What Is Declination In Astrology

Planets orbit the Sun in a 360-degree circle, although they do not always stay at the same latitude. They are constantly going up and down. The distance between a planet’s current position and the earth’s equator is used to calculate these “ups and downs” (as projected into the sky). Declination is the term for this measurement.

This graph depicts the declinations of each planet over the course of a month.

The Moon is a fantastic example of this because it goes through a full cycle every 28 days. You can see when it reaches its maximum up and down, as well as when it reaches the middle, in the example above.

Aspects can also be viewed using the Declination Graph. Simply find the planet(s) you’re interested in and look at their locations in the graph to use it. Planets that are at the same degree (up or down) are said to be at the same degree.

In This Article...

What is an astrological declination, and how does it work?

Declination (abbreviated dec; symbol) is one of two angles used in the equatorial coordinate system to find a point on the celestial sphere. The other is hour angle.

What is a planet’s declination?

Declination (DEC) is the celestial sphere’s counterpart of latitude, and it, like latitude, is measured in degrees. + and – in DEC stand for north and south, respectively. The celestial equator is 0 degrees Celsius, and the poles are +90 and -90 degrees Celsius.

Declinations in Synastry: The Astrology of Relationships

Aspects in another dimension of the chart, such as declination, are not generally included in chart comparison. Parallel or contraparallel refers to two planets that are the same distance from the equator. When two planets at the same distance from the equator and on the same side, they form a parallel (both north or both south). When they are about the same distance apart but on different sides of the equator, they are said to be contraparallel (one north, the other south).

Determining Parallels and Contraparallels in Synastry is a good place to start if you need to understand how to find these aspects in declination. A one-degree orb is commonly utilized.

Cafe Astrology has recently uploaded a declinations ephemeris for the years 1940-2015, which may be useful for comparing placements between charts:Declinations Ephemeris 1940-2015 (pdf).

(On Cafe Astrology, we have a range of synastry articles and resources, the majority of which may be found here: Synastry: The Astrology of Relationships.)

We can learn more about compatibility by looking at parallels and contraparallels between charts. The following are examples of strong ties:

From the Sun to the Moon. This is a classic synastry aspect. Connections between the Sun and the Moon in one chart may not ensure a healthy partnership, but they do indicate the possibility of a strong bond or connection. The partnership can have a co-dependency aspect to it at times.

From Venus to Mars Competitiveness that can be exciting, as well as romantic/sexual attraction. There can also be a lot of posing, like a cat and mouse game “There’s a lot of foreplay that isn’t necessarily nice.

From the Moon to Mars. Potentially dangerous, but also emotionally rich, stimulating, and thrilling.

Connections between outer and inner planets almost always cause issues, but they also provide opportunities for spiritual growth. The conjunction of Venus or Mars with Pluto is often interpreted as a sign of sexual attraction. The conjunction of Venus and Pluto can be particularly perplexing. While there is normally a lot of desire, it can also be combined with dread, giving Venus-Pluto relationships a love-hate feel. When Venus-Pluto and Mars-Pluto are played out in the bedroom, they are usually at their best!

When it comes to Neptune, the Neptune person can have a huge impact on the other person’s life as they struggle with their own aspirations and ideals, perceiving features in the Neptune person in extremes, either good or negative, rather than realistically. When the other person’s aspirations and fantasies are projected onto the Neptune person, there is frequently disappointment when it is realized that the Neptune person is a real, flawed person rather than the embodiment of the other person’s ideals and desires. If the pair can get over the turbulence, the relationship has the potential to be spiritually uplifting.

With Uranus, the Uranus person assumes the role of causing obvious disruption in the other person’s life, whether it’s in the form of relationship demands, everyday routines, or ideas. The Uranus person may be perceived as unreliable, appearing one day and then disappearing the next, both physically and symbolically. The personal planet person may feel as if Uranus is always out of reach, which can be fascinating or disturbing, and generally a little of both.

The Saturn person functions as a reminder to the other person that they must be responsible, and this is a good thing “Depending on how the Saturn person delivers these reminders and how the personal planet person receives them, the lesson can be both rewarding and hard.

