Terms you will see in Vesper
Vesper uses traditional astrology terms alongside simpler product language. The goal is not to show every calculation behind the scenes, but to give you useful markers for what to notice first.
- Today's Sun and Moon: Where the day begins. The Sun, Moon, phase, and a short Moon Note give you the basic texture of the hours ahead.
- Astro Forecast: A short forecast of the strongest celestial flows over the next few days. Tap a date to read that day's flow in more detail.
- Now: A prioritized view of the flows most worth noticing right now. Free users see shared sky movements; Plus users also see flows that touch their own chart.
- Sky Now: Major current transits in the sky that apply to everyone.
- You x Now: A personalized reading created when the current sky connects with planets or points in your birth chart.
- Flow keyword: A word like Joy, Patience, Tension, or Fog. Not a verdict, but a cue for how to meet the moment.
Core concepts to know
You do not need to memorize everything before using Vesper. Start with the words that keep appearing in your readings, and let the meaning become familiar over time.
- Birth chart: A map of the sky at the moment you were born. Vesper reads it as a map of life themes, recurring patterns, and personal timing.
- Transit: The current movement of planets in the sky. Transits describe the atmosphere of now and how it changes from day to day.
- House: The area of life where something shows up, such as relationships, money, work, family, health, or public role.
- Sign: The style or tone through which a planet expresses itself. The same planet can feel very different depending on the sign.
- Ruler: A planet that governs the themes of a sign or house — its representative in the chart.
- Time lord: A planet that carries extra importance for a specific period of your life.
Understanding houses and signs
Houses and signs do different jobs. A house tells you where a theme is showing up. A sign tells you how that theme tends to express itself.
- Houses answer, 'Where in life is this happening?'
- For example, the 7th house is connected with relationships and agreements, the 2nd house with money and values, and the 10th house with work, visibility, and reputation.
- Signs answer, 'What style or quality is shaping this?'
- The same transit may feel fast, cautious, emotional, strategic, confrontational, or practical depending on the sign involved.
The planets at a glance
Planets show what kind of force is moving in a reading. For a first pass, it helps to group them into lights, benefics, malefics, and a neutral planet.
The lights
- Sun: Direction, vitality, identity, and the center of attention.
- Moon: Emotion, body rhythm, instinct, daily needs, and immediate response.
Benefics
- Venus: Connection, pleasure, attraction, harmony, and value.
- Jupiter: Growth, meaning, opportunity, protection, and expansion.
Malefics
- Mars: Drive, conflict, desire, heat, urgency, and decisive action.
- Saturn: Limits, responsibility, structure, endurance, and boundaries.
Neutral planet
- Mercury: Thought, language, messages, judgment, learning, and exchange.
Aspects, peaks, and active windows
Aspects show how planets relate to one another. Peaks and active windows are not types of aspects; they help describe when a flow becomes most noticeable.
Aspects
- Conjunction: Two planets meet in the same place, blending their energies into a single, intensified focus.
- Sextile and trine: Energies connect more smoothly and can be easier to work with.
- Square and opposition: Tension builds. Something asks to be adjusted, chosen, confronted, or balanced.
- Antiscia: Two points mirror each other across a seasonal axis, creating a hidden or reflective connection.
- Contra-antiscia: A mirrored connection across the opposite axis, often with more tension or contrast.
Timing and activation
- Peak: The moment when a flow is most exact and easiest to notice. Before the peak, the theme often builds; after the peak, it begins to settle, clarify, or ask for integration.
- Active: A flow has entered a meaningful window and is worth reading, even if it has not reached its exact peak. Some flows work in the background for several days.