M
major planets : Those whose orbits lie outside the Asteroid Belt; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Also referred to as outer and event planets.
malefic : An archaic term applied to planets and aspects whose influence was thought to be negative or destructive. Traditionally, Saturn is the Greater Malefic; Mars, the Lesser Malefic. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were also classed as malefics. The Square, opposition and other disharmonious aspects were once considered malefic aspects.
map : A horoscope.
masculine degrees : Degrees that foster masculine attributes in both males and females when occupied by the Ascendant or chart ruler. H.L. Cornell, M.D., specifies the following as masculine degrees; 8°, 15° and 30° in Aries; 11°, 21° and 30° in Taurus; 16° and 26° in Gemini; 2°, 10°, 23° and 30° in Cancer;5°, 15° and 30° in Leo; 12° and 30° in Virgo; 5°, 20° and 30° in Libra; 4°, 17° and 30° in Scorpio; 2°, 12° and 30° in Sagittarius; 11° and 30° in Capricorn; 5°, 21° and 27° in Aquarius; 10°, 23° and 30° in Pisces.
masculine signs : The fire and air signs, Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius. They are suggestive of aggressiveness in contrast with the receptivity expressed in feminine signs. Also called positive signs.
mean motion : Average motion or rate of travel within a specified time period.
medical astrology : The branch of astrology devoted to the study of the human body, disease and health according to astrological symbolism portrayed in a horoscope.
Medium Coeli : From the Latin, literally middle of the heavens; the culminating degree of the ecliptic, commonly called Midheaven, abbreviated MC. In an unequal house system the MC, one of the angles of a horoscope, forms the cusp of the tenth house.
meridian : A great circle, encircling Earth, that passes through the North and South Poles. A line of longitude.
Metonic Cycle : The nineteen-year cycle named for the Athenian astronomer Meton who discovered (ca. 432) that the new Moon occurs on the same day of the year at approximate nineteen-year intervals.
meteorological astrology (astro-meteorology) : The use of astrology for forecasting the weather conditions, earthquakes, and severe storms. Also called natural astrology.
Midheaven : The most commonly used term for Medium Coeli, usually designated by the initials M.C.
midnight ephemeris : An ephemeris that lists astrological data exact at the beginning of the day, 12:00 A.M. Also called zero hour ephemeris (12:00 A.M. = 00:00:00).
midpoint : A zodiacal point in a horoscope that is equidistant from two planets. Two midpoints exist for each pair of planets. Aspects to a midpoint activate the two planets involved. Interchangeable with half-sum. Midpoints are largely used by cosmobiologists.
Milky Way : The galaxy of which our solar system is a part.
minor planets : Synonymous with inner planets; those planets whose orbits lie between the Sun and Asteroid Belt.
movable signs : An alternate term for cardinal signs.
multiple conjunction : A planetary arrangement in which three or more planets form a series of conjunctions that may extend from one sign into another. A member of a multiple conjunction is influenced by aspects to other members (aspect by association) even if the orb is too wide to normally include that planet. Also called a stellium.
mundane aspects : Aspects by house rather than by degree. For example, a mundane sextile from a planet on the cusp of the second house to one on the cusp of the fourth might be less or more than the 60° required for a zodiacal sextile depending upon the size of the houses.
mundane astrology : That branch of astrology that deals with world events and universal trends rather than the individual.
mutable signs : Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, all of which express adaptability and flexibility to some degree. They are associated naturally with cadent house; the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth, respectively. Synonymous with common signs.
mute signs : The water signs; Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, so-called because they are traditionally depicted as mute creatures: the crab, the scorpion and the fish, respectively. They are often associated with communication difficulties.
mutilated degrees : So designated because of the ancient belief that if the Ascendant, chart ruler or Moon occupied any of these degrees, lameness was indicated. Sometimes referred to as lame degrees, they are: 6°-10° Taurus, 9°-15° Cancer, 18°-28° Leo, 18°-19° Scorpio, 1°, 7°, 8°, 18° and 19° in Sagittarius, 26°-29° Capricorn, and 18°-19° Aquarius.
mutual application : Said of two planets moving toward each other, one direct and the other retrograde.
mutual reception : Two planets placed in each other's sign of essential dignity are in mutual reception, "en rapport". Mutual reception provides a harmonious link between planets not in aspect and strengthens the aspect if one exists.
