56 in a person’s chart. Without using astrological symbolism, you write this as 10Libra56.This chapter will teach you about the aspects, or relationships, between planets. An aspect is a specific measurement between two planetary positions. Isabel M. Hickey defines aspects in her excellent book Astrology: A Cosmic Science as “lines of force between centers of energy (planets) in the magnetic field of the individual.” The major aspects are the conjunction, opposition, square, trine, and sextile. In this chapter you will also learn about the semisquare, the semisextile, the quincunx or inconjunct, and the quintile. The Aspects Table outlines all these aspects.
Astrology is based upon mathematics, and aspects are a refinement of these mathematics. Once you understand the simple arithmetic needed to identify certain astrological patterns, it becomes easier to blend the intuitive right-brain mode used for interpretation with the analytical left-brain mode. With this in mind, let’s look at aspects.
If you visualize each sign as a slice of pie, imagine that each slice, or sign, takes up 30 degrees of space or arc. There are 60 minutes in each degree. When you look at your chart, you will see that the Sun is located not only in a sign but also in measured degrees of that sign. For example, the Sun might be at 10 degrees 56 minutes of Libra or 1056 in a person’s chart. Without using astrological symbolism, you write this as 10Libra56.
ASPECT |
ORB OF MEASUREMENT |
SYMBOL |
|---|---|---|
Conjunction |
0–10 degrees apart |
|
Opposition |
180 degrees apart |
|
Square |
90 degrees apart |
|
Trine |
120 degrees apart |
|
Sextile |
60 degrees apart |
|
Quincunx (inconjunct) |
150 degrees apart |
|
Semisquare |
45 degrees |
|
Semisextile |
30 degrees |
|
Quintile |
72 degrees |
|
Learning to recognize aspects in a chart requires that you note the elements of each sign as well as the degrees of the sign. In addition to the orb of measurement for aspects, the orb tells you the distance allowed for an aspect to be considered significant; an orb is the measurement that describes the space within which an aspect is effective. It is helpful to look first at the sign’s elements and then examine the degrees. The elements of the sign will tell you whether the signs are square, opposite, or trine, but if the degrees of the signs are too far away from each other, or out of orb, the planets do not form an aspect. A basic orb of 10 degrees is reasonable for the conjunction, square, trine, and opposition. The sextile, semisextile, quincunx, and semisquare use orbs of between 6 and 8 degrees. (Remember, it is more important to get a feeling for the orbs than measure exactly. That being said, more than 10 degrees is too far apart.) The quintile must have an orb of 1 degree or less. When the number of degrees is the same in an aspect, the aspect is called exact. An exact aspect is particularly significant because it indicates the strongest energy link possible between those two planets. For example, in Chart 4, not only are the degrees square when the Sun is at 21
09 and Neptune is at 2108, but the aspect is also within 1 minute of being exact. This creates a very tight square, and this aspect is a focal point of the chart.
Aspects are either applying to, or separating from, each other. If a faster-moving planet is applying, it is moving toward an exact aspect; the energy is approaching, and its energy is strong. When the planet has passed the aspect, it is leaving, or separating, and the intensity is lessened. For instance, in Chart 2, Mars at 6
is applying to an opposition with Venus at 11
, but it is separating from an opposition with Jupiter at 3. The terms applying and separating are used for all the aspects. Aspects are referred to only when they are between a faster-moving planet and a slower-moving one. In the case of conjunctions, consider the number of degrees to identify which planet is applying and which is separating. Venus can apply to an aspect with Saturn, but Saturn cannot apply to an aspect with Venus. This is why it is helpful to memorize the order of the planets.
Detailed descriptions of the major aspects follow.
