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


top


Pallas

One of the 4 major asteroids, Pallas is associated with a woman's ability to achieve success in a man's world.


top


Parallels

Two planets are said to be parallel when they are close together (usually within 1 degree) in declination. A parallel is treated like a conjunction aspect.


top


Paran

Paran (short for Paranatellonta) is a term used to describe two planets being on any of the angles (within orb) at the same time due solely to the rotation of the Earth. When a planet is on one of the angles, and another planet is also on one of the angles at the same time, then a diurnal or mundane aspect is made between the two planets, called a paran or paranatellonta.

Planets are in paran if:
One planet is rising and the other planet is either rising, on the MC, setting, or on the IC.
One planet is on the MC and the other planet is either rising, on the MC, setting, or on the IC.
One planet is setting and the other planet is either rising, on the MC, setting, or on the IC.
One planet is on the IC and the other planet is either rising, on the MC, setting, or on the IC.


top


Part of Fortune

The Part of Fortune (PF) is one of the most commonly used Arabic Parts, and is also known as 'Pars Fortune', 'Fortuna', and 'Lunar Ascendant'. It is associated with earthly gain, and is incorporated in many medieval astrology calculations.

Formulas
In Medieval Astrology, the PF was calculated differently depending on whether the chart was Diurnal or Nocturnal.

PF = Ascendant + Moon - Sun (for a diurnal chart).
PF = Ascendant + Sun - Moon (for a nocturnal chart).
Lilly used one formula for both diurnal and nocturnal charts.
PF = Ascendant + Moon - Sun


top


Partile

Partile means an aspect of the same degree.

Examples
Sun 15°01' Aries and Moon 15°59' Aries is a partile conjunction.
Sun 5°10' Aries and Moon 5°30' Cancer is a partile square.
However, Sun 14°59' Taurus and Moon 15°01' Taurus is NOT a partile conjunction.


top


Perigee

Perigee is the point in the Moon's orbit when it is closest to the Earth.


top


Peregrine

A planet which has no Essential Dignity. It is considered to be a "wanderer", with the tendency to be problematic.


top


Perihelion

Perihelion is the name given to the point in a planet's orbit when it is closest to the Sun.


top


Personal Midpoints

The Sun/Moon and Asc/Mc midpoints are considered to be two of the most important midpoint pairs in midpoint astrology. This is because they involve the personal points in the chart.

The Sun/Moon midpoint brings together the masculine and feminine energies within an individual, and has been called the "Inner Marriage" by some writers (see 'Working with Astrology' by Michael Harding & Charles Harvey, pub. Cinnabar Books). The Sun/Moon midpoint describes how a person "gets him/herself together". Any planet conjunct, or at an H8 aspect to the midpoint of the Sun & Moon is considered to be "on the midpoint". The effect of a planet or planets at the midpoint is to bring the energies of the Sun/Moon into focus through the nature of that planet. Eg, Venus at the Sun/Moon would suggest the person "gets him/herself together through artistic activity or love".

The Asc/Mc midpoint is similar to the Sun/Moon midpoint in that any planet in contact with it brings it into focus. The interpretation of the Asc/Mc midpoint corresponds to the nature of these two points. The Ascendant is associated with the birthplace and the Midheaven is associated with the time of birth. The Ascendant is the sign that was rising in the East at the place of birth. The degree of the Midheaven at birth corresponds to the longitude of the birthplace, hence the time in hours and minutes the birthplace is from Greenwich. The Asc/Mc midpoint is said to represent a person's connection with "this time and this place". Therefore the midpoint can be described as how a person lives his or her life moment by moment in this place and time. Planets on the Asc/Mc midpoint indicate how a person lives in the now. Eg, Jupiter at the Asc/Mc would suggest an optimistic person, Saturn would suggest a serious individual and Mars would suggest someone whose life is like a battleground.


top


Pisces

12th Sign of the Zodiac.
Glyph Pisces
Key Word: I BELIEVE.
Gender: Feminine
Polarity: Negative
Sun travels through it: 20 February to 20 March
Mode (Quality): Mutable
Element: Water
Planetary ruler: Jupiter (Traditional) Neptune (Modern)
Exalted ruler: Venus
Part of the body: Feet.

The symbol for Pisces is the fish. Words descriptive of Pisces are: receptive, patient, sensitive, spiritual, selfless, psychic, creative, dreamy, inspired, secretive, moody, negligent, confused, aimlessness.


top


Planetary Cycles

The cycles of the planets, Lunar Nodes, asteroids and hypotheticals are:

Geocentric Mean Cycle Periods

Moon 29.530589 days
Sun 365.242 days
Vulcan 365.242 days
Mercury 365.242 days
Venus 365.242 days
Mars 686.930 days
Ceres 5 years
Pallas 5 years
Juno 5 years
Vesta 5 years
Jupiter 11.858 years
Moon's Node 18.6 years
Saturn 29.42 years
Chiron 51 years
Uranus 83.75 years
Neptune 163.74 years
Pluto 245.33 years
Cupido 260 years
Hades 357 years
Zeus 448 years
Kronos 512 years
Apollon 576 years
Admetos 614 years
Vulkanus 660 years
Poseidon 743 years
Transpluto 663 years

