astrological terms

[Marksman45]

I've noticed that a few of you seem to know a thing or two about astrology, and I have a few questions. Mainly, there are some terms that I would like to know the definition of.

Things like "house," and "square," and "trine." I know there's some more, but I can't think of them at the moment. From what I understand, words like "square" and "trine" (and I'm sure some more terms) describe a specific interaction, but I don't know what sort of interaction each one refers to, and I'm interested to know. So if someone could tell me or direct me to somewhere I could find it out, I'd be quite grateful

[sooZen]

Try this:

http://www.astrologycom.com/glossary.html

altho they do not go into detail about the terms, it is a very brief explanation. I am going to try and explain this but if you are really interested, further reading on your own is the best way to learn.

Your chart is like a map of the heavens at the moment of your first breath. This map is circular and divided into 12 houses, each house made up of approximately 30 degrees. The first house is your personality, how 'others' see you, your second is your finances and so on through the 12 houses, each house signifying a different area of your life.

Where the planets lie in your personal map is charted by using a ephemeris or location guide to planets at a particular time, in this case, your birth. Your sun may be 28 degrees Leo (for example) in the fourth house. All aspects to that sun placement are charted by degrees. So if venus (in your chart) is 120 degrees from the sun (in your chart), that is a trine which would have a certain significance, according to what that sun placement means and what an aspect by venus means.

Trines in the chart are considered mostly postitive aspects, they can smooth the way whereas squares (90 degrees from one planet to another) are considered to make things more difficult in ones life. (There are a bunch more aspects besides trines and squares like oppositions, conjunctions, etc. but I will spare you as it can get a lot more complicated, especially if you have no knowledge of astrology.)

Most people are only interested in the interpretation of the birth chart and not the construction. Interpretation is the 'art' and the construction, the 'science'.

Each house has a meaning, each planet within that house has a meaning and the aspects or degrees from one to another has meaning.

More than you wanted to know, huh?

Peace,
SooZen

[Marksman45]

No, you silly, not more than I wanted to know :)
I asked in earnest

I have a very scientific mind (even though I've expanded my own science to include very unscientific, at least to a proper scientist, things), and I eat up definitions and systems and charts

I partially asked out of curiousity, but my main motivation is that I'm designing a game of immense detail, and I want to include astrology (albeit with a different collection of heavenly bodies, being a different world), and it seems to me that studying how astrology is done would give me some insight as to how to set an astrological system up in detail. I've already been looking up traditional and mystical uses for herbs, and basing the systems for herbalism in the game upon that.

Thanks, SooZ :)

[Marksman45]

OOH reading this glossary has just given me another idea
All this 12 business, yes...
12 houses, 12 tones in the Western chromatic scale; Music of the Spheres indeed

I wonder if intervals that are dissonant or accordnant in music are the same in astrology...

[Marksman45]

The intervals defining Cadent Houses also comprise a Diminished Chord! How cool is that?

[sooZen]

Mark...Cec was telling me that he read somewhere a long time ago that the first house represents middle C and runs through the scale, using sharps and flats for 12 notes. I don't know anything about that but it wouldn't surprise me. The premise of astrology is basically that everything in the universe has its own unique energy and that we are affected by that energy or imprinted at birth, especially by large bodies, like planets. Everything also has its own sound or vibration...we are all humming along. Hah! Holst composed the music of the spheres way back when...(Gustav was a practitioner of astrology, by the way)

Your game sounds very interesting! Would love to 'see' it when it is ready.

Peace,
SooZen

[sooZen]

oh and the herbalism thingee sounds great too as that is another interest of mine being that I am extremely sensitive to over the counter drugs, I have used herbalism extensively to treat various and sundry...in myself and family.

S

[Marksman45]

I'm not only going through herbs as healing, but also I'm looking up more magical uses from folklore; there's one character who was a protege of the Flower Witch, who taught him, in addition to herbalism, many hexes and spells involving plants

For instance (these both come directly from folklore):

If you seek a solution to a predicament, at sunset cut a full-grown sunflower at its very base and put the entire thing under your bed. That night, your dreams will reveal the truth about your situation.

A branch of juniper hung by a door is useful for keeping evil beings out of the house; before they can enter, they must first guess the number of needles on the branch.


I'm having problems working on the game, though; my computer has started to refuse to run the coding translator, putting a halt to any programming.
Actually, before I put out this particular game, I'm putting out a much simpler one, one with a very humorous and almost Lewis Carroll sort of bent, as opposed to the more complex game, which has a darker Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft, and even a bit of a William S Burroughs bent