Astrological key terms | CHANI

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Altar

An altar is a table or surface devoted to the presentation of ritual items or offerings. If you create an altar at home, you can think of it as a space to honor the seasons, the planets, or your inner world — or as a sacred place dedicated to your psychological, spiritual, and emotional healing. An altar can be as simple as a candle on a bookshelf, or it can be crowded with all of your favorite trinkets. Common altar items include cloths, candles, incense, flowers, crystals, and figurines, but use whatever objects feel most resonant to you.

Angle

The angles are the four cornerstones of a birth chart. Determined by the exact time and location of your birth, they’re part of what makes your natal chart so special — and unique to you.

• The ascendant (or rising sign) is the sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth. The ascendant is where the Sun rises every day, so it represents life and vitality. The exact degree of the sign on the horizon at the moment of your birth is the point that most intimately represents you.

• The descendant (or DC) is the sign exactly opposite the ascendant. It always forms the 7th House of the chart, and it represents your significant others: your beloveds, best friends, business partners, artistic collaborators, and anyone in a close 1:1 dynamic with you, such as clients or therapists.

• The midheaven (or MC) is the symbolic culmination point in your chart. This area represents your most public, “outside” selves — the roles you take on in your career or vocation and your reputation among other people.

• The imum coeli (or IC) sits exactly opposite the midheaven. This is the symbolic midnight of your chart: the lowest point in the Sun’s journey below the horizon from our perspective. It represents home, family, roots, ancestors, and foundations.

Aspects

Aspects are the relationships that planets form with each other. They’re determined by the geometric angles held between planets, either by current transit or within a birth chart. When two planets are in an aspect, they are able to influence each other and exchange energy.

There are five major aspects:

• Conjunctions occur when any planet is in the same sign as another planet. The closer the planets are to each other, the more their energies will fuse, like two essential oils mixing together to form a unique fragrance.

• Sextiles are harmonious aspects that bestow cooperation and support upon the two planets involved. Planets sextile each other when they are two signs (or around 60°) apart. For example, the signs Leo and Gemini sextile each other, as do Taurus and Cancer.

• Squares are among the two more challenging aspects. They are points of friction that encourage us to take action — and the process is not always comfortable. Planets that are three signs (or around 90°) away from each other form a square.

• Trines are considered the most harmonious aspects — even more so than sextiles. These gifts occur when planets are four signs (or around 120°) apart and therefore in the same element (e.g., Cancer and Scorpio). Trines offer synchronicities, opportunities, and ease to the planets involved.

• Oppositions are the other more challenging aspects. They act like tugs-of-war that ask us to balance contrasts within ourselves, or between ourselves and the outer world. Planets that are six signs (or around 180°) apart are in opposition to each other — take Gemini and Sagittarius, for example.

Birth chart

Your birth chart is a freeze-frame of the sky at the precise moment and location of your birth. It offers a road map of the lessons, gifts, and challenges that will unfold throughout your lifetime.

Your birth chart has three primary components:

• Planets / points — aka the “who.” The planets and points act as different characters within the play of our lives, supporting our storylines or foiling certain plots. Each one is necessary, creating specific conditions for our bodies, lives, and relationships.

• Signs — aka the “how.” Each sign has its own signature style, and every planet functions differently through its filter. For example, Mars (the planet of courage and drive) is action-oriented in its fiery domain of Aries. In detail-oriented Virgo, however, it’s aggressively thorough.

• Houses — aka the “where.” Each house correlates with a specific area of life — your daily routines, your vocation or career, your communities, etc. If the planets are the actors and the signs are their costumes, then the houses are the sets where their stories are lived out.

Cazimi

Derived from the Arabic phrase meaning “in the heart of the Sun,” cazimi refers to a conjunction (or merger) within 1° between the Sun and any planet. The ancients considered these auspicious moments as times when the planets involved are purified and their truths are revealed. Cazimis can offer us divine downloads and insights, if we pay attention. 

It’s also important to note that there are two types of cazimis: (1) “inferior conjunctions,” when Mercury or Venus is between the Sun and the Earth during its retrograde, and (2) “superior conjunctions,” when Mercury, Venus, or another planet is on the opposite side of the Sun from our vantage point on Earth and is moving forward. While inferior conjunctions with the Sun can bring more personal revelations, superior conjunctions help us zoom out to observe the bigger story.

