ASTROLOGICAL ASPECTS: A Shamanic Astrology Approach. Aspects are determined by geometry. They define the connection of one planet to another and help to define whether there is a contact between two planetary bodies or not. If they are connected; when one planetary energy expresses it will arouse the energy of the other one. These connections tell us how the energetic pattern of a chart functions. This is usually displayed in the middle of the chart by lines of various colours indicated the energetic flows within a chart. The aspect story always starts with the conjunction. This is when any two planets are within 6 to 8 orb or connected by a given arc of degree. From here we count around the wheel in 30 increments. In this case the conjunction begins at the 0. This article will concentrate on the most commonly used of the aspects. There are other aspects of Quintiles and Sequiquadrates but they will not be covered in this article. The aspects on either side of the conjunction that are marked 30 are semisextiles. The 45 on either side of the conjunction are semi squares The 60 aspects are sextiles. The 90 aspects are squares The 120 are trines!35 are sequiquadrates
150 are quincunxes or inconjuncts And 180 is an opposition. So the starting point is at 0 therefore any planet at 90 from 0 is in square or any planet 120 from 0 is in trine. So I like to use the concept of counting by 3 s. Mark the planet whose aspects you are looking for as 0 and then count; 0,30, 60 90 120 150 180. Once we get to180 we go backwards to the conjunction point again. So the key to interpreting the impact of an aspect depends on element, mode or gender. TABLE OF ASPECTS: ASPECT COMMON ELEMENT COMMON MODE COMMON GENDER CONJUNCTION YES YES YES SEMI-SEXTILE NO NO NO SEMI-SQUARE NO NO MAYBE SEXTILE NO NO YES SQUARE NO YES NO TRINE YES NO YES QUINCUNX NO NO NO OPPOSITION NO YES YES NB: This table is a general guide. There are many exceptions to these rules. This table allows us to see what the actual issues are that an aspect creates. CONJUNCTIONS If we begin with the conjunction we will notice that element gender and mode are all the same. The two planets that are combined by a conjunction are expressing in the exact same way. The difference lies in the actual planetary energy not in its expression. There are two components of psyche and they totally understand the way each other express. They have the same elemental source, same way of movement in the mode and same gender. If one acts the other will react in exactly the same way, so I suppose we could see this as very insular. It may be hard to be objective in viewing the response of these two planets. Of course if the conjunction is out of sign which often happens with planets that are at the end of a sign and the beginning of the next one, then
everything is different. There is no understanding in how each planet expresses yet they are joined by proximity. This gives the out of sign conjunction the nature of a semi-sextile and maybe it offers a broader perspective. SEMI-SEXTILE The semi-sextile is often an overlooked aspect. I too overlooked it for years until I started working with Shamanic Astrology which highlighted to me how operable they are. So often the client will say there is something here influencing a placement - pointing to next door to the semi-sextile position. So despite the total difference they are consciously felt, maybe it is the difference that brings the consciousness; whereas people with stellium conjunction patterns tend to clump them altogether and forget to delineate the difference between the actual planet concepts. They let the sign wash over all the pieces that the planets portray. The semi-sextile provides a bridge between the planets. It says there is understanding. There is contact we do pull together. We are reaching out to each other. To understand the subtleties of these aspects depends on what the planets are and our awareness of how they are functioning in our lives. I suppose we can have a same sign semi-sextile. if one planet is on 0 and another on 0 of next sign and then we could say both planets are on cusps so operating from dual sign as 0 of one sign =30 of another. Both planets would operate from a cusp; they can be both energies. SEMI-SQUARE This aspect is half of the square and is considered to cause friction and does not fit into my counting by threes concept but I use it, mostly when delineating the Sun/Mercury and Venus as they do not have much room to make aspects so I feel if they are in an aspect, it must mean something. Venus can semi-square the Sun- this creates a friction between purpose and desire. Not an overt constant pulling but these minor aspects are subtle. They certainly are not event orientated; they are possibly consciousness orientated. Other so-called major aspects may over-shadow the subtle effects of these aspects. It may take many years of inner journeys to detect the subtle influence of these aspects. In the 45 aspects, sometimes we have the same elemental blending as the sextiles only the mathematical degree isn t in harmony. OR Planet A can be in the late degrees of a sign and 45º further may be placed Planet B which may skip a sign totally.