There can be a lot of leniency with Jupiter. With the personal planet individual, Jupiter is usually highly tolerant, to the point of promoting undesirable habits. However, there is a lot of understanding and good humor between the two of them, which can be extremely encouraging.

A Midpoint Report is available from us.

This computerized report lists and analyses all of the natal chart’s midpoint pictures, as well as midpoint pictures formed over time: transits, progressions, and solar arc directions to natal chart midpoints, for a period of six months.

In astrology, what are strong degrees?

Have you ever looked at your horoscope and wondered why there are so many strange degrees and minutes? You’re not alone, after all!

Getting a handle on the mechanics of a birth chart is one of the most perplexing aspects of studying Astrology at first. Look at your own birth chart before reading the rest of this post to see what we’re talking about when we break it down into degrees and minutes.

Math phobics are likely to break out in a sweat when they see the degree circle and minute sign. You don’t have to be concerned: this isn’t difficult calculus. In fact, no matter whose birth chart you have in your hands, after reading this short tutorial, you’ll know exactly what you’re looking at in terms of degrees and minutes.

With a FREE tailored report, learn what’s on your birth chart. A customised report will give you an in-depth look at YOUR birth chart.

Let’s start with decans

Let’s start with an explanation of how the horoscope wheel is filled with degrees. We all know that the zodiac is divided into 12 signs, but did you realize that each sign is made up of 30 degrees? Each zodiac sign is divided into three decans, each of which is equivalent to 30 degrees.

Any sign’s first decan spans 59 minutes and 59 seconds, from 0 degrees to 9 degrees. In the second decan, the temperature rises from 10 to 19 degrees in 59 minutes and 59 seconds. In the third decan, the temperature rises from 20 to 29 degrees in 59 minutes and 59 seconds. This holds true regardless of the sign you’re looking at. Also, every degree has 60 minutes, but we don’t use 60 minutes as a reference point. Instead, we move from 0 (the first minute) through 59 minutes (which is really the 60th minute).

The mystical number 360 is obtained by multiplying 12 by 30. You can feel assured that no matter whose horoscope you have in your hands, it contains 360 degrees. There are no exceptions!

The fact that these 360 degrees reflect one 24-hour day is a striking comparison. As a result, the motion of one 24-hour day here on Earth will be represented by a birth chart in its entirety.

There’s much more interesting significance when you go deeper into the 30 degrees contained in each symbol. Certain degrees are seen to have more significance in a birth chart than others. Critical degrees are the name given to certain kind of degrees.

The key degrees for the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are 0, 13, and 26. They are 8-9 degrees and 21-22 degrees for Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius). They are 4 and 17 degrees for the Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces). Do any of these degrees have a planet or sensitive angle in your horoscope? If that’s the case, you should expect a greater concentration on that aspect of your life.

Working with anaretic degrees

Furthermore, due to the karmic nature of being at the beginning of a sign, 0 degrees of any sign is considered a vital degree. Whatever planet or point is at 0 degrees is said to be in the early stages of acquiring lessons about that place. In contrast, an Anaretic Degree occurs when a planet or point is at 29 degrees of any sign, and it represents karmic completeness tied to that planet’s or point’s energies.

If a person’s birth chart contains multiple planets or angles at the Anaretic Degree, it’s conceivable that he or she is a very old soul. There could also be a sense of urgency or a need to complete anything associated to that planet or point energies.

So, what happens if a planet is at 29 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 With the birth of Prince George, we saw an example of this. He was born at 29 degrees and 59 minutes, when the Sun was at the tail end of Cancer. The Sun would have ingressed into 0 degrees Leo if he had been born a few minutes later.

The energies of Cancer and Leo are vastly different! This is why knowing a planet’s or point’s degrees and minutes combined is so important. It aids us in determining the true astrological location of a planet or point. A planet in any sign at 29 degrees 59 minutes is still in that sign. Not to say to such an extent.

What is the purpose of declination?

