SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC (Also known as astrological signs) The twelve 30° segments of the zodiac, namely: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The signs of the zodiac are based on the band of constellations in the heavens through which the Sun travels on its apparent yearly journey around the earth. Unlike the actual constellations in the sky, the signs are of equal size and marked by definite 30° boundaries.
SOLAR CHART A horoscope in which the Sun sign is also considered to be the Rising sign (Ascendant). This horoscope is used when the birth time is unknown. In a solar chart the Sun sign also becomes the First House, and thus the houses placed around the chart are known as solar houses. For many astrologers a solar chart is a useful horoscope that enables one to look at the overall pattern of a personality and to ascertain general trends, especially when used in combination with a natal chart. (See also Birth Chart.)
SOLAR RETURN CHART A horoscope cast for the moment in which the Sun returns to the exact degree it occupied at the moment of birth. A solar return chart is used to assess and predict trends and events in the native’s life during the coming year.
SOLSTICES (From the Latin words sol, meaning “Sun” and sistere, meaning “to stand still”) The two points during the year when the Sun is at its farthest distance from the celestial equator. Upon reaching these points the Sun appears to stand still. The summer solstice occurs when the Sun enters the sign of Cancer, and this is the longest day of the year. The winter solstice occurs when the Sun enters the sign of Capricorn, and this is the shortest day of the year.
SQUARE One of the major aspects, in which two or more planets in a birth chart are 90° apart (or within 9° either way of 90°). Originally classified as malefic, squares are now considered by modern astrologers to be indicative of conflict or challenge that spurs the native to build character.
STATIONARY The apparent unmoving or standing-still position of a planet in orbit just prior to its reversing from direct motion to retrograde motion, or from retrograde motion to direct motion. Like retrograde motion, the stationary position of a planet is an illusion due to the angle of observation from the Earth. In a birth chart, stationary planets are considered very strong in their influence. (See also Direct and Retrograde.)
SUCCEDENT (From the Latin word succedere, meaning “to follow”) The four Houses in a horoscope that immediately follow Angular Houses. Succedent Houses are the Second, Fifth, Eighth, and Eleventh Houses. In a birth chart, planets in any of these houses indicate that the native has strong willpower and fixity of purpose.
SUN In astrology the Sun represents the ego, individuality, the power of self, and the conscious will. The sign that the Sun was transiting at the time of birth, known as the Sun sign, is the most pervasive influence in a birth chart. The Sun sign governs a person’s distinctive style and drive to fulfill his or her goals. In many ways the Sun sign determines how the world regards the native. In the zodiac, the Sun rules the sign of Leo.
SUN SIGN ASTROLOGY A term used to describe the form of astrology that concerns itself solely with Sun signs. This is, of course, an oversimplification of the science of astrology. Daily newspaper horoscopes and many widely-read books are based entirely on Sun signs.
TABLE OF HOUSES A table used in plotting a birth chart that shows the signs and degrees of the Houses to be placed around the horoscope wheel for different latitudes (of birthplace) and birth times. There are various tables of Houses for the different House systems in use.
TAURUS The second sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately April 20 to May 20. Taurus has as its element earth and is fixed in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Bull and ruled by the planet Venus. Taurus natives are characterized as practical, determined, artistic and loving, stubborn and resistant to change.
TRANSIT (From the Latin word transitus, meaning “the act of going across”) 1. The passage of the Sun, Moon, or planet through a sign of the zodiac, for example, the transit of Venus through Aries.
2. The passage of the Sun, Moon, or planet through the same position it or another planet occupies in a horoscope. For example, if in a birth chart the Sun were at 15° Aries and next month Jupiter is to be in 15° Aries, this Jupiter transit next month augurs a fortunate financial trend for the native of the chart.
TRINE One of the major aspects, in which two or more planets in a birth chart are 120° apart (or within 9° either way of 120°). A trine is the most beneficial and harmonious aspect, bringing advantage and ease. Many astrologers feel, however, that trines may be conducive to complacency or laziness, because the native does not have to make sufficient effort in order to realize success.
TRIPLICITY A group of three astrological signs all belonging to the same element. There are four triplicities in the zodiac: the fire triplicity (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius); the earth triplicity (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn); the air triplicity (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius); and the water triplicity (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces).
T-SQUARE An unusual aspect-pattern in a birth chart that consists of three planets, two of them in opposition to each other and the third halfway between the two (thus forming a square to each of the two planets). A T-square can be a difficult influence in a birth chart, signifying tension, obstruction, and conflict. However, it is an energizing influence that motivates the native to fight and to resolve problems. A T-square appears in many charts of famous men and women.
URANUS In astrology Uranus is the planet of change, originality, upheaval, and revolution. Uranus, discovered in 1781, is the first of our modern planets. It rules the sign of Aquarius (which was traditionally ruled by Saturn). When Uranus is prominent in a birth chart the native tends to be inventive, independent, and of an unconventional turn of mind. Uranus’s influence can also incline a person toward eccentricity, rebelliousness, and fanaticism.
