Sources:
Bach, Eleanor. Astrology from A to Z: An Illustrated Source Book.New York: Philosophical
Library, 1990.
Brau, Jean-Louis, Helen Weaver, and Allan Edmands. Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology.New
York: New American Library, 1980.
DISSOCIATEASPECTS
Dissociate aspect was at one time an alternate term for quincunx. In contemporary
astrology, this expression usually refers to an aspect in which the component planets
are not in the anticipated signs. For example, it is normally the case that the planets
making a trine aspect (120°) are in the same element. Thus, a planet in Scorpio will
usually makes trines only with planets in the other water signs, Cancer and Pisces; a
planet in Taurus makes trines with planets in other earth signs; etc. However, because
an aspect does not have to be exact to be regarded as effective, sometimes—to contin-
ue using the trine example—two planets in a trine can be in signs of different ele-
ments. In this case, the trine would be termed dissociate.
DISSOCIATESIGNS
Dissociate signs are signs of the zodiac that are either in adjacent signs or are five signs
away from each other.
DIURNAL
Diurnal means “of or belonging to the day.” In classical astrology, particular planets
were classified as diurnal and others as nocturnal, no matter where they were in a
horoscope. In contemporary astrology, planets are diurnal if they are located above the
horizon (i.e., in houses seven through 12). Often astrologers will say that planets
above the horizon line show their influence more in the public sphere, whereas plan-
ets below the horizon are more private, but this distinction clearly breaks down when
considering planets in such locations as the twelfth house (a largely private house situ-
ated above the horizon). The term “diurnal arc” refers to the distance, expressed in
degrees and minutes of a circle, that a planet traverses between its rising in the east
and its setting in the west. Classical astrology also classified signs as diurnal (the mas-
culine signs) and nocturnal (the feminine signs).
Sources:
Bach, Eleanor. Astrology from A to Z: An Illustrated Source Book.New York: Philosophical
Library, 1990.
Brau, Jean-Louis, Helen Weaver, and Allan Edmands. Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology.New
York: New American Library, 1980.
DIVISIONALCHARTS
One of the powerful analytical tools of Vedic astrology, which is somewhat akin to the har-
monic charts of western astrology, is the creation of a set of divisional charts by dividing
THEASTROLOGYBOOK [203]
Divisional Charts