How to Read the Crystal Part 4

DETRIMENT.--A planet in a sign opposite to its own house is in its detriment. The house of the Moon is Cancer. When the Moon is in Capricorn, it is in its detriment.

DIGNITIES.--When a planet is in exaltation, or in an angle, increasing in light, etc.

DIRECT.--When the planets are moving in their true order through the zodiac.

DIRECTIONS.--The period after birth. The position of the planets as life advances. The Sun moves about one degree per day, and this is equivalent to one year. The thirtieth day after birth would denote the thirtieth year of life, and the Directions would be taken out of the ephemeris for this day, the Sun's aspects forming the primary directions and the Moon the secondary.

DRAGON'S HEAD.--The Moon's North Node, or when she crosses the ecliptic into north lat.i.tude. The Moon's course is of serpentine form, having a head and tail.

DRAGON'S TAIL.--The Moon's South Node when she crosses into south lat.i.tude.

EARTHLY SIGNS.--Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

ECLIPSE.--An obscuration of a heavenly body, owing to the interposition of another. The Moon in the shadow of the Sun is eclipsed.

ECLIPTIC.--The circle of the heavens which the Sun appears to describe in the course of the year, in consequence of the earth's motion round him.

ELEVATED.--The planet nearest to the mid-heaven is elevated over any other.

EPHEMERIS.--A Table for each day, giving the lat.i.tude and longitude of the planets. "Raphael's" _Ephemeris_, price 1s., is considered the best. It is all that is needed to cast the horoscope.

EQUINOCTIAL SIGNS.--Aries and Libra.

EXALTATION.--There are certain houses in which a planet is exalted, as follows: Sun, Aries; Moon, Taurus; Mercury, Gemini; Jupiter, Cancer; Saturn, Libra; Mars, Capricorn; Venus, Pisces.

FALL.--When a planet is in a sign opposite to its exaltation, it is weak.

FEMININE SIGNS.--The odd signs, as Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces.

FIERY SIGNS.--Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.

FIGURE.--A map of the heavens is called by astrologers a figure.

FIXED SIGNS.--Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius.

FORTUNES.--Jupiter, Venus, and the Sun when well placed.

FRUITFUL SIGNS.--Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.

GEMINI.--The third sign, or house of Mercury. The Sun enters the sign about 21st May.

GENETHLIACAL.--That which applies to the geneture in nativity.

GEOCENTRIC.--As viewed from the centre of the earth.

GELIOCENTRIC.--As seen from or having reference to the centre of the Sun.

HOUSES.--One of the twelve divisions of the zodiac.

IMUM COELE.--The fourth house, or lower meridian.

INCREASING IN LIGHT.--When the Moon or any planet is leaving the Sun, until the opposition is reached.

INFORTUNES.--Saturn, Mars, and Ura.n.u.s when afflicted.

INTERCEPTED.--A sign lying between the cusp of two houses.

LAt.i.tUDE.--The distance of any planet north or south of the ecliptic.

LEO.--The fifth sign in the zodiac; the house of the Sun.

LIBRA.--The seventh sign and house of Venus.

LOGARITHMS.--Of great use to astrologers. A Table of artificial numbers; to be found at the back of "Raphael's" _Ephemeris_.

LONGITUDE.--The angular distance of a heavenly body from the first point of Aries, measured from the ecliptic as seen from the earth.

LORD.--The ruler of a sign or house. Mars is the lord of Aries, and if Aries was in Ascendant, it would be lord and ruler.

LUMINARIES.--The Sun and Moon.

LUNATION.--A lunar period.

MALEFICS.--See Infortunes.

MASCULINE SIGNS.--Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius.

MASCULINE PLANETS.--Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.

MODERN ASTROLOGY.--A monthly magazine of interest to all thinkers.

NORTHERN SIGNS.--Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo.

OCCIDENTAL.--The western portion of the map.

OPPOSITION.--When two planets are opposite each other, or 180 distant.

ORBS.--The orbs of the planets are the number of degrees allowed to each in which their influence is felt. Five degrees all round is the safest number to give.

ORIENTAL.--When a planet is in the eastern part of the heavens.

PARALLELS.--The declination north or south of the equator. It is a position considered of the nature of a conjunction.

PART OF FORTUNE.--A point in the horoscope where the rays of the Sun and Moon converge.

PISCES.--The twelfth sign of the zodiac.

QUERENT.--One who asks a horary question.