Astrology terms starting with T

A configuration of tension formed by two planets in opposition, both square a third.

The T-Square is one of the most dynamic figures in the chart. It generates considerable tension that drives the individual to act and to resolve conflicts. The “apex” planet (the one that receives both squares) is the discharge point for the stress. It is there that the most concrete achievements manifest, often after overcoming great difficulties. This is a frequent configuration in people with a great destiny or an iron will.

A table used to calculate the cusps of the astrological houses according to latitude and sidereal time.

The table of houses is an indispensable calculation tool for casting a chart. For a given geographic latitude and sidereal time, it provides the zodiacal degrees corresponding to the cusps (beginnings) of the twelve houses. Before the computer age, every astrologer owned their own table of houses, the most famous being those of Placidus and Koch. There are as many tables as there are systems of house division: Placidus, Koch, Regiomontanus, Campanus, equal houses, and so on. Each system divides the celestial sphere differently, which can significantly alter the placement of the planets within the houses. Today, astrology software performs these calculations instantly, but understanding the principle of the table of houses remains essential for grasping the logic of house division and the importance of the exact time of birth.

Unequal subdivisions of each zodiacal sign, ruled by the planets except the luminaries.

Each 30° sign is divided into five segments called 'Terms', each assigned to one of the five traditional planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn). The planet ruling the term in which a body falls imprints its 'manner of being' upon it. This is a subtle dignity used to refine character descriptions or for the technique of primary directions. The two best-known systems are the Egyptian Terms and the Ptolemaic Terms.

A term designating the planets located beyond the orbit of Saturn: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The trans-Saturnian planets (also called collective or generational planets) were unknown to ancient astrology. They symbolise forces that exceed individual control: revolutions, the collective unconscious, slow and profound transformations. Because of their slowness, they mark entire generations rather than purely personal characters, except when they form a close aspect with a luminary or an angle.

The passage of a moving planet over a sensitive point of the natal chart.

The transit is the most common predictive technique in astrology. It consists of observing the passage of the planets in the current sky (in real time) relative to the positions of the natal chart. When a transiting planet forms an exact aspect with a natal planet, it 'activates' the latter and triggers events or realisations connected to the symbolism at play. Transits of the fast planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars) are brief and daily. Transits of the slow planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) mark long, profound periods of transformation. A transit of Saturn over the natal Sun, for example, lasts several months and imposes a maturity assessment. The applying orb (the planet approaching the exact aspect) is often felt more intensely than the separating orb.

The grouping of the twelve signs into four groups of three, according to their element.

Triplicity divides the zodiac by element: Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) and Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). Each triplicity shares a common elemental nature that influences the basic temperament. In traditional astrology, each triplicity is governed by a group of 'triplicity rulers' that vary according to the day/night cycle of the chart.

The dignity of a planet found in a sign of the same element (triplicity) that it rules.

Triplicity rulership is an important minor dignity. It indicates that a planet has contextual resources and support. In medieval and Renaissance astrology, different rulers are used depending on whether the chart is diurnal (born by day) or nocturnal (born by night). A planet in its triplicity is like a guest who feels at ease among friends: it is not the master of the house, but it benefits from favourable conditions in which to act.

A zodiac based on the seasons, beginning at the vernal point (0° Aries).

The tropical zodiac is the one used by almost all Western astrologers. It is not based on the physical constellations but on the Earth-Sun relationship. The 0° of Aries corresponds to the spring equinox. This zodiac symbolises human psychological evolution in connection with the cycles of terrestrial nature.