Explanation of Terms Used in this Work

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EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED IN THIS WORK.

Abscission.--See "Frustration."

Affliction.--A planet, or the cusp of a house, being in evil aspect to any planet, or ☌ to a malefic.

Angles.--The four houses which commence at the points where the ☉ rises, culminates, sets, and arrives at mid-night; viz. the east, south, west, and north.

Application.--The approaching of one planet to another, or to the cusp of any house, either by ☌ or any aspect.

Ascendant.--The eastern horizon, or the cusp of that house which represents the party; as the cusp of the 5th is the ascendant for a child of the querent.

Aspect.--The being placed at certain distances from a planet, or the cusp of a house: as, if ♃ be 60 degrees from ☽ then they are both said to be in sextile aspect to each other. They are found to agree exactly with the angles of regular polygons which may be inscribed in a circle. An elucidation of this property of all astrological aspects may be seen in the "Grammar of Astrology."

Barren Signs.--♊, ♌, and ♍.

Benefics.--The two planets ♃ and ♀.

Bestial Signs.--♈, ♉, ♌, ♐ (the first half excepted), and ♑.

Besieged.--A planet being enclosed between two others.

Bicorporeal.--See "Double Bodied."

Cadent.--Falling from an angle: these are the 3d, 6th, 9th, and 12th houses.

Cazimi.--The heart of ☉, or being within 17 minutes of the

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exact longitude of ☉; which is considered a strong position, but, we think, erroneously.

Collection of Light.--When a planet receives the aspects of any two others which are not themselves in aspect. It denotes that the affair will be forwarded by a third person, described by that planet; but not unless they both receive him in some of their dignities.

Combustion.--The being within 8° 30' of the ☉, which is said to burn up those planets near him, so that they lose their power. It is always an evil testimony.

Common Signs.--♊, ♍, ♐, and ♓.

Conjunction.--Two planets being in the same longitude. If they be exactly in the same degree and minute, it is a partile conjunction, and very powerful; if within the half of the sum of their two orbs, it is a platic conjunction, and less powerful.

Culminate.--To arrive at the midheaven.

Cusp.--The beginning of any house.

Day House.--That house ruled by any planet by day; as ♒ is the day-house of ♄; ♐ of ♃, &c. if the question be asked by day, or while ☉ is above the horizon, and it be required to know what house ♄ rules, look for ♒; and wherever it may be found, that is the house of ♄.

Debilities.--See "Dignities."

Declination.--The distance any heavenly body is from the equator.

Decreasing in Light.--When any planet is past the ☍ of ☉, it decreases in light; it is a testimony of weakness.

Decumbiture.--A lying down; the figure erected for the time of any person being first taken ill, and taking to their bed.

Degree.--The 30th part of a sign in the zodiac; or the 360th part of any circle.

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Descendant.--The western horizon; or cusp of the 7th house.

Detriment.--The sign opposite the house of any planet; as ♂ in ♎ is in his detriment. It is a sign of weakness, distress, &c.

Dignities.--These are either essential or accidental. The former are when any planet is in its own house, exaltation, triplicity, term or face; the latter are, when any planet is in an angle, and well aspected, not afflicted, swift in motion, increasing in light, &c. The reverse of dignities are debilities.

Direct.--When any planet moves on in the regular order of the signs, from ♈ towards ♉, &c.

Direction.--The calculating the arc between two heavenly bodies, &c. It is a term chiefly used in nativities.

Dispose, Dispositor.--A planet disposes of any other which may be found in its essential dignities. Thus, if ☉ be in ♈, the house of ♂, then ♂ disposes of ☉, and is said to rule, receive, or govern him. When the dispositor of the planet signifying the thing asked after is himself disposed by the lord of the ascendant, it is a good sign. To dispose by house is the most powerful testimony; then by exaltation, then triplicity, then term, and lastly, face, which is a very weak reception.

Double-bodied Signs.--♊, ♐, ♓.

