Astrology House

Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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Admetos

Admetos is one of the eight hypothetical planets (also called the Transneptunian planets or TNPs) of the Hamburg School. Admetos is extremely intense. It is associated with matters that get blocked and come to a standstill. It can also take matters to the depths, symbolizing total concentration.


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Affliction

A planet is considered to be afflicted if it is cadent, retrograde, combust or in hostile aspect (ie. Conjunct, square or opposed a malefic Mars, Saturn and Cauda [South Node]). A house is afflicted if ruled by a malefic or occupied by one, particularly a malefic in debility.


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Almutem/Almuten

Translates as "The Winner/Victor". Calculated using the five Essential Dignities (Rulership, Exaltation, Triplicity, Term & Face) for any zodiacal degree. The word "Almutem" is more commonly used for the chart ruler - the Almutem Figuris, whilst the word Almuten is used in reference to house rulership. The Almutem/Almuten is determined by assigning points (or virtues) to the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The planet that gets the highest score is the Almutem or Almuten of the chart or house respectively.


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Angles

The Angles are the four "power points" of the horoscope. Planets placed near any of these four points are strengthened according to their natures. The Angles indicate where the angular houses begin in quadrant house charts.

The Four Angles are:

  • The Ascendant is where the celestial horizon and ecliptic intersect in the East.
  • The Medium Coeli is where the observer's Meridian and the ecliptic intersect in the South. The Medium Coeli is also called the Midheaven.
  • The Descendant is where the celestial horizon and ecliptic intersect in the West.
  • The Imum Coeli is where the observer's Meridian and the ecliptic intersect in the North.

House Correspondences

ANGLE HOUSE CUSP
Ascendant 1
Descendant 7
Midheaven 10
Imum Coeli 4

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Angular Houses

Angular houses are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th. They are the strongest and most dynamic houses. Planets placed in angular houses are able to manifest their power 100%, positively or negatively, according to their nature and condition. A planet is angular if it is within 5 degrees of the cusp of the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven or Imum Coeli and before 5 degrees of the next house. Eg. if the Ascendant is 10 degrees Aquarius and a planet falls in the 12th house at 5 degrees Aquarius it is considered angular and of 1st house strength. Likewise, if a planet is located in the 4th house and is more than 5 degrees away from the 5th house cusp it too is angular.


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Anti-Culminating

Anti-culminating is a term used to describe a planet reaching its lowest elevation (on the Imum Coeli) below the horizon due to the rotation of the earth.


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Antiscia

This is the mirror image of planetary positions about the Cancer/Capricorn axis. Example: The antiscion of a planet at 2 degrees Cancer is at 28 degrees Gemini. The antiscion point can be activated when occupied by another natal planet, by transit or direction. Generally, antiscia is considered to be a favourable influence.

William Lilly has this to say about antiscia on p.90 of Christian Astrology:

"The Antiscion signs are those, which are of the same virtue and are equally distant from the first degree of the two tropic signs, Cancer, Capricorn, and in which degrees whilst the Sun is, the days and nights are of equal length; by example it will be plain; when the Sun is in the tenth degree of Taurus, he is as far distant from the first degree of Cancer as when in the twentieth degree of Leo; therefore when the Sun is in the tenth of Taurus, he hath his Antiscion to the twentieth of Leo; that is, he giveth virtue or influence to any star or planet that at that time either is in the same degree by conjunction, or casteth any aspect unto it".

Antiscia and the Signs
Gemini Cancer
Leo Taurus
Virgo Aries
Libra Pisces
Scorpio Aquarius
Sagittarius Capricorn

On page 92 of 'Christian Astrology' Lilly provides a table for easy calculation of the antiscion degree and minutes.

 

Antiscia in Degrees Antiscia in Minutes of a Degree
1   29   1   59   16   44
2   28   2   58   17   43
3   27   3   57   18   42
4   26   4   56   19   41
5   25   5   55   20   40
6   24   6   54   21   39
7   23   7   53   22   38
8   22   8   52   23   37
9   21   9   51   24   36
10   20   10   50   25   35
11   19   11   49   26   34
12   18   12   48   27   33
13   17   13   47   28   32
14   16   14   46   29   31
15   15   15   45   27   30

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Aphelion

The name given to the point in a planet's orbit when it is farthest from the Sun.


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Apogee

The point in the Moon's orbit when it is farthest from the Earth.


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Apollon

One of the eight hypothetical planets (also called the Transneptunian planets or TNPs) of the Hamburg School. Apollon has the quality of expansiveness. It symbolises commerce, science, peace and success.


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Apparent Magnitude

This term is used to describe the apparent brightness of a star. By way of an example, the brightest star, Sirius, has an apparent magnitude of -1.4


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Aquarius

11th Sign of the Zodiac.
Glyph Aquarius
Key Word: I know
Gender: Masculine
Polarity: Positive
Sun travels through it: 20 January to 19 February
Mode (Quality): Fixed
Element: Air
Planetary ruler: Saturn (Traditional) Uranus (Modern)
Exalted ruler: None
Part of the body: Calves and ankles

Words descriptive of Aquarius are: independent, objective, detached, original, humanitarian, intellectual, friendly, people-oriented, progressive, intuitive, unique, innovative, inventive, rebellious, radical, unpredictable, contradictory and eccentric.


