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Major planet configurations occur when 3 or more planets are in aspects with each other. They represent types of behaviours we naturally use, how we express our energies in daily life:

1. Stellium: conjunction of 3 or more planets, or 3 planets in a sign. The energies of the planets and the signs they are in are tremendously intensified. When reading a stellium, start with a personal planet.

• Sai Baba had a stellium - four planets connected via conjunctions. His personality was intense (Sun in Scorpio), powerfully influential (Sun conjunct ascendant), and ambitious (conjunct Saturn). He loved (Venus), communicating (Mercury), spiritual matters (Sagittarius). He had power to direct people to the heights (Sagittarius).

2. Grand Trine: 3 or more planets trine each other. The trine is considered to be the lucky aspect, so this is triply so. Energy in the pattern flows and this creates harmony. It gives a pleasant disposition, ease and harmony with others and with the environment. Things tend to turn out well for the owner - at least in the areas of life the trine touches. Although the pattern is lucky and things flow, for some this can mean that life is so comfortable they cruise through life, not achieving much.

• The Dalai Lama has a Grand Trine. His personality is sensitive and nurturing (Sun in Cancer), and he has the power to influence others with the example he sets in life (Sun conjunct ascendant). There is a tremendous sense of responsibility for the well-being of the suffering masses and to serve them by guiding them spiritually (trine Saturn in Pisces, 9H). This is accompanied with a generous flow of love (trine Jupiter 5H). His luck enabled him to escape from China's malevolence.

3. T-Square: two planets in opposition, both square the same third planet. There is inner conflict and dissatisfaction. This drives a person to action to improve things. It is commonly found in the charts of achievers, people who work hard in spite of set-backs, to make something of themselves.

Winston Churchill had three T-Squares. Two of them included Mercury, the planet of oratory. Interpreting Mercury-Uranus-Pluto: Churchill's mind (Mercury) was deep and intense, intellectually brilliant (Uranus), and his tongue had a sting (Mercury in Scorpio). A powerful orator (opposite Pluto), he could destroy people with his words. But he also used its vocal power to lift people up during the dark days of the war.

A powerful variation of this pattern is the Grand Cross (GC), which has a 4th planet that forms a square. In Churchill's chart, if Saturn had been a few degrees later so it formed a square with Pluto; a GC would have been formed. It symbolizes even greater internal conflict than the T-Square. For those who can master this force - such as Churchill, it gives increased energy and drive to succeed. But many find the inner conflict too much to bear.

4. Yod, “the Finger of God”: two planets sextile each other, both inconjunct the same third planet. The Yod shows inner conflict that will manifest as external conflict if balance is not found. The goal is to find balance, to reconcile the part of the nature represented by the planet at the apex of the pattern (Jupiter in Diana's chart), with the other two parts represented by the planets that are sextile (Mars and Mercury). These two planets cannot “see” the apex planet. Start by interpreting the two planets that are sextile.

Princess Diana was compassionate in her thoughts (Mercury in Cancer), and passionate about helping and healing people (sextile Mars in Virgo). This part of her nature was out of balance with her huge need for material comfort and for praise (Jupiter, in the 2H of personal money and values). The reading could be flipped so that the sole planet is the positive point. Diana wanted to give all she had to help others (Jupiter), but this conflicted with the duties (Virgo), imposed by her marriage (Mercury 7H). Both are probably true.