Heliocentric Mean Cycle Periods

Vulcan 18.584 days
Mercury 87.968 days
Venus 224.695 days
Earth 365.242 days
Mars 686.930 days
Ceres 5 years
Pallas 5 years
Juno 5 years
Vesta 5 years
Jupiter 11.858 years
Moon's Node 18.6 years
Saturn 29.42 years
Chiron 51 years
Uranus 83.75 years
Neptune 163.74 years
Pluto 245.33 years
Cupido 260 years
Hades 357 years
Zeus 448 years
Kronos 512 years
Apollon 576 years
Admetos 614 years
Vulkanus 660 years
Poseidon 743 years
Transpluto 663 years

top


Planetary Nodes

Geocentric Planetary Nodes

The geocentric nodes of a planet's orbit are points where the orbit intersects the plane of the ecliptic. The north node is where the planet crosses the ecliptic from south to north and is called the ascending node. The south node is where the planet crosses the ecliptic from north to south and is called the descending node. The north node is not opposite the south node.

Heliocentric Planetary Nodes

The heliocentric nodes of a planet's orbit are points where the orbit intersects the plane of the Earth's orbit. The north node is opposite the south node, and they move at the rate of about 1degree per 100 years.


top


Pluto

Symbols Pluto or PlutoOther
Rules: Scorpio
Gender: -
Metal: Plutonium
Color: Black/deep-Red

The collective consciousness: forces beyond personal control, invisible forces or powers; endings and beginnings, regeneration, transformation, evolutionary processes; purging, elimination; the use of abuse of power; understanding or influencing the masses; major upheavals. It rules propagandists, public speakers, politicians; expulsion of bodily wastes.


top


Polar Ascendant

The Polar Ascendant is the point where the plane of the Ecliptic intersects the Western Co-Polar Axis.


top


Polar Descendant

The Polar Descendant is the point where the plane of the Ecliptic intersects the Eastern Co-Celestial Equator.


top


Poseidon

Poseidon is one of the eight hypothetical planets (also called the Transneptunian planets or TNPs) of the Hamburg School. In interpretation, Poseidon represents the mind, spirit and ideas.


top


Precession

The Tropical Zodiac moves slowly backward through the Sidereal Zodiac (which is fixed to the positions of the constellations) at the rate of approximately 1degree per 72 years due to precession of the equinoxes. Precession is caused the very slow rotation (or wobble) of the Earth's axis of rotation due to the gravitational pull of the Moon on the Earth's small equatorial bulge. Over a 2150 year period the Tropical Zodiac moves approximately 30 degrees and is called a Precessional Age or Astrological Age. The full cycle, taking about 25,800 years, is called the Precessional Year or Great Year.

During this period Tropical 0° Aries will move through 360 degrees of the Sidereal Zodiac and will return to its starting position.


top


Precessional Ages

Over long periods of time the Vernal Point slowly moves through the constellations. We are currently nearing the end of the Age of Pisces and entering the Age of Aquarius.


top


Pre-natal New and Full Moon

The Prenatal New & Full Moon is called the Syzygy Ante Nativitatum (SAN). Calculation of the SAN is important in a variety of Medieval Astrology techniques, including the Almutem of the chart.


top


Prevention

Prevention is a term used to describe the Prenatal Full Moon in a birth chart and is used in medieval astrological techniques.


top


Priapus

Priapus is mean Lunar perigee. The point opposite the Priapus is the Black Moon. Priapus is a mathematical point that corresponds to position of the Moon when it is at Perigee (that point in its orbit when it is closest to the Earth).


top


Primary Directions

Primary directions are the movements of the planets across the sky due solely to the rotation of the Earth (diurnal motion) and excludes any real motion of the planets against the zodiac background during the time frame being considered. The system of Primary Directions is based on the principle that one degree movement in Right Ascension over the Meridian (due to the diurnal rotation of the Earth on its axis) is equivalent to one year of life. Primary directions are used in the timing of events. Janus calculates primary directions using the Placidus under the pole method. Note: Directing the Ascendant or Mc to a planet or directing a planet to the Ascendant or Mc should be used with caution, as a four minute uncertainty in the birth time can result in a one year uncertainty in Primary direction event timing.


top


Primary Charts in Janus

Janus can calculate a range of Primary (or Base) charts:

Natal (also called Radix)
Event (eg Earthquake)
Eclipse (Solar or Lunar)
Ingress (eg Sun at 0 Aries)
Lunar Phase (eg New Moon)
Planet on Angle (eg Sun on Ascendant for a Sunrise chart)


top


Prime Vertical

The prime vertical refers to the great circle passing through the East Point of the horizon, the Zenith (the point directly overhead), the West Point of the horizon and the Nadir (the point directly below).


top


Profection

Profections, from the Latin, Profectio, are a predictive method of 'turning', 'moving', 'spinning', or 'advancing' the chart to see how the nature of the chart changes from year to year, month to month, etc.