The conjunction is the most powerful aspect in any chart. In the conjunction, the energies of the planets involved are blended and act as a single source of power. When the conjunction is with planets that are at home with each other, the result is beneficial; when the conjunction is with planets that are antagonistic, then the effects can be difficult. For example, a conjunction between Jupiter and Venus doubles the luck and benefic nature of each planet. If Jupiter and Venus are also in strong signs, then the planets’ energies are further enhanced. A conjunction between Mars and Uranus can bring a great deal of energy, even genius, but it gives an explosive temper and a tendency toward self-defeating actions. When more than two planets are conjunct in the same sign, it is called a stellium. Chart 7 has a major stellium in Scorpio. Chart 1 has two stelliums, one in Virgo and one in Pisces. In Chart 4, there is a very fortunate conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in Gemini, and a strong challenging conjunction between Uranus, Mars, and the Sun in Cancer. This person has a combination of good luck, many talents, and a great deal of self-defeating behavior. In other words, all the planets in a stellium should be considered as a cluster of energy and one of the most important parts of the chart.
Please note that it is possible for two planets to be conjunct in different signs. If a planet is at the end of the sign’s arc, for example, at 25 degrees of one sign, and there is another planet at 2 degrees of the next sign, these planets are conjunct. For example, 25Leo42 is conjunct 2Virgo15. This is called an out-of-sign conjunction; there is a blending of Leo and Virgo energy for these planets. This particular combination can inspire a person to accomplish a good deal of work but can also lead to fussiness and self-criticism. In Chart 2, Jupiter at 3 Taurus is conjunct Mercury at 28 Aries. This person has considerable mental ability, but a very sharp, blunt way of communicating that can be hurtful.
To recognize the other aspects, you need to turn your attention to the elements, degrees, and quadruplicities. Signs in the same elements are trine relationships. Leo is trine Aries, and Sagittarius is trine both Leo and Aries. The same is true for the earth, air, and water signs. Another way to recognize a trine aspect is to count the degrees between the signs. Since each sign has 30 degrees of arc and there are four full signs before we reach the next fire sign, the trine measures 120 degrees (four signs × 30 degrees equals 120 degrees). The mathematical relationship of the trine is the same for the earth, air, and water signs. The trine is the most flowing, harmonious aspect; all the signs like each other and their energies move easily. The trine brings ease to a chart and to relationships. But too many trines can lead a person to be lazy and complacent. When life comes too easily, one becomes spoiled and may not be able to cope with misfortune. A few trines to ease the way are helpful, but too many, and a person can become self-indulgent.
The cardinal, fixed, and mutable signs in incompatible elements are all square each other. This aspect is challenging and inharmonious. For example, the fire sign of Aries is square the water sign of Cancer. They are both active cardinal signs, but the elements are incompatible. They speak a different language. Fire puts out water; the relationship is uncomfortable, but it has power. Fire produces steam, and energy is released. The square always shows where the action is in a chart. In the fixed signs, Aquarius is square Scorpio and Leo is square Taurus. With the mutable signs, a couple of examples are: Gemini is square Virgo and Pisces is square Sagittarius. The square aspect measures 90 degrees. To count the aspect, begin with one sign and count three full signs until you reach the next sign of the same quadruplicity; this will measure 90 degrees. For example, Aries, Taurus, Gemini equals three signs. Three signs × 30 degrees equals 90 degrees. In Chart 2, there is a square between the Sun and Pluto. It is a square in fixed elements and holds great energy but offers challenges regarding use and abuse of power. Many squares in any of the elements means challenges and difficulties. However, these challenges frequently give people the drive to accomplish a great deal in their lives. Sometimes people with squares say their chart is doomed because it is difficult. There is no such thing as a doomed chart.
