from GIPHY
Many of the ways that classical literature discuss features include descriptions of planets “witnessing each other. If we are gazing at anything, then what we are doing is bearing “witness to that which we are viewing. Beginning on page 292 of his game-changing book, Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fate and Fortune (that’s an affiliate link; I get paid if you buy a copy), the astrologer Chris Brennan goes into great detail on this. That book belongs on your shelf if you take astrology at all seriously.
In the ancient world, these looks were thought to be an exchange of energy. In a nutshell, people believed that the human eye emitted an unseen light called “lumen” that lighted everything it touched. Anything that this lumen touched was “illuminated,” returning to the viewer visible light denoted by the term “lux.”
This can be seen in contemporaneous writings, such as the New Testament (Matthew 6.22-23, NRSV):
“The eye is the body’s lantern. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, light will fill the rest of your body; nevertheless, if your eye is unhealthy, darkness will fill the rest of your body. How great is the darkness if the light inside of you is darkness?
According to the explanations I’ve heard, modern astrology has lost its relationship to optical theory and now has more to do with vibrations. The planets appear to “resonate with each other at specific angles, producing consonant or discordant harmonies.” This fits in well with the way that many new-age people discuss vibrational frequencies. Even that, though, has some history!
In This Article...
Aspects and Musical Harmony
Ptolemy identified five fundamental features, which were generally accepted by astrologers throughout antiquity, the Renaissance, and early modern times.
The conjunction (0o), opposition (180o), trine (120o), square (90o), and sextile are the five aspects in question (60o).
Ptolemy argues that the reason these circle divisions are significant is because they stand in for the fundamental musical octaves (cf. Tetrabiblos I.13). The unison (conjunction), octave (opposition), fifth (trine), and major third all correspond to different harmonic intervals (sextile).
The most discordant interval in music, the tritone, is produced if the note played exactly halfway between the top and bottom notes of an octave (also known as a diminished fifth or augmented fourth). The astrological square, which lies midway between the conjunction and the opposition, is represented by this musical interval.
This is where the terminology for “harmonious trine” and “tense square” first appears historically, but I don’t believe that this is widely known (although it’s hard for me to believe that astrologer-musicians like Rudhyar or Ficino would have missed this, but I haven’t read enough of them to be able to provide the sources).
The current equally tempered octave contains twelve notes for those keeping track at home, however the chromatic scale came before the zodiac. Tetrachords, or 4-note scales, were utilized in Greek music!
Okay, so what? How do I actually interpret aspects in my chart?
You must first dissect a feature in your birth chart by asking yourself a number of questions before you can comprehend it.
- Who are the planets involved?
- What part is concerned
- What planet is the swiftest?
- Which houses are the planets in?
- The planets are in what houses.
It rapidly becomes complicated, but if you practice performing it often, it becomes second nature! To continue the musical analogy, it’s like mastering your scales and arpeggios. Let’s dissect this!
Assume that in your birth chart Mars is square Jupiter, that Aries is rising, and that you were born at night. When you were born, Mars was rising brightly over the eastern horizon if you were to look up at the sky at the time (and it was midnight). On a chart, it appears as follows:
Generally speaking, astrological planets may perceive things in the sign they are in. Moreover, planets emit seven “They can observe lumen rays to the extents indicated by the aforementioned factors. Mars is therefore striking a specific group of signs with his lewks, which is why we claim he can see those signs. Mars can see Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius from Aquarius. There could be an aspect between anything in Aquarius and anything in the other seven signs.
From his current position in Aquarius, Mars is unable to see anything in Pisces, Cancer, Virgo, or Capricorn. Therefore, everything in those signs is said to be “averse or “in dislike to Mars, and similarly, Aquarius is said to be “averse or “in aversion to those signs. We could talk about that for hours, but let me give you a quick visual:
Let’s imagine a planetsay let’s Jupiter in Sagittariusis in any of the signs that Mars can see from his position in Aquarius. Mars and Jupiter are so in a sign-based aspect. Mars and Jupiter can currently see one another since they are in signs that allow for this. This is what we refer to as “aspect based on signs.
Two planets can interact with one another if they are in sign-based aspects. The nature of the aspect determines the character of their interaction, whether friendly or antagonistic. The juice is in this:
- During a conjunction, two planets cooperate in accordance with their planetary natures (e.g., Venus helps, Mars hurts, etc.)
- Sextile: mildly reassuring and simple, but not really active
- Square: confrontational and tense, yet occasionally passive-aggressive
- Trine: fluid, causes events to occur, but isn’t always “good in a strict sense”
- Well, it’s in the name, opposition. Open fighting, a blowout, and explosive!
The general tenor of a planet’s interactions with other planets is described by sign-based characteristics. But until they reach a degree-based aspect within a sign, planets do not actively communicate with one another. This would imply that whatever this relationship represents would be activated when Mars moves to a later degree of Aquarius to meet the square that Jupiter is casting there.
Let’s put the story together!
