The Grand Trine
and the Kite
The Grand Trine is an aspect pattern where three planets form trine aspects to each other. If three lines were drawn between each planet, an equilateral triangle would result. A Grand Trine is a complete third harmonic pattern. It represents perfect equilibrium and balance that can reveal great talent, ease, or harmony. A Grand Trine is often a static, passive structure that doesn’t promote the growth that results from confronting the problems of hard aspects. For this reason, the ancients used to think of the Grand Trine as evil or malefic, because these aspects can make an individual lazy and then they don’t grow.
The Ideal Grand Trine Pattern
The ideal Grand Trine has three planets in trine aspect to each other (Figure 85). In addition, all three planets are in the same element (fire, earth, air, or water).
The Grand Trine Pattern Temperament
Almost always, the Grand Trine will include the Sun or Moon. When it does include either or both, the Sun-Moon blend will be even more emphatic in the birth chart. When it does not, then the Grand Trine works in parallel with the Sun-Moon blend as a separate defensive complex of behavior.
Figure 85: The Grand Trine Pattern
The Grand Trine works against the formation of relationships. It’s an isolating structure. When a client isolates themselves, it becomes more difficult for them to fulfill their needs. We need others to help in need fulfillment. No individual is an island.
Noel Tyl describes the Grand Trine as a defensive structure. It’s a closed circuit of protection, of self-sufficiency:
• The Fire Grand Trine is a closed circuit of motivational self-sufficiency. “You can’t tell me anything I don’t know.”
• The Earth Grand Trine is a closed circuit of practical self-sufficiency. “I know how to do everything. I don’t need your help.”
• The Air Grand Trine is a closed circuit of social or intellectual self-sufficiency. “I can be alone quite nicely, thank you.”
• The Water Grand Trine is a closed circuit of emotional self-sufficiency. “I just don’t want to get hurt again, if you don’t mind.”
What is it that breaks the closed circuit in a Grand Trine? A sufficient number of oppositions and squares in the natal chart, especially when they make an aspect to one of the planets involved in the Grand Trine. In Figure 86, an opposition along the Ascendant/Descendant axis helps break the closed circuit of self-sufficiency. The opposition to one angle of the Grand Trine acts like a grounding strap. It gives the energy of the Grand Trine a point of release.
Figure 86: The Grand Trine with an Opposition
Bil Tierney correctly warns the reader that a Grand Trine is composed of three trine aspects, and the trine aspect is ease-oriented. It naturally reduces pressure, tension, and strain. It doesn’t encourage the individual to struggle and further grow by accepting challenges. The Grand Trine is preoccupied with leisure and self-gratification. In Tierney’s words, “The trine focuses somewhat unrealistically upon personal satisfaction at the expense of developing strength of character (which usually is attained thru stress and conflict)” (Tierney 2015, 66).
Too many trines in a natal chart suggests that the individual will project a self-indulgent temperament and avoid self-discipline. They’re likely to avoid major responsibilities in life. Trines poorly handled can instill a false sense of security. As a result, a pervasive sense of passivity can set it. This can inhibit the person from attempting to surpass existing talents and skills.
The Grand Trine can amplify the inertia that the individual trines offer. Barbara Watters looks at Grand Trines in her book The Astrologer Looks at Murder. Many criminals, including murderers, have Grand Trines. So do many who feel defeated by the rigors of life and compensate with addictions and antisocial behavior.
The Fire Grand Trine
The creative and inspirational power of the Grand Trine is more evident when in fire signs. Fire signs are vital, self-expressive, and spontaneous in action, seeking to manifest through direct expression of their potential. While vision is strongly emphasized, so also is egotism, selfishness, and sometimes even an unconscious assumption of special privilege. The individual will exhibit courage, adventurousness, and risk-taking. They can even be prone to excessive gambles since they believe so deeply in themselves. Impulsiveness is a common tendency, with the individual having a feeling of protection from harm and the ability to prevail against impossible odds.
The Earth Grand Trine
The Grand Trine in earth signs is most typical of the ease we expect with the Grand Trine aspect pattern. The individual seeks to preserve the status quo of existing conditions. Neither the earth element nor the trine aspects in this pattern respond well to critical changes in life affairs. In the chart of a less ambitious individual, the Earth Grand Trine is apt to express as very self-indulgent. Handled well, this Grand Trine lends remarkable endurance and persistence, allowing the individual to steadily concentrate their attention on tangible objectives without distraction. An uncommon amount of common sense is one of the Earth Grand Trine’s special assets.
The Air Grand Trine
With the Grand Trine in air signs the individual can feel satisfied living in their head without the need to express themselves in the external world. Both the air element and the trine aspects in this pattern have the ability to conceptualize and think in abstract terms. The impractical side of this Grand Trine can be more evident when the individual is unable to ground their idealistic insights. Trines tend to be easygoing and benevolent, and individuals with an Air Grand Trine tend to be socially curious, broad-minded, and tolerant. Individuals with an Air Grand Trine take pleasure in learning new information and tend to be eternal students.
The Water Grand Trine
The Grand Trine in water signs emphasizes the passive, receptive, and protective power of the trine. The individual seeks tranquility. Without adequate dynamic principles operating in the chart, this type of Grand Trine can result in escapist behavior. There tends to be an exaggerated need for dependency and safety from threat. This can result in overcaution and dithering. The Water Grand Trine is potentially the most problematic of the Grand Trines. There’s also the potential for well-developed empathy, sympathy, and nurturance. In a less dynamic chart, there can be a tendency to feel easily defeated, dejected, and insecure.
