Glossary
Astreya Glossary
Precise definitions of 40+ key terms - from natal chart and Placidus to nakshatras, Human Design gates and archetypes.
Astrology
- Natal Chart
- Map of the sky at the exact moment and place of a person's birth, used in Western astrology to describe personality, life themes and timing.
- Placidus House System
- The most widely used Western house system, dividing the ecliptic by time rather than space; the default at Astreya.
- Swiss Ephemeris
- High-precision astronomical library (based on JPL DE431) that Astreya uses for planetary positions - accuracy under 0.01°.
- Synastry
- Comparison of two natal charts to analyze relationship compatibility - conjunctions, sextiles, squares, trines and oppositions between planets.
- Chinese Zodiac
- 12-year animal cycle combined with 5 elements producing a 60-year Sexagenary cycle; Astreya calculates by exact solar-term boundaries, not January 1st.
- Ascendant (Rising Sign)
- The sign rising on the eastern horizon at birth - defines the first house and the outer presentation of the personality.
- Midheaven (MC)
- The highest point of the ecliptic at birth - the cusp of the 10th house, associated with career and public image.
- Chiron
- Centaur planet between Saturn and Uranus, symbolising 'the wounded healer'. Astreya computes Chiron via JPL Horizons + cubic Hermite interpolation.
- Tropical Zodiac
- Zodiac system anchored to the seasons: 0° Aries = the spring equinox. Standard in Western astrology.
- Transit
- The current position of a planet relative to its natal placements - the foundation of predictive astrology.
- Aspect
- Angular relationship between two planets (conjunction 0°, sextile 60°, square 90°, trine 120°, opposition 180°).
- Retrograde
- The apparent backward motion of a planet from Earth's viewpoint - interpreted as a period of review.
- Precession
- The slow rotation of the Earth's axis (~25,800 years per full cycle). Cause of the tropical/sidereal zodiac drift.
- Moon Phase
- Angular relationship between the Sun and Moon (new, first quarter, full, last quarter) - used in lunar astrology.
Vedic Astrology
- Whole Sign Houses
- Traditional house system used in Vedic astrology - each sign is one house, starting from the ascendant.
- Lahiri Ayanamsa
- Official ayanamsa (offset between tropical and sidereal zodiacs) used by the Indian government and Astreya's Vedic module; currently ~24°.
- Nakshatra
- One of 27 lunar mansions used in Vedic astrology to describe emotional nature and dasha timing.
- Vimshottari Dasha
- 120-year Vedic timing cycle allocating planetary periods to life stages, calculated from the Moon's nakshatra at birth.
- Sidereal Zodiac
- Zodiac system anchored to the fixed stars. Vedic astrology uses the Lahiri ayanamsa to shift tropical positions.
- Jyotish
- The Sanskrit name for Vedic astrology - literally 'science of light'. Uses the sidereal zodiac and Whole Sign houses.
- Ayanamsa
- The offset between the tropical and sidereal zodiacs caused by the precession of the equinoxes. Astreya uses Lahiri.
Human Design
- Human Design
- Synthesis system combining astrology, I Ching, Kabbalah, chakras and quantum physics into a bodygraph with 9 centers, 36 channels and 64 gates.
- Bodygraph
- The Human Design chart with 9 centers, 36 channels and 64 gates - shows a person's energetic mechanics.
- Human Design Type
- One of five types: Manifestor, Generator, Manifesting Generator, Projector, Reflector - defines the life strategy.
- HD Centers
- The 9 energy centers in the bodygraph: Head, Ajna, Throat, G, Ego, Spleen, Solar Plexus, Sacral, Root.
- HD Channels
- 36 channels in Human Design, connecting two centers via two gates - determine definition and type.
- HD Gates
- 64 Human Design gates, corresponding to the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, activated by the planets at birth.
- Hexagram (I Ching)
- One of 64 six-line figures from the I Ching - in Human Design each maps directly to one of the 64 gates.
Numerology
- Pythagorean Numerology
- System reducing letters A-Z to digits 1-9 to derive Life Path, Expression, Soul Urge and Personality numbers.
- Life Path Number
- The central number in Pythagorean numerology, derived from the birth date - describes the core life path.
- Master Number
- The numbers 11, 22 and 33 in numerology which are not reduced - carrying heightened vibration and potential.
- Expression Number
- Numerology number derived from the letters of the full birth name - describes innate talents and life mission.
- Soul Urge Number
- Number derived from the vowels of the birth name - reveals inner motivations and desires.
Tarot
- Tarot
- 78-card divination deck (22 Major + 56 Minor Arcana). Astreya uses the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909) as standard.
- Major Arcana
- The 22 foundational tarot cards (from The Fool to The World), describing the major archetypal life themes.
- Minor Arcana
- The 56 tarot cards in four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) covering everyday situations and decisions.
- Tarot Spread
- A positional arrangement of tarot cards (One-Card, Three-Card, Celtic Cross) in which each position carries a specific meaning.
- Rider-Waite-Smith
- The 1909 tarot deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith after A.E. Waite - the most widely used tarot standard.
Dreams
- Dream Symbol
- An image, object or situation in a dream carrying archetypal meaning - Astreya interprets it within a Jungian framework.
- Archetype
- Universal psychological pattern (Jung): the Hero, Shadow, Anima, Wise Old One - foundation of dream and tarot interpretation.