All tarot, astrology, numerology, mediumship and psychic terms clearly defined — no jargon. Click a letter to jump.
A
Ascendant
Zodiac sign rising on the Eastern horizon at the exact moment of birth. The ascendant strongly colors personality, appearance, and how one presents to others. It shifts roughly every 2 hours — hence the need for precise birth time.
Discipline interpreting the position of celestial bodies (Sun, Moon, planets, stars) at a given moment to describe personality, life tendencies, and cycles. Western (tropical) and Vedic (sidereal) are the two main schools.
Subtle energy field that, according to esoteric traditions, surrounds every living being. Psychics sensitive to the aura describe it in terms of colors, density, and brightness. The aura's state reflects one's physical, emotional, and spiritual state.
Division of the natal chart into 12 sectors, each associated with a life area: self, money, siblings, home, children, health, partnership, transformations, travel, career, friends, trials. House calculation depends on exact birth time and place.
Divination using a classic playing card deck (32 or 52 cards) rather than a tarot deck. Each card has a meaning codified by tradition: the Ace of Hearts announces love, the 9 of Diamonds a setback. More direct than tarot, popular for practical daily questions.
Energy center of the body according to Indian traditions. Seven main chakras align from the perineum (root) to the crown, each associated with a theme (security, creativity, power, heart, expression, intuition, spirituality). A chakra reading identifies which are open, blocked, or overloaded.
Extrasensory ability to simply "know" something without sensory input or logical reasoning. The claircognizant psychic receives information as immediate certainty, sometimes without being able to explain its origin.
Ability to perceive information as inner sound — words, phrases, music — that do not come from a physical source. Clairaudient mediums sometimes hear messages from the deceased or guides as inner voices.
Ability to physically or emotionally feel invisible information: tension in a room, state of an absent person, atmosphere of a place. Often the most common input channel for energy practitioners and mediums.
Ability to perceive inner images or scenes that don't come from memory or imagination. Clairvoyant psychics receive visions that are sometimes symbolic, sometimes literal. Also broadly designates the full range of psychic practices.
Generic term for practices using a tool (pendulum, rods) to capture invisible information: water searches, object searches, closed-question answers, energy diagnosis. The pendulum is the most widely used tool in psychic practice.
Table listing the daily position of planets in the sky. Astrologers use it to draw up a natal chart (at birth date) or study transits (current positions over your chart).
Practitioner who reads and acts on subtle energy fields (aura, chakras, memories of a place). The approach is present-focused: rebalance, cleanse, protect — rather than predict. Tools vary: magnetism, reiki, radionics, active meditation.
Informal term for a brief, intense perception in psychic work: a sudden image, a clear sensation, a word crossing the mind. Psychics often consider a flash one of the most reliable channels — precisely because it doesn't give the mind time to interfere.
Futhark
Ancient Norse runic alphabet, traditionally 24 runes arranged in three groups of 8 (the aettir). Each rune has a name (Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz...) and an archetypal meaning used in divination.
Astrological interpretation for a given period (day, week, month, year) and target (a sun sign or an individual chart). Media horoscopes rely on the sun sign alone; a true personalized horoscope integrates the whole chart.
Central number in numerology, obtained by adding all digits of the birth date and reducing to a single digit (or master number 11, 22, 33). It describes the overall tone of existence and the main lessons to navigate.
Analysis of the harmony between two people, practiced via several methods: astrological synastry, numerology compatibility, couples tarot spread. It identifies points of convergence and potential friction without predicting the outcome of a relationship.
The 22 main tarot cards (from The Magician to The World), each carrying a universal archetype: the Wheel of Fortune for cycles, The Hanged Man for suspension, Death for transformation. Major Arcana describe the great dynamics of life, as opposed to Minor Arcana which handle the everyday.
The remaining 56 tarot cards, split into four suits (cups, coins, swords, wands) numbered Ace to 10 plus four court figures (page, knight, queen, king). They address daily events and interactions — unlike the broader archetypes of the Major Arcana.
