Palmistry and Astrology
Palmistry, as the name suggests, is the study of human palm along with its lines and fingers. The study of Palmistry and Astrology are very closely related, especially in India. Palmistry contains all the planets that Astrology has and Vedic Astrologers can draw a horoscope just by studying the palm.
Parallel Aspect
The orbits of most of the planets in the solar system lie in approximately the same geometric plane. There is, nevertheless, a variation in the tilt or angle of these orbits, so at any given time most of the planets are either north or south of the celestial equator. This variation is measured in degrees of declination. Two planets are parallel when they are on the same side of the celestial equator and have the same degree of declination. Planets with the same declination are said to have a relationship similar to a conjunction. Contra-parallel is the equal distance in declination on opposite sides of the equator and is similar in effect to the opposition aspect.
Paran
A Paran or Paranatellon is said to occur when two planets cross any angle at the same time. The concept is not much used in modern astrology.
Part of Fortune
The part of fortune, an imaginary point in an astrological chart, can be determined in two different ways. The first way is to measure the angular distance between the Sun and the Moon, and then find the point in the horoscope where the Moon would fall if the Sun were to be moved to the ascendant. The point where the Moon would then fall is the part of fortune. For example, if in a given natal chart the Sun is at 10° Aries and the Moon at 20° Taurus, then the angular distance between the Sun and Moon is 40°. In this same chart the ascendant is located at 5° Libra. If the chart is then imaginarily rotated until the Sun is at 5° Libra, the Moon would be at 15° Scorpio (40° away from 5° Libra). Thus, the part of fortune would be located at 15° Scorpio. The house and sign placement of the part of fortune indicate, as the name intimates, good fortune.
Partile
The astrological aspects, the angles between the planets, such as squares and trines, do not have to be exact (e.g., exactly 180 degrees for opposition or exactly 120 degrees for trine to be counted as having an influence. On the basis of the kind of aspect and planets involved, astrologers allow aspects a larger or smaller orb of influence, within which they are regarded as having an effect. Exact aspects are referred to as Partile aspects and are considered to have a stronger influence than non exact aspects.
Peregrine
Peregrine is a term used for any planet which is not in major aspect with any other planet. A Peregrine planet becomes very important because its nature and characteristic is not modified by any other planet.
Perfection
When an applying aspect between two planets becomes exact, the aspect is said to reach perfection.
Perigee
It is a point or place in a planet's orbit which is nearest to the Earth.
Perihelion
Perihelion is derived from the Greek word peri, meaning "near" and helios, meaning "Sun").The point in any celestial body's orbit when it is nearest the Sun is called its perihelion.
Periodical Lunation
Periodical lunation refers to the horoscope cast for the moment the Moon returns to the exact degree it occupied at birth. It is used for monthly forecasts.
Persephone
Persephone is one of the names given to the hypothetical planet orbiting the Sun beyond Pluto. Persephone was named after the daughter of Demeter, who was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld to become his queen. Persephone represents "separation anxiety; attitudes toward making transitions (that take one away from familiar people and circumstances); It also indicate an area where skills are undeveloped.
Personal Planet
Inner planets Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars are said to represents "ordinary" states of awareness and are known as Personal planets.
Pisces
Pisces or Meena (as per Vedic Astrology) is the 12th and last sign of the Zodiac. The symbol of Pisces is indicates by two fish joined together by a cord and swimming in opposite directions. In heavens it starts from 330 degrees and extends up to 359 degrees. The Sun stays in Pisces from 15th March to 13th April as per sidereal zodiac which is followed by Vedic Astrologers and from 20th February to 20th March as per Tropical Zodiac followed by Western Astrologers. Pisces is ruled by the planet Jupiter and Neptune (as per modern western astrology), it is mutable, watery, feminine sign, governs feet, toes, lymph glands and the twelfth house of the horoscope. Its characteristics are the need for complete transcendence of material, idealism, psychic depth, spirituality, empathy, and self-sacrifice.
Pivot
Greek astrology term for an angular house.
Places
Ancient term for Houses.
Placidus System
It is a method of house division in astrology, named after the 17th century astrologer Placidus de Tito.
Planet
Planets are heavenly body which when viewed from Earth appears to move, as distinguished from fixed stars.
