Terms Used in Horary and Electional Astrology
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AIR SIGNS: Gemini, Libra,
and Aquarius. Air signs are associated with reason,
logic, and mental activity.
ANGULAR HOUSES: The first,
fourth, seventh, and tenth
houses. Associated with immediacy, activity, and affairs transacted in
the open.
APPLYING ASPECTS: Geometric angles that have
not yet become exact. To predict the future in horary and electional astrology,
only applying aspects can be used. Separating aspects
denote activity that has occurred in the past.
AQUARIUS: Eleventh sign of the Zodiac, a fixed
air sign.
ARIES: The cardinal fire
sign of the Zodiac, associated with first house matters.
ASCENDANT: The point coming over the eastern
horizon at the moment the horary or electional chart is cast.
CADENT HOUSES: The third,
sixth, ninth, and twelfth
houses. Associated with distribution, teaching, the making of connections,
and activity which takes place behind the scenes.
CANCER: The cardinal
water sign of the Zodiac, associated with fourth
house matters.
CAPRICORN: The cardinal
earth sign of the Zodiac, associated with tenth
house matters.
CARDINAL SIGNS: Aries,
Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
Cardinal signs are associated with initiation of activity which is established
by fixed signs and distributed by mutable
signs.
CONJUNCTION: Geometric angle between two
bodies in the chart in which they occupy the same sign and degree.
CONTRA-PARALLEL: Relationship between
two bodies in the chart in which they have the same declination, but one's
declination is south and the other's is north.
CUSP: The sign and degree that marks the beginning
of a house.
EARTH SIGNS: Taurus, Virgo,
and Capricorn. Earth signs are associated with
material and practicality.
EIGHTH HOUSE: Succeedent
house, associated with death, surgery, the resources of other people, taxation,
and inheritance.
ELEVENTH HOUSE: Succeedent
house, associated with friends, liberty versus license, long-term goals,
membership in associations, deaths in the family, sudden developments,
and legislative bodies.
FIFTH HOUSE: Succeedent
house, associated with children, gambling, love affairs, play, entertainment,
and creativity.
FIRE SIGNS: Aries, Leo,
and Sagittarius. Fire signs are associated
with the spirit.
FIRST HOUSE: Angular house,
associated with new ventures, births, arrivals, and what is coming up.
FIXED SIGNS: Taurus, Leo,
Scorpio, and Aquarius.
Fixed signs establish what is initiated by the cardinal
signs and distributed by the mutable signs.
FOURTH HOUSE: Angular
house, associated with home, family, the grave, wells, mines, real estate,
and civic government.
GEMINI: The mutable air
sign of the Zodiac, associated with third house matters.
JUPITER: Planetary ruler of both Pisces
and Sagittarius, the greater benefic, signifying
expansion, good fortune, forward-looking expectations, and respect for
law, church, and education.
LEO: The fixed fire
sign of the Zodiac, associated with fifth house matters.
LIBRA: The cardinal air
sign of the Zodiac, associated with seventh house
matters.
MARS: Planetary ruler of both Aries
and Scorpio, signifying fighting, combat, aggressiveness,
pioneering activities, and the exploration of new territory.
MERCURY: Planetary ruler of both Gemini
and Virgo, signifying speech, communication, mail,
messages of all kinds, the making of connections, and relatives (particularly
brothers and sisters).
MIDHEAVEN: The highest point of the chart,
the point overhead at the moment the chart is cast, the tenth
house cusp, signifying honor and reputation.
MOON: Ruler of Cancer, signifying
change, domestic affairs, function, and the evolution of the chart. More
than any other body, the Moon determines how the question or election will
eventuate, as indicated by the applying aspects it makes.
MUTABLE SIGNS: Gemini,
Virgo, Sagittarius, and
Pisces. Associated with the distribution of what
is begun by the cardinal signs and established
by the fixed signs.
MUTUAL RECEPTION BY HOUSE: The relationship
between two bodies in the chart in which both are in houses whose cusps
are ruled by the other body. Signifies exchange of characteristics ruled
by the two bodies.
MUTUAL RECEPTION BY SIGN: The relationship
between two bodies in the chart in which both are in signs ruled by the
other body. Signifies exchange of characteristics ruled by the two bodies.
