Visual Astrology
by Michael Erlewine

Examine Figures 'A' through 'D', until you understand of the following:

• The plane of the ecliptic (orbital plane of Earth) is different from the orbital plane of, for example, Pluto.
• However, both planes pass through the Sun center.
• While the orbits of the two planets are, in distance, larger and smaller, the planes of the orbits ignore this distance factor and are considered as "infinite."
• These planes are inclined to one another by an angle or inclination (i).
• The orbital plane of Pluto intersects the orbital plane of the Earth (ecliptic) at two points, called the 'nodes'.
• The north or ascending node refers to that zodiac point where Pluto passes from under to above the plane of the ecliptic, while the south or descending node refers to where Pluto passes through the zodiac plane, from above (ecliptic north) to below (ecliptic south).
• A conjunction of the Earth and Pluto (Figure B) is an alignment of the Earth, Pluto, and the Sun center in zodiac longitude and not necessarily in zodiac latitude. When might a conjunction in both longitude and latitude take place? The answer is if both the Earth and Pluto were at one of their nodes. At that point, there would be no latitude for Pluto.
• Be sure to note that most astrologer's charts ignore the latitude factor in planetary positions (Figure C).

© Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine