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.

I

Immersion

The beginning of an eclipse, or of an occultation. The opposite of Emersion, or coming out of the aspect.

Impedited

A planet is impeded in its natural action when afflicted, especially by malefics.

Imum Coeli (IC)

The fourth house cusp. The Lower Heaven, or Nadir. The north point of the horoscope.

Inconjunct

Quincunx. An aspect of 150°, creating stress, unhappiness and sorrow. The aspect has a 6th or 8th house effect, depending on whether the swifter planet is applying or separating from the opposition to the slower.

Increasing in Light

A planet increases in light as it progresses from the conjunction with the Sun to the opposition. Mainly used regarding the Moon.

Increasing in Motion

A planet moving faster than on the previous day.

Inferior Planets

Planets orbiting between the Earth and the Sun (Mercury and Venus and the postulated Vulcan). The orbits of the superior planets, Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars (also the trans-plutonian "planets" such as Trans-Pluto) lie beyond that of the Earth from the Sun.

Infortunes

Uranus, Saturn and Mars. Mercury and Neptune when afflicted. Probably Pluto.

Ingress

Entry of a planet into a sign. Usually the Sun's ingress into the four cardinal signs.

Intercepted

When a sign is fully enclosed between the cusps of a house without actually being on either cusp it is described as being intercepted. This only appears in charts; signs are never intercepted in the zodiac.