NEPTUNE: Planetary ruler of Pisces,
signifying delusion, defrauding, artificial material, withdrawal, seclusion,
and anything which appears to be what it is not or does not appear to be
what it is.
NINTH HOUSE: Cadent house,
associated with the law, church, long-distance travel, higher education,
insurance, parades, and foreign interests.
OPPOSITION: Geometrical angle of 180 degrees
between two bodies, signifying a pulling apart or separation in which what
is signified by the bodies tends in opposite dirrections.
PARALLEL: Relationship between two bodies in
which they have the same declination, both in the north or both in the
south, signifying the same as a conjunction.
PART OF FORTUNE: An imaginary point the
same distance from the Ascendant as the Sun
is from the Moon, signifying where things can most
be expected to improve in the chart.
PISCES: The mutable water
sign, associated with twelfth house matters.
PLUTO: Planetary ruler of Scorpio,
associated with violence, sexuality, subversion, confusion, and the essence
of things.
QUINCUNX: Geometrical angle of 150 degrees
between two bodies, signifying incompatibility that can be overcome only
when what is governed by one body makes significant adjustments to what
is governed by the other body.
RETROGRADE: The apparent backward motion
of heavenly bodies, viewed from a position on earth. Retrogradation signifies
that whatever is governed by the retrograde body is turned inward, delayed,
held back, or lessened in effect, as compared to when the body is direct.
RULER: The body most closely associated with a
given sign is said to be its ruler, and the ruler finds its best expression
in that sign. Some signs have two rulers, others only one.
SAGITTARIUS: The mutable
fire sign of the Zodiac, associated with matters of
the ninth house.
SATURN: Planetary ruler of Capricorn
and Aquarius, associated with age, delay, obstruction,
harshness of work, limitations, administration, governance, and poverty.
SCORPIO: The fixed water
sign of the Zodiac, associated with eighth house matters.
SECOND HOUSE: Succeedent
house, associated with investment, money, tradition, and the future.
SEPARATING ASPECTS: Geometric angles between
bodies in the chart that have been exact at some time in the past. Separating
aspects cannot be used to predict future events.
SEVENTH HOUSE: Angular
house, associated with marriage, courtrooms, partnerships, divorce, legal
agreements, the public, and any otherwise undesignated person.
SEXTILE: Geometric relationship of 60 degrees
between two bodies in the chart, signifying that what is represented by
the two bodies will have an opportunity to be joined together, though it
will take some effort.
SIXTH HOUSE: Cadent house,
associated with volunteerism, service, work, subordination, health problems,
and digestion.
SQUARE: Geometric relationship of 90 degrees
between two bodies in the chart, signifying that what is represented by
the two bodies will come into conflict with each other due to incompatibility,
and they either cannot get together or can do so only at great cost.
SUCCEEDENT HOUSES: Second,
fifth, eighth, and eleventh
houses, signifying activity which takes place in private.
SUN: Ruler of Leo, signifying
pride, arrogance, energy, kingly attitude, and interest in entertainment.
TAURUS: Fixed earth
sign of the Zodiac, associated with second house
matters.
TENTH HOUSE: Angular house,
associated with governance, reputation, supervision, and judgment.
THIRD HOUSE: Cadent house,
associated with mail, messages, coming-and-going, the near neighborhood,
short trips, talking, and all forms of communication.
TRINE: Geometric relationship of 120 degrees between
two bodies in the chart, signifying ease of association and the effortless
coming together of whatever is ruled by the two bodies.
TWELFTH HOUSE: Cadent
house, associated with seclusion, treachery, hidden enemies, convalescence,
withdrawal, imprisonment, fear, and addiction.
URANUS: Planetary ruler of Aquarius,
signifying upset, reorganization, genius, brilliant ideas, science, technology,
divorce, and large-scale humanitarianism.
VENUS: Planetary ruler of both Taurus
and Libra, signifying calm, contentment, grace, etiquette,
beauty, decoration, and sense of values.
VIRGO: The mutable earth
sign of the Zodiac, associated with matters of the sixth
house.
WATER SIGNS: Cancer, Scorpio,
and Pisces. Water signs are associated with emotions
and feelings.
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Created by Rick Holt (Iron Mouth) E-mail: ironmouth@sprintmail.com
Copyright (c) 1997
Disclaimer: all opinions not expressly attributed
to other contributors are solely my own.