26 October 2026 1 min read

Eight degrees of Taurus, and the quarter Ptolemy called dry

Exalted in Taurus, with the Sun in the sign of her fall: the old reading of today’s full Moon.

The record for 26 October 2026

8° Taurus

Full since 04:11 UTC.

0h · 6h · 12h · 18h

Sign

Taurus, eight degrees

Phase

Full Moon

Condition

Her exaltation

The word to know today

Exaltation

The sign where a planet was held to be at the height of its dignity, an honor distinct from rulership. The Moon rules Cancer and is exalted in Taurus.

Rulership and exaltation are not the same honor. The Moon rules Cancer, but the tradition raised her highest in Taurus, where she stands this morning at eight degrees, full since 04:11 UTC.

Exaltation is the sign where a planet was held to be at the height of its dignity, a place of honor rather than of ownership. Ptolemy, in second century Alexandria, drew the reason for Taurus from her light: after meeting the Sun in Aries, she first shows her increase in Taurus, the first sign of her own triangle. The later tables fixed the point at the third degree, which she crossed in the early hours.

A full Moon stands directly across the sky from the Sun. Today the Sun is at three degrees of Scorpio, the sign of her fall, where the tradition held her at her weakest. The two lights sit on the axis of her greatest and her least dignity at once. The Sun entered Scorpio on Friday, so this is the only full Moon of his stay there.

Ptolemy also divided her month into four quarters and gave each a quality: moisture from new Moon to first quarter, heat from first quarter to full, dryness from full to last quarter, and cold from last quarter back to new. The heat ended at 04:11 UTC.

Dryness runs from here to her last quarter, on 1 November at 20:28 UTC.

From the shelf

Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos

Second century Alexandria, where her exaltation in Taurus was explained by the first increase of her light after she meets the Sun in Aries.

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