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A Glossary of Astrological Terms for the letter "P"
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Use this glossary to look up the meanings of words you come across on this website, or in your astrological reading. Just select the first letter of the word you need and click on it in the table below to go straight to that sector.
P
Pallas Athene
The warrior queen, the principle of creative intelligence and wisdom. An asteroid seen by modern astrologers as significant. More about Asteroids.
Paracelsus
Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (1493-1541). Renowned alchemist, philosopher and magus, he was a leading figure of the German mystical movement. A radical reformer teaching amidst the ferment of the Renaissance in vernacular German rather than scholarly Latin, he was condemned for refusing to affiliate himself with any religious sect, and for his frank criticism of the Roman Church. He sought to overturn the humoral system in favour of a kabbalistic, alchemical approach, and believed in empirically testing remedies. He took folk medicine seriously, and applied spiritual insights in order to heal and explain the processes of life on Earth. Reviling his contemporaries' unquestioning admiration for ancient authorities (particularly Galen and Avicenna) his adoption of the name Paracelsus meant that he had gone beyond the famous Roman physician, Celsus—not to mention all other ancient thinkers and physicians. Initiated into the secret doctinres of the East, his 106 books reveal his knowledge of the laws governing the evolution of the physical, astral, psychical and intellectual constituents of nature and of man. William Q Judge ranks him with Hermes Trismegistus, stating that Paracelsus was "one of the greatest Masters ever known upon the earth".
Parallel Aspect (Zodiacal)
Planets having equal distance in declination on the same side (either north or south) of the celestial equator. A similar effect to the conjunction. Contra-parallel is the equal distance in declination on opposite sides of the celestial equator (i.e. one planet north of the celestial equator and the other south) and is similar in effect to the opposition aspect.
Paran
The simultaneous rising, setting, or culminating of planets or stars, featuring an angular relationship between the planet and the fixed star in a chart. Parans can occur when any planet (esp. Sun or Moon) is angular and any star is also angular and they cross their respective angles at the same time. Parans may also simply feature planets. From the Greek paranatellonton.
Paranormal
Beyond the scope of normal experience as understood by contemporary science. A more modern way of saying "supernatural", it is designed to add the flavour of science to the realms of mysticism, religion and extrasensory talents, psychic abilities and experiences that lie beyond the pale of "rational" explanation. Yogic powers, such as levitation, ability to withstand extreme heat or cold, clairvoyance, astral projection, pranic healing etc are examples of paranormal abilities.
Parapsychology
Scientific study of paranormal abilities and phenomena.
Pars Fortunæ
Part of Fortune.
Part
Calculated point in the horoscope, a.k.a. Arabic Part, or Lot. The most widely used nowadays is the Pars Fortunæ, or Part of Fortune.
Part of Fortune
Pars Fortunæ. One of the most important of the Arabic Parts, or Lots. The point lies the same distance in longitude from the ascendant as the Moon lies from the Sun. Named for the Roman goddess of luck and wellbeing, Fortuna (Greek: Tyche). Its house reveals an area of life wherein one finds happiness, good fortune and natural tranquillity, with easy expression of innate abilities. More about the Arabic Parts.
Partile (Partill)
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An aspect is described as partile when it is exact (ie within 60 minutes of arc and in the same degree). Traditionally, to be truly partile, the planets should also be in the same degree of latitude, as well as longitude. A planet within a degree of orb but in either the preceding or following degree is not partile, but platic.
- In ancient astrology, partile was measurement of the aspect by degree ("part" or point), whereas platic was measurement of the aspect by sign ("plate", or broad area).
- Ancient term for Houses.
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According to Ptolemy, places are the twelfth part of a sign, each being 2°30' of arc in the order of the signs (see dwadishamsha).
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From an old word meaning "wanderer", the planets are those heavenly bodies that seem to move through the zodiac (science says planets are massive bodies in our solar system that revolve in orbits around the Sun, so giving this impression to us earthlings). Those that do not move perceptibly are known as the Fixed Stars (even though they do move imperceptibly over vast periods of time). In astrology, the planets include the Sun, the Moon and the Moon's Nodes (Dragon's Head and Tail). These are the main focal points for the cosmic energies that affect us. More on Planets.
