In sidereal astrology, the vernal equinox currently takes place about the fifth day of Pisces, and as the Earth moves so will that date. According to sidereal calculation, therefore, someone born on March 22 in the year 5000 a.d. would be classified as Capricorn rather than Aries.
All this may seem like making waves in a teacup. After all, ancient as astrology may seem, the science is at most only three Great Months old. Much more unfolding of our understanding of astrology lies ahead during the new Age of Aquarius—and a dispute that may loom large to us now is sure to resolve itself as we learn more.
Part Six
AN ASTROLOGER’S LEXICON
ARIES The first sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately March 21 to April 19. Aries has as its element fire and is cardinal in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Ram and ruled by the planet Mars. Aries natives are characterized as impulsive, energetic, quicktempered, and having leadership ability.
ASCENDANT (Also known as Rising sign) The sign of the zodiac that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time of birth. Also, the exact degree of the sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth, the point in a birth chart that marks the cusp of the First House. The Ascendant (or Rising sign) characterizes a person’s outward approach to life. In a birth chart, planets at or near the line of the Ascendant represent strength and power of a person’s self.
ASPECT The geometrical relationship between planets in a birth chart, which indicates areas of harmony, challenge, strain, ease, and/or power. Aspects are classified as major (Conjunction, Trine, Sextile, Opposition, Square) and minor (Quincunx, Semisquare, Sesquisquare, Semisextile). The study of aspects in a birth chart is an important part of horoscope interpretation.
ASTROLOGY (From the Greek, meaning “science of the stars”) The art and science of studying the celestial bodies and their cyclical motion, and determining their influence on human character, behavior, experience, and events.
BIRTH CHART (Also known as natal chart) A diagram of the heavens, called a horoscope, that charts the position of the celestial bodies as they appeared at the time of an individual’s birth. The terms horoscope and birth chart are often used interchangeably, although precisely speaking a horoscope is a chart for any given moment and a birth chart is specifically for the moment of birth. In a birth chart, the Ascendant (Rising sign) is the astrological sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth (as opposed to a solar chart in which the Sun sign is used as the Rising sign). The Rising sign is also the First House in a birth chart, and thus the houses placed around the chart are known as natal houses. A birth chart is a very personal chart, and many astrologers feel it contains the only true delineation of the native.
CADENT HOUSES (From the Latin word cadere, meaning “to fall”) The four houses in a horoscope that immediately follow Succedent Houses, so named because they “fall away” from both Angular and Succedent Houses. Cadent Houses are the Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Twelfth Houses. In a birth chart, planets in any of these Houses indicate that the native is mentally active and able to communicate ideas.
CANCER The fourth sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately June 21 to July 22. Cancer has as its element water and is cardinal in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Crab and ruled by the Moon. Cancer natives are characterized as imaginative, emotional, sensitive, loyal, and with a tendency to be moody.
CAPRICORN The tenth sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately December 22 to January 19. Capricorn has as its element earth and is cardinal in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Goat (or Sea-Goat) and is ruled by the planet Saturn. Capricorn natives are characterized as disciplined, responsible and hardworking, ambitious and determined.
CARDINAL One of the three qualities under which the signs of the zodiac are classified. The three qualities are cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are the cardinal signs and comprise the cardinal quadruplicity. The Sun’s entrance into these four signs marks the beginning of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In astrology, the cardinal quality signifies action, initiative, leadership, and outgoing activity.
CELESTIAL EQUATOR The Earth’s equator projected outward onto the heavenly sphere.
CONJUNCTION A major aspect, the most powerful in astrology, in which two or more planets occupy the same degree (or are within 10° of each other) in a horoscope. Conjunctions in a chart exert a marked influence, the precise nature of which depends on the specific planets involved.
CONSTELLATIONS Groups of stars assigned names suggested by the patterns they form in the heavens. To the ancients, charting the constellations was an invaluable method of studying and organizing the universe.
CUSP 1. The point at which a sign of the zodiac begins. Persons are said to be “born on the cusp” when their birth times fall at or near the beginning or end of an astrological sign. Cusp-born people often exhibit characteristics of both their Sun sign and the previous or following sign.
2. The point or line in a horoscope that marks the beginning of a house.
DECANATE (Also known as Decan) A 10° subdivision of the zodiac that divides each astrological sign into three parts of approximately ten days each. There are three decanates in each sign, making a total of thirty-six decanates in the zodiac. Each decanate has a planetary ruler, called a subruler, and is also symbolized by a constellation. Decanates serve to refine and emphasize certain qualities and character traits pertaining to the overall sign.
DESCENDANT One of the four angles in a horoscope (the four most important points in a chart). The Descendant, which marks the cusp of the Seventh House, is the point in a birth chart directly opposite the Ascendant. The Descendant represents the channeling of power through partnerships and relationships; planets at or near the Descendant indicate that the native may come to prominence through his or her associations.
