Glossary

A chart of the sky at birth, drawn from date, time, and place. It shows planetary positions and links—the foundation of all chart reading.

Sun, Moon, and Ascendant. The three most important pieces in astrology—outer look, inner life, and first impression.

The birth chart divided into 12 areas. Each house shows a life domain—1st self, 7th relating, 10th career.

The 12 sign segments the Sun moves through in a year. Western astrology uses the equinox frame (Tropical); Vedic uses the stellar frame (Sidereal).

The sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth. It shows first impression, outer style, and how you move.

The 12 signs are grouped into 4 elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air). Each element has 3 signs and shows a quality of energy.

Signs are grouped into 3 modalities (Cardinal/start, Fixed/steady, Mutable/change). They show how energy moves.

Cardinal modality. Energy that starts new beginnings. Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn belong here.

Fixed modality. Energy of stability and staying power. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius belong here.

Mutable modality. Energy of flexibility and adapting. Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces belong here.

The crossing of the Moon’s path and the ecliptic. South Node shows past patterns and innate gifts; North Node shows this-life direction and growth axis.

Shows past patterns and innate gifts. Comfortable habits that growth asks you to loosen.

Shows this-life purpose and growth direction. Challenging, yet it marks the path growth asks you to take.

When today’s sky planets meet birth chart planets. Used to read a period’s flow and change timing.

A technique that advances the birth chart over time. One day equals one year to read how life unfolds.

The chart when the Sun returns to its birth position on your birthday—used to read themes for the year ahead.

The chart when the Moon returns to its birth position—about every 27 days—to read a month's emotional flow and themes.

A technique comparing two birth charts to read relationship compatibility through planetary angles and harmony.

A relationship chart made by combining two charts. It shows the third energy formed when two people meet.

Traditional Indian astrology that uses the Sidereal Zodiac, unlike Western astrology. Analyzes karma and dharma through the Nakshatra (27 lunar constellations) and Dasha (planetary periods) systems.

The 27 lunar mansions in Vedic astrology. Each Nakshatra spans 13°20′, enabling finer personality reads.

The planetary period system in Vedic astrology. Predicts the flow of life through the periods ruled by each planet.

When a planet appears to move backward from Earth. It means that planet’s energy turns inward or needs a review stretch.

The period when Mercury is retrograde. Occurs 3-4 times a year, known as a time requiring caution in communication, contracts, and electronic devices.

When the Moon covers the Sun. A strong new moon that brings beginnings and change energy.

When Earth covers the Moon. A strong full moon that brings completion and release energy.

The period when the Sun and Moon are at the same position. Good energy for new beginnings and setting intentions.

When Sun and Moon sit opposite. Brings completion, achievement, and release energy.

The "signature sign" found by combining the most frequent element and modality in the birth chart. It can differ from the Sun sign, yet shows how energy shows up most.

The starting point of each house. The sign on the house cusp shapes that house’s energy.

The 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th houses. The strongest houses—planets here carry more weight.

The 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th houses. They point to stability and staying power.

The 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th houses. They point to learning and adapting.

The planet with the strongest influence in the birth chart. Often set by the chart ruler, Ascendant ruler, or the planet with the most aspects. It is not the same as a ruler, the planet paired with each sign.

The planet that rules each sign. Example: Aries—Mars; Taurus—Venus. It is not the same as the dominant planet, the strongest planet in your own chart.

The sign where a planet acts most strongly. Example: the Sun is exalted in Aries.

The sign where a planet acts weakly. It matches the opposite sign of its ruler.

The sign where a planet acts most weakly. It matches the opposite of its exaltation sign.

Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. They shape character and daily life most directly.

Jupiter and Saturn. They show social roles, growth, and responsibility.

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. They show collective energy that shapes a whole generation.

The 10th-house cusp. It shows career, public image, and life aims.

The 4th-house cusp. It shows home, roots, and private life.

The 7th-house cusp. It shows partnership, marriage, and relating to others.

The moment a planet moves from one sign into the next. Yearly Horoscope and Sky Now point this out, as in "X moves into Y". The same word is used when a planet crosses into a new house.

When a planet seems to stand still in the sky as it begins or ends a retrograde. Its themes are thought to be felt especially strongly then. "Today’s Stellog" uses such days as candidates for the day's theme.

The planet that rules the Ascendant's sign. It leads the whole chart, and the sign and house it sits in show life's broad direction. "The planet steering your chart" in the Destiny Report uses traditional rulers.

Three or more planets gathered in one sign or one house. The theme of that sign or house shows up strongly in life.

Three planets each 120° apart (trines) forming a large triangle. Talent flows naturally, though the ease can make you put in less effort.

Two planets in opposition (180°), with a third planet square (90°) to both. Tension gathers in the third planet and becomes a strong drive.

Four planets forming a cross with two oppositions and four squares. It shows both the strength and the strain of handling demands from several directions at once.

Two planets in sextile (60°), both quincunx (150°) to a third planet. The third planet points to a task that needs steady refining.

A planet within 5° of one of the four angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, IC). Being close to an angle, its character shows clearly on the outside.

How much the planets lean toward the upper or lower half, or the eastern or western half, of the chart. Upper stresses the outer world, lower your private life, east your own initiative, and west movement through relationships.

Whether the Sun was above the horizon at birth (a day chart) or below it (a night chart). In a day chart the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn work more easily; in a night chart the Moon, Venus and Mars do.

Two planets each sitting in the sign the other rules. For example, Mars in Libra (Venus's sign) and Venus in Aries (Mars's sign) are seen as helping each other.