In numerology, a repeated double digit (11, 22, 33) not reduced to a single digit. They indicate intensified potential but also an added challenge: amplified intuition (11), large-scale building (22), mastery in service of others (33).
Practitioner able to perceive information through channels other than the five classical senses, especially in contact with consciousness (deceased, guides) or energy reading. Distinct from the predictive psychic: mediums focus on the present and memory.
The medium's practice. Encompasses several channels — clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance — used separately or combined. "Transmission" mediumship consists of relaying a message from a deceased person or invisible presence.
The most iconic French tarot deck, codified in the 17th century. Its 78 cards (Le Bateleur to Le Monde for majors, plus the 56 minors) feature stylized symbolic imagery without narrative scenes, unlike Rider-Waite.
Discipline associating a symbolic meaning to each number (1-9 + master numbers 11, 22, 33). From birth date and name, a numerologist computes several key numbers: life path, expression, soul, personal year.
Map of the sky at the exact moment of your birth: planetary positions, zodiac signs, houses, aspects between planets. Also called birth chart or astrological chart. Requires precise date, time, and place of birth to compute.
Divination deck distinct from tarot, often more recent and with a flexible number of cards (36, 44, 52...). Each oracle has its specialty: Belline and Ge for general analysis, Lenormand for concrete life, angel oracles for spiritual guidance.
In astrology, the angular margin tolerated for an aspect between two planets to be considered active. A 5° orb means an exact 90° aspect still works between 85° and 95°. The tighter the orb, the more powerful the aspect.
Reading the lines and shape of the hands to draw a portrait of personality, talents, and life dynamics. The four main lines (life, heart, head, fate) and seven mounts (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, Mercury, upper and lower Mars) structure the analysis.
Small weighted object suspended from a chain or string, used in dowsing to answer closed questions or conduct searches. It swings according to codes set by the practitioner: yes/no, clockwise/counterclockwise, left/right.
Ability to perceive an event before it happens. Precognition manifests in dreams, flashes, or strong intuitions. Psychics distinguish precognition (perception of a probable future) from prediction (active announcement of an event).
Psychic reading
Set of practices aimed at perceiving information not accessible through the five classical senses: predictions, feelings, messages. Includes pure psychic work (no tools), tarot, astrology, mediumship, dowsing.
Form of psychic practice that uses no external support (cards, pendulum, chart). The psychic receives information directly through intuitive channels. Requires real mastery because there's no external structure to guide the reading.
Ritual practice aimed at bringing back a romantic partner who has left. Historically tied to traditional magic, it's controversial: many serious practitioners don't offer it, particularly for ethical reasons (the other person's consent).
Retrograde
In astrology, apparent phase during which a planet seems to move backwards as seen from Earth. Mercury retrograde (communication, technology) is the best-known case. Retrogrades are interpreted as periods of review, going back over a topic.
Character of an ancient runic alphabet (Futhark, Futhorc), used both for writing and divination. Each rune has a name, a symbol, and an archetypal meaning. Runologists draw 1, 3, or 5 runes to answer a question.
Astrological technique comparing two natal charts to analyze compatibility. Aspects between personal planets (Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars) indicate points of harmony and potential tensions in a relationship.
Set of cards (tarot, oracle) or runes drawn to answer a question. The spread type (Celtic cross, three-card, grand tableau) defines how many cards are drawn and what each represents by position.
Deck of 78 cards (22 Major Arcana + 56 Minor Arcana) used as a divination support. The main decks are the Marseille Tarot, Rider-Waite (English-speaking), Persian Tarot (love-focused), and Oracle of Belline (more intuitive).
In astrology, the current passage of a planet over a position in your natal chart. A Saturn transit to your natal Sun typically triggers a period of challenge and responsibility. Transits are the main tool of predictive astrology.
Division of the zodiac into 12 sectors of 30° each (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces). The "sun sign," commonly called zodiac sign, depends on the Sun's position at birth.