Decan

While the zodiac is divided into 12 equal signs of 30° each, decans divide each sign even further — into three distinct segments of 10°.

• The first decan refers to the first 10° of the sign.
• The second decan refers to the middle 10° of the sign.
• The third decan refers to the final 10° of the sign.

Degrees

Don’t let these numbers scare you! In astrology, as in geometry, a degree is simply a measure of space — one tiny fraction of a circle, which consists of 360°. The chart wheel is a circle, so there are 360° in the zodiac, which astrologers divide into 12 equal chunks of 30° (aka the signs of the zodiac).

Wondering what the numbers after the degree symbols are? They’re called arc minutes. Every degree in the chart wheel consists of 60 arc minutes. For example, if your Sun is at 8°36 of a sign, you would read this as eight degrees and 36 minutes — that’s a little more than eight and a half. It’s similar to telling time… but to describe space. If that’s still confusing, thank those wizzes who invented geometry.

Element

The 12 signs are divided into four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. Each element has its own temperament, which tells you whether the sign operates through inspiration (fire), practicality (earth), communication (air), or emotion (water).

Essential dignity

Essential dignities describe the relative strengths, weaknesses, and gifts of the planets, based on the sign they’re placed in. For example, the Sun is said to be at home in the sign of Leo, where it can most powerfully fulfill its duties of shining, creating, and revitalizing.

There are four main essential dignities:

• Domicile — aka a sign that a planet rules and where it feels at home. When in domicile, the planet has access to all its resources and feels as comfortable as can be. Examples of domiciles include the Moon in Cancer and Mercury in Gemini. Note that Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn rule two signs each, while the luminaries (the Sun and the Moon) rule one sign each.

• Detriment — aka the sign opposite a planet’s domicile. When in detriment, the planet is so contrary to its placement that it has little interest in doing its assigned job. For example, Venus in Scorpio or Aries isn’t focused on “playing nice” in the same way that it is in other signs. Planets in detriment require us to work extra hard to compensate for these disparities, pushing us to grow in ways we wouldn’t otherwise. Other examples of detriments include Saturn in Cancer and Mars in Taurus.

• Exaltation — aka the sign where a planet gains recognition. When exalted, the planet is refined by the sign, which means it yields the most positive outcomes. For example, while Mars is naturally reckless and hot-headed, it learns patience in its exaltation sign of Capricorn and spreads its drive over the long haul. Other examples of exaltations include Venus in Pisces and Jupiter in Cancer.

• Fall — aka the sign opposite a planet’s exaltation. When in fall, the planet feels less recognized and respected. Unlike a planet in detriment, a planet in fall may want to do its job, but it’s starting at a disadvantage. This struggle will unlock hidden strengths in us, if we’re persistent. Examples of falls include the Moon in Scorpio and Saturn in Aries.

Exaltation degrees

Each of the seven traditional planets is exalted in one of the 12 zodiac signs. Within each sign of exaltation, there is one specific degree where the corresponding planet is considered especially potent and auspicious.

The exaltation degrees are as follows:

• The Moon: 3rd degree of Taurus (i.e., 2°00′ – 2°59′ Taurus)
• The Sun: 19th degree of Aries (i.e., 18°00′ – 18°59′ Aries)
• Mercury: 15th degree of Virgo (i.e., 14°00′ – 14°59′ Virgo)
• Venus: 27th degree of Pisces (i.e., 26°00′ – 26°59′ Pisces)
• Mars: 28th degree of Capricorn (i.e., 27°00′ – 27°59′ Capricorn)
• Jupiter: 15th degree of Cancer (i.e., 14°00′ – 14°59′ Cancer)
• Saturn: 21st degree of Libra (i.e. 20°00′ – 20°59′ Libra)

House systems

House systems are different modes of presenting the houses in an astrology chart, which offer different ways of perceiving your relationship to the cosmos. Each system emphasizes or de-emphasizes certain details, but none of them changes where the stars or planets were located in the sky when you were born; they just offer distinct perspectives. Most astrologers tend to choose one or two house systems to work with.