Dragon's Head.--It is thus marked, ☊, and is the north node of ☽, or where she crosses the ecliptic into north latitude. It is always a good symbol, denoting success, a good disposition, &c.

Dragon's Tail.--It is thus marked, ☋, and is where the ☽ crosses the ecliptic into south latitude, or her south node. It is very evil, and in all things the reverse of ☊; it

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diminishes the power of good, and increases that of evil planets.

Earthy Signs.--♉, ♍, and ♑, which form the earthy triplicity.

Ephemeris.--An almanack of the planets' places. The best is White's, until the year 1834, when it ceased to give the longitudes for each day. For horary questions, the best now published is Partridge's Almanack.

Exaltation.--An essential dignity, next in power to that of house.

Face.--The weakest of all the essential dignities.

Fall.--A planet is in its fall when in the sign opposite to its exaltation. It chews a person in a weak and hopeless state, unless the planet be well aspected.

Familiarity.--Any kind of aspect or reception.

Feminine Signs.--These are all the even signs, reckoning from Aries; as the 2d, 4th, 6th, 8th, &c.

Fiery Signs, or Fiery Triplicity.--♈, ♌, ♐.

Figure.--The diagram which represents the heavens at any time: it is also called a scheme or horoscope.

Fortunes.--♃, and ♀; and the ☉, ☽, and ☿, if aspecting them, and not afflicted, are considered fortunate planets.

Fruitful Signs.--♋, ♏, and ♓.

Frustration.--The cutting off or preventing any thing shewn by one aspect by means of another. Thus, if ♀, lady of the ascendant, were hastening to the △ of ♂, lord of the 7th, in a question of marriage, it might denote that the match would take place; but if ☿ were to form an ☍ of ♂ before ♀ reached her △ of that planet, it would be a frustration; and would shew that the hopes of the querent would be cut off; and if ☿ were lord of the 12th, it might denote that it would be done by a private enemy.

Horary Questions.--So named from the Latin word hora, an

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hour, because the time of their being asked is noted, and the figure of the heavens for that time is taken to judge the result. The word hora appears to be derived from the Egyptian name for the Sun, which Herodotus informs us was Horus or Orus; the Hebrew or, lux, light, or day, and oriens, eastern, all appear to have had the same origin. The Budhists call the Sun Hiru, which, with its Braminical name also, appears equally to have been derived from Egypt, the first cradle of astrology.

Horoscope.--The ascendant is sometimes so called; but it is more generally a term for the figure of the heavens used by astrologers for predicting by nativities, mundane astrology, and horary questions.

Houses.--The Twelve divisions or compartments into which the circle of the heavens is divided; also the signs in which any planet is said to have most influence.

Human Signs.--♊, ♍, ♒, and the first half of ♐. Any person's significator therein, shews them to be of a humane disposition.

Impedited.--This signifies being afflicted by evil stars. The ☽ is impedited in the highest degree when in ☌ with ☉.

Joined to.--Being in any aspect.

Increasing in Light.--When any planet is leaving ☉, and is not yet arrived at the ☍; after which it decreases in light. The former is a good, the latter an evil testimony, especially as regards the ☽.

Increasing in Motion.--When any planet moves faster than it did on the preceding day.

Inferior Planets.--♀, ☿, and ☽; so called because their orbit is inferior to that of the earth.

Infortunes.--♅, ♄, and ♂; also ☿ when he is much afflicted.

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Intercepted.--A sign which is found between the cusps of two houses, and not on either of them.

Latitude.--The distance any star, &c., is north or south of the ecliptic. The ☉ never has any latitude. Latitude on the earth is the distance any place is north or south of the equator.

Lights.--The ☉ and ☽.

Light of Time.--The ☉ by day and the ☽ by night.

Longitude.--The distance any star, &c., is from the first point of ♈, or beginning of the zodiac.

Lord.--That planet whose house is occupied by any other, is said to be the lord or ruler of that other; and if his sign be on the cusp of any house, he is called the lord of that house. Thus, if ♈ ascend in any figure, ♂, who rules that sign, is the lord of the ascendant.

