Astrology Glossary

A complete reference for astrology terms, techniques, placements, aspects, and concepts. Every entry links to a full, in-depth guide.

Jump to: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · I · K · L · M · N · O · P · R · S · T · V · W · Y

A

• Air Signs in Astrology: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius Explained — Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius share the element of air. Here's what that really means for personality, communication, relationships, and how the air signs show...
• Angular Houses in Astrology: The 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th Explained — The angular houses are the most prominent sections of your birth chart. Here's what the 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th houses mean and why planets placed there show...
• Applying vs Separating Aspects: Why the Difference Matters — Two planets can form the exact same angle and mean very different things depending on whether the aspect is still forming or already fading. Here's how apply...
• Ascendant in Astrology: Your Rising Sign Explained — Your Ascendant — or Rising Sign — is one of the three most important points in your chart. It shapes first impressions, physical presence, and the entire lay...
• Aspect Orbs in Astrology: How Wide Is Too Wide? — Aspect orbs tell you how close two planets need to be to form a meaningful angle. Here's how the system works, why astrologers disagree, and how to choose th...

B

• The Big Three in Astrology: Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign Explained — Your Sun sign is only one piece of the puzzle. Your Big Three — Sun, Moon, and Rising — tell the fuller story of who you are. Here's what each one means and ...
• Bowl Chart Pattern in Astrology: Self-Contained and Focused — The bowl is one of seven classic chart patterns. When all your planets sit on one hemisphere of the wheel, something specific is going on. Here's what the bo...
• Bucket Chart Pattern in Astrology: The Handle Planet Explained — The bucket is one of the most dramatic chart patterns. Nine planets on one side, one lone handle planet on the other — and that single planet ends up running...

C

• Cadent Houses in Astrology: The 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th Explained — The cadent houses — 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th — are the quietest sections of your chart. But quiet doesn't mean unimportant. Here's what each one rules and why...
• Cardinal Signs in Astrology: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn — Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are the cardinal signs — the zodiac's starters. Here's what cardinal energy really means in your chart, and how to work w...
• Chart Ruler in Astrology: How to Find and Interpret Yours — Your chart ruler is the planet that sets the tone for your whole birth chart. Here's how to find yours, what it means, and how to read its placement.
• Chiron in Astrology: The Wounded Healer in Your Chart — Chiron is the 'Wounded Healer' of astrology — the place in your chart where pain keeps resurfacing, and where, over time, that pain becomes wisdom you can sh...
• Composite Chart in Astrology: The Chart of a Relationship — A composite chart treats a relationship as its own living thing. Here's how astrologers build one, what it reveals, and how to read it with nuance.
• Conjunction in Astrology: What Happens When Planets Meet — When two planets sit close together, they blend their energies into one voice. Here's what conjunctions mean in astrology and how to read them in your chart.

D

• Dispositor in Astrology: What It Reveals About Your Chart — A dispositor is the planet that rules the sign another planet sits in. Trace the chain and you'll uncover hidden structure in your birth chart.
• Domicile in Astrology: What It Means When a Planet Is at Home — Domicile is when a planet sits in the sign it rules — the sign where it feels most at home. Here's what that means for your birth chart.

E

• Earth Signs in Astrology: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn Explained — Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are the earth signs — the builders of the zodiac. Here's what earth energy actually means and how it shows up in your chart.
• Exaltation in Astrology: When a Planet Performs at Its Best — Exaltation is an ancient concept that describes the sign where each planet shines brightest. Here's what it means, how to find yours, and how to read it in a...

F

• Final Dispositor in Astrology: The Planet That Rules Them All — A final dispositor is a single planet that ends up ruling every other planet in your chart through a chain of rulerships. Here's how to find yours and what i...
• Fire Signs in Astrology: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius Explained — Fire signs — Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius — bring energy, enthusiasm, and drive to the zodiac. Here's what they share, how they differ, and how to work with f...
• Fixed Signs in Astrology: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius — The fixed signs — Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius — are the stabilizers of the zodiac. Here's what they share, how they differ, and what fixed energy mean...

G

• Grand Cross in Astrology: The Most Challenging Chart Pattern — A grand cross is four planets locked in squares and oppositions. It's rare, intense, and often one of a chart's most transformative patterns. Here's the full...

I

• Intercepted Signs in Astrology: Hidden Signs in Your Chart — Intercepted signs sit hidden inside a house with no cusp of their own. Learn what causes them, what they mean in your chart, and how to work with their energy.

K

• Kite Pattern in Astrology: When a Grand Trine Has a Focal Point — A kite pattern is a grand trine with a fourth planet opposite one corner, adding tension and focus. Learn how to spot it and what it means in your birth chart.

L

• Locomotive Chart Pattern: Drive, Momentum, and Missing Energy — The locomotive chart pattern shows planets clustered in two-thirds of the wheel, leaving a telling empty third. Learn its meaning, engine planet, and how it ...

M

• Midheaven in Astrology (MC): Career, Purpose, and Public Image — The Midheaven (MC) marks your public life, career, and reputation. A guide to what the MC means in astrology and how to read it in your birth chart.
• Moon Sign in Astrology: What It Reveals About Your Inner World — Your Moon sign describes your emotional inner world — how you feel, what you need, and how you react when no one's watching. Here's what it means and how to ...
• Mutable Signs in Astrology: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces — Mutable signs are astrology's adaptable four: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. Here's what they share, what makes each one distinct, and how to read a...
• Mutual Reception in Astrology: When Two Planets Trade Places — Mutual reception is when two planets sit in each other's home signs, creating a hidden link between them. Here's how to spot it in your chart and what it rea...

N

• North Node in Astrology: Life Purpose and Soul Direction — The North Node in astrology points to your growth edge — the direction your life is pulling you toward. Here's what it means, how to find yours, and how to a...

