Dictionary term
Ephemeris
Direct answer
Ephemeris: An Ephemeris is a table or data source showing planetary positions over time. Astrologers use it to calculate natal charts, transits, returns, and historical sky conditions.
An Ephemeris lists planetary positions by date and time.
An Ephemeris lists planetary positions by date and time.
A structural orientation; exact placements depend on the chart or technique being discussed.Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Ephemeris when explaining planetary positions, transit timing, retrograde dates, ingresses, returns, and verification of chart calculations.
- Do not use it for
- Do not interpret from an ephemeris without time zone, zodiac system, and calculation context.
- In astrology
- An ephemeris usually lists zodiac longitude, latitude, declination, speed, stations, retrogrades, and sometimes house or asteroid data depending on the source.
- Reference category
- Astrology
- Related terms
- Birth Chart, Ascendant, House Ruler, Planetary Position
The Chapter · Mystery School
Learn to read the sky for yourself
A mystery school of astrology with a worldwide chapter: letters on the chart and the soul, readings under one sky, and a rule of honesty about what the stars can and cannot say.
- The founding letter, with what the school studies and how it meets
- First word each season, when the doors open
- A seat at the gatherings, wherever in the world you are
Reading about Ephemeris? The chapter is where readers like you meet.
Founding circle · forming now
The list costs nothing. Word of the school and its gatherings, nothing else. Unsubscribe at any time.
The story behind Ephemeris
Ephemerides have been essential to astronomy and astrology for centuries and are now often embedded inside software.
Ephemeris in spiritual tradition
Spiritually, Ephemeris keeps symbolic interpretation accountable to actual sky calculation.
Why Ephemeris matters
Ephemeris matters because interpretation depends on accurate sky positions. Before software, astrologers relied on ephemerides to know where planets were and when aspects became exact.
Ephemeris at work: an example
To find a Saturn return, an astrologer checks when transiting Saturn returns to the natal Saturn degree in the ephemeris.
Sources and editorial method
This concise reference separates established definitions from historical, symbolic, or interpretive claims. Entries without external references are presented as editorial summaries rather than primary-source scholarship.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astrology
- Also appears in
- Astrology
- Aliases
- planetary table
- Last updated
- 2026-07-15
Check today's sky positions
Ephemeris in a book is one thing; Ephemeris in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
Speak with the OracleHow Ephemeris lives in your own chart across your year, in love, in work, in timing, is written in the Cosmic Codex: the whole year, once. Open the Cosmic Codex
Related terms
More in Astrology
Common questions
What is Ephemeris?
An Ephemeris is a table or data source showing planetary positions over time. Astrologers use it to calculate natal charts, transits, returns, and historical sky conditions.
How is Ephemeris used in astrology?
Use Ephemeris when explaining planetary positions, transit timing, retrograde dates, ingresses, returns, and verification of chart calculations.
What should I avoid when interpreting Ephemeris?
Do not interpret from an ephemeris without time zone, zodiac system, and calculation context.
