Medieval Astrology Vocabulary:
Sometimes we just need to know what those old and dead dudes where writing about!

Compiled by Jonathan James; based on the works of Bonatti and the teachings of Robert Zoller.

Medieval Astrology is very practical and simple. Interpreting a natal chart is a step-by-step process, as easy as writing the alphabet from A to Z.

The old ways confound many modern minds, trained in psychological Astrology. After years of leaning heavily on feelings and intuition, we are asked to toss out all guesswork and many other ideas.

The other side of the coin is that the old texts may be hard to read, at first.

In modern books, a 'conjunction' is when two planets are within a few degrees of each other, usually in the same sign.

When an old and dead dude, like Guido Bonatti, wrote about "a conjunction," he usually meant any aspect between planets — a sextile, square, trine or opposition. "Corporeal conjunction" was the phrase that describes two planets bodily together, in the same sign, within a certain number of degrees.

Accidental Dignities: when a planet is strong by a means other than essential dignities. This could be by aspect, reception, house placement and etc.

Afflictions: the most common are when a planet is cadent; combust; conjunct, square or opposed a malefic without reception; in its fall or detriment; retrograde; and peragrine.

Almuten: the planet with the most dignities or honors when considering a degree of the zodiac. This planet is the true ruler of a house cusp, etc. We discover this planet through a method of calculation that gives five points (fortitudes) to the Sign Ruler (House Ruler). Next, the exalted ruler gets four fortitudes, or points. Each triplicity ruler, Diurnal, Nocturnal and Participating, gets three points. Egyptian Term Rulers get two points each. The Ruler of Face (Decan) gets just one fortitude (point). The planet with the most fortitudes is considered as the ruler of that zodiacal degree — if you were computing the almuten of a house cusp, the winning planet (almuten) would rule that house for good or for bad.

Angular Houses: 1st, 10th, 7th and 4th. Planets in those houses produce at 100 percent of their power.

Aspects: are between signs. There are no orbs to aspects.

Cadent Houses: 9th, 3rd, 12th and 6th. Planets in these houses operate at 25 percent power, or only give 25 percent of an angular placement. Cadent houses don't show durability and can indicate changes and instability.

Cardinal Signs: see "Moveable Signs"

Combustion: If a planet is within 15 degrees, before or after the Sun. When an inferior planet (Venus, Mercury and Moon) is behind the Sun and direct (applying) to corporeal conjunction, it is the worst. When it is direct and separating, or before the Sun, this is better — the planet is swift and moving away from the combustion. When a planets apparent closeness to the sun both overheats it and also eclipses the planet in with its light, that is combust.

Chaldean Order of the Stars: The Spheres of the Heavens reside, layered like the skin of an onion, one over another. Saturn is in the 7th, the slowest and the 'outermost' Sphere of Heaven. Jupiter is in the 6th Sphere of Heaven. Mars is in the 5th Sphere of Heaven. The Sun's sphere is the 4th Sphere of Heaven. Venus resides within the 3rd Sphere of Heaven. Mercury lives in the 2nd Sphere of Heaven. Moon lies in the 1st Sphere of Heaven and is the fastest "planet". The actual order is relative to the speed of the planets in their orbits around the Sun.

Common Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. Mutable signs. "The common signs are so-called, because when the Sun enters one of these signs, it makes the time common, neither truly fixed nor truly moveable, but it partakes of both, fixed and mutable." (Bonatti's "Liber Astronomiae," Zoller translation, page 37, Spica edition).

Corporeal Conjunction: is when two planets are conjoined together in the same sign (by longitude). According to Abu Mashar, in the "Abbreviation to the Introduction to Astrology": " 'Conjunction' is if two planets are in one sign. Their indications are more powerful if there is between them both 15 degrees or less in front or behind them both." It is best when planets are within "moiety of orb". (Page 21 of Charles Burnett translation, published by ARHAT).

Conjunction: is when any one of the four major Ptolemaic aspect is occuring between two planets, or between any points such as the Arabic Parts, angles or planets. In context you may read, "... see that Saturn is conjoined to Mercury, with reception."

Descension: When a planet is in the 7th sign from its own sign or its exaltation. "And there is a difference between fall and descension, though they can sometimes be reversed, for fall is properly so called from sign, while descension is from exaltation." ("Liber Astronomiae," Zoller translation, page 35, Spica edition).

