Science / Astrology Glossary

Periodical Lunation: Term applied to the transiting Moon's monthly return to the exact position occupied in a natal horoscope. See also lunar period.

Phase: Any of the stages of variation in appearance or illumination of a planet; used most commonly to describe the various stages in the Moon's cycle. See also lunation cycle, waning phase, waxing phase.

Placidean Houses: The house system devised by the Spanish monk, Placidus de Tito (seventeenth century). Placidus' system, still widely used today, is based on the trisection of nocturnal and diurnal semi-arcs . . . View Full Definition

Planet: From the Greek planetes, wanderer; used astrologically to describe any heavenly body which when viewed from Earth appears to move, as distinguished from fixed stars.

Planetary Hours: A system devised by ancient astrologers that assigned one of the seven planets then known to each hour of the day. The first hour of sunrise was ruled by the planetary day ruler (Sunday, Sun . . . View Full Definition

Planetary Node: The point at which a planet's path intersects the ecliptic; declination, 0°. The term is usually reserved for nodes other than the Moon's Nodes.

Planetary Patterns: Used interchangeably with shaping. Sometimes equated with aspect patterns. See also shaping, Bowl, Bucket, Bundle, Locomotive, See-Saw, Splash, Splay.

Planets: As used in Astrology, this refers to the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Earth is excluded, as it is our point of reference. In general, it is a . . . View Full Definition

Platic: Term used to describe any aspect that is not exact (within 1° orb) but within allowable orb.

Plato: Greek 429-355 B.C., studied in Egypt and elsewhere, pupil of Socrates, fellow student of Euclid, follower of Pythagoras. His contribution to Astrology was setting the problem of representing . . . View Full Definition

Pleiades: A group of fixed stars in the constellation Taurus. They are called the 'Weeping Sisters' because, according to Greek mythology, seven sisters, Alcyone, Merope, Celæno, Taygeta, Maia, Electr . . . View Full Definition

Pluto: Rules transformation, regeneration, rebirth, destruction, annihilation, power and elimination. It also represents atomic power, intensity, crime, death and the underworld.

Polarity: The contrasting and complementary qualities shown by signs opposite each other in the zodiac.

Pole: Either end of the axis of any sphere such as the Earth, the celestial sphere, etc.

Porphyry: Philosopher (233-304 A.D.) of the Neo-Platonic school who devised a house system based on dividing each quadrant of a horoscope, as determined by the angles, into three houses of equal size.

Poseidon: The eighth symbolic planet used in Uranian astrology. See also Uranian astrology.

Positive Signs: All air and fire signs; used to describe the outgoing, dynamic qualities characteristic of these signs. Also called masculine signs. See also Masculine signs.

Precession: The circular motion of Earth's axis around the pole of the ecliptic, caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon on the bulging part of the equator. One complete revolution takes ap . . . View Full Definition

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