Library

Dignities

Essential dignity

How well a planet is placed by sign, from rulership down to its weakest positions.

The essential dignities measure a planet’s strength by where it falls in the zodiac. In order of strength they are domicile, exaltation, triplicity, term (bound) and face (decan). Their opposites, detriment and fall, are the debilities.

A planet with no dignity at all in its degree is called peregrine, a wanderer without a home.