their primary point of reference, deriving the house cusps by dividing the prime verti-
cal into 12 equal subdivisons.PRISON
Prison is an obsolete term for fall (when a planet is in a sign opposite the sign of its
exaltation).PROBITAS
Probitas, asteroid 902 (the 902d asteroid to be discovered, on September 3, 1918), is
approximately 12 kilometers in diameter and has an orbital period of 3.8 years. Its
name is a personification of the Latin word for “probity” or “uprightness.” In a natal
chart, Probitas’s location by sign and house indicates where and how one is most likely
to be honest and upright. When afflicted by inharmonious aspects, Probitas may show
improbity or projecting a false image of integrity. If prominent in a chart (e.g., con-
junct the Sun or the ascendant), it can show a person of exceptional integrity, or an
individual for whom integrity is a major life theme.Sources:
Kowal, Charles T. Asteroids: Their Nature and Utilization.Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Ellis
Horwood Limited, 1988.
Room, Adrian. Dictionary of Astronomical Names.London: Routledge, 1988.
Schwartz, Jacob. Asteroid Name Encyclopedia.St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995.PROGNOSTICATION(PROGNOSIS)
Astrological prognostication refers to astrological prediction, although prognosis is
more accurate for what astrologers actually do. If the future were rigidly fated, then,
no matter what anyone did, only one future would be possible. Given this assumption,
one should be able to predict the future. The term prognostication,however, does not
imply a rigidly fated future. Instead, the term seems to suggest that human willpower
can, within certain limits, change the future. Like a weather reporter, an astrologer
can only predict upcoming conditions. Whether or not one chooses to go for a picnic
on a day a meteorologist predicts rain—or on a day an astrologer advises staying at
home—is a matter of personal will.PROGRESSIONS ANDDIRECTIONS
Progressions and directions are two related astrological methods for predicting future
conditions and developments. Prediction is the oldest element of the astrologer’s craft:
Whereas contemporary astrologers tend to be more concerned with understanding
individuals and their potential, traditional astrology tended to focus on prognostica-
tion (predicting the future). The most ancient and still the most important astrologi-
cal tool for prognostication is transits, current and forthcoming movements of thePrison
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