The 9 astrology terms starting with L, explained simply: meaning, use in chart interpretation and related notions.
The angular distance of a place relative to the equator.
Terrestrial latitude is crucial for calculating the Ascendant and for determining house sizes in most systems of house division. The closer one moves toward the poles, the more unequal the houses become, which alters the distribution of the planets across the chart.
The fifth sign (Fire/Fixed), symbolizing vitality, creativity and radiance.
Leo corresponds to the heart of summer, when the Sun stands at its zenith. Ruled by the Sun itself, it embodies the will to shine, nobility of heart and self-expression. It is the sign of artists, leaders and children. It seeks recognition and applause. Its challenge is to learn humility and to understand that its radiance should serve to illuminate others rather than merely to feed its own ego.
The seventh sign (Air/Cardinal), symbolizing harmony, relationship and justice.
Libra opens the autumn equinox, the moment of balance between day and night. Ruled by Venus, it is turned toward the other and the search for consensus. It embodies aesthetics, diplomacy and the need for social peace. It is through Libra that the individual learns the “We.” Its challenge is not to lose itself in compromise and to learn to make firm decisions in order to uphold true fairness.
American-British astrologer and Jungian analyst, a pioneer of psychological astrology.
Co-founder of the Centre for Psychological Astrology in London, Liz Greene revolutionized modern astrology by integrating Carl Jung's depth psychology into it. Her works, notably on Saturn (“Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil”), transformed the view of the so-called “malefic” planets into vehicles of growth and individuation. She sees the natal chart as a map of the human psyche and its personal myths, rather than as a tool for purely event-based prediction.
The position of a place (East/West) or of a celestial body along the ecliptic.
In astrology, celestial longitude is the measure of a planet's position from 0° to 360° along the zodiac, starting from the vernal point. It is this figure that tells us in which sign and at what degree a planet lies (e.g. 15° Leo).
The term grouping together the Sun and the Moon, the two sources of light in the sky.
The Luminaries hold a rank superior to that of the other planets. The Sun (the diurnal Luminary) represents consciousness, the spirit, the will and the father. The Moon (the nocturnal Luminary) embodies the unconscious, instinct, the emotions and the mother. Unlike the planets, the Luminaries never turn retrograde. They are the pillars of the personality: the Sun gives direction and purpose, while the Moon supplies the emotional fuel and the capacity to respond. Their relationship (the phases of the Moon) at the moment of birth is decisive for inner balance.
The points of intersection between the Moon's orbit and the ecliptic, tied to karma and destiny.
The lunar nodes are two diametrically opposed mathematical points where the Moon's orbit crosses the plane of the ecliptic (the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun). The North Node (or Dragon's Head) represents the direction of evolution, the soul's purpose, that toward which the native must strive in this life. The South Node (or Dragon's Tail) represents the gains of the past, the automatic reflexes, the inherited talents (which some interpret as karmic) but also the traps of repetition. The nodal axis runs through two opposite houses and two opposite signs, creating a fundamental axis of evolution in the chart. A transit of a slow planet over the lunar nodes often triggers events of a 'fated' character: decisive encounters, life reorientations, major realisations. Eclipses always occur near the lunar nodes, reinforcing their symbolism as an existential pivot.
A chart cast each month for the Moon's return to its natal position.
Less well known than the Solar Return, the Lunar Return (LR) sets out the emotional and event-related climate for the coming 28 days. It is very useful for fine-grained predictive analysis, month by month.
The complete cycle of the Moon relative to the Sun, lasting about 29.5 days.
Also called the synodic month, the lunation defines the lunar phases (New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter). In astrology, the lunation of birth (the phase the Moon was in) determines the individual's basic temperament: New Moon types are instinctive pioneers, while those born under a Full Moon live in a quest for balance and objectivity.