VENUS In astrology Venus is the planet of love, affection, art, beauty, esthetics, and pleasure. Venus rules the two signs of Taurus and Libra. When Venus is prominent in a birth chart the native tends to be friendly, flirtatious, and socially adept, and to possess great personal charm. Venus’s influence can also incline a person toward fickleness, extravagance and overindulgence, vanity and narcissism.
VIRGO The sixth sign of the zodiac, which the Sun transits each year from approximately August 23 to September 22. Virgo has as its element earth and is mutable in quality. The sign is symbolized by the Virgin and ruled by the planet Mercury. Virgo natives are characterized as industrious, discriminating, logical and analytical, intellectual, and having a tendency to be critical.
WATER One of the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water) under which signs of the zodiac are classified. Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are the water signs and comprise the water triplicity. In astrology, water signifies emotion, imagination, sensitivity, and spirituality.
ZODIAC (From the Greek word zodiakos, meaning “circle of animals”) A narrow band of the heavens circling the Earth that is divided into twelve signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. These signs correspond to the twelve constellations (groups of stars) of the same name that are contained within this narrow band of the zodiac, but the signs and the constellations are not the same. Whereas the constellations are of different sizes, the signs of the zodiac are equal segments of 30° each, forming a complete 360° circle. The center of the zodiac band is marked by the path of the Sun (the ecliptic). The Sun, Moon, and all the planets except Pluto orbit within the circle of the zodiac.
Part Seven
ASTROLOGICAL TABLES FOR THE YEARS 1900–2100
What Is Your Exact Sun Sign?
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THE SUN TRAVELS through each sign of the zodiac at approximately the same time every year. The dates on which the Sun enters and leaves each sign are those that you usually see published in books and newspapers. For example, you may read that the Sun is in the sign of Aries each year from March 21 throug
h April 19.
However, these dates are not exact. Some years the Sun will enter or leave a sign one or two days before or after the dates you see published. This is because the Sun does not travel at the exact same speed year in and year out. There are slight changes in its forward motion due to the position of the Earth. Also, at certain times of the year the Sun travels faster than at other times (for example, the Sun is traveling four minutes faster per day in early January than in early June).
These variations are minor, but even the difference of a day or two may cause confusion for the thousands of people whose birthdays fall near the beginning or end of a zodiacal sign.*
The following Sun Tables will show you your exact Sun sign. To use these tables, all you need to do is look up the year and month of your birthday. You will see exactly what day of that month the Sun moved into a particular astrological sign.
If your birthday falls earlier in the month than that day, the beginning of your Sun sign is in the previous month. If your birthday falls after the day on which the Sun moved into a new sign, that new sign is your Sun sign.
Example: You were born on August 4, 1970. Find the column marked 1970, and place a ruler along the line marked AUG. You will see that the Sun moved into Virgo on the 23rd of August in 1970. Since you were born on the 4th of August, look at the previous month to find the Sun’s position. You will see that the Sun moved into Leo on the 23rd of July and did not move into Virgo until the 23rd of August. Therefore, your Sun sign is Leo.
Example: You were born on October 29,1980. Find the column marked 1980, and place a ruler along the line marked OCT. You will see that the Sun moved into Scorpio on the 23rd of October in 1980. Since you were born on the 29th of October, your Sun sign is Scorpio.
Example: You were born on January 20, 1963. Find the column marked 1963, and place a ruler along the line marked JAN. You will see that the Sun moved into Aquarius on the 20th of January in 1963. Your Sun sign, therefore, is Aquarius.
What Is Your Moon Sign?
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THE MOON MOVES very quickly, traveling through all twelve signs of the zodiac approximately every twenty-nine days. This means that the Moon spends, on the average, about two and a half days in each sign.
The following Moon Tables will help you to locate your Moon sign. Find your year of birth, then locate the column for your birthday month. The tables list for your month every date on which the Moon moved into a new sign.
Example: You were born September 7, 1962. Find the year 1962 and the column marked SEP. You will see that on the 5th of September in 1962 the Moon moved into Sagittarius, and on the 8th of September it moved into Capricorn. Since you were born on the 7th of September, your Moon sign is Sagittarius.
However, if in these Moon tables you see that your birthday falls on a day on which the Moon moved into a new sign, the question is what time of day did the Moon change signs. The Moon travels fast, and if it changed signs on your birthday the possibility exists that you were born at an hour when the Moon was in the previous sign. To find out your exact Moon sign, you should definitely use the enclosed CD-ROM. It will tell you your exact Moon sign—and the exact degree of this sign your Moon is in.
What Sign Is Your Ascendant?
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These unique Ascendant Tables, specially devised for this book by the astrologer Capel McCutcheon, enable you, simply by laying down two rulers, to ascertain with reasonable accuracy what your Rising sign is.