O

• Opposition in Astrology: Balance, Tension, and Polarity — An opposition in astrology is a 180-degree aspect that creates tension, awareness, and the chance to hold two sides of a life theme at once.
• Out of Bounds Planets in Astrology: Beyond Normal Limits — Out of bounds planets travel beyond the sun's usual declination range, expressing their energy in unconventional, extreme, or strikingly original ways.

P

• Part of Fortune in Astrology: Your Path to Fulfillment — The Part of Fortune is a calculated point in your birth chart linked to worldly fulfillment, ease, and the areas where your effort pays off most naturally.
• Placidus vs Whole Sign Houses: Which House System Should You Use? — Placidus and Whole Sign are the two most popular astrology house systems. Compare how they work, their history, and how to choose the one that fits you.
• Planetary Dignity in Astrology: Domicile, Exaltation, Detriment, Fall — Planetary dignity describes how comfortable a planet is in a given sign. Learn the four states — domicile, exaltation, detriment, and fall — with examples.
• Progressions in Astrology: How Your Chart Evolves Over Time — Progressions are a technique that shows how your birth chart symbolically evolves through life. Learn how secondary progressions work and what to track.

R

• Rising Sign in Astrology: What It Is and What It Means — Your rising sign shapes first impressions and structures your entire birth chart. Learn how to find yours and what it means in practice.

S

• Saturn Return: What It Is, When It Happens, and What to Expect — Saturn Return is the cosmic pressure test that arrives around age 29 and again at 58. Here's what it really means, when it hits, and how to work with it inst...
• Sextile in Astrology: What This Supportive Aspect Means — A sextile is a 60 degree angle between two planets that creates ease and opportunity. Here's how to read sextiles in your birth chart and what they actually do.
• Singleton Planet in Astrology: The Lone Planet That Runs Your Chart — A singleton planet sits alone on one side of your chart while everything else clusters opposite. Here's how to find yours and why it carries outsized influence.
• Solar Arc Directions: How to Use This Forecasting Technique — Solar arc directions are a forecasting technique that moves every planet forward one degree per year. Here's how it works and how to spot the big chapters co...
• Solar Return Chart: What It Is and How to Use It — A solar return chart is a snapshot of the sky at the exact moment the Sun returns to your birth position — once a year, every year. Here's how to read yours.
• South Node in Astrology: Past Life Karma and Natural Gifts — The South Node describes ingrained habits, natural gifts, and comfort zones you've already mastered. Here's how to use yours without getting stuck in it.
• Square Aspect in Astrology: Tension, Growth, and Challenge — A square is a 90 degree aspect that creates friction between two planets. It's also where most of your personal growth actually happens. Here's how to work w...
• Succedent Houses in Astrology: The 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th Explained — The succedent houses — 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th — are where you consolidate, build, and sustain. Here's what they mean in your birth chart and why they matter.
• Synastry in Astrology: How to Compare Two Birth Charts — Synastry compares two birth charts to see how two people actually relate. Here's how it works, which aspects matter most, and what the overlay really tells you.

T

• T-Square in Astrology: What This Tense Pattern Means — A T-square in astrology is a high-tension pattern of three planets. Here's what it means, how to find it, and why astrologers see it as a source of drive.
• Transits in Astrology: How Moving Planets Affect Your Chart — Transits are how astrology tracks time. Here's what they are, which ones matter most, and how to read them to understand the current chapter of your life.
• Trine in Astrology: What This Harmonious Aspect Means — The trine is astrology's easiest aspect — a 120-degree flow of natural ability. Here's what it means, how to find it, and why ease doesn't always mean action.

V

• Vertex in Astrology: Fated Encounters and Destined Events — The Vertex is a calculated point in your birth chart linked to fated encounters and turning-point events. Learn what it means, where it came from, and how to...
• Void of Course Moon: What It Means and What to Avoid — The void of course Moon is a timing window when the Moon isn't forming major aspects. Astrologers use it to decide when to act and when to wait. Here's what ...

W

• Water Signs in Astrology: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces Explained — Water signs — Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces — share emotional depth, intuition, and sensitivity. Here's how each expresses water differently and what it means ...
• What Does Retrograde Mean in Astrology? — Retrograde is an optical illusion that astrologers treat as meaningful — a time when a planet's energy turns inward and invites review or reflection.
• What Is a Birth Chart? Beginner's Guide (+ Free Chart) — A birth chart is a map of the sky at the exact moment and place you were born. Here's what it actually shows — and why it's the foundation of every real astr...
• What Is a Progressed Chart and How Is It Different From Your Natal? — Your natal chart is a fixed snapshot. A progressed chart shows how that snapshot evolves over your lifetime. Here's how secondary progressions work and what ...
• What Is a Stellium in Astrology?
• What Is Hellenistic Astrology and Should You Study It? — Hellenistic astrology is the original Western system, practiced from 100 BCE to 600 CE. Here's what it actually teaches, how it differs from modern astrology...
• What Is Mercury Retrograde and Does It Actually Affect You? — Mercury retrograde happens three or four times a year and affects communication, technology, and travel. Here's what it actually means and how to handle it.
• What Is Venus Retrograde and What Does It Mean for Love? — Venus retrograde happens every 18 months and tends to stir up old loves, reshape values, and complicate money. Here's what it really means for your chart.
• Whole Sign Houses in Astrology: The Oldest House System Explained — Whole sign houses is the oldest system in Western astrology and one of the cleanest. Here's how it works, how it differs from Placidus, and why it's making a...

Y

• Yod in Astrology: The Finger of God Explained — A yod is a rare aspect pattern known as the Finger of God. Here's what the apex planet really means, how to find one in your chart, and how to work with it.