Glossary of Astrological Terms

Air Signs:

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. The signs associated with intellect, ideas, thought, sociability, extroversion, aspirations, communication, and high places.

Ascendant, or Rising Sign:

The sign ascending on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of an individual’s birth. The cusp of the first house of the Natal Chart.

Aspects:

The angular relationships, measured in degrees of arc, between indicators in a Natal Chart. These indicators may include planets, house cusps, asteroids, fixed stars, or various mathematically-calculated points along the belt of the Zodiac.

Astrology:

Applied astronomy; the science of judging personality, relationships, or future trends by studying the movements of stars, planets, and asteroids along the belt of the Zodiac or the apparent path of the Sun around the Earth; The art of studying and interpreting the correlation between these movements and events and circumstances on Earth.

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Birth Chart, or Natal Chart:

A map of the planetary positions along the belt of the Zodiac as they were on a specific date, at a specific time and place.

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Cardinal Signs:

Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn. The signs of this quality are associated with action and the ability and desire to initiate action.

Conjunction:

The placement of two celestial bodies in the same sign at the same degree of the Zodiac. If the planets involved are benefic, or one benefic and one malefic, the effect of the conjunction is usually favorable, but if both planets are malefic, the effect is usually difficult.

Cusp:

The lines separating, or boundaries between the signs or houses in a Natal Chart.

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Descendant:

The cusp of the seventh house of the Natal Chart; the opposite point to the Ascendant.

Direct:

The motion of a planet that appears to be moving forward in the sky, advancing along the belt of the Zodiac in the order of the twelve signs.

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Earth Signs:

Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn. The signs associated with the Earth and its resources; the practical and hardworking signs.

Eighth House:

The segment of the Natal Chart which is eighth counterclockwise from the First House cusp or Ascendant. Associated with wealth, unearned income, matters that are hidden, death, surgery, the dream consciousness, and psychic and psychological insight. It’s also associated with the sign Scorpio.

Elements:

Fire, Earth, Air, Water. Designations from ancient alchemy that reflect the basic nature of the sign: Fire = energy; Earth = practicality; Air – intellect; Water = emotion. Also called the Triplicities.

Eleventh House:

The eleventh segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with friends, hopes, goals, and wishes and with the sign Aquarius.

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Fifth House:

The fifth segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with children, love, creativity, close friends, and self-expression and the sign Leo.

Fire Signs:

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. The signs of this quality are associated with energy, action, and assertiveness, as well as vision and inspiration.

First House:

The segment of the Natal Chart immediately following the Ascendant. Associated with the personality, health, and public persona as well as with the sign Aries.

Fixed Signs:

Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius. The signs of this quality are associated with stability, strength, perseverance, and loyalty.

Fourth House:

The fourth segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with emotion, the home, the mother, family, land and property and with the sign Cancer.

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Grand Cross, or Grand Square:

A combination of planetary aspects that involves all four signs of one particular quality: Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable. Planets in each sign form stressful aspects to all the other planets, which imply great difficulty in making use of whatever energies are associated with that particular quality.

Grand Trine:

A combination of planetary aspects that involves all three signs of one particular element: Fire, Earth, Air, or Water. Planets in each sign form harmonious aspects to all the other planets, which imply unusual ease in making use of whatever energies are associated with that particular element.

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Horary Astrology:

A technique for answering specific questions by erecting a chart for the exact moment a question is asked, then reading that chart for the purpose of finding an answer to that question.

Houses:

The twelve divisions of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant or Rising Sign, representing different departments of life and their development throughout life. They are associated with the twelve signs, but their function is different.

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Jupiter:

The fifth planet from the Sun, and the largest planet in the Solar System. In astrology, Jupiter is associated with benevolence, abundance, success, joy, happiness, and good fortune. It tends to exaggerate the effect of any planet with which it is in aspect. It rules the sign Sagittarius.

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M.C., or Medium Coeli, Midheaven:

The point directly above the birthplace at the exact time when someone is born; the highest point in the Natal Chart. Usually associated with career and public image.

Mars:

The fourth planet from the Sun, also known as the “red planet.” In astrology, Mars is associated with energy, action, anger, violence, sexual desire, and war. It rules Aries and co-rules Scorpio.

Masculine Signs:

Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. Also known as “positive” or “yang” signs, these are said to be the more active and assertive signs of the Zodiac.

Mercury:

The closest planet to the Sun. In astrology, Mercury is associated with the mind, quickness, the hands and arms, intellect, communication, and thoughts and ideas of all kinds. Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo.

Moon:

Earth’s satellite, which circles the Earth every 28 days. In astrology, the Moon is associated with emotion, moods, the mother, pregnancy and birth, land, the home, and all bodies of water.

Mutable Signs:

Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces. The signs of this quality are associated with moodiness, adaptability, ingenuity, and changeability. Often people born under these signs can be easily influenced by others.

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Neptune:

The eighth planet from the Sun. In astrology, Neptune is associated with illusion, confusion, deception, the arts, romance, and spiritual, psychic, and metaphysical matters. It rules Pisces.