Detriment: is when a planet is in the 7th sign from its own house. "The detriment of each planet is said to be the seventh sign from its own house, namely that opposite it, and indeed it is called its fall." (Bonatti's "Liber Astronomiae," Zoller translation, page 33, Spica edition).

Dignity by house: Bonatti considers this to be like "proper business" (Liber Astronomiae, Zoller translation, Spica Ed., page 35).

Dignity by Exaltation: Bonatti considers this to be like gaining honor and dignity from strange and unusual resources and inheritances. (Liber Astronomiae, Zoller translation, Spica Ed., page 35).

Dispositor: the ruler of a sign, and particularly the almuten (of of that particular degree of the zodiac). It is the planet that has authority over the planet (or, house cusp, or angle) at that degree of the zodiac. It decides the expression of that zodiac degree and planets or points at it. It is the planet that disposes of the planet residing in its sign.

Essential Dignities: Rulership (5 points), Exaltation (4 points), Triplicity (3 points), Term (2 points) and Face / Decan (1 point).

Face: Each zodiacal sign is divided into three equal parts of ten degrees. For example, the first ten degrees of Aries is the Face of Mars. The next ten degrees is the Face or the Sun. The last ten degrees, from 20 to 30 degrees of the sign Aries, is belongs to Venus. (The Face Rulers appear to follow the "Chaldean Order of the Stars"). Also called 'Decan.'

Fall: A planet in the sign opposed to the one it is exalted in. "Albumasar and Alchabitius said that every seventh sign from the exaltation of any planet is its descension or fall." (Bonatti's "Liber Astronomiae," Zoller translation, page 35, Spica edition).

Feral: When a planet makes no major Ptolemaic aspect to another planet while travelling in a sign. This is only possible for the Moon, as she travels the most rapidly enough through the signs to do this.

Fertile Signs: According to Al Biruni, Scorpio, Pisces and the second half of Capricorn favor big families. Aries, Taurus, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius indicate small families.

Fixed Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. The seasons persist in their nature, i.e. heat in summer, cold in winter, when the Sun is in these signs. Their natures and indication are fixed. "The fixed signs are so-called, because when the Sun enters them the disposition of the air is fixed and it lasts and remains in the same state of fixity and firmness, although sometimes, perhaps, it is changed by chance, but not by nature." (Bonatti's "Liber Astronomiae," Zoller translation, page 37, Spica edition).

Fortitude: Fortitude is the equivelent of the modern concept of 'points,' (Bonatti's "Liber Astronomiae," Zoller translation, page 47, Spica edition). This is just like the counting system we use to arrive at the almuten of a particular zodiacal degree, where we consider each dignity to be worth certain points, or "fortitudes."

Four-Footed Signs: are Aries, Taurus and Leo; the back half of Sagittarius and the front half of Capricorn, also.

Half-Voiced Signs: Aries, Taurus and Leo. Signs that aren't wholly mute.

Houses of the Planets: another name for the signs that each planet rules (sign / domicile).

Human Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Libra, the first half of Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Infertile Signs: according to Al-Biruni these are the sterile signs. The first part of Taurus, Leo, Virgo and the first part of Capricorn.

Inferiors: Venus, Mercury and Moon.

Joys of the Planets: These are the signs that the planets rejoice in. Saturn in Aquarius, Jupiter in Sagittarius, Mars in Scorpio, Venus in Taurus, and Mercury in Virgo (Dorotheus).

Loud-Voiced Signs: Gemini, Virgo and Libra. GeminI am the one sign "capable of speech," according to Al-Biruni.

Luminaries: the Sun and Moon.

Moiety of Orbs: each planet has its own orb of influence, which can be likened to a halo or aura surrounding the planet. When two planets have their orbs, or 'rays' overlapping then their aspect is strongest and truly effective, for good or for bad. Saturn = 9 degrees. Jupiter = 9 degrees. Mars = 8 degrees. Sun = 15 degrees. Venus = 7 degrees. Mercury = 7 degrees. Moon = 12 degrees. To find whether two planets fall within their 'moiety of orb' add their degrees and divide by 2. For example, if the Moon were at 12 degrees of Taurus and Mercury were at 15 degrees of Virgo, this is how we would compute this: add (12 + 7) / 2 = 9.5 degrees. The two planets are within 9.5 degrees of an exact aspect, so this trine counts as rather strong.

