Triplicity

Triplicity is an essential dignity based on the four elements, which are also known as the triplicities because each is made of three signs. Every element has one or more planets that rule it, called its triplicity rulers, and a planet in a sign of its own triplicity gains a moderate, supportive dignity. It is weaker than domicile or exaltation but still a sign of a planet that is reasonably well placed. Triplicity rulership runs deeper than simply sharing an element. Traditional astrology assigns specific planets to govern each element, and it often gives different rulers for day and night charts. The fire triplicity, for example, is commonly ruled by the Sun in a day chart and by Jupiter in a night chart, which ties triplicity closely to the idea of sect. Because the exact assignments vary between traditional sources, triplicity is one of the more technical dignities and is used mainly in traditional practice. The value of triplicity is that it gives a planet a quiet background strength, a sense of belonging to the element it sits in even when it holds no stronger dignity there.