Dignities & Debilities
- Dignities and debilities are called 'essential' when they are defined by zodiacal position; the others are called 'accidental'. Thus exaltation is an essential dignity, but combustion and angularity are accidental.
Accidental dignities and debilities are more concerned with a planet's strength than its nature (ie., being on the midheaven can bring a planet to prominence but it cannot overcome the unfavourable effect of being in its sign of fall).
A planet is essentially dignified when in its own sign, exaltation, terms, triplicity or face. It can be accidentally dignified by being angular, in a favourable house, or one in which it rejoices; or by being disposited or aspected by a beneficial planet or fortunate fixed star, in cazimi, increasing in light or speed, direct in motion or by its oriental/occidental relationship to the Sun.
It is essentially debilitated when in detriment or fall, or peregrine (lacking any essential dignity). It may be accidentally debilitated by being cadent, afflicted, combust or under the Sun's beams, in the via combusta, void of course or decreasing in light.
See: Understanding Planetary Dignity and Debility.