Glossary of Astrological Terms
- Air : One of the four elements. Air is associated with thinking and communication skills and applies to Gemini, Libra and Aquarius.
- Angle : Any one of the four cardinal points in a map of the heavens. Including the Zenith, or South Vertical, the Nadir or North Vertical and the East and West horizons. Found on the cusps of the First, Seventh, Tenth and Fourth Houses.
- Ascendant : The zodiacal sign that was ascending on the eastern horizon at a specific time and place.
- Aspect : The angle the planets make with each other in a horoscope chart.
- Astrologer or Astrologist: A practitioner of the art and science of Astrology and Horoscopes.
- Astrology : The art and science of calculating the relative motions and positions of celestial bodies and interpreting their influence on human affairs.
- Cardinal : One of the three qualities. Applies to Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
- Configuration : The pattern of Aspects in the horoscope chart.
- Conjunction : Planets are said to be in conjunction when they are within 8 degrees of the same point in the Zodiac.
- Constellation : A group of stars named after a pattern forming the outline of an imaginary object.
- Cusp : The lines that separate the signs of the zodiac from each other. If the Sun straddled the cusp of a sign when you were born, you are said to be born on the cusp.
- Decanate : The three 10 day sections the twelve signs of the zodiac are divided by.
- Declination : The angle of a planet's orbit north or south of the Earth's equator.
- Directions or Progressions : The interpretation of the constant motion of the planetary bodies their ongoing effect on horoscope charts.
- Dragon's Head : The Moon's north node which is the point where the Moon crosses the equator from south to north.
- Dragon's Tail : The Moon's south node and opposite of the north node.
- Earth : One of the four elements. Earth is associated with reflection and common sense and applies to Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
- Ecliptic : The path of the Sun across the sky.
- Election : A type of horoscope chart cast to help determine the best time to start a project or endeavor.
- Element : The four fundamental elements of nature including Air, Water, Earth and Fire.
- Ephemeris : An index table of the planetary positions.
- Equator : The circle midway between the poles which divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres.
- Equinox : The two points in the Earth's orbit around the Sun where the Earth's pole is at a right angle to the plane of it's orbit. The Vernal Spring Equinox and the Autumnal Equinox.
- Exaltation : Occurs when a planet is positioned in a certain constellation giving it greater influence.
- Feminine or Negative signs : Scorpio, Capricorn, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo and Pisces.
- Fire : One of the four elements. Action oriented. Applies to Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
- Fixed : One of the three qualities. Applies to Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus and Leo.
- Fixed stars : Bright stars which have been observed since antiquity and are of more importance to astrology.
- Geocentric : This is the idea that the Earth is the center of the universe.
- Heliocentric : This is the idea that the Sun is the center of the universe.
- Horary Astrology : This is a type of horoscope cast to answer a specific question.
- Horizon : The line between the ascendant and descendant and the point where the Sun rises.
- Horoscope : A chart or map of the heavens which plots the positions of the planets on a given date and hour at a specific place.
- House : The twelve sections of the celestial equator.
- Masculine or Positive signs : Libra, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Aries, Gemini and Leo.
- Mutable : One of the three qualities. Applies to Pisces, Virgo, Sagittarius and Gemini.
- Mundane Astrology : A branch of astrology the focus of which is general tends in politics, nations and world affairs.
- Natal Astrology : The most popular branch of Astrology. This is the charting and interpretation of a horoscope drawn for the exact time and place of a person's birth.
- Native or Subject : This is the person for whom a horoscope is charted.
- Planet : The 10 heavenly bodies of the zodiac. The Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
- Retrograde : This is when a planet seems to move backwards in the zodiac.
- Rising Sign : The sign of the zodiac that was rising on the eastern horizon at the time and place a person was born.
- Ruler : This is the planet that traditionally rules a particular sign of the zodiac.
- Transits : The passage of a planet over a place of significance in the zodiac.
- Solstice : The two points on the ecliptic where the Sun is at its greatest distance north and south of the equator. The summer solstice and the winter solstice.
- Water : One of the four elements. Water is associated intuition and feeling. Applies to Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
- Zodiac : The 28° wide belt north and south of the ecliptic the planets travel within.
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