Last updated: April 26, 2026
What is cazimi in astrology?
Cazimi (from the Arabic kasmimi, “as if in the heart”) describes a planet within 17 arcminutes of the Sun. Rhetorius first articulated it as a special condition: instead of being burned by solar rays, the planet is absorbed into the heart of the Sun and acts with maximum clarity and authority. It is one of the most powerful conditions in traditional astrology.
Cazimi vs combust vs under the beams
| Condition | Orb from Sun | Effect on the planet | Approximate frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cazimi | within 17 arcminutes (~0.28 degrees) | strengthens, maximum clarity | rare |
| Heart of the Sun | within 1 degree | strengthens (Rhetorius extension) | uncommon |
| Combust | within ~8.5 degrees | weakens, hidden, scorched | common |
| Under the beams | within 17 degrees | obscures, internalizes | very common |
Example: how the math works
Suppose the Sun sits at 15 degrees 00 arcminutes Aries and Mercury at 15 degrees 10 arcminutes Aries. The angular separation is 10 arcminutes, which falls inside the 17-arcminute cazimi orb. Mercury is therefore cazimi. If Mercury were instead at 15 degrees 30 arcminutes Aries, the orb would be 30 arcminutes: outside cazimi, inside the heart of the Sun (1 degree band), and well inside the under-the-beams range. The calculator above runs this comparison for every body in your chart.
How rare is cazimi?
Cazimi frequency tracks the synodic cycle of each body with the Sun, so the inner bodies cycle quickly while the outer bodies are generational events measured in decades or centuries. The Calendar tab shows every upcoming cazimi moment across all bodies for the next 12 months. For per-body frequency, history, and upcoming dates by planet, see the per-planet pages linked above.
Sources and methodology
The 17-arcminute cazimi orb is the doctrine articulated by Rhetorius the Egyptian (sixth to seventh century CE) and used throughout the Hellenistic tradition. Sahl ibn Bishr (ninth century, Baghdad) preserved and transmitted the doctrine into the Perso-Arabic tradition, from which it entered medieval Latin astrology. The figure corresponds to the apparent radius of the solar disk, so cazimi describes a planet visually inside the body of the Sun.
Modern synthesis follows Chris Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune (2017), pp. 200 to 204, which collates the classical sources and clarifies the distinction between cazimi (within 17 arcminutes), under the beams (within 17 degrees), and the intermediate heart-of-the-Sun band Rhetorius describes. Per Brennan, the bands describe a planet's relationship to the Sun rather than abstract strength or weakness.
Ephemeris positions are computed with NASA's ANISE library against the JPL DE441 planetary ephemeris, the same ephemeris used by NASA mission planning. Natal positions and upcoming cazimi events are accurate to better than one arcsecond across the supported date range, which is substantially tighter than the 17-arcminute cazimi orb itself.
See cazimi dates per planet
Looking for upcoming cazimi dates for a specific planet? Each per-planet page lists every cazimi event by year, with sign, degree, and minimum orb.
Cazimi in Vedic astrology
Cazimi is a Hellenistic concept and does not have a direct equivalent in classical Vedic astrology, which uses a related but distinct doctrine called combustion (asta) with different orbs and effects. Some modern Vedic astrologers do borrow the cazimi concept, particularly for Mercury, but the strict 17-arcminute Hellenistic orb is not part of the traditional Jyotish toolkit. If you practice Vedic astrology, treat this calculator as a Hellenistic adjunct rather than a Vedic primary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is cazimi in astrology?
Cazimi (from the Arabic kasmimi, 'as if in the heart') describes a planet within 17 arcminutes of the Sun. Rhetorius marked this as a special condition where the planet, rather than being burned by solar rays, is absorbed into the heart of the Sun and acts with maximum clarity and authority. It is one of the most powerful conditions in traditional astrology.
What is the difference between cazimi and combust?
Both describe a planet near the Sun, but the orbs and meanings differ sharply. Cazimi (within 17 arcminutes) is a strengthening condition where the planet acts at full force. Combust (within roughly 8.5 degrees) is a weakening condition where the planet's significations are burnt or hidden. Under the beams (within 17 degrees) is the broader obscuring band that contains both.
How do I know if a planet is cazimi in my birth chart?
Take the longitude of the planet, take the longitude of the Sun, and compute the smaller of the two angular distances between them. If the result is less than 17 arcminutes (about 0.28 degrees), the planet is cazimi. This calculator does the math for every body in your chart and classifies each into cazimi, heart of the Sun, under the beams, or clear.
How often does cazimi happen?
Mercury cazimi happens about six times per year. Venus and Mars cazimi happen roughly twice per synodic cycle (every 18 months for Venus, every two years for Mars). Jupiter cazimi happens once per year. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto cazimi happen once per Sun-planet synodic cycle, which lengthens with distance: Saturn yearly, Uranus once every 84 years, Neptune once every 165 years, Pluto once every 248 years.
Can the Moon be cazimi?
Technically the Moon is conjunct the Sun at every new moon, which is the lunar equivalent of cazimi. However, the traditional cazimi doctrine applies to the five visible planets plus, in modern practice, the outer bodies. New moons are treated as their own category (lunation) rather than as cazimi events.
What does it mean when a planet is in the heart of the Sun?
Some Hellenistic sources, notably Rhetorius, describe a band between 17 arcminutes and 1 degree from the Sun as a strengthening condition just outside cazimi. We display this as a separate 'heart of the Sun' tier so you can see when a planet is close to cazimi without quite reaching exact union.
Is cazimi good or bad for malefics like Mars and Saturn?
Cazimi is generally read as strengthening regardless of the planet's natural benefic or malefic character. A cazimi Saturn is still Saturn, but its discipline, structure, and authority operate with unusual clarity. Many traditional astrologers consider cazimi malefics to be among the most consequential placements in a chart.
How accurate is this cazimi calculator?
Calculations use NASA's ANISE/JPL ephemeris through the Augurine astro-service for arc-second precision. Cazimi orb is computed to one tenth of an arcminute. The calendar uses daily ephemeris steps and reports the closest approach within each cazimi window.
Where can I see when the next cazimi happens?
Switch to the Calendar tab on this page. It shows every upcoming cazimi event per planet over the next 12 months, sorted by date, with the exact sign, degree, and minimum orb at the moment of closest approach.
Is cazimi used in Vedic astrology?
Cazimi is a Hellenistic concept and does not have a direct equivalent in classical Vedic astrology, which uses a related doctrine called combustion (asta) with different orbs and effects. Some modern Vedic astrologers do borrow the cazimi concept, particularly for Mercury, but the strict 17-arcminute Hellenistic orb is not part of the traditional Jyotish toolkit.
Cazimi moments are timing peaks. Replay shows yours.
Cazimi marks the rare windows where a planet acts at full force in the heart of the Sun. Replay maps when your chart's strongest placements peak across your life and where the next peak is building.