A small body orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. It stands for old wounds and the healing strength gained by tending them. It circles the zodiac in about 50 years.

The point of the Moon's orbit farthest from Earth. It stands for suppressed desires and an untamed side. Stellog uses its average position (Mean Lilith).

A point set from the positions of the Sun, Moon and Ascendant. It shows the area where body and mind feel at ease and things go smoothly. For a day birth it's Ascendant + Moon − Sun; for a night birth, Ascendant + Sun − Moon.

The point in the west where the great circle running east–west through the birthplace meets the ecliptic. It's seen as pointing to encounters and events that come regardless of your intentions. It needs the birth time and place.

Two ways to set the lunar nodes. The True Node is the actual position at that moment; the Mean Node averages out its wobble. Stellog uses the True Node in Western reports and the Mean Node in Vedic astrology.

A classical technique that moves one house per year of age to read the year's main theme. The planet ruling the sign of that year's house is called the lord of the year.

When Jupiter comes back to its birth position. It happens about every 12 years, around ages 12, 24, 36 and 48. It's read as the start of a new cycle of growth, with wider horizons and opportunities.

When Saturn comes back to its birth position. It happens about every 29–30 years, around ages 29–30 and 58–60. It's read as a time to reset responsibilities and firm up the structure of your life.

When Saturn stands opposite (180°) its birth position, at the midpoint of the Saturn cycle, around ages 14–15 and 44. It's read as a time to review what you've built so far.

When Uranus stands opposite its birth position. It comes once, around age 40, and is often called the midlife turning point. The urge for postponed change and for freedom grows.

When the lunar nodes come back to their birth position, about every 18.6 years, around ages 19, 37 and 56. Halfway between, about 9 years later, comes the nodal opposition, when the nodes are reversed. It's read as a time to choose your direction again.

A way of seeing which house of one person's chart the other person's planets fall into. It shows which area of your life the other person touches. It needs both birth times to be accurate.

The angle between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs. It's currently about 24°. Stellog's Vedic reading uses the widely used Lahiri standard.

The Vedic name for a zodiac sign. The names match the Western signs, but because the sidereal zodiac is used, a planet often falls one rashi earlier than its Western sign.

The Vedic name for a house. The rashi holding the lagna is the 1st bhava, and the next rashi is the 2nd.

Each nakshatra (13°20') is split into four parts of 3°20'. The same nakshatra takes on a slightly different tone in each pada.

The major periods of the dasha and the sub-periods inside them. A mahadasha is a major period of 6 to 20 years led by one planet; antardashas split it again among the nine planets. Below that, pratyantardashas divide it once more.

A divisional chart made by splitting each sign into nine. It's used to look at marriage and partnership, and at how innate strengths mature.

A divisional chart made by splitting each sign into ten. It's used to look at work, career and achievements in society.

A combination formed when planets take certain positions or relationships. Each one has its own name and meaning; for example, Gaja Kesari yoga is a Moon–Jupiter combination.

A planet that, for a given lagna, rules both a kendra and a trikona and so gives especially good results. For example, Saturn is the yogakaraka for Taurus and Libra lagnas.

Kendras are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th bhavas, the pillars of life; trikonas are the 1st, 5th and 9th, the places of blessings and talent. They're seen as the strongest bhavas in Vedic astrology.

The Vedic 'gaze'. Every planet looks at the 7th bhava from itself; Mars also looks at the 4th and 8th, Jupiter at the 5th and 9th, and Saturn at the 3rd and 10th. Unlike Western aspects, it works by whole bhavas, not degrees.

The rashi where a planet is strongest (uccha) and the one where it's weakest (neecha). For example, the Sun is in uccha in Aries and in neecha in Libra. It's the same idea as Western exaltation and fall.

The roughly seven and a half years Saturn spends passing through the rashi before your natal Moon's rashi, the Moon's own rashi, and the one after. It's read as a time of greater weight and responsibility, and it comes back about every 30 years.

The Vedic name for the current movement of the planets in the sky. It's like the Western transit, but is usually counted from the Moon's rashi or the lagna.

A way of dividing the sky into 12 houses based on time. It's the most widely used system in Western astrology. It can't divide the sky at very high latitudes.

The whole sign holding the Ascendant becomes the 1st house, the next sign the 2nd, and so on. One sign equals one house, so it's simple. It's used in Vedic astrology and annual profections.

Each space between the four angles is split into three equal parts. It's used instead of Placidus at high latitudes where Placidus can't work.

Starting from the Ascendant, the sky is divided into 12 equal houses of 30° each. It's used as a fallback when other systems can't divide the sky.

When two planets share the same position (0°). Their energies merge and act with extra force.

Two planets 120° apart. Shows harmonious, supportive energy flow.

A state where two planets are 60 degrees apart. Represents energy of opportunity and cooperation.

Two planets 90° apart. Shows tension and challenge—and also a growth opening.

A state where two planets are 180 degrees apart. Means opposition and balance, and is energy that requires integration.

The range of degrees an angle can be off from exact and still count as the same aspect. The smaller the orb, the more exact and stronger the aspect.

If a moving planet is heading toward the exact angle, the aspect is applying; if it has passed exact and is moving away, it's separating. Applying aspects are usually read as stronger.

An angle of 150° between two planets. It links signs that share neither element nor modality, so it points to an awkward pairing that needs ongoing adjustment.

An angle of 30° between two planets. Neighboring signs meet, pointing to small adjustments and learning.

An angle of 45°, half a square (90°). It points to friction and stimulation that are milder than a square.

An angle of 135°, a square plus a semi-square. It points to where built-up tension comes out into the open.