The other aspect between signs in a quadruplicity is the opposition. You can either memorize which signs are opposite, or recall the natural, or Aries, wheel and notice the oppositions as they occur on the wheel. Aries is opposite Libra. Taurus is opposite Scorpio. Opposites attract. Their elements are complementary because they provide the balance the signs lack on their own. Cancer is opposite Capricorn; her watery nature complements Capricorn’s pragmatic earthiness. Gemini is opposite Sagittarius. His airy nature fans the flames of Sagittarius’s fire. The opposites are like a seesaw. These are just a few examples. Sometimes one planet and sign dominate and sometimes the other one takes over, but they are tied together. Please note it is the planets in the signs that are opposite. Mars in Gemini is opposite Saturn in Sagittarius. The only time it would be necessary to count degrees for an opposition is when the aspect is out of sign. For example, 25 degrees of Libra is opposite 2 degrees of Taurus because 2 degrees of Taurus is just 3 degrees away from the end of Aries at 29 degrees Aries. The aspect between the two planets in these signs, in this case, would be an opposition. If you measure the arc count from Aries and six full signs ahead, six signs × 30 degrees equals 180 degrees. The best way to recognize out-of-sign aspects is to pay attention to all degrees at the end and beginning of signs. In Chart 1, notice that the stellium of the Sun, Mercury, and Saturn in Pisces are all opposite Uranus and Pluto in Virgo. The stellium would not be opposite Mars, although he is also in Virgo, because he is out of orb.
The sextile aspect measures 60 degrees and is formed between planets two signs apart in compatible elements. Gemini (air) is sextile to Leo (fire). Scorpio (water) is sextile to Capricorn (earth). The degrees of each planet that are sextile are important, but because a sextile is a milder aspect, 8 degrees is the maximum orb between signs. For example: 8 degrees of Scorpio would be sextile 12 degrees of Capricorn, but 8 degrees of Scorpio would not be sextile 20 degrees of Capricorn. You can calculate this by subtracting 8 from 20. The remainder is 12 degrees, and that is larger than the 8 degrees of orb that is usually allowed. The term allowed is a convenient one; the prescribed orbs are not meant to be dogmatic. Judgment of an aspect’s significance comes from accumulated wisdom from past astrologers and your own experience. Astrology is an interpretive art, and noticing how a sextile operates in a variety of charts is more important than strictly following a rule.
The meaning of a sextile in a chart is opportunity. The planets are in a harmonious relationship and move well together. This brings a positive flow, which encourages opportunities. Whether or not a person activates the opportunities that are available is their choice. In Chart 4, there is a sextile between Venus and Mercury within 2 degrees of orb. A nearly exact sextile between the Moon/Pluto conjunction in Leo and the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Libra shows this person to be a writer and very good communicator. These aspects give opportunities for expression, in turn tempering more difficult aspects.
The quincunx is an aspect that measures 150 degrees. It is also called the inconjunct. This aspect was not one of the major aspects that Ptolemy, the premier ancient astrologer, considered important. Ptolemy believed that only aspects based on the numbers 3 and 4 and their multiples constituted sufficiently strong lines of force for an aspect to be important. The quincunx is based on the number 5, with five signs × 30 degrees equaling 150 degrees. Astrologers today are using the quincunx more frequently because it has proved to be valuable in ascertaining matters of a fateful quality, especially in terms of health and accidents. When a chart has many quincunx aspects, events occur that a person has little control over. The aspect is particularly useful in examining flight charts and charts for operations. The two signs involved in an inconjunct are neither friendly nor hostile; they just rub each other the wrong way. The most common word used to describe this aspect is irritating.
Recognizing the inconjunct is sometimes tricky. The aspects are five signs away and an inconjunct is between planets of dissimilar elements and quadruplicities. The easiest way to recognize the quincunx is to see if there are any signs that are one sign less, or more, than an opposition’s sign. For example, Aries is inconjunct Virgo. Virgo is one sign before Libra, the opposite sign to Aries. Aries is also inconjunct Scorpio because Scorpio is one sign after Libra.
The orb allowed for a quincunx (inconjunct) is 5 degrees. Therefore, 5 degrees Aries is quincunx 10 degrees Virgo, but 19 degrees Virgo is out of orb. You can also have an out-of-sign quincunx, which is hard to recognize but is nonetheless important to know. If a planet is located at 27 degrees Aries, it is inconjunct a planet at 2 degrees Libra. If you do not pay attention to the degrees, you would say that Aries is opposite Libra, but the degrees tell us that the relationship is, in fact, inconjunct.
