Common Greek Astrological Terms
From HellenisticWiki
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Α α
Ἀγαθὴ Τύχη - Good Fortune. Usually the name of the 5th place. Rarely used to refer to the Lot of Fortune.
Ἀγαθὸς Δαίμων - Good Spirit. Usually the name of the 11th place. Rarely used to refer to the Lot of Spirit.
ἀγαθοποιός - benefic (planets), benefics. Literally "good doers".
αγοραζοντι business being done
Αἰγόκερως - Capricorn (Horned Goat)
Ἅιδης - Hades, the Netherworld. Often found as "Ἅιδου" (genitive, singular) meaning "of Hades".
Ἅιδου πύλη - Gate of Hades. Usually used to refer to the 2nd place, which is known as the Ἅιδου πύλη.
αἵρεσις - sect.
ἀκρονύκτιος - acronychal.
ἀκρονύκτιος ἀνατολή - acronychal rising, the rising of a star during sunset.
ἀκρονύκτιος δύσις - acronychal setting, the setting of a star during sunset.
ἀναβιβάζων - north node. Literally 'ascending node'.
ἀντανάλυσις - counter-resolution.
ἀνατολή - rising
Ἀντάρης - Antares (α' Scorpio)
ἀντιγένεσις - Literally 'counter-nativity'. More commonly known as a solar return.
ἀπόστροφος - aversion. Literally 'turned away' or 'averted'. Also ἀποστροφή.
ἀποτέλεσμα - outcome, result, effect, portent.
Ἄρης - Mars.
Ἀρκτοῦρος - Arcturus (α Bootes)
ἀστήρ - star. Often found as "ἀστέρες" (nominative, plural).
αὐξιφωτείν - to wax (as in "waxing moon").
Ἀφροδίτη - Venus.
Β β
Βασιλίσκος - Regulus (α' Leo)
βίος - life, livelihood, manner of living, also describes someone's fortune (in the sense of property).
βλέποντα ζῴδια - beholding signs, also known as συζυγία ζῳδίων
βορέας - A. north, B. name of the northern wind
βόρειος - northern
βρέφος - fetus, infant
Γ γ
γένεσις - nativity. Sometimes used to refer to the native who is associated with a specific chart. The Greek will refer to the 'nativity' instead of the 'native'.
γωνία - angle.
Δ δ
δεσπότης - ruler.
δεκανός - decan
δεύτερον - second
διάμετρος - Opposition. Literally 'diameter'.
Δίδυμοι - Gemini
δορυφορία - Spearbearing (Schmidt's preferred translation). Also known as 'attendance'.
δoῦλoς - serf. Often found as "δούλων" (genitive, plural) meaning "of the serfs". It was common practice in hellenistic times to find from the nativity chart of a serf if this serf will be released (and when).
δύναμις - power, potency. Power of a planet in hellenistic astrology is the planet's physical quality in a specific time and celestial position, which reveals its substantial effect in the chart. The evaluation of the planet's power shows how strong or weak it is in the chart and what kind of effect it has on the native (or the subject in question). For example the Sun's power is to warm and in a lesser degree to dry, however these qualities also depend on the Sun's distance from midheaven (daily) and on the Sun's height (seasonal). The word is often found as "δυνάμεως" (genitive, singular) meaning "of the power".
δύσις - setting.
δωδεκατημόριον - Twelfth-part. The term specifically refers to the 1/12 of the zodiac cirle and is always 30 degrees long. Each δωδεκατημόριον contains a zodiac constellation, and was used to tame and regulate the unequality of the signs and the lack of clear boundaries between them. To decide for example when a planet entered a sign, the δωδεκατημόριον of that sign was used in the calculations instead of the actual sign. The calculation of the position of the 12 δωδεκατημόρια in relevance to the actual constellations was done by setting as a start point the fixed star Στάχυς (Spica) in the 29th degree of the δωδεκατημόριον of Virgo. This way the stars Ἀντάρης (Antares, α' Scorpio) and Λαμπαδίας (Aldebaran, α' Taurus) fell roughly in the 15th degree of their δωδεκατημόρια of Scorpio and Taurus respectively.
Ε ε
ἔκλειψις - eclipse
ἐνιαυτός - A. a full cycle (period), B. solar year
ἐπιθεωρέω - 'regard', 'look upon', examine over again, carefully ascertain, consider next in order, look at, behold, to be observed in, to be an aspect of
ἐπιπρόσθησις - occultation, specifically when Moon covers for a while another star or planet.
ἐπισημασία - Weather indications. Often found in its plural form "ἐπισημασίαι".
ἐπιτολή - the rising of a star after sunset.
Ἑρμῆς - Mercury.
Ἕσπερος - Evening, of/at evening. Name of the planet Venus as an evening star.
εχθρων enemies, hated
ἐῴος - Α. in / of the morning, at morning Β. eastern
Ἐωσφόρος - Dawn-Bringer. Name of the planet Venus as a morning star.
Ζ ζ
Ζεὺς - Zeus. Often found as a name of planet Jupiter.
Ζυγὸς - Libra (Scales)
ζῴδιον - Sign. As in a 'sign' of the zodiac. From the same root as ζωή (life) and ζῴον (animal, living thing) it originally referred to all known "stars grouped according to their position or kind" (Geminus) or constellations as we would say today, but in time it came to refer only to the constellations of the zodiac.
