Hello, hello, and welcome to the first expert level article. Aspects are not an easy thing to understand. They can be messy and confusing. There’s math involved (to a minor degree, but still). It’s one of those things that needs to be understood if you are reading your own chart. To understand as a whole to get the full picture. So here we go Aspects – Understanding Charts.

Now- let me show you a chart.

Maybe you’ve seen this before- a birth chart (also called a natal chart). There’s A LOT, going on here- so let’s break it down.

On the outer ring, you can see the familiar symbols of the Zodiac. Featured there’s Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Virgo, and Leo. Breaking it down further you can also see the symbols for planets, asteroids, and placements like the ascendant or midheaven. (We’re gonna slip past those numbers floating in the middle ring for now). Finally on the inner ring, there are more numbers related to the houses.

I haven’t written all of this yet, but it is in the works. Breaking down the symbols, and houses- this will be on the novice level (if you need a refresher).

You can take a look at those below if needed:

I know- a lot of coming soons, but we all have to start somewhere, and unfortunately- I don’t have the mental capacity to write every second of the day. I will hopefully be releasing a few of these later in the week- so keep an eye out.

Now- let’s get into those numbers in the middle ring, shall we?

Aspects – Understanding Charts: Degrees

So in understanding aspects – understanding charts begins with the degrees that you find them in. Each section of the outer wheel has 30 degrees going through it and that’s the number you see next to the planetary symbols. For example in the upper right of the chart, we can see the sun is in Leo at 22 degrees. Then in the lower left photo we can see that the moon is in Sagittarius at 14 degrees. Those are the distances for which that specific planet was moving through the sign at the moment you were born. This in and of itself can fully shake up a birth chart when you start looking at applying and separating aspects. (We’ll get into this more next time).

Degrees are important in that they help us learn and figure out different aspects within the birth chart- this particular aspect between the sun and moon is a trine.

You might not know what that is yet, but that’s why I’m here, and I promise- I’ll get into it.

Degrees help shape the chart in three ways: aspects, energy (applying vs. separating), and degree theory (I may write a post on this later on, but overall I will not be discussing it at length in this lesson series).

What are Aspects?

An aspect is the relationship between the planets and how they interact with one another in a chart. For me I like to think about it as a big family dinner. You have your family (which can be positive or negative), your close friends (good support buddies), someone you can’t tolerate being alone with (friction and difficultness), and some like extended relatives that you’re good with (can carry on a conversation), and finally extended family members you don’t get along with (challenging to talk to).

Each of these family members are played by a planet, their relationship is dictated by the aspect, and how good or bad it is, is directed by the energy. Finally you have their personal quirks and whats bouncing off of each other being dictated by signs and houses.

This is why it’s so important to understand each of these tiny little things. They are all interacting with each other (kinda), all the time.

That’s why a person with a Capricorn sun might not feel so much like a Capricorn if they have an aspect with their moon – helping them through their emotions and walking them through their feelings in the fifth and eight houses. It’s complicated, and messy- and that’s just life.

So let’s start with the first of the last steps to fully understand your birth chart- the aspects themselves.

Aspect Pre-Summary

I will be focusing on five major aspects.

• Conjunction (0°)
• Opposition (180°)
• Trine (120°)
• Square (90°)
• Sextile (60°)

These are the relationships that I was talking about.

Quick summary based on my analogy- before we get into the nitty gritty and further explanations.

With reading a chart sometimes it can be difficult to tell if something is an aspect or not. That’s where the degrees come in. The closer the planets are together- the stronger the aspect. However, an aspect only applies when it is (typically) 8°. For larger planets (like the sun and moon) some astrologers move this to 13°.

For example let’s take this chart in to question again.

The Leo sun has a trine aspect with the moon in Sagittarius. That’s a 120° angle between the two signs. If you count there is 111 spokes on the wheel in-between the two giving an 9° difference within our 13° error zone for aspects on larger planets. It’s a pretty good aspect here, and can be felt by the imaginary individual in question.

However, what’s the point in knowing the aspects- if you don’t know what they fully are? So let’s get into it shall we?

The Aspects

Conjunction- 0°

A conjunction takes place when two signs are right on top of one another. This creates a type of synastry. Both planets are (typically) within the same sign (for planets where one is 29° in Aries and the other is at 0° to 1° in Taurus they still carry synastry- more on this next time). Depending on the planets it can be a positive or negative aspect. For example, Venus- the planet of soft love and the feminine side of relationship would synergize positively with the moon. This creates harmony between the two as the moon helps to express inner emotions . Meanwhile having a planet like Mars conjunct with Neptune would be considered a negative aspect. This is due to the dreamy qualities of Neptune aggro-ing the Mars passion and drive.

Opposition- 180°

The opposition aspect is considered neutral, but it is more often than not a very harsh aspect. These two signs are usually at odds, because they have fundamentally different energies. If the planet is in Aries and they have an opposition with a planet in Libra- you are going to be looking at someone who could be struggling with the identity of “we” vs. “I”. Especially if those planets are Mars and Venus respectively (traditional planetary rulers), you are going to be looking at a lot of conflict in your relationships, with a severe need for communication. HOWEVER, where this can be a more neutral aspect is if you take it as an area of growth. These can synergize in a passionate, loving, and driven relationship- one for the ages. It all depends where you are at in your life, and how willing you are for change.

Trine- 120°

Trine’s are considered harmonious aspects. This is because it usually takes place within a grand trine of an element. Meaning that the communication between the planets flows freely, and things come to them naturally. It signals for having innate talent (that often the person is unaware of, until pointed out). For example let’s continue with the Aries theme here. If Aries Sun is trine with a Leo ascendant- this person is easily bold, and driven, with a charisma that seems to charm people. They are a natural born leader and can easily sway the tide of a conversation. Their inner persona seems to be exemplified and led by the Leo ascendant walking together hand and hand. Things flow here naturally and easily.

Square- 90°

Our last actual challenging aspect. The Square. Things are not simple when it comes between planets in a square at the angle of 90°, these signs are typically found within the same quadruplicity of modality. Fixed, Cardinal, and Mutable. These energies synergize off one another, very similarly to the opposition. For example, take an Aries sun squared off with a Capricorn Mars. What you will see here is the flighty drive of the sun wanting to accomplish tasks one right after the other. Whereas the Capricorn Mars interacting with it tells the Aries sun to slow down- that everything will come in it’s own time. Creating a headache between the drive to accomplish something, and then the passion regarding to want to pursue it. Squares are important to recognize so that you can get the full picture, and try to overcome the obstacle.

Sextile- 60°

Just like Trines these are harmonious aspects. There’s innate talent and an easy flow of communication between planets falling in a sextile- however, it is much more subtle a difference than it is with Trines. It’s not a super close relationship, but they get along well. Making planets that are found here’s goal’s way more attainable. Let’s keep it up with our Aries Sun and a Trine with Aquarius moon. This is harmonic in that the thoughts and feelings of Aquarius help to bring innovation in to the Aries’ sun drive for passion. Creating a subtle harmony that allows that network of personality flow- and hopefully create something great.

Wrap Up: Aspects – Understanding Charts

As I said there’s a lot that goes into understanding your natal chart, and the aspect is just one flow of it. So if you have your birth chart pulled (or someone else’s) take a look through and see if you can find different aspects without the lines that are added in. Find key planets, and see what type of relationships they may have with one another- and what that might mean for you!

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the next lesson, Relationships – Understanding Charts: Lesson Two.

Stay groovy, and I’ll see you on the flip,

Cosmic Sage

Relationships – Understanding Charts: Lesson Two →