Some of these terms are archaic, but still interesting. Some of them are still used frequently today. This is not a definitive list, just ones that I thought are interesting to know.
abdevenham:
The head of the twelfth house in a scheme of the heavens.
afflicted:
Unfavorable planetary aspect.
agathodemon:
The eleventh house of the heavens.
alchochoden:
The giver of life or years; the planet which is the dispositor of hyleg and in aspect with that planet when a person is born, indicating by its position the length of his life.
alictisal:
The conjunction of two planets moving in the same direction, and one overtaking the other.
almutent:
The prevailing or ruling planet in the horoscope.
anareta:
The lord of the eighth house; the killing planet.
aneretic degree:
The final degree of a sign (29th). also referred to as the degree of fate.
angles:
The lines of the chart wheel which lie at 0 degrees (ascendent), 90 degrees (i.c.), 180 degrees (descendent), and 270 degrees (m.c.). these major points represent cardinal qualities.
animodar:
A method of correcting the supposed nativity or time of birth of a person. also written animoder, amnimodar.
antiscion:
A sign of the zodiac equidistant with another sign on the opposite side. signs having north declination are called commanding, those with south declination obeying.
apheta:
The planet dominating the life of the native; the planet which is lord of the house that rules the matter inquired after; the prorogator, significator, or hyleg.
aphetic:
Of or relating to the apheta; life-giving.
apotelesm:
The calculation of a nativity.
arc:
An angular measurement between two celestial planets or points. Any part of a circle, measured around its circumference.
ascendant:
The point of the ecliptic or the sign of the zodiac that rises in the east at the time of a person’s birth or other event.
aspect:
The angular distance, calculated in specific number of degrees of the chart wheel, between two celestial points or planets; it shows the nature of the relationship between planets.
atazir:
According to modern authorities, the (evil) influence of a star upon other stars or men.
benefic:
A favorable planet; jupiter or venus.
biquintile:
An aspect of the planets when they are distant from each other by twice the fifth part of a great circle, that is, 144° or twice 72°.
cacodemon:
The twelfth house of a scheme or figure of the heavens: so called from its signifying dreadful things, such as secret enemies, great losses, imprisonment, etc.
cadent:
Falling from an angle: applied to the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth houses, which follow the meridian and the horizon.
catabibazon:
The moon’s descending node; the dragon’s tail.
cazimi:
The heart of the sun; the part of the zodiac within 17 minutes of the center of the sun.
combust:
When a planet is very near the sun in the birthchart. It is theorized that the planet loses some of its force.
configuration:
An aspect which has three or more planets.
conjunction:
Two or more planets sitting next to each other; a conjunction gives great strength to the energies of the interacting planets.
corporature:
The physical traits, temperament, etc., of a person, as determined by the planet in the ascendant at his nativity.
cusp:
The beginning or first entrance of any house in the calculation of nativities.
cycle:
The time it takes a planet or point to make one complete revolution in the heavens.
day house:
The house ruled by a planet by day.
debility:
A weakness of a planet, due to its position: the reverse of a dignity.
decanate:
A third part, or ten degrees, of a zodiacal sign assigned to a planet, in which it has the least possible essential dignity.
declination:
The distance of a planet north or south of the celestial equater.
decuman:
One of the ten divisions of the ecliptic.
degree:
1/360 of a circle.
descendant:
The descending or western horizon or cusp of the seventh house.
dignity:
A situation in which a planet has an influence more powerful than usual.
dispositor:
A planet in one of whose essential dignities another planet is, the former being said to “dispose of” the latter.
domal:
Of, or relating to an astrological house.
domify:
To divide, as the heavens, into twelve houses. see house, in astrological sense.
doryphory:
A guard of planets attending the sun and moon.
dysis:
The seventh house of the heavens, which relates to love, litigation, etc.
earth signs:
Signs belonging to the element earth (practical etc.). taurus, virgo, capricorn.
elements:
Four-fold division of the zodiac.
ephemeris:
Astrological almanac listing zodiacal positions of the planets and other astronomical data.
epicatophora:
The eighth house of the heavens.
equator:
The imaginary line drawn around the earth, dividing it into the northern and southern hemispheres. when this line is extended into space, it is called the celestial equator.
equinox:
A time of equal day and equal night occuring twice a year at the beginning of spring and autumn.
eudemon:
The eleventh house of a celestial figure: so called on account of its good and prosperous significations, as store of friends, attainment of hopes, etc.
exaltation:
An essential dignity, next in importance to that of house; that situation of a planet in the zodiac where it was supposed to have the most influence.
felicity:
A favorable aspect.
feminine signs:
The earth and water signs. feminine signs are refered to as negative and indicate passive and receptive energy.
