Astrological Aspects
What Are Astrology Aspects?
As I mentioned in the birth chart section, in order to read a birth chart, we need to interpret the positions of the cosmic bodies in the signs and houses of your birth chart.
The second part of chart reading, related to the relationships between the different cosmic bodies and cardinal points in your chart.
A birth chart constitutes a circle, and therefore has 360o. Aspects are defined by measuring the distance between planets and cardinal points in degrees upon the birth chart circle.
If, for example, when you were born, Mars was 2o away from the sun and Pluto was 115o away from the sun, it means that Mars conjuncts your sun and Pluto trines your sun. In your chart, you will see that Mars and the sun are tight together, indicating the conjunction. You will also see a long blue line going from Mars to Pluto, indicating the trine relationship.
Why Are Aspects Important?
Aspects between planets and cardinal points, especially when they are formed with the sun, moon, and ascendant, have a great influence on your personality. Some aspects are considered harmonious and beneficial. These are marked in blue lines. Some are considered challenging. They are marked in red lines. Conjunctions can be both empowering and challenging.
- When a planet has a beneficial aspect to your sun, it means that the positive qualities of this planet enhance and support your personality.
- When a planet has a beneficiary aspect to your moon, it means that the positive qualities of this planet enhance and support your emotional inner world.
- When a planet has a beneficiary aspect to your ascendant, it means that the positive qualities of this planet enhance and support your soul.
- In the same way, challenging aspects mean that the challenging qualities of a planet will challenge your personality (sun), emotional world (moon) and soul (ascendant).
It is important to know that the challenging aspects are not meant to cause you harm or make you suffer. On the contrary, they are here to wake us up. To make sure we grow, evolve and fulfill our purpose in this life.
Aspects’ Orbs
Below is a list of the major aspects and the degrees that define them. It is important to understand that aspects relate to a range of degrees called orb. For instance, conjunction between planets does not require that the planets will be at the exact same degree. Even if the distance between them is 5o , they are still considered in conjunction to one another.
It is acceptable by most astrologers, that if an aspect is formed with the sun, moon or ascendant, the orb is +/- 10o. If the aspect is formed with another planet or cardinal point, the orb is +/-5o.
For example – if the moon is in 12o Virgo, any planet that is in the range of 2o to 22o Virgo, will be considered in conjunction with the moon. But if Mars is in 12o Virgo, a planet will be considered in conjunction to Mars if it is in the range of 7o to 17o Virgo.
Review the list of aspects below. Can you identify them in your birth chat?
Major Birth Chart Aspects
