Beginners guide to Astrology by the Forensic Astrologer

Glossary of used terminology

The Planets

Some on screen information and a PDF to download or print off and read and keep.

There are many videos on each of the houses....

Rulerships

The five visible planets are then distributed between the ten remaining signs in such a way that each has a 'day house' in a masculine sign and a 'nocturnal house' in a feminine sign. (It is, of course, fitting that the luminaries rule only one sign each since the Sun loses its power in a feminine sign, just as the Moon loses its potency in masculine signs.)

The androgynous planet Mercury governs those signs - Gemini and Virgo - that adjoin the home of the masculine Sun and that of the feminine Moon, in keeping with its asexual nature. Ptolemy pointed out that Mercury is never further from the Sun than one sign in either direction so it is appropriate that the cusps of its signs preserve this relationship with the cusp of the sign of the Sun.

Following Mercury is Venus, the fertility goddess, governing signs which Ptolemy described as 'extremely fertile': Taurus and Libra. Venus is a benefic planet; the friendly sextile between the beginning of Leo and the cusps of her signs again preserve the astronomical relationship between Venus and the Sun by keeping them within the distance of two signs.

Next comes Mars, designated to Aries and Scorpio because, according to Ptolemy, they are agreeable to its destructive and inharmonious nature, and form a hostile square aspect to the 'houses' of the luminaries.

Jupiter, the 'Greater Benefic', governs the signs that form a harmonious trine aspect to the luminaries - Sagittarius and Pisces.

Saturn, the furthest visible planet from the Sun, is given rulership of the signs that are most distant from the Sun's 'home': Capricorn and Aquarius. These are the signs of the coldest, wintry weather, their unfriendly aspect to the signs of the luminaries befitting the destructive nature of the 'Greater Malefic'.

The association of planets to places of their own gender (or sect) was far more relevant in traditional astrology than it is today and formed an important part of evaluating planetary strength. Al-Biruni tells us that a masculine planet was dignified when positioned in a masculine sign and weakened in a feminine one, the former being known as hayyiz (or hayz), meaning 'natural place' or 'preferred position', the latter being known as contention. [5] Although the planets have two signs each, they are nonetheless more potent when located in the sign which corresponds to their own gender and temperament. Saturn is a masculine planet and thus prefers the sign of Aquarius to Capricorn. For the same reason Jupiter prefers Sagittarius to Pisces, and Mars prefers Aries to Scorpio. Venus is feminine and so prefers Taurus to Libra, while Mercury, although common to both genders, prefers Virgo to Gemini because it most closely maintains its natural relationship with the Sun.

Signs of detriment are simply those which oppose signs of rulership. The Sun, for example, rules Leo and is detrimented in the opposite sign, Aquarius. Clearly, if a planet in its own sign is in its strongest, safest position, it is at its most vulnerable in the furthest sign from this point.

The 1st house or the Ascendant

Aquarius and Pisces rising and the 2nd house