Morphemeris DocsEssential Dignities
How planets are strengthened or weakened by sign placement, with scoring and dispositorship.
Essential Dignities
Essential dignity describes how well a planet functions based on the zodiac sign it occupies. A planet in a sign it rules is "at home" and operates with full strength. A planet in the opposite sign is in its detriment — it can still act, but with friction and difficulty.
Dignity levels
From strongest to weakest:
| Dignity | Meaning | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Domicile (rulership) | Planet rules this sign — full authority | +5 |
| Exaltation | Planet is honored in this sign — elevated expression | +4 |
| Triplicity | Planet rules this element (fire, earth, air, water) | +3 |
| Term (bound) | Planet rules a specific degree range within the sign | +2 |
| Face (decan) | Planet rules a 10° section of the sign | +1 |
Debility levels
| Debility | Meaning | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Detriment | Planet is in the sign opposite its domicile — uncomfortable | -5 |
| Fall | Planet is in the sign opposite its exaltation — weakened | -4 |
Peregrine
A planet with no essential dignity or debility is peregrine — a wanderer with no special status in its current sign. Peregrine planets are considered weakened because they have no support from the sign they occupy.
Traditional vs. modern rulership
The API supports two rulership systems:
Traditional (default): Uses only the 7 classical planets as rulers. Saturn rules Aquarius, Jupiter rules Pisces, Mars rules Scorpio.
Modern: Assigns the outer planets as co-rulers. Uranus rules Aquarius, Neptune rules Pisces, Pluto rules Scorpio.
Set rulership=modern to use modern assignments.
Day charts vs. night charts
Triplicity rulers differ based on whether the chart is a day chart (Sun above the horizon) or a night chart (Sun below). Set day_chart=true or day_chart=false to specify. If omitted, the API does not assign triplicity dignities.
Dispositorship
A planet's dispositor is the ruler of the sign it occupies. For example, if Mars is in Taurus, Mars's dispositor is Venus (ruler of Taurus). Following the chain of dispositors reveals the "chain of command" in the chart:
- Final dispositor — A planet that rules the sign it's in (domicile), ending the chain. If one exists, it's the "boss" of the chart.
- Mutual reception — Two planets that each occupy the other's ruling sign. They can function as if they were in their own signs.
Request dispositorship chains with dispositors=true on /v1/dignities or /v1/natal-chart.
Using dignities in the API
/v1/dignities— Standalone dignity computation with optional dispositorship (1 credit)/v1/natal-chart— Includes dignities as part of the full chart (2 credits)