Ninth House:

The ninth segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with philosophy, religion, law, higher education, intellect, intuition, vision, and with the sign Sagittarius.

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Opposition:

A planetary aspect which occurs when two planets are posited in exact opposite signs and degrees of the Zodiac. The effect is mostly believed to be stressful, yet an opposition can bring two conflicting energies into balance and mitigate the negative effects of both planets.

Orb:

The number of degrees departing from the exact point in either direction in which an aspect is believed to still have an influence on the individual. For example: Suppose one planet is posited at 10 degrees of Aries, while another is posited at 15 degrees of Aries. Even though the aspect is not exact, but five degrees apart, most astrologers would still consider that a conjunction and takes its influence on the individual into consideration.

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Pluto:

The ninth planet from the Sun, and the only one besides the Earth to have a large, single satellite. In astrology, Pluto is associated with the masses, large groups of people, organizations, wealth, violence, transformation, and upheavals. It rules Scorpio.

Point of Fortune or Part of Fortune:

A mathematically calculated point in the sky which is the same distance from the Ascendant as the Moon is from the Sun. It is associated with success, happiness, and luck.

Progressions:

A method of prognostication based on the motions of the planets after the birth of the individual. There are two schools of progression: primary progression, based on the idea that one degree of motion represents a year in the life of the native; and secondary progression, based on the belief that each day following the birth date represents a year in the life of the native.

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Quadruplicities:

Division of the signs of the Zodiac into three categories – Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable – related to specific attributes common to each category. Cardinal signs represent signs associated with beginnings; fixed signs are identified more with completion; and mutable signs can go either way. Also known as the Qualities.

Qualities:

Division of the signs of the Zodiac into three categories: Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable— related to specific attributes common to each category. Cardinal signs represent signs associated with beginnings; fixed signs are identified more with completion; mutable signs can go either way. Also known as the Quadruplicities.

Quincunx, or Inconjunct:

A planetary aspect in which two planets are roughly 150 degrees apart. Its effect is said to be the most stressful of all the aspects.

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Rising Sign, or Ascendant:

The sign ascending on the eastern horizon at the exact moment of an individual’s birth. The cusp of the first house of the Natal Chart.

Retrograde:

Planetary motion in which the planet appears to be going backwards in the sky, in reverse order of the signs. When a planet is retrograde, its effects are either slowed down or stopped altogether.

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Saturn:

The sixth planet from the Sun, and the one with the most massive system of rings. In astrology, Saturn is associated with sorrow, obstacles, limitations, perseverance, caution, business, strength, and longevity. It rules Capricorn and co-rules Aquarius.

Second House:

The second segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with resources, money, talents, property, self-confidence, and the sign Taurus.

Seventh House:

The seventh segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with marriage, partnership, social lives, manners, and relations with people as well as with the sign Libra.

Sextile:

A planetary aspect in which two planets are roughly 60 degrees apart. Its effect is said to be favorable, though effort is required to attain its best possible manifestation.

Sixth House:

The sixth segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with work, health, employees, diet, nutrition, pets, and small animals and with the sign Virgo.

Square:

A planetary aspect in which two planets are roughly 90 degrees apart. Its effect is said to be stressful, though it doesn’t deny the positive effects. It just makes them more difficult to attain.

Sun:

The central star of our Solar System, the giver of all life on Earth and beyond. In astrology, it is the most important of all the planetary factors and rules the individual will, the ego, and the path the entity takes in this particular lifetime.

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Tenth House:

The tenth segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with career and business matters, public image, the father, authority figures, and with the sign Capricorn.

Third House:

The third segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with brothers, sisters, other relatives, neighbors, visitors, communications, thoughts and ideas, and with the sign Gemini.

Transit:

An aspect between the current position of a heavenly body and the position of another heavenly body in the Natal Chart. The combination of the energies between those two celestial objects is read in order to discern events in the immediate and long-term future.

Trine:

A planetary aspect in which two planets are roughly 120 degrees apart. Its effect is said to be favorable, due to luck, or being in the right place at the right time.

Triplicities:

Twelfth House:

The twelfth segment of the Natal Chart, counted counterclockwise from the Ascendant. Associated with mystical and psychic abilities, creativity, imagination, self-undoing, and the unknown, including the secret enemy, and with the sign Pisces.

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Uranus:

The seventh planet from the Sun. In astrology, Uranus is associated with upsets, luck, surprises, the unexpected, independence, the desire for friends, and a need for freedom and adventure. It rules Aquarius.

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Venus:

The second planet from the Sun, and closest to the Earth, known for its beauty. In astrology, Venus is associated with love, harmony, beauty, money, talent, the arts, land, and other resources. It rules Taurus and Libra.

Void of course:

A condition that arises when a heavenly body nears the end of its sojourn in a specific sign and makes no more aspects to other planets before it changes signs. This is usually applied to the Moon, specifically in horary astrology, and implies that nothing will come of the matter in question.

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Water Signs:

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. The signs associated with feeling and emotion, with sensitivity and imagination, and with intuition.

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