French astrologer and physician who studied medicine at Montpellier but fled France after the St Bartholomew massacre and settled at Geneva where he worked as astrologer and physician at the town of Beaune.  He published Ad Astrorum Judicia Facilis Introductio ‘Brief Introduction to the Judgement of the Stars’ in Latin in 1577. This was translated into English by F. W. Gent in 1583 and again in 1598, with a further revised English edition appearing in 1653. Lilly listed Dariot first when he acknowledged the sources of his own work.

Also called decanates: Egyptian term for the faces, means ‘tenths’ because each decan covers 10°. See ‘faces’.

This is another term for setting, or falling away from the angles.

Name of the branch of astrology that examines a chart drawn for the time of someone falling sick or becoming aware of an illness. Study of that chart allows examination of the root causes of the illness, the best approach and times for treatment, and a prognostication of recovery or relapse. (From decumbere, ‘to lie down’).

See ‘turning the chart’.

The degree of the ecliptic (zodiac) that meets the western horizon, and which denotes the 7th house cusp. So called because planets at this point descend beneath the horizon and are no longer visible to the naked eye.

Factors that increase a planet’s strength are called dignities; those that weaken it, debilities. These are termed ‘essential’ when they rely upon zodiacal position; and ‘accidental’ if they rely upon anything else. Thus the advantage offered to a planet by being in its own sign or exaltation is an essential dignity, the disadvantage of being in its sign of detriment or fall is an essential debility; but combustion, aspectual connections and matters of angularity or house position are accidental dignities or debilities.

The overall condition, influence, or virtue of a planet once all matters of dignity and debility have been judged. To commit disposition means to pass influence to another planet by aspect or reception.