KEYWORDS: ASPECT
PATTERNS, STELLIUM, GRAND TRINE, KITE, GRAND CROSS, T-SQUARE,
GRAND SEXTILE, MYSTIC RECTANGLE, YOD, BOOMERANG, GRAND QUINTILE
Susie
Asks:
“Kevin,
my chart has a metaphysical Grand Trine in it; I also have
a friend with a Kite in her chart. Can you please explain
the significance of these, what they mean in terms of spirituality,
and how common are they?”
Karen Writes:
"I've had someone tell me that I had
a Mystic Cross in my chart. I would like to know what it
represents. I was told that not many people have this in
their charts."
Teri Writes:
"When I was young, I had my horoscope
done by a friend for the first time. She told me that my
life had so many awful problems because I was born under
a Grand Cross. Can you explain why it is called "Grand"
and what that means to me?"
Elizabeth Writes:
"I have a number of aspects in my natal
chart which I don't know how to interpret. I have 2 compact
Stelliums...I also have two Grand Trines. I'm not sure how
to interpret these are these a 'usual' occurrence?"
Olivia Writes:
"Dear Kevin, what could you tell me
about Kites?"
Kevin Answers:
Do I get the impression that people would
like to know more about aspect patterns?
Since I received so many questions over
the past month relating to aspect patterns, I thought that
I would do things a bit differently and try and pull together
a more comprehensive look at the whole question of aspect
patterns. And since receiving no less than five questions
on aspect patterns in under a month certainly qualifies this
as a "Frequently Asked Question", I'm splitting
the answer between the Ask Kevin section (Introduction to
Aspect Patterns) and the FAQs section (The Aspect Patterns
Defined).
I encourage you to take the time and read
the Introduction to Aspect Patterns on this page. Understanding
aspect patterns can be very complicated, and the Introduction
to Aspect Patterns attempts to make sense of things, and lay
a foundation that will make working with the actual aspect
patterns much clearer.
INTRODUCTION
TO ASPECT PATTERNS
Aspect patterns are configurations
of three or more planets that each aspect each other or are
connected by a common aspect. The Grand Trine, T-Square, Yod,
and Stellium are all examples of aspect patterns, and along
with several others, will be discussed in detail shortly.
The key to an aspect pattern, in fact, what makes an aspect
pattern an aspect pattern is that the planets involved are
so closely linked to each other that whenever one of the planets
is triggered by transit, progression or direction, all of
the other planets in the configuration are also activated
at the same time. Planets in aspect patterns function as units,
always working together.
Interpreting, understanding and working
with aspect patterns is very complicated. Simply understanding
how a single aspect between two planets may manifest is challenging
enough: with aspect patterns, anywhere from three to six or
more planets must be synthesized. The general level of confusion
about aspect patterns is increased because aspect patterns
are usually pretty easy to spot in a chart, and because they
seem to be so important. It's impressive to be able to tell
someone "you've got a Grand Cross in your chart"
and if that individual actually does have a Grand Cross, it
is certainly a very important factor to consider, but when
it comes time to explain exactly what that means many astrologers,
particularly newer astrologers, come up short.
Before we look at what each of the aspect
patterns signifies and how to interpret them, we first have
to set some guidelines as to what makes an aspect pattern
and what doesn't.
Aspect Patterns Can only Be Formed By Physical
Bodies
The only points in the chart that can be
used to make up an aspect pattern are physical bodies. Personally,
I would limit that even further to only include the planets,
and perhaps Chiron, excluding any and all of the other asteroids,
but that's a personal choice. However, the Ascendant, the
Midheaven, the Moon's Nodes, the Vertex, the East Point, the
Part of Fortune, and any other mathematical point in the chart
should not be considered when determining an aspect pattern.
Physical bodies both make and receive aspects
from other physical bodies. When Mars trines Jupiter, there
is a flow of energy from Mars to Jupiter and from Jupiter
to Mars; both planets are effected and influenced by the aspect.
Mathematical points in the chart which include the angles,
the Moon's Nodes, and the Arabic Parts or Greek Lots can only
receive aspects from physical bodies, they do not make
aspects. Mars trine the Ascendant will influence the Ascendant,
coloring how that individual appears to others, and how that
individual interacts with the world. It will not, however,
influence the expression of that individual's Mars. Fixed
stars, for the purposes of aspect patterns, should be likewise
regarded as sensitive points in the chart and nothing more.