The Dissociate Grand Trine
Not all Grand Trines are composed of three planets from the same element. When one planet is drawn from a second element, the result is a Dissociate Grand Trine. In general, according to Tierney, the Dissociate Grand Trine has somewhat more drive and activation than the more ideal forms of the Grand Trine drawn from a single element. Flip that around and the Dissociate Grand Trine also tends to afford less protection and is less easy-flowing for the individual. The Dissociate Grand Trine is named according to the element that predominates. Actor Ed Asner, for example, has an Earth Dissociate Grand Trine with the third planet in fire.
The Minor Grand Trine
The Minor Grand Trine combines two sextiles and a trine aspect (Figure 87). Ideally, the planet forming the sextiles is at the midpoint of the two planets forming a trine. The trine adds creative potential to the Minor Grand Trine, with the added benefit of communication and self-expression from the two sextiles. The Minor Grand Trine is less static and passive, while the ideal Grand Trine is more self-contained. The Minor Grand Trine is, according to Tierney, more inclined to put its constructive energies to good use.
Figure 87: The Minor Grand Trine
The Kite Pattern Temperament
The Kite is a Grand Trine bisected by an opposition from a fourth planet (Figure 88). This creates a pair of sextiles to the remaining two planets, in addition to the opposition. The Kite is similar to a Grand Trine, with additional motivation and potential. For the Kite, the planet in opposition and sextile becomes the focal point. Why? Because this is the point of release for the easygoing, self-sufficient energy of the Grand Cross element. As Tierney says, this planet becomes a stimulating outlet for the creative outpouring from the Grand Trine element. The opposition forms the backbone that holds together the entire configuration. A Grand Trine alone might not provide enough challenge to develop the talents inherent in it. A Kite configuration adds tension, and the opposed planet can tell us a lot about how the individual focuses and releases this energy. The two planets in sextile to the opposition planet serve as potential areas for resolving the conflict of the opposition.
Counseling the Individual with a Grand Trine
or a Kite Pattern
As Dr. Loretta Standley notes, “In order to make this Grand Trine work for you, you have to work it” (Standley 2019). The client needs to understand the need to put some work into it. Since we’re talking trines instead of stress aspects, the work will be relatively easy.
Noel Tyl uses the Grand Trine as an opportunity to open a dialogue with the client. It goes something like this for a client with a Water Grand Trine: “You know, there’s a very efficient defensive structure suggested in your horoscope. It protects you emotionally. It also works independent from the real you. There’s a disconnection here between different developmental areas of your life. How do you see this?” (Noel Tyl’s Certification Correspondence Course for Astrologers, lesson 2, p. 7).
How does the astrologer interpret the planets in a Grand Trine? A lot depends on the number of planets involved in the aspect pattern, and also on the nature of the individual planets.
According to Tierney, the greater the number of planets tied in to the Grand Trine, the greater the imbalance and character weakness. If by tied in he means conjunctions to planets in the trine, then I have no quarrel with the statement. But we’ve already discussed that adding a square or an opposition to a Grand Trine can help break the cycle of self-sufficiency that Grand Trines entail. This is an imbalance with beneficial impact, one that can restore psychological balance to the individual.
The inclination of the Grand Trine toward self-indulgence and passivity is further deepened when the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, or Neptune is involved. The same is true when Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, or Pisces is overrepresented in the chart (these signs sharing sensuality as a common keyword).
Now flip this around. Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto are innately active and powerful, so much so that they do not permit complacency and stagnation. The signs Aries, Virgo, and Capricorn need to be constantly busy and engaged if they’re to function normally. When these natural impulses are suppressed, impatience and anger can flare up.
Tierney states that the more stress aspects present in the natal chart, the greater the modification of the Grand Trine’s influence. An isolated Grand Trine is one that can keep its identity intact. Multiple Grand Trines can be even more debilitating since even more planets are involved.
Actor Ed Asner has a Dissociate Grand Trine with two planets in earth—the Moon in Taurus and Neptune in Virgo—and Saturn in the fire sign Sagittarius (Figure 89).
Figure 90: Henri Desire Landru
Henri Desire Landru is a famous French serial killer. A three-planet conjunction in Aries between Sun, Venus, and Neptune combines with Saturn in Sagittarius and Mars in Leo (Figure 90). The Fire Grand Trine doesn’t explain why Landru was a serial killer. It does help explain the luck Landru needed to avoid getting caught for so long
The Ascendant and Midheaven can also be part of a Grand Trine. Stephen King has a Kite pattern in his natal chart (Figure 91). The Grand Trine is in fire signs: the Midheaven in Aries, the Moon in Sagittarius, and the conjunction of Saturn and Pluto in Leo. The Kite is completed by the opposition between the Midheaven and Mercury. Everything focuses on the Midheaven, the angle we associate with career and public standing.
Bobby Fischer’s natal chart has a Kite (Figure 92). The Grand Trine is in air signs, sharing Mars and Neptune. There is also a conjunction in Gemini of Saturn and Uranus. The opposition between Mars and Pluto forms the sextiles necessary to complete the Kite pattern. The Air Grand Trine lends intellect and communication, and Pluto the needed compulsion to be a World Chess Champion.