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| Crystal Sphere and Scarab Oracle in the author's collection |
Although I attempt to utilise clear and everyday terminology, sometimes it is impossible when writing or discussing Perso-Arabic and Hellenistic astrology. When I began reading the translations of Māsha’allāh and Dorotheus of Sidon, et cetera, I was overwhelmed with various new terms and usages.
For this reason, I have created a glossary of terms that I either use or may be referenced in future topics.
Achrēmatistos a planet that is deemed to be inoperative, or disadvantaged, the opposite of chrēmatistikos.
Alcochoden see kadukḫudhāh.
Alpheta see hīlāj.
Anemoi the four winds (see triplicity).
Angular see pivot.
Aphroditē the planet Venus.
Arēs the planet Mars.
Aspect refers to an interaction between planets (or planets and points) whereby they are seen to ‘regard’ or ‘see each’ other. Whole signs, and degrees, can be utilised to measure an aspect. If the Moon is in Taurus, and Jupiter is in Cancer, they can see each other in a whole sign aspect known as sextile. If the Moon was at 15° Taurus and Jupiter at 18° Cancer they are within sextile by degree (see orb, sextile, square, trine, opposition, and conjunction).
Aversion planets or places that are not configured (known as inconjunct) by either conjunction, sextile, square, trine, or opposition.
Bound the uneven division of the signs, also known as confines and terms, each ruled by one of the five planets and an important traditional rulership.
Cadent see decline.
Choleric one of the four temperaments, associated with fire being primarily hot.
Chrēmatistikos refers to whether a planet is operative, or busy, through either configuration (angularity) or place (house).
Chronocrator a planet that is activated for a period (time-lord).
Conjunction when two planets co-present in either a sign, or more commonly, close degrees.
Decline the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth places in the horoscope.
Detriment refers to the sign opposite a planet’s domicile, which became an important essential debility in the Medieval tradition but was seldom stressed in the earlier tradition. The Moon and the Sun are said to be in detriment in Capricorn and Aquarius, respectively. Mercury is said to be in detriment when in Sagittarius and Pisces, Venus in Scorpio and Aries, Mars in Libra and Taurus, Jupiter in Gemini and Virgo, and Saturn in Cancer and Leo. Detriment is likened to being in exile.
Depression see Fall.
Domicile refers to the rulership of a sign by the planets. Cancer and Leo are the domiciles of the Moon and the Sun, respectively. Gemini and Virgo are the domiciles of Mercury, Taurus and Libra are the domiciles of Venus, Aries and Scorpio that of Mars, Sagittarius and Pisces are ruled by Jupiter, while Saturn has Capricorn and Aquarius as his domiciles.
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| Zodiac Mosaic at the Beit Alfa Synagogue Israel |
Diameter see opposition.
Direction a predictive technique whereby certain planets or points are released and directed (by primary motion, e.g. the rotation of the earth) to another planet or point thereby triggering events promised in the natal chart.
Exaltation is a form of rulership where the planets are thought to be ‘elevated’ with each planet have one sign within which it is exalted: the Sun is exalted in Aries, the Moon in Taurus, Mercury is exalted Virgo, Venus is exalted when in Pisces, Mars’s exaltation is in Capricorn, Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, and Saturn is exalted in Libra.
Fall is the sign opposite a planet’s Exaltation, e.g. the Sun has its fall in Libra, the Moon in has her fall in Scorpio, Mercury is in fall in Pisces, Venus when in Virgo, Mars’s fall is found in Cancer, Jupiter is in his fall when in Capricorn, and Saturn has his fall in Aries.
Fixed Stars stars and constellations such as Spica, Agol, Sirius, and Regulus.
Hēlios the Sun.
Hermēs the planet Mercury.
Hexagon see sextile.
Hīlāj known as the prorogator [or indicator of the matter of] life this is the planet or point that has the most significant bearing on the vitality and life-force of a person, commonly utilised in longevity calculation and releasing.
Houses one of the twelve signs which are the houses of the planets, but now more commonly used to refer to the twelve places (see places).