DIRECT The forward-moving motion of a planet in its orbit through the signs of the zodiac. Direct motion is the normal course of a planet. At various times, however, a planet may appear to turn backward in its orbit, a movement known as retrograde motion. The retrograde motion of a planet is an optical illusion caused by the angle of observation from earth. (See also Retrograde.)
DISPOSITOR A term used in horoscopes to describe the ruler of a sign in which another planet appears. For example, if in a birth chart Mercury is in Sagittarius, Jupiter (which rules Sagittarius) is called the dispositor of Mercury.
DRAGON’S HEAD See Nodes.
DRAGON’S TAIL See Nodes.
DUALITY One of the classifications under which signs of the zodiac are grouped. A sign’s duality is either masculine or feminine. Six signs are masculine: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius. Six signs are feminine: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces. In astrology, masculine signs are outer-directed, energetic, strong through action; feminine signs are receptive, magnetic, strong through inner resources.
EARTH 1. One of the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water) under which signs of the zodiac are classified. Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are the earth signs and comprise the earth triplicity. In astrology, earth signifies practicality, conservatism, stability, and materialism.
2. The planet Earth, which we inhabit.
ECLIPTIC The great circle in the heavens that marks the apparent path of the Sun on its yearly journey around the Earth. The ecliptic is the path of the Sun when viewed from the Earth (although in reality it is the Earth that revolves around the Sun, and the ecliptic is in fact the path of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun). The narrow circular band of the heavens that has the line of the ecliptic through its center is called the zodiac.
ELEMENTS The four fundamental substances (fire, earth, air, and water) under which the signs of the zodiac are classified. Fire signs are energetic and enthusiastic; earth signs are practical and stable; air signs are communicative and intellectual; water signs are emot
ional and imaginative.
EPHEMERIS (Plural, ephemerides) An almanac that lists the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets for each day of the year.
EQUINOXES (From the Latin, meaning “equal night”) The two points during the year when the path of the Sun (the ecliptic) crosses the celestial equator, and day and night are of equal length. The vernal equinox (spring) occurs when the Sun enters the sign of Aries; at that point the center of the Sun intersects the celestial equator as the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere into the northern hemisphere. The autumnal equinox (fall) occurs when the Sun enters the sign of Libra; at that point the center of the Sun intersects the celestial equator as the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere into the southern hemisphere.
FEMININE SIGNS The signs of the zodiac belonging to the earth and water triplicities, namely, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces. In astrology, feminine signs are characterized as receptive, magnetic, and possessing strong inner resources.
FIRE One of the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water) under which the signs of the zodiac are classified. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are fire signs and comprise the fire triplicity. In astrology, fire signifies energy, aggressiveness, enthusiasm, and impulsiveness.
FIXED One of the three qualities under which the signs of the zodiac are classified. The three qualities are cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius are the fixed signs and comprise the fixed quadruplicity. In astrology, the fixed quality signifies persistence, singlemindedness, determination, and resourcefulness.
GEMINI The third sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately May 21 to June 20. Gemini has as its element air and is mutable in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Twins and ruled by the planet Mercury. Gemini natives are characterized as mentally facile, versatile, clever, and gifted in the ability to communicate.
GEOCENTRIC (From the Greek words ge, meaning “earth,” and kentron, meaning “center”) Viewed or measured from the center of the Earth. The concept of Earth as the center of the universe is the classical viewpoint of astrology, which considers the Earth to be the center of human experience and thus studies the positions and movements of celestial bodies as seen from the Earth. Most horoscopes are geocentric, although some modern astrologers also work with heliocentric (Sun-centered) charts. (See also Heliocentric.)
GLYPH The written astrological symbol for a planet or a zodiacal sign. The glyphs have symbolic meanings; for example, the circle represents the spiritual world; the half-circle represents the soul; the cross represents the material world.
GRAND CROSS The rarest aspect-pattern in a horoscope, consisting of two pairs of planets in opposition, the four planets involved forming a square aspect to each other. This pattern forms a cross in the birth chart. Combining as it does four squares and two oppositions, the Grand Cross can be a most difficult configuration, often indicating an obsessive, maladjusted personality. However, it also signifies dynamic energy, intensity, and force. A Grand Cross often appears in the charts of self-made men and women.
GRAND TRINE An unusual aspect-pattern in a horoscope, in which three planets are all in trine to each other (i.e., 120° away from each other), forming a grand triangle. Because a Grand Trine by its nature heavily stresses a particular element, for example, fire or water, it tends to indicate an imbalance in the chart. However, a trine is also very favorable, and a Grand Trine signifies enormous creativity or energy, and usually indicates that the native will be blessed with luck or success.
GREAT MONTH See Age, Astrological.
GREAT YEAR See Age, Astrological.
HELIOCENTRIC (From the Greek words helios, meaning “Sun,” and kentron, meaning “center”) Viewed or measured from the center of the Sun. Since the death of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543, humankind’s concept of the universe has been heliocentric, i.e., that our solar system has the Sun at its center. The roots of astrology go much farther back in history, to a time when for thousands of years the concept of the universe was geocentric. Because astrology is concerned with celestial movements as they relate to human beings here on Earth and also as seen by human beings on Earth, modern astrology continues to operate within a geocentric framework. However, heliocentric charts are used by many astrologers, usually in combination with geocentric charts, and a number of heliocentric ephemerides are in common use.
