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 this useful to you? Which queries remain unanswered? Comment below and let me know!
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.
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
What does astrology say about you?
An aspect in astrology is the angle that planets create with one another, as well as with the Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant, Lower Midheaven, and other astrologically significant points. Aspects are determined by the angular separation between two places along the ecliptic in degrees and minutes as seen from Earth. They predict the time of transitions and developmental changes in people’s lives and affairs related to the Earth, according to astrological tradition.
A chart is said to have the aspect “Venus Square Mars” with an orb of 2 if, for instance, an astrologer constructs a horoscope that depicts the apparent locations of the celestial bodies at a person’s birth (Natal Chart) and Mars and Venus are separated by 92 ecliptic longitude (i.e., it is 2 away from being an exact Square; a Square being a 90 aspect). An aspect is said to be stronger or more dominating in influencing character or bringing about change the more precise it is.
Other signs may take precedence over a Sun sign in Natal charts. An Aries, for instance, can have multiple different planets in Pisces or Cancer. The two latter signs may therefore have more of an impact.
How do my aspects translate?
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.”
What planets in a natal chart are the most significant?
According to astrology, our planets have all of the universe’s power, and they are never hesitant to use it to affect our lives. They offer you courage, illuminate your purpose, and nudge your heart in the direction of success and love. Their effects, meanwhile, aren’t usually as entrancing or enchanting. They may even cause you great loss, hardship, and suffering. Remember that planets are like the gods and goddesses of the cosmos, each with their own personalities, and that while their ultimate goal is to assist you in realizing your full potential, they aren’t always so kind in their approach. The most significant planets in astrology are Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto, and the challenges they provide to you frequently have the greatest influence.
While every planet has both positive and negative aspects, some seem to be made entirely of ominous intensity. They frequently experience unforeseen horror, emotional hardship, and perhaps a never-ending darkness throughout their transits. But it always happens, and when the misery passes, you frequently have experienced more growth than you could have ever anticipated. These planets perform a thankless task, and while they may be frightening, it is their influence that consistently produces the most potent outcomes.
Is biquintile a good thing?
a 144 degree aspect. Even though it counts as being favorable, the biquintile is regarded as a minor aspect and typically receives little attention from astrologers. It features a 2 to 3 degree orb.
In concerns of the arts, the biquintile is thought to be very useful. It is comparable to the quintile in this way. People who have such an aspect between two planets frequently have only a passing awareness of it. However, if a person is sensitive enough, it can help them develop creative abilities that can help them come up with novel ideas and shed a positive perspective on problems that at first glance seem troublesome.
In astrology, what does 2 degrees mean?
According to study by Serbian astrologer Nikola Stojanovic, those with planets or points* at 2 possess tremendous power and are well-positioned to achieve notable feats.
The four cardinal pointsImum Coeli, Midheaven, Ascendant, and Descendantas well as the Lunar Nodes, Arabic Parts, Vertex, and other mathematical pointsmake up a chart.
The 2 Club Supreme consists of:
What holds aspects of the Sun?
At the third and tenth, the aspect of the Sun, Moon, Venus, and Mercury is 14, at the fifth and nineth, it is 12, at the fourth and eighth, and it is full on the seventh. In reality, astrologers appear to disregard partial aspects.
What aspects what houses Jupiter?
We can argue that Jupiter has two unique aspects, namely a 5th house and a 9th house aspect, as planets typically only aspect the 7th house from their place of origin.