers may use the activated house, its zodiac sign, and its planetary ruler to identify themes or areas of emphasis for a particular year. Annual profections are often interpreted alongside transits and other timing methods and are used as a symbolic framework for examining periods of development rather than as a guarantee of specific events.