Astrological nomenclature (shorthand when typing)

[Jim Eshelman]

Reinhold Ebertin created a shorthand for writing astrological symbols that I consider universally useful. I have mostly used it for the last 40+ years, but have never explained it here. I thought I would type it out and encourage everyone to use it. (At the very least, it will allow me to start using it without modification or repeated explanations). Most of these are intended to render astrological glyphs into something usable on a typewriter and otherwise to provide a shared shorthand. Planets and signs are obvious enough; the items at the bottom are perhaps the most important to note, as showing transactions between points.

Mo Moon
Su Sun (German SO for sonne)
Me Mercury
Ve Venus
Ma Mars
Ju Jupiter
Sa Saturn
Ur Uranus
Ne Neptune
Pl Pluto
Dr or NN Dragon's Head or North [Lunar] Node

MC or M Midheaven (Medium Caeli)
As or A Ascendant
IC or I Antemeridian (Immum Caeli)
Ds or D Descendant

Ta Taurus
Ge Gemini
Cn Cancer
Le Leo
Vi Virgo
Li Libra
Sc Scorpio
Sg Sagittarius
Cp Capricorn
Aq Aquarius
Pi Pisces
Ar Aries

Hyphen or slash: Two points separated by a hyphen (-) signifies an aspect. Two points separated by a slash (/) signifies their midpoint. Thus, Me-Ju means a Mercury-Jupiter aspect; Me/Ju means the Mercury/Jupiter midpoint. A hyphen for aspect means any allowed aspect. If you want to specify the aspect, place the arc value between two hyphens, thus: Ma-90-Ne for a Mars-Neptune square (where Ma-Ne would mean any recognized Mars-Neptune aspect), or Ve-120-Ju for a Venus-Jupiter trine.

When an alternate form is needed, the = sign is another way of showing an aspect, or, rather, that there is a contact (some sort of aspect) between the factors on opposite sides of =. Most commonly, Mo = Su/Pl means Moon at (or aspecting) the Sun/Pluto midpoint, but also t Pl = r Ma to show transiting Pluto aspecting radical Mars. NB: Thus, though Mo = Su/Pl is the usual way of writing a planet at/aspecting a midpoint, it is equally correct to write it as Mo-Su/Pl.

If you wish an abbreviation for a an aspect name, the following are standard:
co - conjunction
op - opposition
sq - square
tr - trine
sx - sextile
oc - octile; or specify ssq = semi-square, sqq = sesqui-square
ssx - semi-sextile
qnx - quincunx

Other useful abbreviations:

r Radical (Natal)
t Transiting
s Solar (i.e., Solar Return position, a modern innovation)
d Directed (i.e., Solar Arc)

These can be modified by convention if clarity is needed. Thus, p always means Secondary Progressions unless it is clearly specified, and can be varied as p2, p3, etc. to distinguish secondaries, tertiaries, etc.

[mike1616]

A very useful standard which I will adopt in my posts and in my software. I might additionally suggest Er for Eris, EP for eastpoint and Vx for vertex.

[Jim Eshelman]

A very useful standard which I will adopt in my posts and in my software. I might additionally suggest Er for Eris, EP for eastpoint and Vx for vertex.

Mike, you may also want to see this somewhat lengthy and tedious thread that reconsiders EP nomenclature:
https://solunars.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4659

[mikestar13]

I will use EPa to designate the Eastpoint in right ascension and EPl for the ecliptic squares to the MC. Only the former will be plotted in the chart wheel as EP), since the latter is obvious by inspection, just as there is no need to plot the zenith or the north point (given the VX is plotted). All minor angles will accounted for in the revised angularity curve.

[mikestar13]

Inadvertent double post deleted, please remove.

[Jim Eshelman]

Agreed. - You might be able to pull an Alpha from the default Windows font if you want, as well.