Mars will be the one approaching Jupiter in this case since Mars moves more quickly than Jupiter (typically, unless Mars is in retrograde). Mars and Jupiter are in a cooperative connection with one another because of the sextile aspect. Imagine that Mars is approaching Jupiter as a pleasant acquaintance and requesting his assistance. Jupiter is delighted to share from his plenty with Mars because he is a nice fellow by nature, is in his own sign of Sagittarius, and has access to his own resources.
By examining which houses the planets involved rule, you may determine what aspects of life they are describing in the last step. Mars thus dominates the first house of your fundamental personality, body, health, vigor, appearance, and general conditions in this case, as well as the eighth house of the unavoidables: dread, death, and taxes. This is because Aries is the rising sign. Jupiter, on the other hand, governs the twelfth house of limitations, grief, and the unconscious as well as the ninth house of education, spirituality, and travel. Jupiter is positioned in the ninth house, which I already mentioned, while Mars is positioned in the eleventh house of groups and friends.
Let’s enter all the data into this formula:
The result is:
Mars approaches Jupiter, who oversees philosophy, religion, travel, and education, in a softly helpful manner. This has favorable effects on the native’s friends and associates. Mars represents the native’s physique, health, looks, and basic personality.
Then you can see where that leads. By making an attempt to associate with individuals who share their beliefs, philosophies, and values, the native can in this scenario enhance their personal circumstances. They benefit greatly from doing this, and it has the potential to raise their social position. That’s simply a very simple explanation, but by examining the natives’ particular context, we can learn more about how this element manifests itself in their daily lives. We would carry out it at an astrological consultation.
I’m still lost!
Learning how to read aspects in this way takes some time, and I haven’t even discussed the distinction between applying and isolating aspects yet! You will be able to comprehend aspects in your birth chart more easily, though, if you take the time to get this rhythm into your bones.
Keep in mind that learning astrology takes time! I’d love to be able to assist you with that because it’s always beneficial to have a second set of eyes go over your chart.
Was that of any use to you? Which queries remain unanswered? Comment below and let me know!
Why are there certain elements in my birth chart?
Aspects are the angles that the planets make in your birth chart, to put it simply. These in turn interact with one another to establish a relationship. Conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition are the five main aspects. Each planet has a celestial personality, and these personalities can be benign, harmonic, or tense depending on the planets involved and the angles they produce. Your birth chart’s characteristics might show you several areas of your life where you either prosper or face stress.
According to Maree, “the elements in our birth charts can highlight areas of ease and richness in our life when we feel like luck is on our side.” “They can also assist us in establishing a connection between some of the more challenging events that we all go through. Having this understanding enables us to take the necessary actions to cooperate with our individual blueprint. It enables not only self-acceptance but also recovery and success.”
How is a planet’s aspect read?
Even for me, a visual-spatial learner, that’s quite a knot to unwind. I was beginning to understand difficulties relating to houses and had a general idea of what to do with a planet in a particular sign, but I was completely lost when it came to understanding the aspects in my birth chart. But I wasn’t going to give up so quickly.
What is an Aspect in astrology, anyway
Aspects are how we explain the relationship between the planets, as simply as possible. You may see into the dynamic stories that are unfolding in your life by understanding the components in your chart.
When a planet is a specific number of degrees distant from another planet or point in the chart, it is said to be in an aspect. For instance, we refer to two planets as being in a “square aspect” when they are approximately 90 degrees apart (a square has four 90 angles).
That indicates that those two planets are in a connection that has the characteristics of a “square.” Consider the expression “squaring up before a fight,” which describes squares in English. “Square peg in a round hole,” the expression goes. This should indicate that a square is inherently adversarial: tense, with a genuine “can I talk to the manager issue.”
If you’re curious about the origins of this idea, like me, keep reading. If you’re not like me and simply want to know which characteristics denote which kinds of partnerships, then scroll down.
Because the word “aspect” literally means “look at” (Latin ad, “at, to + spect, “I look”), we must take a detour into classical optical theory in order to give aspects in astrology their due. I just overheard a head-on desk collision from half of you. “I’m just curious as to when I’ll find my true love! Keep following me, though I can see and hear you!
It’s crucial to keep in mind that the planets were not viewed by the ancients as passive components of a cosmic watch, but rather as active agents. We begin with the hypothesis that planets in the astrological ball of wax exchange looks with one another in order to communicate. similar to this
How is an aspect grid read?
As you can see, there is a box on the left that lists each planet along with its precise degree, minute, and second of arc.
You also have the aspect grid, which runs from the Sun to the AC & MC. These steps allow you to quickly see how many planets are in aspect with one another (they remind me of the stepped pyramid of Chichen Itza).
The planets that are in each element and mode are listed in a 43-square grid on the right.
- Planets in the signs of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water are represented by the rows with the letters F, A, E, and W on the left.
- Planets in Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable signs are described in the columns with C, F, and M along their tops.
You can add the individual columns and rows to determine the strongest or weakest features and modes, as demonstrated in this improved radio episode. This can provide further information about how the native interacts with their surroundings, how they handle conflict, and what drives them. Depending on its own effect, each planet and angle has a certain form of planetary weighting or strength. This is open to interpretation, just like everything else in astrology, and you can give a planet more points if you think it deserves it (like I did in Johnny’s case with Saturn).