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Arabic Parts

The Arabic Parts are zodiacal points arrived at by comparing the longitudes of two bodies or points and taking the distance between these in longitude and adding it to the ascendant or a house cusp. Another way of looking at this, is to use the formula Ascendant plus a planet minus another planet using zodiacal degrees of longitude, Part = Asc + Planet A - Planet B. In some calculations the Ascendant can be replaced by a planet or a house cusp, and the planets can be replaced by a house cusp. For instance: the Part of Soul is 4th + Moon - Sun. Some of the Arabic Parts use the same formula for both day and night births. Other Arabic Parts use one formula for diurnal charts (day time birth, Sun above the horizon) and another formula for nocturnal charts (night birth time, Sun below the horizon).

For example, the Part of Fortune formula is:

PF = Ascendant + Moon - Sun (for a diurnal chart).

PF = Ascendant + Sun - Moon (for a nocturnal chart).

Arabic Parts were known in Greek astrology, but were more fully developed in Arabic astrology. They are also known as Arabic Points, Arabian Parts, Arabian Points, and Lots.


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Aries

1st Sign of the Zodiac.
Glyph Aries
Key Word: I AM.
Gender: Masculine
Polarity: Positive
Sun travels through it: 21 March to 19 April
Mode (Quality): Cardinal (Mobile)
Element: Fire
Planetary ruler: Mars
Exalted ruler: Sun
Part of the body: Head

The symbol for Aries suggests the ram's horns. Words descriptive of Aries are: bold, assertive, the need to forge ahead, pioneering, enterprising, adventurous, ambitious, energetic, competitive, direct, self-centred, aggressive, impatient, bossy, rough, argumentative and overbearing.


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Ascendant (Rising Sign)

This is where the Eastern Horizon intersects the Ecliptic. The Ascendant (also known as the Sign rising in the East at birth) is opposite the Descendant (i.e. where the celestial horizon and ecliptic intersect in the West). In most house systems the Ascendant forms the 1st House Cusp. In interpretation, it represents the moment of birth; the native of the nativity, the response to the world or the environment in general; the personality, the face others see, the impact of the self on others; the primary motivation in life of the native. In horary astrology it represents the querent.


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Asteroids

The 4 main asteroids Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta are included in Janus. The orbits of the asteroids lie between Mars and Jupiter. Calculation range: From 1487 AD to 2102 AD.


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Astro*Carto*Graphy ™

This is a mapping technique showing those locations on the Earth's surface where planets are angular at the time of birth (in natal and mundane astrology). The method graphically displays planetary lines on a map. It shows geographically where a planet would be seen rising, setting, culminating or anti-culminating at the time the horoscope is cast. For example, Venus would have 4 lines, one each for the Venus on the Medium Coeli (M), Venus on the Imum Coeli (I), Venus on the Ascendant (A), Venus on the Descendant (D) displayed on the map. This technique, also known as ACG ™, A*C*G ™, Astrocartography ™, Astro*Carto*Graphy ™, Astro-geography and Astro-Mapping, was pioneered by Brigadier Firebrace and further developed and popularised by Jim Lewis in the 1970s using the computer.


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Astrology

The science that interprets the relationship between cosmic events and life on Earth.


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Ayanamsa (or Ayanamsha)

This is a term used to describe the difference between the Sidereal and Tropical Zodiac. There is a range of different Ayanamsa values commonly in use. The Sidereal Zodiac (fixed) excludes precession and keeps in step with the constellations (stars). Two examples of Ayanamsa are: The Fagan-Allen Ayanamsa (commonly used by Western Sideralists) with a value of -23°20'38" corresponding to the 1st January 1900 (1900.0), and the Lahiri Ayanamsa which has a value of -22°27'38" corresponding to the 1st January 1900 (1900.0) and is commonly used by Eastern astrologers.


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Azimuth

One of the measurements used to describe a planet's or star's position in the sky using the Horizon Co-ordinate System. It is the distance in angular degrees in a clockwise direction from the North Point in the Northern Hemisphere, and the South Point in the Southern Hemisphere.

The horizon system is based on the great circle called the rational horizon, parallel to the visible horizon, and its plane passes through the centre of the Earth, dividing the celestial sphere into two hemispheres, upper and lower. The poles of the horizon are the point directly overhead (the Zenith), and the point directly below (the Nadir).

This circle is divided into 360 degrees of Azimuth.
Azimuth is usually measured 0 - 360 degrees clockwise from the North Point.
Azimuth is sometimes measured counter-clockwise from the East Point.
Azimuth is sometimes measured 0 to +/- 180 degrees from the North Point, positive to the east, and negative to the west.
Azimuth is sometimes measured 0 to +/- 180 degrees from the South Point, positive to the east, and negative to the west.

Angular distance away from the horizon is measured in degrees of positive Altitude toward the Zenith (above the horizon), and negative Altitude toward the Nadir (below the horizon).

These coordinates are only valid for a particular location on the Earth, and these coordinates are constantly changing with time, due to the rotation of the earth.