A. ASPECTS OVERVIEW
Planets carry universal energies, but also represent different parts of ourselves. They orbit the Sun at different speeds, travelling 360 degrees to complete one cycle. As they progress, they form angles (aspects) with each other for a while, before they move on. The aspects in the personal chart represent how the different parts of ourselves work together. They indicate whether we will express our energies harmoniously or stressfully.
| Major Aspects | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect name | Angle | Orb | Symbol | In the chart | Energy interactions |
| Conjunction | 0 | 8-10° | ☌ | Planets together | Easy or hard: intensifies, unites for good or ill. |
| Square | 90 | 8° | □ | 3 signs apart | Hard: blocks, challenges, conflict, drive, fights, friction, incentive, tension, represses. |
| Trine | 120 | 8° | △ | 4 signs apart | Easy: beneficial, flows with, harmony. |
| Opposition | 180 | 8° | ☍ | Opposite sides | Hard: clash or complement, opposes, fights. |
| Minor aspects | |||||
| Sextile | 60 | 4-6° | ⚹ | 2 signs apart | Easy: compatible with, constructive growth. |
| Semi-square | 45 | 5° | ∠ | 1.5 signs apart | Hard: conflict, friction, irritates, hinders. |
| Inconjunct quincunx | 150 | 5° | ⚻ | 5 signs apart | Hard: cutting away, discord, hidden, imbalance requiring an adjustment, out of sight. |
| Minor-Minor aspects | |||||
| Sesquiquadrate | 135 | 3° | ⚼ | 4 signs + 15° | Hard: conflict, disruption. |
| Quintile | 72 | 2° | Q | 2+ signs apart | Easy: hidden talents, spiritual potential. |
| Semi-sextile | 30 | 1° | ⚻ | 5 signs apart | Hard: lack of ease, out of sync. |
1. Think of Aspects as generally being either “easy” or “hard.”
- a. Easy aspects indicate casy energy flow, ease within the nature and with others. (Trine and sextile)
- b. Hard aspects indicate blocked or disrupted energy flow, conflict within and with others. (Square, opposition, semi-square, inconjunct or quincunx).
- c. Consider conjunctions easy if they consist of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus or Jupiter. Consider them hard if Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are involved.
2. Finding aspects in the chart.
- a. Look for aspects by sign, not by houses.
- b. The general rule is: planets around the same degree in complementary signs (fire signs are complimentary with air, and earth signs with water), form easy aspects. Planets opposite each other and in uncomplimentary signs (fire and air signs clash with earth and water signs), form hard aspects. However, if one planet is found at the beginning of a sign, and the other at the end of a sign, this rule does not apply. In this case count the degrees.
- c. Use your eye to find aspects. Look at the drawings that follow and memorise the look of the angles for each aspect. You will see that planets opposite each other are in opposition; planets at right angles to each other are square; plancts one third of the chart away are triangular.
3. The aspects and their “orbs”, or range of influence.
An “orb” is a range of influence; the number of degrees allotted a planet in aspect to another planet, in which the aspect is said to be operational. Referring to the chart: as planet B moves away from A, then back towards it on its closing cycle, it forms angles/ aspects. It does not have to make the exact angle, to be in aspect because of the “orb” or extended range of influence on either side of the exact angle.
- Conjunction: The exact aspect is 0 degrees with an 8-degrees orb. Planet B can be up to 8-degrees either side of planet A.
- Trine: 120° aspect, 8-degrees orb. Planet B can be 112-128 degrees from planet A.
- Semi-square: 45° aspect, 4 degrees orb. Planet B can be 41-49 degrees from planet A.
- Sextile: 60° aspect, 6 degrees orb. Planet B can be 54-66 degrees from planet A.
- Square: 90° aspect, 8-degrees orb. Planet B can be 82-98 degrees from planet A.
- Inconjunct, quincunx: 150° aspect, 3 degrees orb. Planct B can be 147-153 degrees from A.
- Opposition: 180 ° aspect, 8-degrees orb. Planet B can be 172-188 degrees from A.
Minor aspects usually are given a 2 to 3 degree orb. The tighter the aspect, the more intense its effect.