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Astral Atlas
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Astrology wiki

Explore wiki concepts, word origins, evidence and their connections to traditions and tools.

Meaning, evidence and context

Concepts A–Z

512 concepts, each with a definition, word origins, a brief epistemology and source links. Hover or focus a dotted term to preview it. Tap once for the preview, then follow the entry.

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Subject

12 terms

E
Physical bodies

Earth →

Our planet. A heliocentric Earth position is physical; Human Design’s Earth point is instead set opposite the geocentric Sun.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Inherited Germanic English name.

Earth comes from the ordinary word for the ground, rather than a Greek or Roman deity-name.

How we know · epistemology
Physical body and constructed chart point

A heliocentric calculation locates Earth relative to the Sun. Human Design instead defines an Earth point opposite its geocentric Sun position; that symbolic construction should not be mistaken for an independently observed Earth longitude in the same geocentric frame.

J
Physical bodies

Jupiter →

The fifth planet from the Sun and the largest Solar System planet.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Roman mythological name.

The planet bears the name of Jupiter, king of the Roman gods.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Astronomical observations establish Jupiter's large mass, size and orbit. Its astrological association with growth or good fortune is not a deduction from those physical properties, and a favorable placement cannot guarantee a beneficial outcome.

M
Physical bodies

Mars →

The fourth planet from the Sun, a rocky world whose apparent position is tracked in natal and transit charts.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Roman mythological name.

The planet bears the name of Mars, the Roman god of war.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Mars has an observable position and motion independent of chart interpretation. Associating that position with drive or conflict is a traditional reading, not evidence that a person is aggressive or that a confrontation will occur.

Physical bodies

Mercury →

The innermost Solar System planet. Its astronomical position and its traditional symbolic meanings are different kinds of information.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Roman mythological name.

The planet bears the name of Mercury, the Roman deity associated with commerce and travel.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Ephemerides describe the physical planet's apparent motion and changing solar separation. Its traditional association with thinking and communication is another layer of meaning; accurate Mercury coordinates do not measure a person's intellectual abilities.

Physical bodies

Moon →

Earth’s natural satellite; its changing position relative to the Sun produces the familiar lunar phases.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Inherited Germanic English name.

From Old English mōna, related to Germanic Moon words and the word family for month.

How we know · epistemology
Observed astronomical body

The Moon's orbit and phases can be checked against observation. Its chart position is therefore calculable, while inferring a person's emotional needs from that position requires evidence beyond the reality of lunar motion.

N
Physical bodies

Neptune →

The eighth planet from the Sun, an ice giant with a slow apparent passage through the zodiac.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Roman mythological name.

The planet is named for Neptune, the Roman sea god.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Neptune's distant orbit gives it slow apparent zodiacal motion shared by many birth cohorts. Interpretations involving imagination or uncertainty come from modern astrology; a placement alone cannot establish an individual's psychological state.

P
Physical bodies

Planet →

A physical Solar System body in the astronomical classification; astrological lists also include lights and calculated points.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Greek through Latin and French.

Greek planēs means wanderer. The name records the bodies' changing positions against the background stars.

How we know · epistemology
Astronomical and traditional classifications

Astronomy classifies physical bodies using stated criteria, while astrology often uses planet as a broader working category. A list should identify which meaning it uses; a calculated node does not become a physical planet through inclusion in that list.

Physical bodies

Pluto →

A dwarf planet beyond Neptune. Its astronomical reclassification does not change the coordinate calculations used in astrology.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Classical mythological name.

Pluto names the underworld deity; the dwarf planet retains this mythological naming tradition.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Observations support Pluto's position despite changes in its astronomical classification. Its symbolic use can continue under a stated tradition, but themes of power or transformation are not demonstrated by its designation as a dwarf planet.

S
Physical bodies

Saturn →

The sixth planet from the Sun, a gas giant surrounded by a prominent ring system.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Roman mythological name.

The planet bears the name of Saturn, the Roman agricultural deity.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Saturn's orbit and ring system are observable features of a physical planet. Meanings involving limits or responsibility are traditional symbolism; a computed contact does not establish that hardship is necessary, deserved or inevitable.

Physical bodies

Sun →

The star at the Solar System’s center. A geocentric chart records its apparent direction as seen from Earth.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Inherited Germanic English name.

From Old English sunne, related to other Germanic Sun words. The familiar English name is not a borrowed Roman deity-name.

How we know · epistemology
Observed astronomical body

Solar observations and ephemerides support positions, motion and physical descriptions of the Sun. A geocentric longitude records its apparent direction from Earth; interpreting that longitude as personal identity or purpose is a separate symbolic use.

U
Physical bodies

Uranus →

The seventh planet from the Sun, an ice giant; distinguish it from hypothetical “Uranian” points.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Greek mythological name in Latinized form.

Uranus represents Ouranos, the Greek deity of the heavens; the modern planet-name continues mythological naming.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Uranus is an observed physical planet with a calculable orbit. Modern astrological themes such as disruption are interpretive associations; the planet's reality also supplies no evidence for the separate hypothetical points called Uranian.

V
Physical bodies

Venus →

The second planet from the Sun, seen from Earth near the morning or evening Sun.

Word origin, evidence & sources
Word origin · etymology
Roman mythological name.

The planet is named for Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

How we know · epistemology
Observed body and symbolic association

Its orbit explains why Venus appears near the Sun in Earth's sky. Astrological associations with attraction and values do not follow from that geometry, and a Venus placement cannot establish another person's feelings.