Astrology Terms
Big Three
This phrase refers to the 3 main biggest players in your personal birth chart, your Sun Sign, your Moon Sign and your Rising Sign or Ascendant. There are a lot of other points, planets, details and angles in your chart but these three things make up the core of your astrological personality.
Sun Sign - Reveals your life's purpose
Moon Sign - Describes your body and emotional world
Rising Sign - Highlights your motivations for living life and your sense of self
Your Sun Sign is simply determined by the date you were born. But your Rising sign, your moon sign and all of the houses and planets in your chart are calculated based on your date, time and location of birth. If you know those three things there are tons of free tools that exist that will help you populate your chart and tell you your Big Three.
Conjunction
A conjunction occurs when a two or more planets are in the same sign. These planets are close together which means their energies tend to blend together.
Cazimi
A Cazimi is a very specific conjunction. It occurs when any planet is within one degree of the sun. Meaning the sun and the planet come together. This signifies the beginning of a new cycle for that planet. It's both a fresh start and a time for important insights if you're paying attention.
Elements
All 12 of the zodiac signs are divided into 4 different elements. Each element has it's own temperament and personality and tell us whether that sign operates through inspiration (fire), practicality (earth), communication (air), or emotion (water).
Fire Signs - Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs - Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Houses
In Whole House Astrology the wheel of your astrological chart is divided into 12 houses all with their own emphasis and area of life and all home to one Zodiac sign.
1st House - Self, appearance, vitality and life force
2nd House - Assets, resources and talents
3rd House - Communication, daily rituals, siblings and extended family
4th House - Parents, caregivers, foundations and home
5th House - Pleasure, romance, creative energy and children
6th House - Work, health and pets
7th House - Committed partnerships, relationships and close friends
8th House - Death, mental health, and other people's resources
9th House - Travel, education, publishing, religion, astrology and philosophy
10th House - Career and public life
11th House - Community, friends and good fortune
12th House - Sorrow, loss, and hidden life
Modalities
The 12 zodiac signs are divided into three different modalities: cardinal, fixed and mutable. he modality of a sign tells us what its job is. Cardinal signs initiate new seasons, fixed signs sustain them, and mutable signs transition us into the next. Because of this, no two signs in a given element work exactly alike.
Cardinal Signs - Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. These signs all correlate to the start of new seasons and tend to be very action oriented signs.
Fixed Signs - Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. These signs stabilize the existing season and represent what is sturdy and enduring.
Mutable Signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. These are the signs that conclude the seasons and they tend to be good at letting go of one thing in preparation of another.
Moon Phases
A Moon Phases is how the moon appears, or doesn't, in our sky based on it's position as the Earth orbits the Sun.
New Moon - New Moons happen with the Moon is next to the sun and disappears from the sky. This is a time for new beginning and to plant the seeds for your future growth and watch it grow along with the light of the moon.
First-Quarter Moon - This occurs when the Moon is 90 degrees ahead of the sun, forming a semi-circle in the sky. This is the time of the month to take action. Whatever you planted the seeds for on the New Moon, now's the time to put in the work.
Full Moon - Full Moons occur when the Moon is exactly opposite the Sun, receiving the full impact of the Sun's light. This time correlates to peaks, culminations and heightened activity (or feelings). Bring your projects to the finish line or let the moon illuminate what you need to work on.
Last-Quarter Moon - This occurs when the moon is 90 degrees behind the sun, forming another semi-circle in the sky. It's a time to refine, put the finishing touches on things but also honor your limits and recognize what you need to let go of.
Opposition
Oppositions occur when planets are 6 signs or roughly 180 degrees apart. This is challenging aspect. Oppositions are like tug-of-wars asking us to balance contrasts within ourselves.
Sextile
Planets sextile each other when they are two signs or around 60 degrees apart. Sextiles are harmonious aspects that bring cooperation and support on the planets involved.
Square
Planets that are three signs away from each other or roughly 90 degrees apart form a square. This is a challenging aspect. Squares are points of friction that often encourage us to take action, even if it's not always comfortable.
Trine
Trines occur when planets are 4 signs or roughly 120 degrees apart. They are the most harmonious aspect you can have because it means that the planets are in signs that are in the same element. Trines offer synchronicities, opportunities, and ease to the planets involved.