They can make aspects (usually by conjunction only),
but they do not receive aspects.
For example, let's take the Moon in Taurus,
Mars in Capricorn and Sun in Virgo. Each of these planets
is trine the other two; the energy cycles endlessly between
the three planets with no beginning and no end. However, if
instead we take the Moon in Taurus, Mars in Capricorn and
the Ascendant in Virgo, the energy either begins with the
Moon, moves through Mars and expresses through the Ascendant,
or else it begins with Mars, moves through the Moon and expresses
through the Ascendant. Rather than being a GrandTrine, it's
simply a Moon/Mars trine with a very natural outlet for expression.
Aspect Patterns Require Very Small Orbs
Aspect patterns are so powerful because
of the harmonic resonance that they carry. When any planet
in the pattern is triggered, all of the other planets are
also triggered, either directly or indirectly. To explain
this concept in more detail, we first have to look at the
two different components that make any aspect "work".
There are two different approaches to aspects,
each of which is very important: the elemental approach and
the harmonic approach. The elemental approach to aspects comes
from the ancient Greek and Egyptian practice of using whole-sign
aspects. This practice originated in the earliest days of
astrology, when precise measurement of the planets was difficult,
if not impossible. (Today, with our computer programs, we
tend to quibble about a discrepancy of a few seconds of arc,
but the Ancients were thrilled if they could fit within a
5-10 degree window.) Only the so-called Ptolemaic aspects
were used (conjunction, opposition, trine, square, sextile),
and aspects were formed from sign to sign. Any planet in Aries
was square any planet in Cancer, regardless of the angle between
them.
The elemental approach to aspects takes
into account the nature of the signs, and the relationship
between those signs in interpreting an aspect, a technique
that is still essential today. Conjunctions occur between
planets in the same sign, and represent a unity of approach,
a merging of energy. Oppositions occur between planets in
the same modality (Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable) and
in the same polarity (Masculine or Feminine). Squares occur
between planets in the same modality (Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable)
but in different polarities. Trines occur between planets
in the same element (Fire, Earth, Air or Water), and Sextiles
occur between planets in the same polarity, but in different
elements and modalities. Quincunxes and Semi sextiles (Inconjuncts),
while not widely used at the time, occur between two signs
that have nothing in common by polarity, modality or element.
Although the Greeks didn't seem to be too
concerned with the "orb" of an aspect, they did
differentiate between exact aspects and less exact ones. Any
aspect that occurred between planets in the same degree was
called partile and was considered to be exceptionally
strong. Aspects that were not in the same degree were called
platic.
In the 1600s, when measuring the positions
of the planets became much more accurate, and largely due
to the influence and theories of Johannes Kepler, the concept
of harmonics came into play. Kepler thought that aspects worked
because the planets vibrated at the same frequency, and therefore
resonated with each other. The harmonics were based on the
division of the 360 degree circle by whole numbers. Conjunctions
are 1st harmonic aspects. Oppositions, 180° aspects, are
2nd harmonic aspects (360 divided by 2). Trines, 120°
aspects are 3rd harmonics; Squares (90°) are 4th harmonics;
and Sextiles (60°) are 6th harmonics. Kepler didn't stop
with the Ptolemaic aspects, however. He is the "inventor"
of the Quintile, (5th harmonic, 72° aspect) and it's compliment,
the Biquintile (144° aspect, also 5th harmonic); as well
as the 8th Harmonic aspects, including the 135° Sesquiquadrate.
When using harmonics, both in music and
in astrology, the closer the two vibrations are to exact,
the more pronounced and powerful the harmonic is; also, the
higher the harmonic, the more subtle the effect and the more
precise the vibrations must be. This is where the whole question
of orbs came about. The closer two planets are to the exact
angle of the aspect, the more powerful and pronounced the
harmonic effect is. The question becomes, however, at what
point does the harmonic influence fade to insignificance?
