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category: Astrology Encyclopedia

Martius and ending with December

Definition

“Martius and ending with December” refers to the traditional account of an early Roman calendar that began with Martius, or March, and concluded with December. This calendar was said to contain ten named months, with the winter interval left outside the formal month sequence. Martius was associated with Mars, while December took its name from the Latin word for ten.

Astrological Meaning

In astrological history, this calendar structure helps explain why March once held the symbolic position of a new year. Its beginning roughly corresponds with the seasonal renewal surrounding the spring equinox and, in tropical astrology, the start of Aries. However, Roman months and zodiac signs are separate systems and should not be treated as exact equivalents. December, for example, spans portions of Sagittarius and Capricorn in modern Western astrology.

Why It Matters

Understanding this phrase provides context for classical astrological texts, planetary naming traditions, and calendars organized around seasonal cycles. It also clarifies why September through December retain names derived from the Latin numbers seven through ten despite occupying the ninth through twelfth positions today. For natal-chart interpretation, the historical calendar does not alter planetary placements; its value lies in understanding the cultural framework through which earlier astrologers measured and described time.

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Shevuoth

Definition

Shevuoth is an older spelling of Shavuot, the Jewish Festival of Weeks. It is observed on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, with some communities observing a second day. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, its civil-calendar date changes from year to year. Shevuoth is a religious and calendrical term rather than a standard planet, aspect, house, or predictive technique in astrology.

Astrological Meaning

In historical almanacs or chronological material, Shevuoth may serve as a date marker for establishing when an event occurred. An astrologer could calculate a chart for the festival’s beginning in a particular year and location, but the resulting interpretation would come from the chart’s actual planets, angles, houses, and aspects. The feast itself has no universally accepted planetary rulership or fixed astrological meaning. Its changing annual date also means that no single zodiac placement can represent every observance.

Why It Matters

Recognizing Shevuoth as a calendar reference helps prevent it from being mistaken for an obscure astrological technique. When the term appears in an old text, researchers should identify the year, location, calendar convention, and local start of the observance before converting the date. This distinction is especially important in traditional and mundane astrology, where accurate chronology affects planetary positions and house calculations. Any symbolic interpretation should remain separate from the festival’s established religious significance and be grounded in a correctly calculated chart.

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Ve-Adar (29 d.)

Definition

Ve-Adar is the additional month inserted into the Hebrew lunisolar calendar during a leap year. Also called Adar II or Second Adar, it contains 29 days and follows Adar I. This intercalation keeps the lunar months aligned with the solar year, ensuring that seasonal observances remain in their intended part of the year.

Astrological Meaning

In traditional astrological or calendrical texts, Ve-Adar primarily identifies a span of time rather than a planet, sign, house, or natal placement. Its interpretive relevance comes from calendar conversion, seasonal timing, and the dating of observations or elections. Adar is traditionally associated with Pisces in some Jewish astrological correspondences, but the treatment of Adar I and Adar II varies among sources. The second Adar should therefore not be assigned a universal natal meaning without reference to the system being used.

Why It Matters

Recognizing Ve-Adar helps astrologers interpret historical dates accurately and avoid shifting an event into the wrong lunar month. It is especially relevant when studying traditional records, religious calendars, mundane cycles, or electional timing based on Hebrew dates. Because its Gregorian dates change from year to year, interpretation requires the specific Hebrew year and a reliable calendar conversion. Ve-Adar provides calendrical context; other chart factors still carry the primary astrological symbolism.

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Creation

Definition

Creation in astrology refers broadly to the process of bringing a person, project, work, relationship, or other undertaking into being. It is not a single standardized doctrine in classical astrology. Instead, astrologers examine creation through natal potential, the symbolism of beginnings, and charts cast for the moment an endeavor is initiated or formally established.

Astrological Meaning

The relevant factors depend on what is being created. The fifth house is traditionally associated with children, pleasure, performance, and works of personal expression, while the Sun may describe vitality and authorship. Venus can indicate aesthetic formation, Mercury communication or craft, and Mars decisive action. The Moon often reflects development, responsiveness, and changing conditions. In an inception or electional chart, the Ascendant, its ruler, the Moon, and the house governing the undertaking help describe how the new venture may unfold. No planet or house alone defines creative ability or success.

Why It Matters

Creation provides a useful framework for connecting inspiration with timing and practical expression. In a natal chart, it can show preferred creative methods, motivations, and resources rather than guaranteeing talent or recognition. Electional astrology may be used to choose supportive conditions for launching a project, while an inception chart describes the circumstances already present at its beginning. Considering the type of creation, relevant houses, planetary condition, aspects, and timing techniques produces a more grounded interpretation than relying on one isolated placement.

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Calendar

Definition

A calendar is an organized system for dividing and recording time through units such as days, months, seasons, and years. In astrology, calendars provide the civil or traditional dating framework used to identify when celestial events occur. Calendar systems vary across cultures, so astrologers may need to account for differences in month names, year numbering, and the start of the day.

Astrological Meaning

Astrological calculations begin with a recorded date, time, and place. The calendar date helps locate the Sun, Moon, planets, and sensitive chart points for a particular moment. Calendars are also used to track ingresses, lunations, eclipses, retrograde cycles, planetary stations, and traditional electional dates. Some branches of astrology follow specialized calendars, including lunar, solar, lunisolar, or seasonal systems. Historical work may require converting dates between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

Why It Matters

Accurate calendar information supports reliable chart calculation and interpretation. A mistaken date or an overlooked calendar conversion can shift planetary positions, and it may substantially alter the Moon, angles, or house placements. Understanding the calendar in use is especially important when studying historical charts, comparing traditions, or planning observations. The calendar does not create an astrological influence; it supplies the timekeeping structure through which celestial cycles are recorded and examined.

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Caduceus

Definition

The caduceus is a symbolic staff entwined by two serpents and commonly topped with wings. It belongs to Hermes in Greek tradition and Mercury in Roman tradition. Although sometimes confused with the single-serpent Rod of Asclepius, the caduceus is primarily associated with messages, negotiation, exchange, travel, commerce, and movement between different realms.

Astrological Meaning

In astrology, the caduceus serves as an emblem of Mercury rather than as a planet, aspect, house, or standard chart placement. Its paired serpents can represent complementary forces held in dynamic balance, while its wings suggest mental speed and mobility. The symbol therefore reflects Mercurial themes such as language, interpretation, mediation, adaptability, and the circulation of ideas. Its precise significance depends on the symbolic, historical, or esoteric framework in which it appears.

Why It Matters

Understanding the caduceus can deepen interpretation of Mercury and related chart factors, especially the signs Gemini and Virgo, the third and sixth houses, and strong Mercurial aspects. It may provide a useful visual metaphor for connecting opposites or translating between viewpoints. However, it should not replace analysis of Mercury’s sign, house, aspects, condition, and overall relationship to the natal chart.

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