Here’s how the math works: We begin with 27 degrees of Aries, then count a whole 30 degrees sign, to 27 degrees of Taurus, then 27 Gemini, followed by 27 degrees of Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. That is 5 signs of 30 degrees, which total 150 degrees. But our aspect has 3 degrees left in Aries and 2 degrees of Libra. We have to add these 5 degrees to 150, for a total aspect of 155 degrees. This is within the 5-degree orb allowed for the quincunx, or inconjunct, aspect. As mentioned before, it is important to pay special attention to planets at the end and beginning of a sign. For instance, in Chart 2, Venus is inconjunct Saturn. The aspect between these two planets would lead you to suspect that a romantic life has been difficult and that there are problems with sweets and diet. Both areas of life have been frustrating to this person.
Detailed descriptions of the uncommon aspects follow.
The quintile is an uncommon aspect, and many charts will not have any planets that are quintile each other. The standard aspects used in astrology come from Ptolemy, but the quintile was introduced by Johannes Kepler in the seventeenth century. The aspect measures 72 degrees, and occult authors claim it is the hallmark of spiritual initiation. This information has been handed down to present-day astrologers and needs further research. In my own experience, the quintile aspect does indicate a special and focused creative gift. When a person has a quintile aspect, there are typically only one or two in a chart. As with all other configurations in astrology, we must activate an aspect to gain the greatest benefit.
The only way to recognize the quintile is to count degrees. If you look at Chart 1, you’ll see that the Sun is located at 6
24 and Jupiter is located at 1928. If we count from 6 degrees of Pisces to 6 degrees of Taurus, we have a 60-degree aspect, but we must account for the remaining degrees of Taurus, which is 13 degrees 28 minutes. Adding this to 60 degrees gives us the aspect between the Sun and Jupiter of 73 degrees 28 minutes, which is a quintile.
This person’s goal in life was to achieve spiritual growth and enlightenment. Other clients have mentioned their spiritual development as one aspect of their lives, but for this client it was the most important pursuit.
It is interesting to note that the quintile connotes spiritual aspirations and is not easy to recognize. Frequently, soul growth is neither flashy nor heralded. Look at the planets that are involved with the quintile and you will be able to tell where a person can grow artistically and spiritually.
The semisquare is an aspect that measures 45 degrees. I jokingly call it “square-lite” because it measures half of the 90 degrees of a square, and it is a nudgey, irritating aspect, but it does not have the energy potential of the square. Planets forming a semisquare to each other are like a bothersome habit. It does not define an individual’s character; it influences it. If you examine planets semisquaring each other, you will see where a person can learn patience and tolerance. In Chart 4, there is a semisquare between Venus and Mars. This person has great personal charm but a knack for getting on people’s bad sides, especially in romantic relationships. This can hamper some of the more flowing aspects in the chart.
The semisextile measures 30 degrees and is half a sextile both in degrees and importance. It is a benevolent aspect. The semisextile connotes everyday harmony between the two planets under consideration. Because the signs are next-door neighbors, there is a cordial relationship, not one of intense involvement. In Chart 3, there are three semisextiles. The Sun is semisextile Saturn, Jupiter is semisextile Saturn, and the Moon is semisextile Uranus. This individual is a good friend and easily maintains relationships with people very different from her.
Once we have analyzed the individual aspects in a chart, there are sometimes major combinations of aspects that create a special pattern called an aspect formation. These patterns work together defining and influencing a chart. All charts have aspects, but not all charts have specific aspect patterns. In ancient times, astrology was sometimes called a science of celestial geometry. The aspect patterns build on the aspects already discussed and create a larger pattern that is significant for refining interpretation. The orbs between aspects in an aspect pattern are frequently wider than between planets not in a specific pattern. The important interpretive information is that in a pattern, a group dynamic operates that is more significant than specific orbs. The closer the degrees are to the prescribed orbs, the more powerful the aspect pattern will be. When considering aspect patterns, pay special attention to the elements of the signs. The elements will help you quickly identify the entire aspect pattern, and concentrating on the elements of the signs involved will give you an immediate feel for the type of energy involved in any aspect pattern.