HEMISPHERE EMPHASIS The circle of the horoscope is divided into four hemispheres––the top half and bottom half (southern and northern hemispheres), and left half and right half (eastern and western hemispheres). In a birth chart a preponderance of planets in the top hemisphere emphasizes extrovertedness, while a preponderance of planets in the bottom hemisphere emphasizes introvertedness. A preponderance of planets in the left hemisphere emphasizes the native’s impact on the world, while a preponderance of planets in the right hemisphere emphasizes the world’s impact on the native.
HERMETIC THEORY The theory, arising out of ancient Egyptian philosophical wisdom, that the human being is a miniature version of the cosmos and that everything in nature has its parallel in man. Out of the Hermetic Theory of “man in microcosm” grew a vast body of correspondences surrounding the twelve signs of the zodiac: each sign governs a part of the body, rules over specific plants, herbs, colors, jewels, cities, animals, etc. The Hermetic Theory is also the basis for such divinatory arts as palm reading and physiognomy (facial reading).
HORARY CHART (From the Greek word hora, meaning “hour.”) A special horoscope cast for the moment in which a specific question is asked, as opposed to a natal chart, which is cast for the moment of birth. The theory behind horary astrology is that there is a sympathy between the cosmos and the human mind; therefore when a question is asked, the positions of the planets at that moment can help to answer the question.
HORIZON In a horoscope, the line that intersects the circle from east to west and divides the circle into a top half and a bottom half. The line of the horizon in a horoscope connects the Ascendant and the Descendant.
HOROSCOPE (From the Greek words hora, meaning “hour,”and skopos, meaning “watcher”) A diagram of the heavens, specifically that part of the heavens called the zodiac, that charts the positions of the Sun, Moon, and planets as they appeared at a given moment and in relation to a given place on Earth. The word horoscope also refers to the analysis and interpretation of that chart. Nowadays, the term has also come to mean the predictions for the signs that appear in newspapers and magazines, as in one’s daily horoscope.”
HOUSES The twelve divisions of a horoscope that represent different categories or areas of life. The twelve Houses of astrology are:
First House of Self
Second House of Money and Possessions
Third House of Communication
Fourth House of Beginnings and Home Life
Fifth House of Pleasure, Creativity, and Sex
Sixth House of Service and Health
Seventh House of Partnership and Marriage
Eighth House of Death and Regeneration
Ninth House of Mental Exploration and Long-Distance Travel
Tenth House of Career and Public Standing
Eleventh House of Friends and of Hopes and Wishes
Twelfth House of Secrets, Sorrows, and Self-Undoing
Currently, there is a great deal of discussion among astrologers about Houses, especially about House division. While there is little disagreement about the basic concept of Houses, there is some debate about the number of them. For example, the Irish sidereal astrologer Cyril Fagan favored eight Houses instead of twelve. A much more hotly debated subject, however, is House division, and there are at least twenty methods presently in use in the modern astrological world. Among the most popular House systems are the Placidus system, the Equal House system, the Koch system, the Campanus system, the Regiomontanus system, the Morinus system, and the Topocentric system. The House division used in the CD-ROM in this book is the Placidus system.
IMUM COELI (Latin for “lowest part of the heavens”) See Nadir.
INGRESS The entrance of the Sun, Moon, or any of the planets into a sign of the zodiac.
JUPITER In astrology Jupiter is the planet of good fortune, expansion, abundance, and wisdom. The planet is known as the Greater Fortune (Venus is the Lesser Fortune). Jupiter rules the sign of Sagittarius, and at one time also ruled Pisces. (Pisces is now ruled by the planet Neptune, discovered in 1846.) When Jupiter is prominent in a birth chart, the native tends to be well-liked, cheerful, and successful in his or her career. Jupiter’s influence can also incline a person toward extravagance and overconfidence.
KARMA The philosophical concept, originating in the Hindu and Buddhist religions, that a person’s past and present deeds determine his or her destiny in this life and in lives yet to come. Karma is not an astrological term, but the doctrine of karma is used in esoteric astrology, a form of astrology and theosophy that stresses spiritual evolution and the unity of the soul with the cosmos.
LATITUDE The distance north or south of the Earth’s equator, measured in degrees. Divisions of latitude are depicted on a map by horizontal parallel lines. The equator is 0° latitude; the North Pole is 90° North latitude; the South Pole is 90° South latitude. In order to calculate an exact birth chart, an astrologer must know both the latitude and longitude of the birthplace of the native.
LEO The fifth sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately July 23 to August 22. Leo has as its element fire and is fixed in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Lion and ruled by the Sun. Leo natives are characterized as exuberant, creative, egocentric, and possessing a talent for showmanship.
The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need Page 46