Masculine Signs.--They are the odd signs, viz. the 1st, 3d, 5th, &c.

Medium Cæli.--The midheaven.

Meridian.--The midheaven, or place where ☉ is at noon. The opposite point, or where ☉ is at midnight, the cusp of the 4th house, is the meridian under the earth.

Moveable Signs.--♈, ♋, ♎, and ♑.

Night Houses.--Those signs in which the planets are stronger by night than by day. See "Day Houses."

Nodes.--The points where any planet crosses the ecliptic it its path of latitude.

Occidental.--See "Oriental."

Order of the Houses.--They rank in power as follows:--1st, 10th, 7th, 4th, 11th, 5th, 9th, 3d, 2d, 8th, 6th, 12th.

Orb.--That distance round a planet to which its influence more particularly extends. The orb of the cusp of any house, a fixed star, or ⊕, is five degrees.

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Oriental.--Planets found between the fourth house and the midheaven, rising, are in the eastern half of the figure, and said to be oriental. When they have passed the midheaven, and until they reach the 4th again, they are occidental. In nativities, the ☉ and ☽ are oriental from the 1st to the 10th, and from the 7th to the 4th, and occidental in the opposite quarters.

Peregrine.--Having no essential dignity whatever. A planet is not reckoned peregrine that is in mutual reception with any other.

Platic.--Any aspect which is not partile or exact, but only within orbs, or rather within the moiety of the two planets' orbs. As if ♄ be in ♈ 10°, and ☽ in ♎ 20°, the ☽ is still in ☍ to ♄; because the half of their joint orbs being 10° 30', she still wants 30' of being clear of his ☍.

Querent.--The person who queries or inquires.

Quesited.--The person or thing inquired about.

Radical.--That which belongs to the radix, or root; fit to be judged.

Reception.--The being received by any planet is being in that planet's essential dignities; it is a good testimony when mutual. See "Dispose."

Refranation.--When two planets are coming to any aspect, and one falls retrograde before the aspect is complete, it denotes that the matter will wholly fail.

Retrograde.--When any planet is decreasing in longitude. It is a very great debility.

Separation.--When any aspect is past, but is yet within orbs, the planets are said to separate from each other. It denotes that the influence is passing away.

Significator.--The planet which is lord of the house which rules the matter inquired after, is the significator of the

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quesited; the lord of' the ascendant is the general significator of the querent. The ☽ is in general his consignificator.

Signs of Long Ascension.--♋, ♌, ♍, ♎, ♏, ♑. A ✶ in them is said to have the effect of a ☐, and a ☐ that of a △.

Signs of Short Ascension.--♑, ♒, ♓, ♈, ♉, ♊. A △ is said to have the effect of a ☐, and a ☐ that of a ✶.

Swift in Motion.--When a planet moves faster than its mean motion.

Table of Houses.--These are necessary to erect a figure of the heavens. ¹

Term.--An essential dignity. (See page 72.)

Testimony.--Having any aspect or dignity, &c., or being in any way in operation in the figure as regards the question asked.

Translation of Light.--The conveying the influence of one planet to another, by separating from the aspect of one and going to the aspect of the other. It is a very powerful testimony.

Triplicity.--An essential dignity. The zodiac is divided into four trigons, or triplicities; the fiery, ♈, ♌, ♐; the earthy, ♉, ♍, ♑; the airy, ♊, ♎, ♒; and the watery, ♋, ♏, and ♓; agreeing with the four elements into which the ancients divided the whole of the natural world.

Void of Course.--Forming no aspect in the sign it is in. When ☽ is so, it denotes in general no success in the question.

Watery Signs.--♋, ♏, and ♓.

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Watery Triplicity.--♋, ♏, and ♓.

Zodiac.--A belt which surrounds the earth, about eighteen degrees broad, in which the Sun and Planets continually move.

THE END OF INTRODUCTION TO ASTROLOGY.

Footnotes

345:1 A complete set for London and Liverpool, answering for all kingdom, follows the Grammar of Astrology.