- A committee of modern astronomers has recently redefined the term "planet" to mean "any body massive enough to be round that is not a star but is orbiting one". They demoted Pluto (and promoted Ceres) to the status of "dwarf planet" in 2006. Pluto has also since (2008) been redefined as a "plutoid", a trans-Neptunian object (TNO) or Kyber Belt Object (KBO). These new definitions are generally irrelevant to astrology.
The five geometric solids that can be made using a regular polygon, having the same number of these polygons meeting at each corner. They are
- tetrahedron (regular solid pyramid with 4 triangular faces)
- cube (regular solid with 6 square faces)
- octahedron (regular solid with 8 triangular faces)
- dodecahedron (regular solid with 12 pentagonal faces)
- icosahedron (regular solid with 20 triangular faces)
Platonic Year
The so-called "Great Year" of the precession of the polar axis, whereby the polar axis precesses around the pole of the ecliptic with a period of 25,725 years. This is what determines the Astrological Ages.
Platonism
The philosophic system derived from the thought of Plato.
Pleiades
A cluster of seven stars in the head of Taurus, of which Alcyone is the brightest, known as harbingers of bad weather, eye problems, sorrow and general trouble, especially with women. Some astrologers also claim them as a marker for homosexuality. In Jyotish, they are seen as the lunar asterism Krittika. In mythology, the Pleiades, seven daughters of Atlas, were half-sisters to the Hyades, another cluster of seven stars in the head of Taurus. Interestingly, in Japan the Pleiades are called Subaru, the name and logo of the Subaru car.
Plotinus
Leading philosopher of late antiquity (205–270 CE), born in Lycopolis, Egypt. A Platonist, he studied in Alexandria under Ammonius Saccas, spending time in Persia before settling in Rome, where he formulated the philosophy which came to be known as Neoplatonism. These influential teachings are set out in the Enneads, compiled and edited by his disciple Porphry (who developed a useful astrological house system). Following Plato, he holds that the phenomenal world is but a reflection of a real, noumenal world which exists in the mind of the world-soul, an emanation of the divine mind, the Nous, itself an emanation of the One, the Absolute. Individual souls are also emanations, whose ultimate destiny is to be reunited with the One. Stars and planets are not seen as causes, but rather ensouled emanations, reflecting the nature of things as signs and symbols. True human happiness is to be found through ecstatic union with the One, a type of enlightenment, of liberation, as seen in Yoga, Tantra, Vedanta and Buddhism. His philosophy has had an immense influence on Astrology and Christianity, along with other strands of belief, religion and philosophy up to the present day. See Neoplatonism.
Pluto
One of the outer, trans-personal planets, until recently the furthest known planet from the Sun, Pluto was located by Clyde Tombaugh on February 18, 1930. Some modern astrologers hold that it rules Scorpio; others allow it co-rulership with Mars, though traditional astrologers deny that Pluto has any pretensions to sign-rulership. It has recently been demoted by astronomers to the status of "dwarf planet" and "plutoid", but this has no effect on its astrological importance. More about Pluto..
Pluto Square
Transiting Pluto square natal Pluto. A difficult aspect, occurring in mid-life.
Plutoid
A body in the Solar System whose shape is controlled by its own gravity, located beyond Neptune, small enough that it has "not cleared the neighbourhood around its own orbit". Pluto and Eris are now classed as plutoids by the IAU.
Pluton
A now-defunct astronomical class of planetary bodies orbiting the Sun on the far side of Neptune. Pluto was classed as a pluton by contemporary astronomers before they realized that this is a well-established geological term for an intrusive rock mass. It was in 2006 classed as a "dwarf planet", but from June 2008 has been declared a "plutoid". See Dwarf Planet.
Polar Elevation
At the equator, the Pole Star lies exactly on the horizon. As we travel northwards towards the Pole, the Pole Star rises accordingly. The height of the Pole Star measured in degrees and minutes gives the latitude of the place where the viewer stands. In general, it is the latitude for which a chart is cast.