Here are two examples:

• The whole sign house system is one of the oldest, originating from the Hellenistic period. Put simply, the boundaries of the signs determine the boundaries of the houses. Each house divides the wheel of an astrology chart into 12 equal chunks. Because the signs are also divided into 12 equal chunks, no matter which house system you use, each house lines up with one of the signs. For example, if you’re born with the ascendant at 22º Pisces, all of Pisces will form your 1st House. Your 2nd House will begin at 0º Aries, your 3rd House at 0º Taurus, and so on. This is the house system we use in the CHANI app.

• Quadrant house systems divide the chart into four quarters, using the axes from the ascendant to the descendant and from the midheaven to the imum coeli. They then divide each quadrant into three houses each, which can be similar in size or wildly different, depending on the latitude of a person’s birth. In quadrant house systems like Placidus, multiple houses can fall inside one sign, and one house can encompass multiple signs.

No house system is more or less accurate than any other. They are simply different ways of mapping the sky from your vantage point on Earth.

Ingress

Ingress is just the fancy astrological word for a planet’s entrance into a new sign. For example, if the Sun enters the sign of Virgo, you can say it has “ingressed” into Virgo.

Lunar nodes

Astronomically speaking, the nodes of the Moon are the two points in space where the Moon’s orbit around Earth intersects with the ecliptic (i.e., the path that the Sun traces in the sky from the perspective of us Earthlings). The North and South Nodes are always exactly opposite each other (read: separated by 180°).

• Astrologically, the North Node is the point of increase, gain, opportunity, and hunger. Historically, it has been depicted as the head of a ravenous dragon.

• The South Node is the point of surrender, loss, and decrease. It is where we renounce, release, and purify. Historically, it has been depicted as the tail of that mythic dragon.

Lunation

A lunation is a “lunar month,” or the time that passes between two New Moons (around 29.5 days). During this time, the Moon’s shape changes as it waxes to full and then wanes again.

The main lunar phases we focus on are New Moons and Full Moons, which include lunar and solar eclipses.

• New Moons occur when the Sun and Moon join together, which means you can’t see the Moon in the night sky. This moment has the energy of a freshly planted seed. It brings a quality of emergence and youthful curiosity.

• Full Moons occur when the Moon opposes the Sun, receiving the full extent of its light. Full Moons are times of peak experience and culmination, when we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

• Lunar eclipses are Full Moons that take place near one of the lunar nodes. In this position, the Moon moves into the shadow of the Earth, which darkens its reflection of the Sun’s light. Astrologically, lunar eclipses bring fateful change and transformation.

• Solar eclipses are New Moons that take place near one of the lunar nodes. In this position, the Moon is aligned between the Sun and the Earth, and it blocks out the Sun’s light. Like lunar eclipses, solar eclipses may signal an unraveling of something in our life while also awakening new passions and desires.

Modality

The 12 signs are divided into three modalities: cardinal, fixed, and mutable. The modality of a sign tells us what its job is. Cardinal signs initiate new seasons, fixed signs sustain them, and mutable signs transition us into the next. Because of this, no two signs in a given element work exactly alike.

• The cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. As the signs that initiate the seasons, they have an action-oriented vibe. Capricorn, for example, excels at launching long-range plans, while Libra initiates relationships.

• The fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Fixed signs stabilize the existing season and represent what is sturdy and enduring. For example, Leo sustains the powers of creativity, while Aquarius applies its intellectual stamina toward designing and innovating systems.

• The mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. These are the signs that conclude the seasons and let go of one thing in preparation for another. For example, Gemini distributes and absorbs information, while Sagittarius disperses and seeks enthusiasm and wisdom.

Moon phase

The Moon phase refers to how the Moon appears — or doesn’t appear — in our sky, based on its position as the Earth orbits around the Sun.

At CHANI, we work with eight Moon phases:

• New Moon 🌑 A New Moon occurs when the Moon conjoins the Sun and disappears from the night sky. This is a time for new beginnings. Plant seeds for your future growth and listen to what is emerging within.

• Crescent Moon 🌒 A Crescent Moon occurs when the Moon becomes visible again after its conjunction with Sol. Keep tending to your projects and plans. They’re gathering momentum.

• First-Quarter Moon 🌓 A First-Quarter Moon occurs when the Moon is 90° ahead of the Sun in the zodiac, forming a semicircle in the sky. This is a time in the month to take action. Whatever dreams and schemes you’re concocting, dedicate your unwavering attention. Learn all you can from the hurdles. They’re here to teach you something.