This and numerous other factors led me to the conclusion that astrology is an art or skill that is open to interpretation rather than a science.
The hue of the aspect reveals the nature of the planetary “conversation’s” influence:
- Major hard aspects are highlighted in red (conjunction, opposition and square)
- Blue denotes important soft characteristics (trine, sextile)
- Some of the more frequently noticed minor characteristics are highlighted in green (semi-sextile and quincunx)
- The remaining minor elements are covered in the black aspects (Semi-square, Bi-quintile, Quintile, Sesquiquadrate)
The Sun is in difficult aspect to Chiron in Johnny Depp’s chart. It forms a minor aspect to the Midheaven and is in gentle aspect to Jupiter and Saturn (MC).
The numbers and letters indicate the separation or application of the aspect, as well as the number of degrees between the planets.
I can see that the Sun is trine to Saturn with 5 degrees of orb, which indicates that the trine will be a perfect 120 aspect in 5 degrees.
Knowing which planets travel quicker and slower is helpful since it is always read that the faster-moving planet is applying to or detaching from the slower-moving planet it is aspecting.
What elements of a birth chart are most crucial?
In recent years, astrology has gained more and more traction in culture at large. It can be readily discounted, though, as astrology and horoscope websites offer predictions based on your sun sign.
I’ve read about and studied astrology for about five years at this point. I’ve read a lot of birth charts. People frequently tell me that they don’t fully resonate with their sun sign before I do their chart. Some components do, but not really.
What’s this? In essence, astrology and your unique natal chart serve as a universal road map for your whole existence. It makes sense that the precise timing and location of various celestial objects at the time of your birth would have an impact on the energies contained in your spirit since time, space, and matter are all what science refers to as continuums.
Your painstakingly computed natal chart is what makes you the lovely soul that you are. For the sake of time, I’ll concentrate on what I see as your chart’s four most significant features: the sun, moon, ascendant, and midheaven signs.
What astrological component is the most potent?
An angle of roughly () 010 degrees is referred to as a conjunction (abbreviated as “Con”). An orb of 10 is typically seen as a Conjunction. Some astrologers think an orb of no more than eight is appropriate if the Sun or Moon are not present.
A significant factor in a horoscope chart is a conjunction. Because they mutually amplify each other’s impacts, they are considered to be the most potent characteristics.
Depending on the planets involved, a Conjunction could be advantageous or harmful. Highly favorable Conjunctions can include any of the three possible combinations as well as the Sun, Venus, and/or Jupiter. Highly unfavorable Conjunctions can occur with the Moon, Mars, Saturn, or any of the other three possible pairings.
A 3-way favorable Conjunction involving the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter occurred exceptionally on November 910 of 1970. On March 10 of the same year, the Moon, Mars, and Saturn formed a harmful triple conjunction.
If one of the two planets in a conjunction is already feeling the strain of one or more hard aspects with one or more other planets, the addition of a conjunction will only heighten the tension of those hard aspects.
A planet’s conjunction with the Sun is particularly powerful if it occurs within 17 minutes of arc, or just at a distance of around 0.28. The planet is supposedly Cazimi, an old astrological name that means “in the heart” (of the Sun). For instance, “Venus Cazimi” indicates that Venus and the Sun are in conjunction with an orb smaller than 0.28.
The precise orb limit may vary depending on the planet in question if it is somewhat close to the Sun. It is allegedly combustible.
The Sun and Moon come together at the New Moon every month of the year.
Do twin flames’ birth charts resemble one another?
Twin-flame relationships, however, are an exception rather than the rule. Given how much they like Libra, Cancer is most likely Libra’s twin flame. Even though these two zodiac signs aren’t the most compatible, they can nonetheless fulfill each other’s requirements.
Therefore, despite what the general public thinks, twin flames do not always share the same zodiac sign. They can also result from an unexpected alignment of astrological signs. To learn more about the twin-flame zodiac signs, continue to the following section.
Is sextile a favorable feature?
In fact, until they check at their natal chart and investigate the sextile planetary aspect for themselves, many people aren’t even aware that they have one. The sextile planetary aspect is the least powerful of the five primary planetary aspects. However, it does benefit the planets that are linked to it.
Is sunrise more significant than the sun?
Knowing your birth time is essential for determining your rising sign since it allows you to pinpoint exactly which sign was on the eastern horizon at the precise moment of your birth. It signifies the fusion of all the elements that make up your chart and your life, and is also referred to as your ascendant. As opposed to the sun sign, which governs the problems associated with the House where Leo is located in your chart, the rising sign is about your identity and attitude on the world. The horoscope for your rising sign may therefore resonate with you even more as a result of this.
The Big Six indicators are what?
Understanding the big six of your sign
- Most likely, you are aware of your zodiac sign.
- Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra are Air Signs.
- Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are Earth Signs.
- Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are Fire Signs.
- Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio are water signs.
- Since it’s the primary symbol, it’s the one you’re presumably most familiar with.