Astrology Glossary
Definitions for Western, Vedic, and Chinese terms
- Ascendant (Rising Sign)— western
The zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at your birth moment.
- Midheaven (MC)— western
The 10th house cusp — career, reputation, and public life.
- Sun Sign— western
The zodiac sign the Sun occupied at your birth — your core identity.
- Moon Sign— western
The zodiac sign the Moon occupied at birth — your emotional nature.
- Rising Sign— western
Another name for the Ascendant — the sign on the eastern horizon at birth.
- Natal Chart— western
A map of the sky at the exact moment of your birth.
- Saturn Return— western
When Saturn returns to its natal position — a major life transition around age 29.
- Mercury Retrograde— western
When Mercury appears to move backward — a period favouring review over new starts.
- North Node (Rahu)— western
The karmic point of growth — where your soul is evolving toward in this lifetime.
- South Node (Ketu)— western
The karmic point of release — past-life gifts and over-reliance patterns.
- Stellium— western
Three or more planets in the same sign or house — concentrated energy.
- Conjunction— western
Two planets at 0° — their energies merge and intensify.
- Opposition— western
Two planets at 180° — tension between opposing forces seeking balance.
- Trine— western
Two planets at 120° — natural flow and ease between their energies.
- Square— western
Two planets at 90° — friction and challenge that drives action and growth.
- Sextile— western
Two planets at 60° — opportunity and harmonious cooperation.
- Quincunx (Inconjunct)— western
Two planets at 150° — awkward adjustment and the need for constant recalibration.
- Yod (Finger of God)— western
Two planets sextile each other, both quincunx a third — a fated configuration.
- Grand Trine— western
Three planets each 120° apart — a triangle of flowing, natural talent.
- Grand Cross— western
Four planets forming two oppositions and four squares — maximum tension and growth.
- Part of Fortune— western
An Arabic Part indicating where you find worldly success and alignment.
- Intercepted Sign— western
A zodiac sign fully contained within a house — its energy is internalised.
- 10th House Mars— western
Mars in the 10th house — ambition, career drive, and public reputation through action.
- 7th House— western
The house of partnership, marriage, and one-on-one relationships.
- Chiron— western
The wounded healer asteroid — your deepest wound and greatest teaching gift.
- Solar Return— western
The annual chart cast when the Sun returns to its exact natal degree — your astrological new year.
- Nakshatra— vedic
The 27 lunar mansions of Vedic astrology — more precise than zodiac signs.
- Dasha (Vimshottari)— vedic
Planetary periods in Vedic astrology that show timing of life themes.
- Lagna (Vedic Ascendant)— vedic
The rising sign in Vedic astrology — the foundation of the Kundli chart.
- Yoga (Vedic)— vedic
Planetary combinations in Vedic astrology that create specific life outcomes.
- Rahu (North Node)— vedic
The shadow planet representing desire, ambition, and karmic evolution in Vedic astrology.
- Ketu (South Node)— vedic
The shadow planet representing liberation, past karma, and spiritual detachment.
- Ayanamsa— vedic
The angular difference between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs due to precession.
- Mahadasha— vedic
The major planetary period in Vimshottari Dasha — ruling for 6 to 20 years.
- Navamsa (D9)— vedic
The 9th divisional chart — reveals the soul's purpose, marriage, and dharma.
- Atmakaraka— vedic
The planet with the highest degree in your chart — your soul's significator.
- Mangal Dosha— vedic
Mars in certain houses creating intensity in relationships — a Vedic marriage consideration.
- Day Master (BaZi)— chinese
The Heavenly Stem of your Day Pillar — your core identity in Four Pillars astrology.
- Luck Pillar (Da Yun)— chinese
10-year destiny cycles in BaZi that shift your elemental balance and life themes.
- Ten Gods— chinese
The 10 elemental relationships between your Day Master and other chart elements.
- Heavenly Stems— chinese
The 10 cyclical signs (Jia to Gui) that form the elemental quality of each BaZi pillar.
- Earthly Branches— chinese
The 12 cyclical signs (Zi to Hai) corresponding to the Chinese zodiac animals.
- Ben Ming Nian— chinese
Your zodiac year — when your birth animal returns, requiring extra caution and offerings.
- Five Elements (Wu Xing)— chinese
The five elemental forces — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — governing Chinese metaphysics.
- Trine Group (San He)— chinese
The three Chinese zodiac animals most harmonious with each other.
- Retrograde— all
When a planet appears to move backward from Earth's perspective — a period of review.
- Synastry— western
Comparison of two birth charts to reveal relationship compatibility.
- Tri-Vector Alignment— all
Arcanavana's methodology unifying Western, Vedic, and Chinese astrology.
- Transit— all
Current planetary positions compared to your natal chart — live cosmic weather.
- Void of Course Moon— all
The Moon's period between its last major aspect and entering the next sign — avoid new starts.
- Eclipse— all
A solar or lunar eclipse — a powerful activation point in both Western and Vedic astrology.
- Planetary Hours— all
Each hour of the day is governed by a planet — ancient time-quality system.
- Ingress— all
When a planet enters a new zodiac sign — a shift in the collective energy.