Moveable Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. Cardinal signs. "The moveable signs are so-called, not because they are moved, except insofar as all signs are, but they are called moveable because at the time when the Sun, enters them the disposition of the air is changed, and it does not remain in the same condition as it was."

Mutual Reception: When two planets are in any major Ptolemaic aspect AND both are in the other's sign, then they donate their virtues to one another. They do not 'trade places' as some modern Astrologers say. They offer support and assistance back and forth.

Mute Signs: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Zodiacal signs that are silent animals are "voiceless".

Occidental in the World: Quadrant Two, the 9th, 8th and 7th houses. And Quadrant Four, the 3th, 2th and 1th houses.

Occidental of the Sun: Inferior planets are Occidental of the Sun when behind it in the order of the Zodiac. Superior planets are Occidental of the Sun when ahead of the Sun in the Zodiac.

Orbs of Light: a circle around a planet that extends a certain amount out from the body of the planet. These are a planets "rays", or orb. See "Moiety of Orb".

Oriental in the World: Quadrant One, the 12th, 11th and 1oth houses. And Quadrant Three, the 6th, 5th and 4th houses.

Oriental of the Sun: Inferior planets are Oriental of the Sun when ahead of it in the order of the Zodiac. Superior planets are Oriental when behind the Sun in the Zodiac — these change during retrograde.

Peregrine: is when a planet is in a zodiacal sign where it is free of both dignity and debility.

Ptolemaic Aspects: the four major Ptolemaic aspects are the Sextile (middling friendship), the Square (middling emnity), the Trine (perfect friendship) and the Opposition (ultimate emnity). The corporeal conjunction is not necessarily called an aspect by all and sundry, but is used as an aspect.

Reception: is when two planets are conjoined and one of the planets is in the other planet's sign or exaltation; or, one planet is in two of the other planet's lesser dignities, such as being in its Triplicity and Term, or in its Term and Face. Reception ameliorates the main part of afflictions, but not wholly.

Return of Virtue: when two planets are in reception and the planet that receives the other planet is too weak to hold (keep / use) the gifts donated to it, the debilitated planet returns the virtue (gifts) back to the donor.

Rulerships (according to Bonatti and the medieval traditions):

• A planet in its own house is like a man in his own home. He is legally strongest and holds the most authority there.

• A planet in its own exaltation is like a person in their kingdom and living in glory, but still able to lose this by the hands of others more easily than a man could lose his house.

• A planet in triplicity is like a person among their allies, friends and followers, but not among their kin.

• A planet in its Term is like a person with their kin, folks, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles and etc.

• A planet in its Face (Decan) is like a skilled stranger (or foreigner) who is living by a useful service — and therefor has a modest reputation and a little respect.

Spheres of Heaven: there are eight agreed upon Spheres of Heaven. The outermost is the 8th sphere of the so-called fixed stars. From our perspective, they rotate around the earth once every 24 hours (though we know this is really due to the earth's daily spin). See the 'Chaldean Order of the Stars' for the other seven Spheres of Heaven.

Succedent Houses: 11th, 5th, 2d and 8th. Planets in these houses operate at 50 percent power, or only give 50 percent of an angular placement.

Sublunary Elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth are below (sub) the Moon (lunar) and so are "sublunary". As each of the spheres rotates it send its motions and movements down through each sphere below. The moon's sphere is the last one before the inferior four elements (fire, air, water and earth). As the Moon moves and the sphere rotates, she corrupts the elements below and they re-combine into our different earthly manifestations and forms. The moon creates bodies through this action.

Superiors: Saturn, Jupiter and Mars.

Triplicity Rulers (Dorothean Triplicities):

• Fire: Sun by day, Jupiter by night and Saturn participating

• Air: Diurnal Ruler is Saturn, Nocturnal Ruler is Mercury and the Participating Ruler is Jupiter.

• Water: Diurnal is Venus, Nocturnal is Mars, and Participating is Moon.

• Earth: Venus by day, Moon by night and Mars is Participating Ruler.

Via Combusta: 15 degrees Libra to 15 Scorpio.

Void in Course: When a planet separates from an exact aspect and makes no new aspects while in that sign.

Weak-Voiced Signs: Capricorn and Aquarius.