feral:
Said of a planet which has no significant relation to any other.
finient:
The horizon; the finitor.
fire signs:
Aries, leo, and sagittarius. signs with the qualities of the element of fire (willfull, energetic, etc.).
fixed signs:
Taurus, leo, scorpio and aquarius. fixed signs are stubborn.
genethliac:
Adjective pertaining to nativities; calculated by astrologers; showing position of stars at one’s birth.
genethlialogy:
The art of calculating nativities by astrology, or predicting the course of a child’s life from the positions of the planets, zodiac, etc., at the instant of birth. also genethliacs.
geocentric:
The convention that the earth, rather than the sun is at the center of the solar system.
grand cross:
Configuration in which four planets form mutual squares. It creates a lot of tension.
grand trine:
When three planets meet each other to form a triangle. This is a harmonious configuration.
great year:
The period when the pole makes a complete circle.
harborough:
The house or mansion of a heavenly body.
hard aspect:
Squares, oppositions and quincunxes. Aspects which create tension and/or friction.
hayz:
An accidental fortitude, consisting in the situation of a masculine diurnal planet in a masculine sign above the horizon in the daytime, or of a feminine nocturnal planet in a feminine sign below the horizon in the night-time. the planet is properly said to be in its own hayz or running-place.
houses:
The celestial sphere as a 360 degree circle is divided into twelve sections called houses. They are numbered counterclockwise from the ascendant.
hyleg:
The planet which rules the particular sign of the zodiac which happens at the instant of a nativity to be in the ascendant, or first twelfth part of the heavens above the eastern horizon; the apheta, prorogator, significator, or giver of life. also spelled hileg.
immum coeli:
One of the four major angles of a birth chart. it is the beginning of the fourth house and is a very personal point in a chart.
impedite:
To affect by evil stars.
infortune:
The planet saturn or mars, or even mercury when he is much afflicted.
joys:
Places in the zodiac where planets, being harmoniously located, have the most beneficial effect.
kite:
A grand trine with one of the planets making an opposition to a fourth planet which in turn makes sextile aspects to the two others of the grand trine.
latitude, celestial:
Measurement of distance of any planet or star north or south of the ecliptic. the sun never has any latitude.
latitude, terrestrial:
Degree of distance of any place north or south of the earth’s equator.
leo:
This regal sign is the fifth sign of the zodiac. ruled by the sun. the exaltation of pluto. leo’s symbol is the lion.
libra:
The seventh sign of the zodiac, libra is the sign most concerned with relationships. cardinal and airy. ruled by venus. the exaltation of saturn. libra’s symbol is the scales, or balance.
lilith:
The “black moon”, a supposed invisible satellite of the earth, also an energy vortex in the sun-moon-earth system. there is as well an asteroid called lilith. lilith, the dark goddess, is a hebrew name for caput algol, the demon star. in mythology, lilith was the first wife of adam, formed like him from the earth, rather than from his rib, like eve.
logarithms:
Tables by which when a planet’s motion is known its position at a given time may be readily calculated.
longitude, celestial:
Measurement along the ecliptic in terms of signs and degrees from the point of the vernal equinox (0° aries). the longitude of a planet in the 126th degree of the zodiac is 6° leo.
longitude, terrestrial:
Distance in degrees, minutes and seconds of any place east or west of greenwich, england. also measured in hours, minutes and seconds.
luminary:
One of the brightest celestial objects, such as the sun, moon, or bright planets.
luna:
The moon. more about the moon .
lunar mansions:
27 traditional sectors (nakshatras) of the zodiac, where the moon spends her time on a day by day basis. each mansion, of 13° 20’ duration, has a specific influence, especially if moon, sun, ascendant, or ruling planet are placed there. this system is mainly used today in indian (vedic) astrology. there are also ancient chinese, arabic and renaissance systems, using 28 lunar mansions of 12° 51’ 26" of arc.
lunation:
A lunar period, measured from one place in the zodiac until the moon’s return thereto. for example, the time taken by the moon from one conjunction with the sun until the next, 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds, is called a synodical lunation. lunation is also used to describe different aspects of the moon to the sun, thus accounting for her phases. the new moon is also called a lunation. a chart made for the moment the moon conjoins the sun is called a lunation chart.
medium coeli:
One of four major points in the birth chart and is at the top af the chart (beginning of the tenth house. it represents public life and reputation.
mansion:
The sign in which the sun or any planet has its special residence; a house.
masculine signs:
Aries, gemini, leo, libra, sagittarius and aquarius. masculine signs are assertive and self-assured.
meridian:
The meridian at greenwich. the point from which time and space is measured. it divides longtitude into east and west.
midheaven:
The degree culminating on the cusp of the tenth house.
midpoints:
The midpoint between two planets or angles and sometimes house cusps.