You will see that there are two tables: one for 40 Degrees North latitude, and one for 30 Degrees North latitude. Both tables will give reasonable accuracy within a 10-degree span. Thus the 40 Degrees North Table can be used for birthplace latitudes from 35 Degrees North to 45 Degrees North. These latitudes roughly cover any birthplace in the top half of the United States, including such cities as New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Seattle. The 30 Degrees North Table can be used for birthplace latitudes from 25 Degrees North to 35 Degrees North, an area roughly covering the bottom half of the United States. This area includes such cities as Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Memphis, Atlanta, and San Diego. (Check an atlas if you are not sure which of these two areas your birthplace is in.)
Of course, you may have been born in London or Rio de Janeiro or Bangkok, in which case your birthplace is not covered by these areas. If you were not born in the United States, the simplest way of discovering your Ascendant is to have a computer calculate it for you. Use the enclosed CD-ROM. In moments, you’ll know what sign your Ascendant is—and in what degree of this sign it is. You can also surf the web to find sites that will cast your chart for free.
In addition, on page 484 I offer a shortcut method of approximating your Ascendant. If you were born outside the U.S. and cannot use these Ascendant tablesa—nd you have no access to a computer—this shortcut method will provide your approximate Ascendant. But remember, it’s just approximate.
How to Use the Following Ascendant Tables
To aid in finding your Ascendant, let us find the Ascendant of Oprah Winfrey, whose chart I use in this book as a special example in interpreting a horoscope. (See pages 322 et seq.) Oprah was born January 29, 1954, at 4:30 a.m., in Kosciusko, Mississippi.
1. First decide if your birthplace is in the 30 Degrees North Table or the 40 Degrees North Table. Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi, an area represented by the 30 Degrees North Table.
2. Now place a ruler along the line that most closely represents the time of your birth (listed on the left-hand side of the page). You will notice that for each hour of time there are five squares of graph, which means each graph-square represents 12 minutes. Oprah was born at 4:30 a.m.; she would place a ruler across the page in the middle of the third square after 4:00 a.m.
3. The next step is to place a second ruler down the line that most closely represents the day of the month of your birth (listed along the top of the page). You will notice that for each month there are 15 squares of graph, which means each graph-square represents about two days. Oprah was born on January 29; she would place a ruler down the page in the middle of the 15th square (the final square) of January.
4. The last step is to look at the point where the two rulers meet. This point will fall into a specific diagonal band on the graph that is clearly labeled with the name of an astrological sign. That sign is your Ascendant.
For Oprah Winfrey’s birth time and birthdate, the two rulers meet in the band marked Sagittarius. Therefore, Sagittarius is Oprah’s Ascendant.
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A Shortcut Method of Approximating Your Ascendant
THE FOLLOWING METHOD will give you a simple way of finding your Ascendant. Keep in mind that this shortcut method is a gauge that does not allow for differences in latitude at the place you were born, time changes, etc. Nor does it give you the degree of your Rising sign.
SHORTCUT METHOD
What time of day were you born? Locate the segment of the above wheel that contains your birth time.
Write the name of your Sun sign in that segment.
Going counterclockwise around the wheel, write down in each segment the signs of the zodiac in the order that they follow your Sun sign. (See example below.)
The sign that you write down in Segment 1 is your approximate Ascendant.
Example: Person born 7:56 p.m. with Sun in Pisces.*
Time of birth, 7:56 p.m., fits into Segment 6.
Pisces (Sun sign) is written down in Segment 6.
Following the order of the zodiac, the signs of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra are written in Segments 7, 8, 9,10,11,12, and 1 of the wheel.
The sign of Libra appears in Segment 1. Libra is this person’s Ascendant.
Where Is Your Mercury?
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THE FOLLOWING MERCURY TABLES will tell you what sign Mercury was in on the day of your birth.
First locate the year you were born. Next find the mo
nth of your birth (on the left-hand side of the page) and place a ruler across the page under your birth month.
The tables list for your month every date on which Mercury moved into a new sign. Thus, you can quickly ascertain what sign Mercury was in on the day of your birth.
Example: You were born June 1, 1970. Locate the year 1970 and the month JUN. You will see that on the 13th of June in 1970 Mercury moved into Gemini. Since you were born on the 1st of June, look at the previous month to find Mercury’s position. You will see that Mercury was in Taurus throughout May and did not move into Gemini until the 13th of June. Therefore, on June 1st, your birthday, Mercury was in Taurus.
Example: You were born August 15,1962. Locate the year 1962 and the month AUG. You will see that on the 10th of August Mercury moved into Virgo, and on the 29th of August it moved into Libra. Therefore, on August 15th, your birthday, Mercury was in Virgo.
Note: If you look carefully at the Mercury Tables, you will see that from time to time Mercury enters a new sign and when it moves again reenters a previous sign. For example, in the year 1984 Mercury entered Aries on March 14, entered Taurus on March 31, entered Aries again on April 25, and entered Taurus again in May 15. This backward transit of a planet is called retrograde motion, a term fully described in An Astrologer’s Lexicon, page 417. You will notice this phenomenon from time to time in all the Planetary Tables because all the planets, except for the Sun and the Moon, are retrograde at one time or another.
The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need Page 48