The T-square is formed when two planets oppose each other and a third planet squares the opposing planets. If you look at Chart 1, you will see that the planets involved in the T-square are Neptune, Jupiter, and Venus. Neptune and Jupiter are opposite each other, and both square Venus: 
. This T-square is also in the fixed signs and is therefore called a fixed T-square. It is not an uncommon aspect and is prominent in charts of many people who have made an impact on the world. This is not to say that you cannot be successful if you don’t have a T-square. The aspect is energizing and dynamic, helping to motivate a person to overcome obstacles. The planet carrying the square aspects is the focal point of the opposition, and a person must work to integrate that planet into his or her life.
A T-square can be compared to a seesaw on top of a powder keg. The square is the powder keg, and unleashing that energy in life can cause a person to go up and down like a seesaw. Equilibrium is achieved when the force of the powder keg is just enough to balance the seesaw without toppling it. When you study transits, you will see that with a T-square, the entire pattern is affected by a transit and potentially stirs up a great deal of activity.
A grand trine occurs when three planets are trine each other and form a large triangle in the chart. The trines will usually all be in one of the four elements, but can contain out-of-sign planets. All grand trines have great internal flow because the planets are moving in sync with each other. The challenge for anyone with a grand trine is to express energy outwardly. The fire grand trine can be a one-man band and must take others into consideration. The earth grand trine can plow through the most difficult situations, but tends to bulldoze other team members. The air grand trine can entertain themselves with constant mental activity, but needs to communicate their thoughts. Lastly, the water grand trine is awash with feeling, but needs to open the gates to share with others. Chart 5 contains water grand trines involving the Moon, Uranus conjunction, trine Venus, trine Pluto: 
. There is another grand trine between Jupiter, the Moon/Uranus conjunction, and Pluto. Because of the strength of this watery grand trine for interpretative value, all these planets in water work together to describe a major dynamic in this person’s life. This person had a great deal of feeling, but could not express it and therefore came across as very cold.
This aspect pattern is also called a grand square and a cosmic cross. The pattern is formed when two oppositions square each other. The pattern is strengthened when all planets are in the same quality, that is, cardinal, fixed, or mutable. Look at Charts 2 and 3. In Chart 2, note the grand cross in cardinal signs. This is a difficult aspect pattern. The Moon is opposite Uranus, square Neptune, and square Mercury: 
. You’ve already learned about chart patterns and, with that, know that some of the orbs in this particular grand square (Chart 2) are wider than usual; nonetheless, the pattern is a powerful one and definitely part of this person’s character. The grand cross contains a great deal of creative potential but usually brings frustrating conditions that require enormous self-discipline to overcome and unleash the grand cross’s potential. Handling a grand cross requires that people address their inner dilemmas before life can flow. If you pay attention to the quadruplicity of the grand cross, you will have an immediate summary of the kind of energy the person is dealing with. Can you spot the fixed grand cross in Chart 3? The fixed grand cross is perhaps the most difficult quality as it implies energy and rigidity. The mutable grand cross has scattered and restless energy that requires discipline to focus.
This is an interesting configuration that was first brought to astrologers’ attention by Dane Rudhyar, one of the great influences on modern astrological thought. The Mystic Rectangle involves two sets of oppositions whose ends trine and sextile each other. If you look at Chart 2, you will see that the Moon is sextile Mars, and Venus and Jupiter are sextile Uranus. Also, Mars is trine Uranus and Venus/Jupiter are trine the Moon. The two oppositions are Moon opposite Uranus and Mars opposite Venus and Jupiter. Rudhyar called the Mystic Rectangle representative of practical mysticism. People with this pattern have a great yearning for mystical and spiritual experiences, and they have the challenge of implementing that desire while juggling the demands of the everyday world. The oppositions bring stress and discord, and the trine and sextile planets allow the person to retreat into a comfortable personal vision of the way life should be. Part of their life will be about balancing these incompatible desires.