Planetary Hours
The planetary hours are formed by the ancient Chaldeans. Planetary hours are not the sixty-minute hour that we are used to but for this purpose sunrise to sunset is considered day and sunset to sunrise is night. These two periods are equally divided into twelve parts each called a planetary hour. There sequence is Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and Moon and again starting with Saturn in cyclic order. The first hour of Sunday is ruled by the Sun, the first hour of Monday is ruled by the Moon etc.
Planetary Strength
The power of a planet in a horary chart due to the sum total of the planet's dignities or debilities, both essential and accidental.
Platic
Platic Aspect - An aspect that is not exact or Partile but is within orb.
Pluto
The 9th and the last discovered planet in our solar system. It is given the rulership of Scorpio along with the Mars.
Point of Life
A progressed point, obtained by advancing 0° Aries at the rate of 7years per sign. A planet at this point is presumed to affect the native according to its nature and strength. The theory appears to recognize the importance of the equinoctial degree as an individual point, and to associate it somehow with the Uranus motion, and the progressed motion of the Moon.
Polar Elevation
Polar Elevation or the Elevation of the Pole, is relative to the north or south latitude of the place. Traveling northward from the Equator the North Pole appears to rise up toward the zenith. The elevation of the Pole is same as the latitude.
Polaris
Polaris or Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star, Northern Star, Pole Star, Lodestar and sometimes Guiding star, is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It the current northern Pole Star.
Polarities
A division into two, the opposites; for example the polarity of the sign Aries is Libra but it is usually much more frequently used in dividing the gender of a sign: Masculine and Feminine.
Ponderous
A planet that is moving slowly is said to be ponderous.
Porphyry
This house system was devised by ancient astrologer Porphyry. The positions of the house cusps for the second, third, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth house are determined by dividing the arcs of the ecliptic contained in the four quadrants of a chart into even divisions of three.
Poseidon
Poseidon is the god of seas. Poseidon is the Greek counterpart of Neptune, who is seen as holding a trident, was the brother of Zeus (Jupiter) and Hades (Pluto). After defeating his father Cronos (Saturn) in the Trojan War, the Poseidon ruled the seas.
Posited
Posited is derived from the Latin word for "placed"; is where a planet is located or placed in an astrological chart.
Positive Signs
All odd-numbered signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius, are know as Positive signs.
Postnatal Eclipse
An eclipse, either solar or lunar, which occurs in the months immediately, following the birth of the native.
Prenatal Epoch
The astrological moment of conception, approximately nine months before birth. It is believed that the Moon's place on epoch day, or its opposite, becomes either the ascending or descending points in horoscope at birth.
Primary Directions
Primary directions, also know as Placidean arcs, primary arcs, and equatorial arcs is a method of astrological prognostication using a 'degree for a year" system. Actually there are several types of Primary Directions and it can be said that any method, for determining the changing influences of the altered relationship between the cuspal and the planets' places on successive days or years after birth, that is based upon the diurnal rotation of the Earth upon its axis, arc known as Primary Directions.
Prime Vertical
The vertical East-West great circle, whose plane is perpendicular to the plane of the meridian, and which passes through the East Point, Zenith, West Point, and Nadir of a particular location. An observer who is standing upright and facing south will be standing in the plane of the prime vertical.
Prognosis
Originally synonymous with Prediction, it refers to different methods of prediction in astrology; for example prognostication through transit, solar arc or primary direction etc.
Progressed Horoscope
A horoscope erected for a date that is as many days after a given birth date as the native's age in years.
Progressions
Alterations in the birth chart aiming to show the changing influences that result from motions of the celestial bodies after birth.
Promitter
This term is derived from the Latin promittere, meaning "to promise", is an older term that refers to the things "promised" by the sign, house, and aspects of a particular planet bur is rarely used in modern day astrology, although common in horary astrology.
Proper Motion
It refers to the motion of a planet or other celestial body in space as opposed to apparent motion caused by such factors as the axial rotation of Earth.
Prorogator
Also know as the Alpheta, the planet which upholds life.
Ptolemaic Aspect
Ptolemy distinguished sextile, square, trine, and opposition aspects as the major aspects in horoscope.
Astrology Terms starting with letter:
Written by Sanjay Sharma, © 2011, revised March 2021
