The 8 astrology terms starting with N, explained simply: meaning, use in chart interpretation and related notions.
The point of the celestial sphere directly opposite the Zenith.
The Nadir is the lowest point, located beneath the observer's feet. In astrology, it is technically identified with the Imum Coeli (IC). It symbolises the foundation of consciousness, the point of midnight, the psychological depths and the ancestral roots. It is the place of rest, of withdrawal and of intimate life.
A chart cast for the exact moment and place of an individual's birth.
The natal chart (or birth chart) is a photograph of the sky at the precise moment of birth, seen from the place of birth. It is the founding document of any individual astrological study. The natal chart includes: the position of the ten planets in the signs and houses, the aspects (angles) between the planets, the Ascendant, the Midheaven, and possibly fictitious points (lunar nodes, Lilith, Arabic parts). To calculate it, three pieces of data are essential: the date, the exact time and the place of birth. The natal chart never changes — it represents the native's basic potential. It is then through transits, progressions and solar returns that the astrologer observes how this potential unfolds over time. Scholarly synonym: radix.
The planet of inspiration, dreams, spirituality and the dissolution of boundaries.
Neptune governs the invisible, intuition, the mystical arts and universal compassion. It symbolises the capacity to transcend the ego in order to connect with the collective. Poorly aspected, it can generate confusion, illusions, flights from reality or dependencies. It rules the sign of Pisces and takes about 165 years to travel through the zodiac.
The exact conjunction between the Sun and the Moon (0°).
The New Moon marks the beginning of a synodic cycle. The Moon is invisible in the night sky. It is a moment of sowing, of pure intention and of renewal. In a natal chart, being born under a New Moon indicates an instinctive temperament, one in which desire (the Sun) and need (the Moon) are fused together.
The sector of philosophy, distant travel and the quest for meaning.
By analogy with Sagittarius and Jupiter, the Ninth House is the house of mental and spiritual expansion. It concerns higher studies, travel abroad, religion, philosophy and everything that broadens the individual's horizons. It is the house of the quest for truth and wisdom. Strong activity in the Ninth often indicates a need to understand the world through a broad vision and to connect with universal values.
The sector of long journeys, philosophy and spirituality.
By analogy with Sagittarius and Jupiter, the Ninth House represents the elevation of the spirit. It governs higher studies, religion, law, distant journeys (physical or mental) and the quest for meaning. It is here that one seeks to go beyond one's usual horizons in order to understand universal laws and to develop a global vision of the world.
That which belongs to the night or favours inwardness.
A chart is nocturnal if the Sun is below the horizon. In this case, the Moon becomes the reference luminary for vitality and destiny. The nocturnal (Feminine) signs favour receptivity, reflection and inner maturation.
The first six signs of the zodiac (Aries to Virgo).
These are the signs located north of the celestial equator. They correspond to the period when the days are longer than the nights in the northern hemisphere. Symbolically, they are linked to the development of the individual personality.