Eagle (Aquila)
ConstellationA zodiacal constellation associated with vision, courage and protection.
The Eagle is a minor constellation of the zodiac, lying between the constellations of Capricorn and Aquarius. In astrology, it is often associated with the sign of Scorpio because of its position close to the ecliptic. The Eagle symbolizes piercing vision, courage and protection. Its influence can indicate an ability to see beyond appearances, to show bravery in the face of challenges and to protect what is precious.
Earth (element)
ConceptThe element associated with the signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, symbolising matter and the concrete.
Earth is one of the four classical elements in astrology, associated with the signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. It represents the material world, stability, practical sense, perseverance and grounding in reality. The Earth signs favour the concrete, security, and slow, lasting construction. They are reliable, patient and methodical, but can also prove rigid, possessive or excessively cautious. Taurus embodies fixed Earth (resources, sensuality); Virgo, mutable Earth (analysis, service); Capricorn, cardinal Earth (ambition, structure). A chart rich in Earth indicates a realistic, efficient native with good material sense. A lack of Earth may translate into difficulty bringing projects to fruition or handling the practical aspects of life.
East Point
Fictitious pointThe point of intersection of the horizon and the prime vertical.
Also called the “Ascendant of the equator,” the East Point is a fictitious point used to refine the personality. It describes the way we spontaneously present ourselves to the world, sometimes in a rawer or more instinctive manner than the classic Ascendant.
Eclipses
AstronomicalPhenomena aligning the Sun, the Moon and the Nodes, bringing about abrupt changes.
Eclipses (solar or lunar) occur near the lunar nodes. They are regarded as “accelerators of destiny.” An eclipse often brings revelations, sudden endings or radical new beginnings in the house where it falls.
Ecliptic
AstronomicalThe apparent annual path of the Sun around the Earth.
It is the belt onto which the twelve signs of the zodiac are projected. The ecliptic is inclined by 23°26’ relative to the celestial equator, which generates the cycle of the seasons. In astrology, the ecliptic is the path of the soul, the geometric framework within which the planetary interactions are inscribed.
Eighth House
HouseThe house of crises, transformation, symbolic death and deep sexuality.
The Eighth House is one of the most intense and most misunderstood houses of the natal chart. Traditionally associated with death, it actually governs everything that touches on deep transformation: existential crises, inheritances (both material and psychological), intimate sexuality, other people's money (loans, taxes, insurance), losses and rebirths. By analogy with Scorpio and Pluto, this house represents the alchemical process of destruction and reconstruction. A heavily tenanted Eighth House grants the native a remarkable capacity to pass through ordeals and to be reborn, but also a sometimes unconscious attraction to situations of crisis. In psychological astrology, the Eighth House reveals our relationship to shared power in intimacy, our capacity to surrender to another and our deepest fears.
Eleventh House
HouseThe sector of projects, friends and social participation.
By analogy with Aquarius and Uranus, the Eleventh House describes support, protection and the groups one belongs to. It is the house of hope, of collective ideals and of fellowship. Unlike the Fifth, which is individual creation, the Eleventh is collective creation. It shows how the individual fits into a network in order to realize their visions of the future.
Ephemeris
ConceptTables giving the exact positions of the planets for each day of the year.
The ephemeris is a set of astronomical tables that give the position of each planet in degrees, minutes and seconds for each day at a given hour (generally 0h or 12h UT). It is the basic tool of every astrologer: without an ephemeris, it is impossible to cast a natal chart or to calculate transits. Before the computer age, astrologers used printed ephemerides, often published across several decades (Raphael’s Ephemeris or Die Deutsche Ephemeriden were the most renowned). Today, astrology software integrates the ephemeris directly, but paper versions are still used by many practitioners who prefer the rigor of manual calculation. The ephemeris also includes retrogradations, sign changes and the phases of the Moon.
Equinoxes
AstronomicalThe moments of the year when day and night are of equal length.
There are two equinoxes: spring (the Sun’s entry into Aries) and autumn (the Sun’s entry into Libra). In astrology, they mark major energetic turning points. The spring equinox is considered the beginning of the astrological year, symbolizing rebirth and the vital impulse.
Event Chart
TechniqueA chart cast for the beginning of a specific event.
The event chart treats a moment in history as though it were a birth. It is used to analyse the potential and outcome of the signing of a contract, an accident, a natural disaster or the inauguration of a monument. Unlike the natal chart, which follows a person, the event chart freezes the 'soul' of an undertaking. It is a key branch of mundane and electional astrology that allows one to analyse the forces at play during a significant occurrence.
Exaltation
ConceptThe sign in which a planet expresses its qualities in an amplified and brilliant way.
Exaltation is one of the four essential dignities in traditional astrology. A planet in exaltation is in a sign where it can express itself with brilliance, sometimes even with excess — like a guest of honor at a feast held in their honor. The classical exaltations are: the Sun in Aries, the Moon in Taurus, Mercury in Virgo, Venus in Pisces, Mars in Capricorn, Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Libra. An exalted planet is powerful but may lack temperance: Venus in Pisces loves with devotion, but can sink into amorous self-sacrifice. Exaltation must be distinguished from domicile: in domicile, the planet is at home and masters its territory; in exaltation, it shines but does not rule. The sign opposite the exaltation is the fall, where the planet is weakened.