Dignity and Condition
A planet acts differently depending on the sign it is in. In some signs it is at home and works with ease. In others it works against the grain. Traditional astrology calls this essential dignity, and it is one of the oldest tools for reading how well a planet can do its job.
| Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra | Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | E | H | F | D | ||||||||
| Moon | E | H | F | D | ||||||||
| Mercury | H | HE | D | DF | ||||||||
| Venus | D | H | F | H | D | E | ||||||
| Mars | H | D | F | D | H | E | ||||||
| Jupiter | D | E | D | H | F | H | ||||||
| Saturn | F | D | D | E | H | H |
- Home at home, fully itself
- Exalted an honoured guest, at its best
- Detriment opposite home, working against the grain
- Fall opposite exaltation, least at ease
The four major states are:
- Domicile: the planet is at home, in a sign it rules.
- Exaltation: the planet is an honoured guest, at its best.
- Detriment: the planet is opposite its home, working against the grain.
- Fall: the planet is opposite its exaltation, least at ease.
A planet with no essential dignity at all, meaning no domicile, no exaltation and none of the minor dignities (triplicity, term and face), is called peregrine, a wanderer that works by its own means. Two planets each in the other's sign are in mutual reception, and can help each other.
Dignity is about ease, never about worth. A planet in detriment often builds the most skill, because nothing about its work comes for free. This section also covers sect, whether a chart is born by day or by night, which is not a dignity but changes how every planet behaves.
Domicile in Astrology — When a Planet Is at Home
A planet in domicile is in a sign it rules, fully at home and able to act as itself. Learn the domiciles of every planet, the old pattern behind them, how to read a planet at home in your chart, and what most people get wrong.
Exaltation in Astrology — The Honoured Guest
A planet in exaltation is an honoured guest in a sign, at its most elevated and admired. Learn the exaltations of every planet, the exaltation degrees, how to read an exalted planet in your chart, and what most people get wrong.
Detriment in Astrology — Working Against the Grain
A planet in detriment is in the sign opposite its home, where it has to work against the grain. Learn every planet's detriment, what it really means, why it often builds skill, and how to read it in your chart without fear.
Fall in Astrology — When a Planet Is Least at Ease
A planet in fall is in the sign opposite its exaltation, where it is least at ease and least honoured. Learn every planet's fall, what it really means, and how to read it in your chart as a path of growth.
Peregrine Planets in Astrology — The Wanderer
A peregrine planet has no essential dignity in its sign - no domicile, exaltation, triplicity, term or face. Learn what peregrine means, the minor dignities most people never hear about, and how to read a wandering planet.
Mutual Reception in Astrology — Two Planets Swap Homes
Mutual reception is when two planets each sit in a sign the other rules, so each hosts the other. Learn what mutual reception means, its kinds, why astrologers say the planets can swap places, and how to read it in your chart.
Sect in Astrology — Day Charts and Night Charts
Sect divides charts into day and night, and the planets into a day team and a night team. Learn how to tell if your chart is a day or night chart, which planets belong to each team, and why sect changes how planets behave.