• Gibbous Moon 🌔 A Gibbous Moon occurs when the Moon continues to fill with light, days before the Full Moon. Now is the time to pause, fine-tune plans where needed, and celebrate your progress.

• Full Moon 🌕 A Full Moon occurs when the Moon is exactly opposite the Sun, receiving and reflecting its full spotlight. This time of the month corresponds to peaks, culminations, and heightened activity (and feelings). Carry your projects to the finish line, but remember to rest and nurture your system amid the buzz of the moment.

• Disseminating Moon 🌖 As the Full Moon starts to wane, it enters its Disseminating phase. Circulate your wisdom. Distribute your findings. Share the fruits of your labors and the lessons you’ve learned.

• Last-Quarter Moon 🌗 The Last-Quarter Moon occurs when Luna is 90° behind the Sun in the zodiac, forming another semicircle in the sky. It’s time to refine. Rewrite your mission statement, honor your limits, and notice what you want to release.

• Balsamic Moon 🌘 In the days before the next New Moon, Luna appears narrower and darker. During this Balsamic phase, compost old structures and outgrown patterns. Whatever you release now will nourish the soil for the next stage of your growth.

Orb

An orb refers to the number of degrees that separate one planet from making an exact aspect with another; it’s a bit like a planet’s “sphere of influence.” The closer two planets are to making an aspect, the tighter the orb will be.

It’s up to each astrologer to decide how wide of an orb to use when evaluating a natal chart. Some astrologers will exclusively consider aspects with a relatively tight orb, such as 4° or narrower (e.g., Venus at 7° Capricorn is sextiling Mars at 11° Scorpio with a 4° orb). Other astrologers use different orbs for different planets, depending on their planetary speeds. Traditional astrologers commonly used a 13° orb for the Moon because that’s how much Luna typically moves in a given day.

At CHANI, we use whole sign aspects rather than degree-based connections for natal placements, so we don’t work with specific orb parameters for interpreting your birth chart. That said, the tighter the aspect between two planets, the more powerful the effects tend to be.

Overcoming

When two planets are engaged in an aspect, the planet that is behind the other as they cycle through the twelve signs in a chart is considered to be in a stronger position. In these instances, it is said that the planet in the stronger position overcomes the other planet involved in the aspect, as if it were a race car catching up with the front-runner in a lap around the zodiac. For example, in a chart where Venus is in Aries and Mars is in Cancer, Venus overcomes Mars and therefore has more influence over how this aspect will pan out. This term can be applied to any planets configured in a square, trine, or sextile. So in the same example, Venus in Aries would also overcome Saturn in Leo.

Point calculations

In astrology, there are different chart calculations that an astrologer has to consider, especially for the astronomical points that tend to “wobble” because of the Moon’s elliptical orbit.

• The lunar nodes generally progress backward through the signs in a chart, but their real movements tend to switch between retrograde and direct motion.

• • The mean calculation of the lunar nodes smooths out these minor wobbles by producing a mathematical average of the overall movement.

• • The true calculation reflects the precise location of the nodes at a given moment rather than the mathematical average. The discrepancy between the true and mean calculations can be up to 1°45, so the calculation you use can sometimes change the sign and house placements of the nodes.

• Black Moon Lilith (BML) is another point that oscillates between retrograde and direct motion. It stations retrograde about once a month, leading it to tread back and forth over the same territory for several months at a time.

• • The mean calculation produces a location based on the average of these retrograde and direct stations. If you follow the mean location of BML over time, you’ll notice that it always moves in direct motion.

• • The true calculation captures BML’s exact position at a given moment as it sweeps back and forth. This can be many degrees apart from the mean calculation, often in another sign and house altogether.

At CHANI, we use true calculations for both the lunar nodes and Black Moon Lilith.

Polarity

Just like elements and modalities, polarity is one of the conceptual building blocks that distinguishes the signs. It reflects an implicit binary, such as that between even and odd numbers — or in the case of the zodiac, between alternating signs. While some astrologers describe fire and air signs as “masculine,” “positive,” or “yang” and water and earth signs as “feminine,” “negative,” or “yin,” we prefer the more neutral and sky-rooted language of “diurnal” and “nocturnal.”

