Zadkiel. An Introduction to Astrology: By William Lilly with Numerous Emendations, Adapted to the
Improved State of the Science; Also a Grammar of Astrology and Tables for Calculating Nativi-
ties.1852. Many editions.
HORARYTIME
Horary time is measured by dividing by 12 either the length of the day between sun-
rise and sunset, or the length of the night between sunset and sunrise.
HORIZON
The term horizon has the same meaning in astrology as in other contexts, although in
astrological practice it usually refers only to the eastern and western horizons. Extend-
ed out into space and projected against the background of the stars, the eastern hori-
zon is referred to as the ascendant, which is the same as the cusp of the first house.
Similarly, the western horizon projected against the background of the stars is the
descendant, which is also the cusp of the seventh house. A distinction can be made
between the tropocentric horizon, which is the horizon from a particular spot on the
surface of Earth, and the geocentric horizon, which is a “horizon” created by drawing
through the middle of Earth an imaginary line (or great circle) that is parallel to the
tropocentric horizon. When extended out into space, the geocentric horizon is called
the rational horizon. For most astrological work, the difference between the tropocen-
tric horizon and the geocentric horizon is insignificant.
Sources:
Brau, Jean-Louis, Helen Weaver, and Allan Edmands. Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology.New
York: New American Library, 1980.
Filbey, John, and Peter Filbey. The Astrologer’s Companion.Wellingborough, Northamptonshire,
UK: Aquarian Press, 1986.
HORIZONSYSTEM
The horizon system is a system of house division in which the horizon is split into 12
arcs of 30 degrees.
HOROSCOPE
(ASTROLOGICALCHART)Among contemporary astrologers, the term horoscope (from the Greek hora,meaning
“hour,” and skopos,meaning “watcher”) is used to refer to any astrological chart.
Because of the popularity of newspaper astrology, which often presents itself as a
“horoscope,” the word has become synonymous with “daily prediction” in the minds
of the general public. Prior to the eighteenth century, however, a horoscope was
applied only to the ascendant, which is the sign on the eastern horizon at the moment
for which the chart is constructed.
THEASTROLOGYBOOK [333]
Horoscope (Astrological Chart)