mutable signs:
Gemini, virgo, sagittarius and pisces. flexible nature.
natal:
Birth. the natal chart refers to a chart for the time of birth.
nodes:
The north and south nodes of the moon are those points on the ecliptic where the moon crosses it going either north or south.
opposition:
An opposition is when planets are exactly opposite each other in the chart wheel. oppositions create stress.
orb:
The space in the chart wheel measured in degrees, between planets and points, by which an aspect may vary from exactness and still remain effective.
partile:
Exact to a degree: said of a celestial aspect: opposed to platic.
peregrine:
Not exerting a strong influence; void of essential dignities.
platic:
Pertaining to or in the position of a ray cast from one planet, to another, not. exactly, but within the orbit of its own light: opposed to partile.
polarity:
Opposite signs effect each other.
progression:
A method of advancing the planets and points of a natal chart to a particular time after birth.
promittor:
The planet which promises to produce a particular event upon forming a conjunction, or aspect, with the sun, moon, mid-heaven, or ascendant.
qualities:
Cardinal, fixed, mutable.
quesited:
The person or thing asked about.
quincunx:
The position of planets when distant from each other five signs or 150°; inconjunct.
quintile:
An aspect of 72 degrees. an easy aspect representing accomplishments.
radix:
The original figure of birth, the source of all judgments and predictions.
retrograde:
When a planet appears to be traveling backwards from earth’s perspective. the energy of a retrograde planet is less assertive.
rulership:
Different signs are “ruled” by different planets and their influences can be affected by this fact.
satellitium:
An assemblage of four or more planets in the same sign of the zodiac or house of heaven. strictly speaking, they should be in attendance upon the sun or moon, but the term is now used more generally.
semiarc:
Half the are described by any celestial body between its rising and its setting, or vice versa.
sesquiquadrate:
An aspect of two planets when distant from each other 135°, or a quadrant and a half.
sextile:
Noting the aspect or position of two planets when distant from each other sixty degrees or two signs.
sidereal time:
Time reckoned by the stars rather than by the sun.
significator:
One who or that which signifies or makes known by words, signs, etc.; specifically, a planet ruling a house; especially, the lord of the ascendant (which is the significator of life); the apheta. see the quotation.
solstice:
When the sun reaches its maximum declination. this occurs twice a year, at the beginning of summer and winter.
spheric:
Adjective of or relating to the heavenly orbs, or to the sphere or spheres in which, according to ancient astronomy and astrology, they were set.
stellium:
A crowd of planets in an angle.
succedent:
A house about to succeed or follow the angular houses. the succedent houses are the second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh.
sun sign astrology:
As seen in newspaper astrology columns, predictions for the day, month or year ahead on the basis of solar charts.
synastry:
Comparing natal charts to find strengths and weaknesses in the area of compatability.
tetragon:
An aspect of two planets with regard to the earth when they are distant from each other 90°, or the fourth part of a circle; quartile aspect; square.
transit:
A planet’s movement through a sign or house.
trigon:
In astrology: the junction of three signs, the zodiac being divided into four trigons: the watery trigon, which includes cancer, scorpio, and pisces; the earthly trigon, taurus, virgo, and capricornus; the airy trigon, gemini, libra, and aquarius; and the fiery trigon, aries, leo, and sagittarius.
trine:
Situated 120° apart.
trioctile:
An aspect of two planets, with regard to the earth, when they are three octants or eighth parts of a circle (that is, 135°) distant from each other; sesquiquadrate;
triplicity:
One of four groups of the zodiac, each consisting of three signs separated from each other by 120°.
uranian planets:
Planets postulated to lie beyond the orbit of pluto.
uranus:
Formerly known as herschel, after its discoverer, this planet was not discovered until 1781. it has been deemed to rule aquarius. it stands for unexpected disruptions and sudden catastrophes. esoterically, it calls forth the genius in the character of the native.
void of course:
A term describing a planet that does not make a major aspect before changing signs. it is primarily wit respect to the moon.
water element:
One of the four astrological elements. a feminine element, it stands for emotion, feeling, matters to do with intuition and so on. the other elements are, fire, air and earth.
water signs:
Cancer (cardinal), scorpio (fixed), pisces (mutable).
yod:
A powerful aspect. The astrological formation of two astral bodies (luminaries, planets, asteroids, et cetera) or calculated points (such as midheaven) sextile (60°, 1/6 the zodiac compass) to each other and a third quincunx / inconjunct (150°, 5/12 the zodiac compass) to them both.
zodiac:
From the greek ‘zodiakos’, meaning 'circle of animals’. a band in the heavens divided into twelve signs, each containing 30 degrees of longtitude and acting as a barometer for various human traits.
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