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Astrology Essentials
Glossary
A starter glossary with common astrology terms. Please add to this list as you find terms you don't know! The search bar will search the term and the definition, returning anything that matches.
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Term
Definition
1
Ascendant
the degree of the zodiac rising over the eastern horizon at the moment of birth.
2
Aspects
One planet is in aspect to another when there is a specific number of degrees between them, measured around the circumference of the birth chart. When they are 90° apart, for instance, they are said to be in square aspect. Other aspects include the trine (120°), the sextile (60°), the opposition (180°), the semi-square (45°), the sesquiquadrate (135°), the semi-sextile (30°), and the quincunx (150°). Planets are in conjunction when they occupy the same, or almost the same, degree.
3
Astrology
The study of the influence of the other bodies in the solar system on life on Earth.
4
Astronomy
The science of measuring the movements of planets and stars and investigating their physical nature
5
Birth Chart
a diagram showing the precise position of all the planets ate the time of birth. The mother of the new child, looking up at the sky at such a moment, could use the birth chart as a map to show where each planet is— apart, of course, from those below the horizon which are also shown. The traditional word for the birth chart is the horoscope.
6
Birth time
the precise time of birth, accurate to the minute.
7
Cusp
the cusp of an astrological sign or house is the line dividing it from its neighbor. The cusp of the first house is marked by the ascendant. the others follow around the circle of the birth chart, reading counter clockwise. Similarly, the cusp of Aries is marked by the first degree of that sign.
8
Descendant
the opposite point of the birth chart to the ascendent—and the cusp of the seventh house.
9
Detriment
A planet is said to be in detriment, or exile, when it is positioned in the zodiac sign opposite the sign it rules (over which it has domicile). When a celestial body is in detriment it is said to be not comfortable in that sign and to tend to operate with the least strength.
10
Domicile
In astrology, a planet’s domicile is the zodiac sign over which it has rulership. This is a separate concept from the houses of the horoscope. A planetary ruler is given to each sign, over which the planet is said to have a more powerful influence when positioned therein. A planet is considered to be in domal dignity when it is positioned in the sign it rules. This is the strongest of the five essential dignities of a planet.
11
Exalted
In astrology, exaltation is one of the five essential dignities of a planet. The exaltation is a place of awareness, whereas the fall is a position of weakness concerning the function of the planet. The sign position directly opposite a planet’s sign of exaltation is considered to be its fall. Each of the seven traditional planets has its exaltation in one zodiac sign.
12
Essential Dignities
In astrology, the planets have “favorite” zodiac signs to visit—and others that they’re not so keen to hang out in. These groupings are called the essential dignities.
13
Fall
An astrological fall is the sign positioned directly opposite a planet’s sign of exaltation; it is considered to be its fall. As the exaltation is a place of awareness for the planet, the fall is a position of weakness concerning the function of the planet, including everything else the planet represents.
14
Free will
Free will remains paramount to astrologers, as it does to most other people. Those people who claim that the astrological theory contests the doctrine of free will are ignorant of the present state of the science and its modern practices.
15
Houses
the birth chart is divided into 12 houses (although these do not always correspond to the segments of the chart occupied by the zodiac signs, depending on the house division system you prefer.)
16
IC/Imum Coeli
the meridian point opposite the MC/Medium Coeli/Midheaven
17
MC/Medium Coeli/Midheaven
the meridian of the birth place.
18
Nodes
The North and South nodes of the Moon are those points on the ecliptic where the Moon crosses it going either North or South
19
Planets
for convenience, astrologers call the Sun and Moon planets — although, of course, the sun is a star (the main star used in astrology) and the Moon merely Earth’s satellite. The Sun and Moon are also referred to as the luminaries.
The other planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. It is increasingly supposed by astronomers that another planet exists beyond the orbit of Pluto.
20
Polarity
opposite or polar signs affect each other; Each sign has a relationship with its partner across the zodiac:
The term polarity expresses this fact.
21
Quadruplicities
The Zodiac signs have over millennia been divided into three groups of four, known as the quadruplicities: cardinal, fixed, and mutable.
The signs in each group are said to share particular qualities.
22
Retrograde
a planet sometimes looks, when seen from earth, as though it is traveling backward through the Zodiac. It is then said to be retrograde.
23
Rulership
Different signs are “ruled” by different planets and their influences can be affected by this fact. Recently discovered planets have been attributed to signs, displacing traditional sign rulers. There has been a lot of discussion of sign rulerships, and some astrologers pay little attention to theory.
24
Stars
For some reason, popular journalists have come to believe that the stars have something to do with astrology, and continually write about what the “stars” say about their readers. While an increasing number of astrologers use fixed stars that fall within the Zodiac, for popular astrology, the “stars” have nothing to do with interpretation.
25
Stellium
a group of planets (3 or more) gathered in one area of the zodiac — sometimes a multiple conjunction.
For example, if you have Saturn, Mercury, and Uranus in Capricorn in your birth chart, you have a Capricorn stellium.
26
Triplicities
Signs have over the millennia been associated to the fours elements:
27
Zodiac
The great circle made by the Sun as it seems to revolve around the Earth has from time immemorial been divided into sections (although it has not always been divided into 12 sections.) The zodiac we know, with its mythological creatures and stories, dates from possible 5000 years ago. Its history is fascinating and obscure.
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