There is no answer to this question; the only rule of thumb
is that based on the laws of harmonics (from physics), the
widest orbs should be allowed for Conjunctions, and then in
decreasing order for Oppositions, Trines, Squares, Quintiles,
Sextiles, Septiles (7th Harmonic), Octiles (the 8th Harmonic
series, including the Semi-square and the Sesquiquadrate),
Noviles (9th Harmonics), Deciles (10th Harmonic) and the smallest
orbs of all would be allowed for the 12th Harmonic series,
which includes the Semi-Sextile (Inconjunct), and the Quincunx.
Now, even if you don't consider the Quincunx
to be a "major" aspect, most astrologers allow at
the very least a 2 degree orb for Quincunxes, sometimes more;
and they would certainly give it a wider orb and more leeway
than they would a Septile, for example. This, I believe, is
where and why the elemental approach must be combined with
the harmonic approach to aspects. Quincunxes and Semi-Sextiles
may be 12th Harmonic aspects, but they are also whole-sign
aspects, and the nature of the energy of these aspects comes
as much from the harmonics as it does from the relationship
between the signs.
So what the heck does this all have to
do with using small orbs for aspect patterns, I hear you cry?
Quite simply, part of the power of an aspect pattern comes
from the harmonics of it. With a true aspect pattern, when
one planet is triggered, so are all of the others. Look at
aspect patterns like a guitar. If you pluck one string on
a guitar that has been properly tuned, all of the other strings
will also vibrate because of the harmonics. However, if the
guitar is not properly tuned, the other strings will not respond.
The tighter the orbs in the aspect pattern, the better tuned
the guitar is. Another reason for this is that many aspect
patterns involve harmonic aspects (a Grand Cross has two Oppositions
(2nd harmonic) and four Squares (4th Harmonic). If the orbs
are too wide, some of the aspects will not be present, and
some of the strings (to stick with the guitar example) won't
vibrate.
This is particularly clear when the triggering
planet is one of the outer bodies. A person with a T-Square
or a Grand Cross with a 1° orb is going to experience
Pluto triggering all of those planets at the same time. Extend
that orb to 5°, and the effect is quite different: the
pressure of Pluto will trigger the planets in sequence, but
not simultaneously, and it may take up to a year for all of
the planets to be hit.
Aspect Patterns Must Be in the Correct Signs
One of the cans of worms opened by the harmonics
approach to aspects is the creation of an "out of sign"
aspect. The ancients would have considered a planet at 29°
Cancer and one at 1° Scorpio to be Trine each other, even
though they are only 91° apart and from a harmonic standpoint
are most certainly Square each other. "Out of sign"
aspects are very different than "in-sign" aspects.
In the above example, even though the two planets would certainly
have a very active and stimulating relationship on a harmonic
level, because they are in the same element, they still have
common ground, and share a connection that may tend to mitigate
the "butting heads" feel of an "in-sign"
square.
With aspect patterns, unless the orbs are
very tight, as in the above example, they must be in the "correct"
signs, because the other factor that contributes so strongly
to the power of aspect patterns is the elemental influence.
In fact, as we will see shortly, the elemental influence and
interactions is often the key to understanding and interpreting
an aspect pattern in the first place.
Interpreting the Aspect Patterns
Once you have determined if you actually
have an aspect pattern to interpret, the first step to understanding
it is to forget that it's an aspect pattern. Although it's
true that with aspect patterns the whole is very much greater
than the sum of the parts, in order to even begin to understand
the whole, we first have to understand each of the parts individually.
Interpreting and synthesizing an aspect pattern is as challenging
and as complex as synthesizing an entire chart. The only consolation
here is that real aspect patterns tend to be the key to understanding
the rest of the chart, and usually spell out the major themes
of the chart quite clearly.
Each aspect pattern has a different feel
to it, and this is important to keep in mind as you look at
each of the individual planets involved, and then again at
each of the individual aspects. Don't force them, but try
and find the common theme between them. Since no aspect pattern
is ever perfect, a good place to start is with the tightest
and most exact aspect and work from there. Just as an aspect
pattern can set the theme and tone of a chart, the most exact
aspect in that pattern can set the theme and the tone of the
aspect pattern.
Now that all of the disclaimers are out
of the way, we can actually take a look at the different aspect
patterns and try and make some sense of them.