Η η
εἱμαρμένη - 'fate', or rarely translated as 'destiny', although destiny is usually πεπρωμένον.
Ἥλιος - the Sun.
ἡμερινός - diurnal
Θ θ
Θεά - Goddess. Usually used to refer to the 'place of Goddess', which is the 3rd place.
Θεός - God. Usually used to refer to the place of God, which is the 9th place.
θέμα - chart, theme. Used when referring to a person's natal chart, or some other astrological chart.
Θοῦρος - literally "The Rushing One": poetic name for Mars, often used in hellenistic astrological texts. Other meanings: "rushing, raging, impetuous, furious". Θοῦρος is a common epithet of God Mars in regards with his ability to inspire the soldiers for and during the battle.
Ι ι
ἰσημερινὸς - equator
Ἰχθεῖς - Pisces (Fishes). Also found as Ίχθύες.
Κ κ
κακὴ τύχη - Bad Fortune. Usually used to refer to the 6th place.
κακὸς δαίμων - Bad Spirit. Usually used to refer to the 12th place.
Κάνωβος - Canopus (α' Carina).
Καρκίνος - Cancer (Crabs).
Κάστωρ - Castor (α' Gemini).
καταβιβάζων - descending node, south node.
κατάδυσις - setting of a star.
κενοδρομία - void of course, running in the void.
κέντρoν - pivot, angle.
κλῆρος - lot, part.
κλῆρος τῆς τύχης - lot/part of fortune.
κλῖμα - A. the inclination (slope) of the earth in relevance with a specific place, hence B. geographical latitude, and C. a region or zone of the earth (e.g. temperate, polar).
κοσμικὴ ἀνατολή - cosmical rising, the rising of a star during sunrise.
κοσμικὴ δύσις - cosmical setting, the setting of a star during sunrise.
Κόσμος - World, Mundus (literally meaning "ornament".
Κριὸς - Aries (Ram).
Κρόνος - Saturn.
Λ λ
Λαμπαδίας - Aldebaran (α' Taurus)
Λέων - Leo (Lion)
Λίψ - the southern wind.
λοξὸς κύκλος - ecliptic, zodiac circle.
Μ μ
μεσημβρινὸς - Meridian
μεσημβρία - Noon. Sometimes can also mean the south.
μεσουράνημα - Midheaven. Usually used to refer to the 10th whole sign place.
Mήνη - Poetic name of the Moon.
μηνιαῖος - monthly
μηνίσκος - a crescent
μηνοειδής - crescent-shaped
Ν ν
νότος - the south.
νότιος - southern.
νυκτερινός - nocturnal.
Ξ ξ
Ο ο
ὁρίζουσα - the imaginary line that divides Moon's dark and light side (especially in full Moon).
ὁρίζων - horizon.
Π π
πανσέληνος - full Moon. Also σελήνη πλήθουσα.
Παρθένος - Virgo (Virgin)
πεπρωμένον - destiny
πίναξ - table, index, 'horoscope board' (for consultations)
Πολυδεύκης - Pollux (β' Gemini)
Προκύων - Procyon (α' Canis Minor)
Προτρυγητήρ - Vindemiatrix (ε' Virgo)
Ρ ρ
Σ σ ς
Σείριος - Sirius (α' Canis Major)
Σελήνη - Moon.
σελήνη πλήθουσα - full Moon. Also πανσέληνος.
σημαίνω - signify. 'Indicate', to 'give a signal', 'to mean' something.
Σκορπιὸς - Scorpio (Scorpion).
Στίλβων - literally "The Glistening One": poetic name for Mercury, often used in hellenistic astrological texts.
Στάχυς - Spica (α' Virgo).
συζυγία ζῳδίων - when two signs rise from the same place and set in the same place. Also known as βλέποντα ζῴδια.
συναιρέτης - sect-mate.
Τ τ
ταπείνωμα - depression, fall,
Ταῦρος - Taurus (Bull).
Τοξότης - Sagittarius (Archer).
τόπος - place, also theme (hence the english word 'topic'). The concept is known as a 'house' in modern astrology.
τροπή - solstice, literally meaning "turning". Often found in plural as "τροπαί" e.g. "τροπαί ἡελίοιο" (sun's turnings)
Υ υ
Ὑδροχόος - Aquarius (Water-pourer). Ὑδροχόος is often mistakenly translated as water-bearer (=Ὑδροφόρος).
ὕπαυγος - Under the beams.
ὕψωμα - Exaltation.
Φ φ
Φαέθων - literally "Shiner". Phaethon besides the mythical son of Apollo, is is also a poetic name for Jupiter, often used in hellenistic astrology texts.
Φαίνων - literally "The One that brings to light, who makes something to appear": poetic name for Saturn, often used in didactic poetry such as in Dorotheus of Sidon.
Χ χ
χαίρειν - rejoice.
Χηλαί - Claws. Older name of the constellation Libra, as a part of Scorpio. Libra in early hellenistic period was often refered as the "Claws of Scorpio", although in much earlier times it was part of the constellation Virgo.
Ψ ψ
Ω ω
ὥρα - Hour. Originally an hour was the 1/12 of the natural day (from sunrise to sunset) or the 1/12 of the natural night (from sunset to sunrise). Later on, an hour was the 1/12 of the natural day on the day of spring or autumn equinox (where 'from sunrise to sunset' = 'from sunset to sunrise').
ὥροσκόπος - literally "hour-marker". Known as the ascendant in modern times.