The Yod has also been called “the finger of fate.” It is formed when two planets are sextile, both forming an inconjunct to a third planet. The configuration looks like a large Y. Usually, if there is a Yod in a chart, there are at least two inconjunct aspects. These aspects are involved with health concerns, accidents, and seemingly fateful events. When I calculate charts for airplane flights, I pay special attention to the Yod aspect. If some other aspects, which I will discuss later, join it, I advise clients not to fly.
In a personal chart, a Yod tells us which planets would be involved with events that come out of the blue. The Yod has a Uranian feel to it. In Chart 6, note the sextile between Jupiter and Neptune. Both planets are inconjunct Uranus, which is located in the Sixth House of health. This person had a great and fortuitous career but was taken ill in his forties and died suddenly. Not every chart with a Yod will mean that a person has such a fate, but, in combination with other factors in this particular chart, the Yod described the surprising and fateful quality of this particular event.
The aspect patterns are descriptions of the way a person’s energy will most likely manifest. When energy has a difficult time expressing itself creatively, a person can become mired in self-destructive patterns that do not serve him or her. You do bring over challenges from other lifetimes to work on in the present life. If you are studying your chart or helping another person to understand theirs, you must accept that the chart gives you the problem and the solution. There is no point in rolling your eyes and wincing when you see a tough aspect pattern. Astrologers can be as guilty of whining as much as anyone else. But mental conversations such as “My life would be perfect if it weren’t for my Neptune aspects” are not productive. You must use the planets, signs, aspects, and aspect patterns you were born with. The advantage with astrology is that you have before you the best guide possible for understanding who you are, what your assets and liabilities are, and how to emphasize the best parts of your chart.
In a computer-generated chart, the aspects are usually found in the inner circle of the wheel with many lines drawn to show the connection between planets as well as the symbol for the particular aspect located on the line. Most computer charts indicate the conjunction, trine, square, opposition, and sextile. The chart patterns are usually delineated separately. This basic blueprint is the best place to begin looking at a chart. But to really understand a chart, you can draw an aspectarian. This is a grid that looks like a series of steps where you can note the aspects between planets. It helps you to think about the Sun’s relationship to the Moon, decipher if they aspect each other, and see the relationships between the other planets. There is a blank aspectarian at the back of the book, or if you like, you can draw your own. Once the aspectarian is drawn, fill in the aspects between all the planets. Note in the corner of each box whether the aspect is applying or separating. After all this information is filled in, count the number of applying and separating aspects and see where the majority are. Put that information on the aspectarian sheet, as well. If there are any major aspect patterns, put them on top of the sheet. Once you have finished with this exercise, you should have a good feel for how all these planets interact.
Lastly, note the aspects between the planets, ascendant, and midheaven. Does the individual have a face toward the outside world that easily allows his or her emotions to flow? To answer that question, you would look at the relationship between the Moon and the ascendant. What is the aspect between Saturn and the midheaven? This will tell us what kind of effort a person is willing to make for career and public standing. Create a tally sheet of how many squares, trines, sextiles, oppositions, and conjunctions the chart shows. If there are a number of squares, the person has a challenging chart. If trines predominate, expect ease and not too much angst. With practice, you will get a general impression of the entire chart, but it is always a good idea to individually study the aspects between the planets. This is the only way you will find the quintile, the semisquare, and the quincunx if those aspects aren’t included in your astrology software program. Learning to recognize aspects is one of the major building blocks of chart interpretation. When you look at the transits of the planets, as you will in the next chapter, you will examine the aspects that the transiting planets make to a chart.
One of the greatest uses of astrology to a cosmic planner is to identify when the time is right for particular activities. If you have mastered all the information in the first two chapters, you are ready to start applying it to the daily motion of the personal planets.