Polarity
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Cosmic energies are defined in astrology and occult work in general as either masculine (positive; objective; active; conscious; outgoing; hot; dry; penetrative; creative; electric; bright; yang) or feminine (negative; subjective; passive; subconscious; inward-looking; cool; moist; receptive; nourishing; magnetic; dark; yin). Each sign has been assigned a polarity, starting from Aries (masc.) and alternating between masculine and feminine in zodiacal order. The interaction between the two polarities maintains and develops the harmony and wellbeing of the cosmos and its inhabitants. The polarity of any relationship is the balance between the masculine and feminine forces at work.
- Any diametric opposition is considered a polarity. For example, the opposite pole of Aries is Libra, even though both are masculine signs. In this way opposing signs are considered harmonious, as Aries (fire) is aided by Libra (air), Taurus (earth) by Scorpio (water) and so on. Hence the first and seventh houses are the individual personality and bodily image, versus the partnership relations, respectively.
- The point opposite to the Sun's placement in a natal chart is called its polarity. This is useful in relationship analysis.
- There is also the idea that the Sun (masculine) is one pole of the life-force and the Moon (feminine) is the other. According to Alan Leo, their relationships in the chart determine the harmony or otherwise of the native's life.
- A mathematical point on the surface of a sphere, located on the diameter set at ninety degrees to the plane of its equator. For instance, the Earth's North and South Poles lie at the opposite end from all points on the earth's equator of the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle with its right angle at the centre of the earth on the plane of the equator.
- The Celestial Poles are the two points of intersection of the Earth's axis and the celestial sphere.
- Pole of the horoscope (Pole of the Ascendant) is the latitude of the place on which it is cast, determined by the polar elevation.
See Elevated Pole, Depressed Pole.
- The first mover, original cause, the creator god
- The first moved, the eighth and outermost sphere, the "circle of the same", according to Plato, which in its daily motion around the Earth carried the Fixed Stars and constellations. It is the first moved because it was the first material creation of the creator god, a material reflection of the soul of the universe. It is the circle of the same, as opposed to the circles of difference, the spheres of the planets
- Subsequently, the first moved, the tenth and outermost sphere (beyond which lay the Empyrean, the fiery abode of the gods), which contained the fixed points of existence, such as the equinox and the solstice. The constellations and fixed stars were then enclosed in another, inferior sphere
Movement of or aspect to planet or sensitive point in progressed horoscope. In order of the standard hierarchy:
- Primary (1 degree of right ascension of the MC equals 1 year of life)
- Secondary (1 day equals 1 year of life)
- Tertiary (1 day equals 1 month of life)
- Minor (1 lunar month equals 1 year of life)
Prohibition
In Horary, when two significators are applying to a major aspect, but a third planet perfects a major aspect to one of the two significators before the original aspect culminates. Suggests outside interference in the outcome of the question.
Promittor (Promissor)
Significator of certain events. In a Horary question of marriage, for instance, the lord of the seventh is Promittor. In Directions, according to Sephariel, a Promittor is a planet other than Sun or Moon.
Proper Face
"When an individual planet keeps to the Sun or Moon the same aspect which its house has to their houses; as, for example, when Venus is in sextile to the luminaries, provided that she is occidental to the Sun and oriental to the Moon, in accordance with the original arrangement of their houses." (Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos I:23)
Proper Motion
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Direct Motion through the zodiac in order of the signs. See Retrograde Motion.
- Astronomers also consider the so-called proper motion of the stars, because as a star changes its absolute position in space, it will slowly change the direction in which it appears to be from Earth (which also changes its position as the Solar System moves through space). This miniscule actual movement of what had previously been thought of as the Fixed Stars was discovered by Sir Edmond Halley in 1718. The movement is of course massive in terms of miles as the universe expands, but seems miniscule to us because of the cosmic distances involved.
- Intuition developed to an uncanny degree, usually entailing the ability to foresee the future, or the exercise of other paranormal talents, such as ESP, clairvoyance, teleportation, psychokinesis, astral projection (remote viewing), visions of ghosts etc.
- Person who exhibits paranormal abilities, particularly clairvoyance.
- Paranormal technique to receive insights or impressions from a physical object through the sense of touch. Often used by psychic investigators to find missing people, or to solve crimes.
- Technique for discovering information, especially for diagnostic purposes, using a device or intermediary, such as a pendulum, or a muscle test.
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