Here, we zoom deeper into your natal chart. In astrology,
aspects
refer to the angles formed by
planets
as they transit the zodiac. More clearly, if your life was a movie—and we all want to believe in that, don’t we?—but if your life was a movie, then these planets are the invisible makers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographers and the entire crew that devises what goes into each scene and at some point, the threads that they orchestrate meet.
They weave together, and form a scene and these scenes, these aspects, determine not just the plot but the direction of our lives.
How many aspects are there?
There are seven major aspects that are routinely examined by astrologers. These are:
- Conjunction: When planets align closely, their energies blend seamlessly. The close the junction, the more potent the effect. It signifies a pretty powerful connection between two planets, makes their roles in affecting your life even stronger—but harmonious, usually. They do not repel each other, instead, they’re intensely fused.
- Semisextile: Semisextiles occur when two planets are one sign or around 30 degrees apart. This implies a subtle connection between the two planets, nudging them around gently. Usually, it can also be a completely warped combination. A tasteful mansion, fully elegant, near something that may have walked out of the Crazy Barbie house from the Barbie (2023) movie. It’s just an uncomfortable proximity, but it doesn’t always signify clashes. Sometimes, it just adds depth to your personality.
- Sextile: A sextile occurs when two planets are 60 degrees apart. They’re cosmic buddies! They signify ease, cooperation and flow in between the traits of the two planets. For instance, Venus in Aries sextile Uranus in Gemini symbolises positive shifts in relationships or foretell intriguing encounters. Venus holds love, while Aries holds fire and passion and Uranus holds change, while Gemini holds transformation.
- Square: A square forms when planets are exactly 90 degrees apart, and this is a little tricky because then it becomes a tug of war with two opposite ends. The presence of this symbolises intensity, obstacles and growth. Mars in conflict with Saturn, where Mars is action and Saturn is caution, can lead to a very significant clash but a compromise is always on the page—especially when warnings are headed appropriately.
- Trine: This happens when two planets are 120 degrees apart. Planets in the same element, like fire, earth, air or water are more harmonious, but this is a traditionally fortunate aspect, nevertheless. It symbolises luck and ease, with a special emphasis on valuing interpersonal relationships with other people.
- Quincunx: When planets are 150 degrees apart, they don’t really understand each other. They’re challenging to deal with and confusing, on the most part. Moon quincunx Venus, where Moon is the planet that deals with emotions and Venus is where your sense of love and values stem from, can mean you may have a difficult time balancing your love with your sense of self—and may possibly be hurting either yourself, or your loved ones, without knowing.
- Opposition: At 180 degrees, this is the farthest two planets can get from each other on a plane. Here, they face off directly—almost mirrors to each other. It’s a tense aspect, but not necessarily a negative one. Balancing is of key significance here, as when you fall on two equally opposite ends, naturally there is a tether that keeps your lever pulled taut. This aspect is for you to identify and understand this tether. Mars, action, opposes Saturn, caution and this leads to balancing impulsiveness and prudence. It’s a scale of two unequal weights, and it’s judged and made equal by your decisions.
These are the main aspects between planets. In your birth chart, identifying and reading these aspects can tell you a lot about yourself. If you’ve ever been perplexed about your emotional response to things, chances are your Moon and Mars may have something to tell you. If you’ve ever been confused between love and duty, chances are your Venus and Mars have something to tell you.
After you’ve identified and inventoried these aspects, you can now zoom out of your chart. What do you think, do you know yourself better than you did before you found out about this?
English (US) ·