Retrograde

A retrograde is a period when a planet appears to move backward in the sky from our vantage point on Earth. It is an optical illusion caused by a difference in planetary speeds — and that visual effect of backward motion tends to mirror our experiences during these times.

In astrology, retrogrades are said to create confusions, delays, and slowdowns related to the mission of the planet involved. That said, these hiccups in the narrative give us time to pause, reflect, and integrate that planet’s lessons.

• During a Mercury retrograde, communications, travels, and everyday tasks get disoriented and stalled. Mercury retrogrades are also excellent times for review, revision, and parsing plans. As the fastest-moving planet, Mercury stations retrograde three to four times a year.

• During a Venus retrograde, our relationships with beauty, pleasure, and other people come under review. Venus retrogrades can be prime opportunities to go within ourselves for love and reaffirm our essential needs in partnership. Venus stations retrograde every 18 months.

• During a Mars retrograde, our will, drive, and desires can feel thwarted or obstructed. The gift of a Mars retrograde is the space it gives us to explore how we relate to anger, passion, and motivation. Mars stations retrograde every two years.

• During a Jupiter retrograde, our dreams, growth opportunities, and wisdom pursuits get recalibrated. These can be periods of spiritual doubt and realignment, when we’re asked to consider life’s deeper questions. As one of the farther planets from the Sun, Jupiter spends half of every year retrograde.

• During a Saturn retrograde, we dig into issues of authority, discipline, parental archetypes, and boundaries. Our responsibilities, commitments, and long-term plans may also go under review. As one of the farther planets from the Sun, Saturn spends half of every year retrograde.

• During a Uranus retrograde, our rebellious urges and our relationship to change get re-examined. This is a moment to balance innovation with time-honored approaches. A time to ask: “Is this rebel’s cause truly aligned?” As one of the farther planets from the Sun, Uranus spends half of every year retrograde.

• During a Neptune retrograde, we often wrestle with deep spiritual questions or spells of disillusionment. If you’ve noticed that you’ve felt disenchanted, this time could help you replenish your capacity to dream and trust in a higher power. As one of the farther planets from the Sun, Neptune spends half of every year retrograde.

• During a Pluto retrograde, our transformation processes and personal evolutions come up for review. This period could prompt your relationship with your own power to shift for the better. As one of the farther planets from the Sun, Pluto spends half of every year retrograde.

Retrograde shadow

A retrograde shadow is the territory that a retrograding planet will eventually cover during its backward trek.

• Pre-retrograde shadow periods begin before a planet’s retrograde, when said planet reaches the degree where it will eventually station direct weeks or months later. At this point, the planet is preparing to slow down, and we may notice some early tricks and turbulence.

• Post-retrograde shadow periods end after a planet’s retrograde, when said planet reaches the degree it originally stationed retrograde on weeks or months earlier. After this point, we’re out of the proverbial woods, and the snafus should start to smooth out.

Ritual

A ritual is a ceremonial practice in which every action, gesture, and affirmation has great intention behind it. Rituals can hold space for communing with the planets, our ancestors, or our own magic. You can think of the rituals in this Yearbook as spiritual offerings, healing practices, or opportunities to deepen your relationship with yourself.

Sect

Sect is a concept in traditional astrology that distinguishes day charts from night charts.

The easiest way to understand the sect of your chart is to find out whether the Sun is above or below the horizon (i.e., the line between the ascendant and the descendant). If the Sun is above the horizon, you have a day chart, and the Sun is your light leader. If the Sun is below the horizon, you have a night chart, and the Moon is your light leader.

The traditional planets also belong to specific sects. In addition to the Sun, the daytime planets are Jupiter and Saturn. They tend to function more powerfully in day charts and/or when they’re in the same hemisphere as the Sun. The nighttime planets, in addition to the Moon, are Mars and Venus. They gain more strength in night charts and/or when they’re in the opposite hemisphere from the Sun. Mercury, true to its shapeshifting ways, can belong to either team.

Transit

Transits refer to the planets in the current, ever-changing sky. The word “transit” simply means “to move from one place to another.” In astrology, transits refer to how the planets moving through the sky engage with each other and with your birth chart.

 

Looking for more intel? Read your daily horoscope:

Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra 

Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

Then download the CHANI app on iOS or Android for additional horoscopes, meditations, affirmations, readings for the current Moon phase and sign, and more.