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.

A

Abscission of Light

Prevention of the culmination of an aspect by the intervention of another. Used in Horary Astrology. See Frustration.

Accidental Dignity

Planet dignified by favourable position, motion or aspect, but not in Essential Dignity. See Dignities, Accidental and Essential.

Affliction

Adverse aspects between planets, or between a planet and a cusp or other sensitive point.

Air Element

One of the four astrological elements. A masculine element, it stands for intellect, media, matters to do with communications and so on. The other elements are, Fire, Water and Earth.

Air Signs

Libra (cardinal), Aquarius (fixed) and Gemini (mutable).

Alcocoden (Alchochoden)

Alchochoden, "the giver of the years", meaning the planet which in the natal chart reveals the number of years that the person is going to live.

Aldebaran

A malefic Fixed Star in the 10th degree of Gemini. One of the four Royal Stars.

Alfridaria

Derived from the mixed Arabic and Persian "al firdar", the alfridaria, or alfridaries, are a system of planetary periods of Persian origin first described as far as we know by Abu Mashar. Originally intended for the long term forecasting of historical events, they can also be used in predicting for individual charts. More about Alfridaria.

Algol

Caput Algol, a malefic fixed star in the 27th degree of Taurus. More on Fixed Stars.

Almuten

A planet which, because of its placing, dignities, fortitudes and aspects, comes to have more importance than the ruler, be it of the whole chart or of any particular House of the chart.

Alpheta

Giver of Life. The alphetical places correspond with the places of Hyleg.

Anareta

A planet severely afflicting the Hyleg at birth and by direction. Usually a malefic, but any planet can be the Anareta. It is believed to portend the cause of death.

Angles

First, Tenth, Seventh and Fourth houses of the horoscope. Planets in angles are the most significant.

Angular

Pertaining to the Angles. Angular houses are generally the strongest and angular planets must be especially noted.

Antares

A benefic Fixed Star in the 10th degree of Sagittarius. One of the four Royal Stars.

Antipathy

Inharmonious relations between planets.

Antiscion

Equal distance from one side of the equator as from the other side, or from a house cusp. The midpoint of a planet's position and its antiscion is always the point of the solstice (0° Cancer, or Capricorn). See Contrascion.

Aphelion

The place in a planet's orbit which is farthest from the Sun. See Perihelion.

Apogee

The place in a planet's orbit which is farthest from the Earth. See Perigee.

Apparent Motion

The celestial bodies appear to rise in the east and set in the west, but this is an illusion caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Application

The approach of one planet to another, or to a sensitive point in the chart, such as a cusp.

Aquarius

The eleventh sign of the zodiac. Aquarius, the Water-bearer, is a fixed, air sign.

More about Aquarius.

Arabic Parts

Significant points on the ecliptic, derived from the relationship between other significant points or planets. See Pars Fortunae (Part of Fortune). More about Arabic Parts.

Arc

Distance as measured along a circle.

Aries

The first sign of the zodiac. Aries, the Ram, is a cardinal fire sign. More about Aries.

Ascendant

The sign and degree on the cusp of the First House. See Rising Sign. A planet is said to be ascending when moving via the ascendant between the fourth and tenth cusps. More about Ascendant.

Ascension

See Long Ascension and Short Ascension.

Aspect

Particular angular distances between planets, or planets and other sensitive points.

Asteroids

Small planetoids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. There are many of them, but recently a small number have managed to get themselves considered useful in astrology.

More about Asteroids.

Astrology

The science of the stars, astrology seeks the meaning and application of the planets, stars and other celestial phenomena in our lives. A very ancient, yet still vital discipline.

Astrologer

One who practices Astrology.

Astronomy

The science of the observation and material origins of stars and other celestial phenomena. Of relatively recent origin, this discipline has become separated from and generally hostile to astrology.

Astronomer

One who practices Astronomy.

Average Daily Motion

The average motion of a planet over a 24 hour period. Travelling slower than average is held to be a debility. See Mean Daily Motion.

Azimene

Deficient or "Weak" degrees which are traditionally held to cause tendency to lameness, deformity, or other disability such as blindness.