Astrology  Definitions

Ascendant: The Ascendant, also called the Rising sign, is the sign and degree of the zodiac as it was rising at your time of birth. It's your public image or the face you present to the world. Aspects: These are the geometric angles formed between planets and the angles of the houses. The aspects show whether the planets are cooperating or not. This is how you can determine if you've got trouble ahead or easy street.

 

Astrology: Astrology is the study of the movements of the celestial bodies and the belief that they affect our lives here on planet Earth.

 

Cusp: The division between one house or one sign and the other. Keep in mind: you're not born on the cusp if you're right on the edge when the signs change. You're either one sign or the other, period.

 

Descendant: This is opposite the Ascendant and the cusp of the seventh house. The Descendant shows how you relate to others.

 

Dignities: This is a system that evaluates the strength or weakness of a planet based on the sign or degree. There are four to consider rulership, exaltation, detriment, and fall.

 

Ephemeris: The ephemeris is a diary or book that shows the positions of the planets at any given time. It looks like some sort of spy code, but I'm going to break this down in a future chapter.

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Hemispheres: These are the divisions in the astrology chart.

 

Horoscope: The horoscope shows what's happening in the stars at the time of an event such as your birth. You might be familiar with horoscopes through newspapers or magazines

 

Houses: Each chart is divided into twelve parts like a pie Each "slice" is called a "house." And each "house" on the astrology wheel represents a different facet of our lives. Each house is equal in terms of time and space-30 degrees each, one-twelfth of a 360-degree circle.

 

Imum Coeli: Also called the Nadir, this is the lowest point on the astrological chart and opposite the Midheaven. It shows your roots or where you're coming from.

 

Intercepted house or sign: In certain house systems, one house might be larger than 30°. Instead of just having one sign, you've got two signs holding space in that house. For example, if your tenth house starts with Aries but you also get 30° of Taurus in there, Gemini will be on the eleventh house cusp. Taurus would be considered intercepted, and any planets in Taurus would be intercepted too. Interception can show hidden or unexpressed energy. It's that part of you that's operating under the surface, like a secret agent!

 

Midheaven: Also known as the Medium Coell, this is the highest point on the zodiac wheel. It represents your aspirations and where you're headed.

 

Mutual reception: If you've got one planet in another one's sign and vice versa, you've got mutual reception. For example, if your Mercury is in Sagittarius and your Jupiter is in Gemini, this is mutual reception. Both planets support each other.

 

Natal chart: The natal chart, also known as the birth chart, is a map of where the planets were in the sky at the moment you were born. It's your unique blueprint

 

Nodes: The Lunar Nodes indicate karma and fate. Nodes are not actual planets but instead are mathematical calculations.

 

Orb: This is the number of degrees between two planets.

 

Part of Fortune: This is one of the Arabic points, a calculation that shows you where you're lucky, punk. It looks like a little aspirin in a chart. Stellium: This is when a group of four or more planets are all in one sign. Stelliums show concentrated energy. For example, let's say your Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter are all in Scorpio in your fifth house. This would show you're red-hot and intense when it comes to romance. Transits: The transits refer to the planets as they move through the sky. For example, if someone says that Venus is transiting through your third house, it means that Venus is currently sitting there. 

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Zodiac: The zodiac is the annual journey of the sun through the sky, divided by twelve signs.

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