You may calibrate your compass for the magnetic field in your area by knowing the difference (measured in angular degrees) between true north and the horizontal trace of the magnetic field for your location. Your declination is the angular difference between the two points.

What is the magnetic declination of my body?

Regardless of whether you are moving north or south, the magnetic reference for Earth is north. The difference between the true north reading on a map and the magnetic north reading on a compass is known as magnetic declination. When using a compass with a map, an adjustment must be applied to account for declination.

Magnetic declination varies over North America, ranging from 30 degrees East in Alaska to 20 degrees West in Labrador, Maine. The degrees of declination for a certain area are normally found near the north arrow on the bottom edge of the map, or they can be found using a declination chart.

The following is the procedure for adjusting for declination:

1. To get the magnetic reading for Easterly Declination, subtract the declination from the correct value. Easterly declination = magnetic = true

2. To get the magnetic reading for Westerly Declination, add the declination to the real reading. True + westerly declination = magnetic

“West is best and East is least” is a simple technique to remember whether to add or subtract. So, for West declination, add to the true reading (West is preferable, so a greater number) and deduct from the true reading for East declination (East is least, and therefore a smaller number).

Paloma is in San Jose, California, for example. 17E is the declination. Paloma’s compass reading is 35 miles from her current location to the mountain range she is traveling through. What is the true meaning of her reading?

Step 2. Because True – east = magnetic in this case, we’ll solve the equation for the true reading and discover that true = magnetic + east using the “East is least” rule. To get from the magnetic reading on the compass to the correct reading, we must add the declination.

Sonia is in Augusta, Maine, for example. She has a compass that reads 45 degrees magnetic north. What is her true map reading?

Step 1: Use a declination chart to find the declination for Augusta, Maine. Maine has an 18W declination.

Step 2: Because 18W is a westerly declination, keep in mind that “West is Best” and that magnetic = true + west. In this scenario, we must subtract the declination from the magnetic bearing to find the real reading: true = magnetic – west.

When going in the opposite way and correcting map readings for use with compass readings, add and subtract the declination in the opposite direction.

Example 3: Roger examines a map and measures an azimuth of 85 degrees, an accurate reading, from his current location to the location of a tower on the map. The location has a declination of 12E. What do you think the magnetic reading is?

Step 1: Subtract the easterly declination from the magnetic reading obtained with a compass. “East is least,” as the saying goes.

What does it mean to have a negative declination?

The angle between magnetic north (the direction the north end of a magnetized compass needle points, corresponding to the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field lines) and true north (the direction the north end of a magnetized compass needle points, corresponding to the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field lines) and true north (the direction the north end of a magnetized compass needle points, corresponding to the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field lines) on the horizontal plane is known as magnetic de (the direction along a meridian towards the geographic North Pole). This angle changes over time and varies based on where you are on the Earth’s surface.

Bowditch defines variation more technically as “the angle between the magnetic and geographic meridians at any point, given in degrees and minutes east or west to indicate the direction of magnetic north from true north to indicate the direction of magnetic north from true north.” Grid magnetic angle, grid variation, or grivation refers to the angle formed between magnetic and grid meridians.

Declination is positive when magnetic north is east of true north, and negative when it is west of true north, according to convention. Isogonic lines are lines on the Earth’s surface along which the declination is constant, and agonic lines are lines along which the declination is zero. Magnetic declination is commonly represented by the lowercase Greek letter (delta).

Magnetic deviation is frequently interchangeably used with magnetic declination, however it refers to the mistake in a compass reading caused by surrounding metallic objects, such as iron on board a ship or aircraft.

Magnetic declination is not to be confused with magnetic inclination, also known as magnetic dip, which is the angle formed by the Earth’s magnetic field lines with the horizontal plane’s downward side.

the method above converts from 0 to 24

converting H to degrees (0 to 360 scale)

(366.25CT+) t = 12

24DV)/365.25

CT = measured local clock time

based on a 24-hour clock (0=midnight, 12=noon)

DV stands for days since the vernal equinox.
If the star is located on the meridian,