Hyleg see hīlāj.
Inoperative see both achrēmatistos and chrēmatistikos.
Kadukḫudhāh said to be the governor of the matter of life, it is one of the rulers (preferably the bound lord) of the hīlāj.
Kronos the planet Saturn.
Lights see luminaries.
Luminaries the Sun and the Moon.
Melancholic one of the four temperaments, associated with earth being primarily dry.
Moitié see orb.
Operative see both chrēmatistikos and achrēmatistos.
Opposition refers either to two planets in opposite signs or 180 degrees apart.
Orb refers to the area around a planet and utilised to judge both the time-span and intensity of an aspect between planets. Each planet sits in the middle of its orb. Thus, Venus’ orb extends 7° either side and the Moon’s 12°. The half on a planet's orb is known as moitié.
The orbs given by Sahl (and utilised on this site) are: the Sun 30°, the Moon is 24°, Mercury is 14°, Venus is 14°, Mars is 16°, Jupiter is 18°, and Saturn is 18°.
Phlegmatic one of the four temperaments, associated with water being wet in nature.
Pivot the four angular places (that is the first, the fourth, the seventh, and then tenth houses).
Place the twelve topical sectors of the chart, e.g. seventh = spouse, now generally referred to as houses, but not invariably.
Post-Ascension the second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh houses which rise after a pivot.
Profection a predictive technique whereby the ascendant (or other point or planets ) are advanced by thirty degrees (or place) for each year of life.
Promissor the active or moving part of a primary direction, such as the bounds.
Releaser the significator (the fixed point) in primary directions that is released.
Revolution refers to either the moment when a planet returns to its position in a natal chart, or more commonly, a chart cast for the moment of return. The most common are the Solar or Lunar revolutions cast for the annual or monthly sun and moon returns, respectively.
Sālkḫudhāy the time-lord (Lord of the Year) governing the year often derived from profections.
Sanguine one of the four temperaments, associated with air being cool.
Selēnē the Moon.
Sextile either refers to planets separated by sixty degrees or three signs apart.
Signs see Zõidia.
Significator see Releaser.
Square either refers to planets separated by ninety degrees or four signs apart.
Succedent see post-ascension.
Tasīr Arabic term for primary direction.
Temperament refers to the calculation of the primary nature, or the personality, of an individual relative to the four personality types: choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic that in turn derive from the four elements of fire, earth, air, and water, respectively.
Tetragon see square.
Term see bound.
Time-lord see chronocrator.
Triangle see trine.
Trine either refers to two or more planets that are either five signs apart or separated by 120 degrees.
Triplicity refers to the division of the twelve signs into four groups of three, each that are all in trine (120°), or triangle, with each other:
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| The Four Triplicities |
1) Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
2) Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.
3) Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.
4) Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
Each triplicity was, initially, associated with the four winds, known collectively as the Anemoi: the first triplicity with the east, the second triplicity with the south, the third triplicity with the west, and the fourth triplicity with the northern wind. The direction derives from the movable signs, relative to Aries rising, i.e. Cancer would be in the North, Capricorn in the south, and Libra at the west.
Later the triplicities became associated with the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water, respectively.
Each triplicity is governed by three planets, with later authors using a day lord, night lord, and participating lord scheme. Such division does not seem so clear in the Hellenistic texts, where the order changed, by day and night, but all three were considered.
Aries, Leo and Sagittarius have, by day, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn, and by night, Jupiter, the Sun, and Saturn.
Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn have, by day, Venus, the Moon, and Mars; and by night, the Moon, Venus, and Mars.
Gemini, Libra and Aquarius have, by day, Saturn, Mercury, and Jupiter; and by night, Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter.
Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces have, by day, Venus, Mars, and the Moon; and by night, Mars, Venus, and the Moon.
Wandering Star the five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) and two luminaries (the Sun and the Moon).
Zeus the planet Jupiter.
Zõidia the twelve ‘signs’ of the zodiac, e.g. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, et cetera.
