What are planetary conditions?

A placement is only half the story. Beyond its sign, house, and aspects, a planet has a condition, meaning how strongly, clearly, or well supported it can act. Two planets in the same sign can behave quite differently depending on the company they keep and the state they are in. Astrology sorts these circumstances into a few families. Essential dignity measures how at home a planet is in its sign, through domicile, exaltation, detriment, and fall. Sect asks whether a planet belongs to the chart's day or night team. The solar relationship covers a planet's nearness to the Sun, from combustion through under the beams to cazimi. Motion notes whether a planet moves forward or turns retrograde. Joy marks the house where a planet rejoices. Reading condition alongside placement gives a fuller picture. A dignified planet in sect and clear of the Sun acts with ease, while a planet in fall, out of sect, and combust has to work much harder to express its nature well.