Astrology Encyclopedia

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Radical:  1. Pertaining to the radix, or horoscope of birth. 2. In Horary astrology, a term employed to indicate a figure which can appropriately be judged in a given matter; one that is likely to give the correct answer.

Radical Position: Said of a planet's position in a birth horoscope; as distinguished from the transitory or progressed position it occupies at a later date. v. Radix.

Radix: 1. The radical map: the horoscope of birth, the root from which everything is judged. 2. The radical or birth positions of the planets, as distinguished from their progressed or directed positions. Progressed aspects can never entirely contradict or negate a radical aspect; but must be interpreted only as modifying or mitigating the influences shown in the Radix.

 

Radix System:  v. Directions.

 

Rahu: The Sanskrit name for the Dragon's Head - the Moon's North node. In Hindu mythology Rahu is a Daitya (demon) who possessed an appendage like a dragon's tail, and made himself immortal by stealing from the gods some Amrita - elixir of divine life - which they obtained by churning an ocean of milk. Unable to deprive him of his immortality, Vishnu exiled him from Earth and made of him the constellation Draco: his head called Rahu, and tail Ketu - astronomically speaking, the Moon's ascending and descending nodes. Using his appendage as a weapon, he has ever since waged a destructive war on the denouncers of his robbery, the Sun and the Moon, which he swallows during the eclipse. The fable is presumed to have a mystic or occult meaning. (v. Nodes, Moon's.)

 

Rapt Motion:  v. Motion.

 

Rapt Parallel:  Two bodies, which by Rapt motion are carried to a point where they are equidistant from and on opposite sides of the meridian or the horizon, are said to be in Rapt Parallel. (v. Aspects.)

 

Rays, Under the:  In astrology a planet is "under the rays" of another when it is within orbs of an aspect. Rarely used by modern authorities.

 

Reception:  (1) A planet posited in a sign not its own, is said to be received by the Ruler of that sign, as if one were visitor and the other host. (2) The condition in which a planet is receiving an aspect from some faster-moving planet.

 

Reception, Mutual:  When two planets are in each other's sign or exaltation.

 

Recessional Directions:  v. Directions.

 

Rectification: The process of verification or correction of the birth moment or ascendant degree of the map, by reference to known events or characteristics pertaining to the native. This may be necessitated by the inaccuracy of time-pieces; the carelessness of those whose business it should be to make a careful record of the correct moment of birth; or it may consist of a hypothetical determination of a birth-hour wholly unknown to the native. The entire subject is a matter of controversy. Some contend that it is unscientific to prove a thesis by altering the premise to fit the conclusion. Among numerous methods are: (1) the Prenatal Epoch, the Arc of the Moon's travel from its birth position to the point where it forms its first aspect, converted into time and compared with the circumstances which attended, is presumed to afford an indication of the Native's exact age, whereby to rectify the degree of the Ascendant; (2) comparisons between the house positions of the planets, and the Native's circumstances and disposition; and (3) the computing of the directions attending the first accident or illness, the death of a parent, the conferring of an honor, marriage, the birth of a child.

 

Argol and Morinus used a method of rectification by directions timed to an important event. Hermes observed a certain relationship between the place of the Moon at birth and the Ascendant at conception, and vice versa, out of which developed the Prenatal Epoch, as advanced by E. H. Bailey in the 'Prenatal Epoch" and Sepharial in "The Solar Epoch." Various other methods have been advanced but none has received universal acceptance.

 

Recurrence Cycles:  Periods of time in which a conjunction of any two given planets will recur in approximately the same degree of the zodiac. These are of value, not only in the study of Cycles (q.v.) but as a means of erecting a chart for remote periods for which Ephemerides are unavailable. A fairly accurate list of recurrence cycles, follows:

 

................................Number of...Tropical

Planets.................Order..Conjunctions..Years

Moon-Mercury..............1..........74..........8

Moon-Venus................1..........94..........8

Moon-Mars.................1.........411.........32

..........................2........5242........410

Moon-Jupiter..............2........3467........261

Moon-Saturn...............2........4715........353

Moon-Uranus...............1........1074.........84

Moon-Neptune..............1........2149........168

Moon-Pluto................1........6562........494

Mercury-Venus.............2.........545........243

Mercury-Mars..............1.........276.........79

Mercury-Jupiter...........2.........827........474

Mercury-Saturn............1.........102.........59

Mercury-Uranus............1.........146.........85

Mercury-Neptune...........1.........682........165

Mercury-Pluto.............2........2553.......1486

Venus-Mars................1..........37.........32

..........................2........1279.......1215

Venus-Jupiter.............1..........37.........24

..........................2.........749........486

Venus-Saturn..............2.........208........235

Venus-Uranus..............2.........221........251

Venus-Neptune.............2.........443........494

Venus-Pluto...............1.........310........494

Mars-Jupiter..............2.........106........237

Mars-Saturn...............2.........228........442

Mars-Uranus...............1.........131........252

Mars-Neptune..............1.........174........331

Mars-Pluto................2.........888.......1734

Jupiter-Saturn$...........1...........3.........59.6

..........................2..........40........794.4

Jupiter-Uranus............1...........6.........83

..........................2..........97.......1340

Jupiter-Neptune...........1..........13........166

..........................2..........64........818

Jupiter-Pluto.............1..........20........249

..........................2..........59........735

Saturn-Uranus$............1...........2.........90.7

..........................2..........24.......1088.7

Saturn-Neptune............1..........23........824

..........................2..........41.......1471

Saturn-Pluto..............1#.........25........736

..........................1*.........37.......1237s.y.

Uranus-Neptune$...........1...........1........171.4

..........................2..........21.......3599.4

Uranus-Pluto$.............1...........2........254.3

..........................2..........27.......3432.8

Neptune-Pluto$............1...........1........492.3

..........................2.........147.....72,372.3

 

# In the zodiac of precession. * In the fixed zodiac. $ More detailed data concerning these cycles are appended to the discussion undcr Cycles.

 

Refranation: A term used in Horary Astrology when one of two planets applying to an aspect turns retrograde before the aspect is complete. It is taken as an indication that the matter under negotiation will not be brought to a successful conclusion.

 

Relative Houses:  v. Houses.

 

Retrograde: The term applied to an apparent backward motion in the Zodiac of certain planets when decreasing in longitude as viewed from the Earth. It can be compared to the effect of a slow-moving train as viewed from another train traveling parallel to it but at a more rapid rate, wherein the slower train appears to be moving backwards. However, in the case of the celestial bodies it is not a matter of their actual speed or travel, but of the rate at which they change their angular relationship.  READ COMPLETE ARTICLE

 

Retrograde Application: Said of a planet which during and by virtue of its retrograde motion is applying to an aspect with another planet; or of two planets, both in retrograde motion, which nevertheless are applying to an aspect to each other.

 

Revolution: Orbital Revolution. (1) Loosely applied to any- thing that describes a circle, or pursues an orbit, in contradistinction to one which rotates upon an axis. (2) In connection with Directions (q.v.), the return of Sun, Moon, or any planet to its radical place. Revolution, Solar. v. Solar Revolution.

 

Revolutionary Additives:  v. Solar Revolution.

 

Right Ascension:  Distance measured along the celestial equator, Eastward from the point of the Spring Equinox; or, as sometimes described, distance along the circle of declination. v. Celestial Sphere.

 

Right Distance: That from one point to any other, in terms of Right Ascension.

 

Right Sphere: One in which all equatorial parallels are at right angles to the horizon: a sphere that has the equator for prime vertical, and the poles for horizon. Days and nights would always be of equal duration. Any point on the equator has a zenith in a right Sphere.

 

Rising Sign: The Sign or the subdivision of the Sign which was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth, is deemed to exercise a strong influence upon the personality and physical appearance of the native. This is subject to modification by virtue of concurrent aspects. The placement of the Lord of the Ascendant, of the Moon, or of the planet aspecting the ascending degree, are also deemed to accent the particular subdivision of the Rising Sun in which the ascending degree falls. Interpretations by numerous authorities are available by Signs, by Decans and by demi-Decans - both incorrectly termed Faces by some authorities. In applying any of the interpretations attached to a Rising Sign it should be remembered that the presence of a planet in the Ascendant will always modify the influence of the Sign itself. v. Sidereal Time.

Rising Time of a Planet, How to Approximate the: In the Ephemeris note the sidereal time for the day.  READ COMPLETE ARTICLE

Rotation: Preferably confined to the motion of a spherical body upon an axis, in contradistinction to its orbital revolution about another body. A more precise terminology would employ the compound forms: axial rotation, and orbital revolution.

 

Royal Stars:  v. Watchers.

Ruler: This rather over-worked and at times loosely-applied term is principally concerned with a schematic arrangement of the Signs, whereby certain planets are deemed to have special potency or congeniality in a certain sign or signs. The entire subject of rulership is involved in much controversy, particularly since the modern discovery of additional planets for which there is no place in the ancient scheme of rulerships. READ COMPLETE ARTICLE

Rulership, Geographical: For the interpreting of Horary figures, certain countries and cities are said to be under the rulership of different signs.  READ COMPLETE ARTICLE

Ruminant Signs: Aries, Taurus, Capricorn. v. Signs.