Nora has more than one plausible root, functioning as a short form of the Irish Honora ("honor") while also echoing the Arabic nur ("light"). Both threads converge on something luminous and dignified rather than showy. The name is often understood as suggesting a steady, honorable kind of radiance.
The reception of Planets when they behold one another, if it be strong, doth diminish the malice of an evil aspect, and increase the goodness of a good aspect. - William Lilly (1602.-1681.)