A Glossary of Astrological Terms

Use this glossary to look up the meanings of words you come across on this website, or in your astrological reading. Just select the first letter of the word you need and click on it in the table below to go straight to that sector.

C

Cadent Houses

"Falling away" (from the angles). Third, sixth, ninth and twelfth houses. Planets are generally weaker there, unless they are the natural rulers of the houses, as with Mercury in the third or sixth, Jupiter in the ninth or twelfth, Neptune in the twelfth.

Cancer

The fourth sign of the zodiac. Cancer, the crab, is a cardinal, water sign. Ruled by the Moon, it is the exaltation of Jupiter.

More about Cancer.

Caput Algol

The Gorgon's Head. A malefic fixed star, causing one to "lose one's head in the situation", located in Taurus 26°.

Caput Draconis

The Dragon's Head (Moon's North Node).

More about the Moon's Nodes.

Capricorn

The tenth sign of the zodiac. Capricorn, the sea-goat, is a cardinal, earth sign. Ruled by Saturn, it is the exaltation of Mars.

More about Capricorn.

Cardinal Houses

See Angles.

Cardinal Signs

Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. They stand for the seasonal changes. Cardinal signs on the angles of a chart denote prominence in related fields.

Cauda Draconis

The Dragon's Tail (Moon's South Node).

More about the Moon's Nodes.

Cazimi

A planet within 17 minutes of arc of the Sun's ecliptic position is fortified by Cazimi. See Combust.

Celestial Equator

The projection onto the Celestial Sphere of the Earth's equator in the same plane as the Earth's equator, in other words, the projection of the Earth's equator onto the sky. The Sun crosses the Celestial equator twice a year, creating the seasons as we know them.

Celestial Poles

The Earth's orbit around the Sun takes 365.25 days, and a 'day' is, of course, defined as the Earth spinning once on its axis. The Earth's axis of rotation, tilted at 23.5 degrees to the line of the poles of the ecliptic, gives us the directions to the north and south celestial poles. The bright star Polaris is currently showing us the direction of the north celestial pole. Like a spinning top this axis is precessing around the ecliptic pole with a period of 26,000 years

Celestial Sphere

The imaginary sphere, with its centre being the centre of the Earth, onto which the zodiac, constellations and planets are projected.

Ceres

The Great Mother. An asteroid seen by modern astrologers as significant.

More about Asteroids.

Chaldean Order

The order of visible planets as held to have been proposed by the ancient Chaldean astronomers: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.

Collection of Light

When a planet receives aspect from two others which are themselves not in aspect.

Combust

Within 8 degrees 30 minutes of the Sun. Not a favourable aspect, especially for the Moon. See Cazimi.

Common (Mutable) Signs

Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces.

Conjunction (Conjunct)

An aspect where the chart factors concerned are within 8° orb of arc. It is usually a helpful energy which creates self-nurturing, inner strength and ambition. It also can create intensity, stress and confusion.

Constellations

A circle beyond the zodiac, bearing sections with the same names as the signs, containing groups of fixed stars. Ancient astrology had only forty-eight named constellations, although modern astronomers have named many more for convenience of location. There are no fixed stars in the zodiac; only planets inhabit the zodiac.

Converse

Contrary motion to the natural movement of the planets through the signs. Used in directions.

Contra-Parallel

An unfortunate aspect by declination, similar in effect to Opposition. See Parallel Aspect.

Contrascion

The point lying equidistant from and at the opposite side of the equinoctial axis to a planet. See Antiscion.

Cor Leonis

The Lion's Heart. The most royal of the four Royal Stars, aka Regulus.

Co-significator

Any planet which is naturally associated with another in the rulership of a faculty or matter under consideration.

Critical Degree

A planet's strength in the chart is increased when in any of these degrees, or within an orb of 3 degrees of the critical degree.

Culmination

1. The arrival of a planet at the degree of the MC.

2. The culmination of an aspect is when it is completed, regardless of the MC.

Cusp

The strongest point (usually the beginning) of a house or sign in the chart. The sign on the cusp of any house and its ruling planet are the rulers of that house. Planets near the cusp are more significant than otherwise, especially if in an angular house.