The words of the sky

Glossary

The terms of astrology, the Enneagram and AstroGramme's calculations, in a few lines each.

Arrows (integration and disintegration)Enneagram: The inner lines of the symbol connect each type to two others. In growth, you borrow the qualities of the type the arrow points to; under stress, you take on the flaws of the opposite type.; See also:Enneagram type Centre
AscendantAstrology: The sign rising on the eastern horizon at the time and place of your birth. It is read as the way you make your entrance, the first impression you give.; Understanding the ascendant → See also:Descendant Houses Sidereal time
AspectAstrology: The angle between two bodies or two signs, measured along the zodiac. The major aspects are the conjunction (0°), sextile (60°), square (90°), trine (120°) and opposition (180°).; See also:Conjunction Trine Square Opposition

Birth chartAstrology: The map of the sky at the exact time and place of a birth: positions of the Sun, Moon and planets in the signs, ascendant and houses.; See also:Sun sign Ascendant Houses

CentreEnneagram: The nine types fall into three centres of three: instinctive (8, 9, 1), feeling (2, 3, 4) and thinking (5, 6, 7). Each reacts first through the body, the heart or the head.; The nine types → See also:Enneagram type
ConjunctionAstrology: Two bodies at the same place in the zodiac, or two people of the same sign. The energies blend and reinforce each other.; See also:Aspect

DecanAstrology: Each sign divides into three 10° slices, the decans. A Sun at 25° Leo is in its third decan, coloured by Aries according to the most widespread tradition.; See also:Sun sign Tropical zodiac
DescendantAstrology: The point opposite the ascendant, on the western horizon. It describes what we look for in others: associates, partners, close relationships.; See also:Ascendant Opposition

EclipticCalculation: The Sun's apparent path across the sky over the year. The zodiac is this line cut into twelve 30° sectors, and every astrological position is measured on it in degrees.; See also:Tropical zodiac Obliquity of the ecliptic
ElementAstrology: Fire, Earth, Air or Water: each element groups three signs that share a temperament. Fire and Air spur each other on, Earth and Water nourish each other.; The signs by element → See also:Mode (cardinal, fixed, mutable)Trine
Enneagram typeEnneagram: One of the nine Enneagram profiles, defined by a basic desire and a basic fear. It describes why you act, more than what you do.; The nine types → See also:Wing Centre Arrows (integration and disintegration); 1 · The Reformer 2 · The Helper 3 · The Achiever 4 · The Individualist 5 · The Investigator 6 · The Loyalist 7 · The Enthusiast 8 · The Challenger 9 · The Peacemaker

HousesAstrology: Twelve sectors of the local sky, counted from the ascendant, that link each body to an area of life. They require the exact time; AstroGramme does not calculate them.; See also:Ascendant Midheaven

InstinctEnneagram: Three basic energies guide our priorities: self-preservation (security, resources), social (place in the group) and sexual or one-to-one (intensity, bond with one person). One dominates, another stays a blind spot.; See also:Subtype

Lunar nodesAstrology: The two points where the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic. The North node shows the direction you grow towards; the South node, opposite, what you already know and are meant to move beyond.; See also:Ecliptic Birth chart

MidheavenAstrology: The point of the zodiac highest in the sky at birth. It is associated with vocation and public image. Like the ascendant, it depends on time and place.; See also:Houses Ascendant
Mode (cardinal, fixed, mutable)Astrology: The rhythm of a sign within its season. Cardinal signs open the seasons and launch, fixed signs hold their heart and consolidate, mutable signs close them and adapt.; See also:Element Square

Obliquity of the eclipticCalculation: The tilt of the Earth's axis, about 23.44°. It is why some signs rise quickly and others slowly, and therefore why ascendants don't all last two hours.; See also:Ecliptic Ascendant
OppositionAstrology: A 180° aspect between two signs facing each other, such as Aries and Libra. Two complementary poles that attract and challenge each other.; See also:Aspect Descendant

Personal planetsAstrology: The Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars, along with the Sun: the fast-moving bodies that describe individual character. AstroGramme calculates the Moon, Venus and Mars in addition to the Sun.; See also:Sun sign
Planetary dignitiesAstrology: How comfortable a planet is in a sign, according to tradition. In domicile it is at home; exalted, highlighted; in detriment and fall, in the opposite signs, it has to express itself differently.; See also:Ruler (ruling planet)Personal planets

Retrograde motionAstrology: A period when a planet seems to move backwards through the zodiac, seen from the Earth overtaking it or being overtaken. Mercury goes retrograde three or four times a year, for about three weeks; it is read as a time to revisit what is under way rather than start anew.; This year's astro calendar → See also:Ecliptic Personal planets
Ruler (ruling planet)Astrology: The planet associated with a sign: Mars for Aries, Venus for Taurus, and so on. Tradition stops at Saturn; modern astrology assigned Uranus, Neptune and Pluto to Aquarius, Pisces and Scorpio.; See also:Element

Second wingEnneagram: The less pronounced wing. Several authors observe that it often develops with age, which balances the type over a lifetime.; See also:Wing
SextileAstrology: A 60° aspect between two signs of compatible elements, Fire and Air or Earth and Water. An easy understanding that opens up opportunities.; See also:Aspect Element
Sidereal timeCalculation: Time measured against the stars rather than the Sun. The sidereal day lasts 23 h 56 min; local sidereal time tells which part of the sky is passing over a place, and is used to calculate the ascendant.; See also:Ascendant Time zone
Sidereal zodiacAstrology: A zodiac aligned with the constellations, used notably in Indian astrology. It is now about 24° off the tropical zodiac, because of the precession of the equinoxes.; See also:Tropical zodiac
SquareAstrology: A 90° aspect between two signs of the same mode but incompatible elements, such as Aries and Cancer. A tension that pushes you to act and grow.; See also:Aspect Mode (cardinal, fixed, mutable)
SubtypeEnneagram: The combination of a type and its dominant instinct. Claudio Naranjo describes 27 of them, three per type: two people of the same type can seem very different depending on their subtype.; See also:Instinct Enneagram type
Sun signAstrology: The sign the Sun was in at your birth, the one commonly called “your sign”. It describes your core identity and what drives you.; The twelve signs → See also:Ascendant Decan

Time zoneCalculation: To calculate the ascendant, the local birth time is converted to universal time with the IANA time zone database, which knows the daylight saving time and historical changes of each place.; Method and sources → See also:Sidereal time
TrineAstrology: A 120° aspect between two signs of the same element, such as Leo and Sagittarius. The smoothest harmony in the zodiac.; See also:Aspect Element
TritypeEnneagram: The strongest type in each of the three centres (body, heart, head), from strongest to weakest. It nuances the main type; AstroGramme only gives it after the in-depth test.; See also:Centre Enneagram type
Tropical zodiacAstrology: The zodiac of Western astrology, used by AstroGramme: twelve 30° sectors counted from the vernal point, tied to the seasons rather than the constellations.; See also:Vernal point Sidereal zodiac

Vernal pointCalculation: The Sun's position at the spring equinox. It is 0° Aries, from which the twelve signs of the tropical zodiac are counted.; See also:Tropical zodiac Ecliptic

WingEnneagram: One of the two types next to yours on the Enneagram circle. The dominant wing nuances your type without changing it: a 4 with a 3 wing is more outward-facing than a 4 with a 5 wing.; See also:Second wing Enneagram type

Missing a definition? The sources of the calculations and interpretations are on the Method page.

Glossary

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