for example. A is at 27º Gemini and B is at 12 Leo -Cancer is missed. Any planet placed after 20º of any sign will create a semi-square aspect two signs away. The Semi-squares therefore can operate like a semi-sextile in that it connects two planets in the signs side by side however the connection usually creates friction and perhaps highlights the incompatibility of the signs. OR It works with the same elemental blends found in the sextile which are fire to air or earth to water thus gender based. The semi-squares are saying actions creates ideas and ideas create actions Manifestation creates emotion and emotion creates manifestation And the energy flow is inharmonious. SEXTILES Sextiles seem to be quiet aspects. Nobody talks excitedly about their sextiles yet everyone assumes they operate well and I have found nothing to contradict this. There is a difference in mode and element in sextiles but the gender is the same so I think the strength in them is of gender. It will make the planetary circuit either action (fire/air) or passive (water/earth) according to gender either way it doesn t cause friction. I see the planets in sextile patterning as strengthening the operation of that particular circuit in a chart. They will back each other up. They may come from different elemental bases and move in a different manner but there is compatibility. The sextiles will move elementally from Fire to air Earth to water Air to fire Water to earth Thus they are saying actions creates ideas and ideas create actions Manifestation creates emotion and emotion creates manifestation And the energy flow is harmonious. Out of sign sextiles would be bumpy. The compatibility would leave. Gender is different, element stays different but the mode becomes the same, which tends to run our gentle sextiles to a square type flavor.
SQUARES Squares are notorious for being hard work. They alert us to the conflicting aspects of ourselves. People have great attachment to their squares especially if they form Grand Squares. What I find interesting in squares is the mode is the same. Planets come from different elements; they want to operate from a differing elemental source but they all want to do it in the same way. So if the square is in fixed energy, these placements will try to force each other to comply with their wishes, a battle of the wills is going on inside the one person. If they are mutable they will diffuse each other, one planet begins to function but gets diverted by the other planet coming up with a differing method of functioning. Finally the cardinal mode will compete against each other. The competition will be between elements. These conflicts are all internaliased. The square also crosses gender, a masculine planetary placement can only square the feminine and vice versa, unless we have an out of sign square. Sometimes an out of sign square can create the same elemental base as well which means we could have all element, mode and gender the same. Does this make it easier to deal with or easier to keep repeating the issues? It may break down the friction that brings awareness. I have found that people work on squares and they can become aspects of no difficulty at all. Awareness can say I am in this wing of the square and it works like this and I am in this part of the square and it operates as such. They may not be united but there can be peace in recognition of difference. The squares ask us to appreciate and respect our own differences. TRINES. We all love our trines, especially Grand Trines. The elements are the same, gender is the same; the difference lies in mode. From trines we could say that as long as all planets understand the element they can work together in differing modes. The only issue with the trine aspect is the lack of awareness of how they are operating and exactly what flows smoothly. We could see very negative patterns become entrenched in our trines and forget to have a look at exactly what is the story of each planet as it changes its modal flow to the next one. The trines emphasise a particular elemental pattern and gender in a chart. They are often the take off point in a chart. Once we enter the particular trine circuit we are going to move around the chart easily. The out of sign trine perhaps helps with awareness. If there is a placement that
Is out of sign it breaks the elemental and gender flow. In a Grand Trine with one end out of sign this may be the point of circuit breaker. If in a two planet trine then there is a change of gender, one wants action and one wants to be passive. Any out of sign trine though that keeps the modal difference flows easily, and it seems with trines the modal difference is what keeps them flowing, however if the out of sign trine doubles up on mode then we have a point of contemplation within the trine. Dual mode tends to create conflicts, as it is the nature of squares and oppositions to have the same mode. QUINCUNX Like the semi-sextile, with quincunxes nothing is the same. This is probably why we tend to overlook them. These are the sneaky tricksters of the aspect world. We feel uncomfortable, stuck in the same issues, re-examine our squares or oppositions or even trines before we check these out. Don t! Check them first. They have no understanding of each other however like a trine they will operate in differing modes and our trine tell us this works. In fact a Yod will cover every mode just like a trine. Gender is different and this usually makes us unsure how to act, whether to be passive or assertive. Elementally they will be different as well, which is one of the predicaments of the square and what separates them from the trine. Yes they need studying in any chart. When people experience them in Shamanic Astrology it is never a comfortable journey. Often they are the least controlled or understood of any aspect pattern. It is no surprise when people say I don t know this very well. Out of sign quincunxes don t help much either; as they can sometimes give a compatible element, gender and if moving into the opposition sign; mode. In theory this should shed light onto them but how often do you hear people discuss their quincunxes, Yods maybe. I still believe these are the shadows of the aspect world to date. OPPOSITIONS Well we do know our oppositions because they need other people to press them and we generally invite the other in to stomp on them and project to us the things we don t like in ourselves via their mirror. The mode and gender is in common so we have a familiarity when dealing with them. The element is different but in the same gender so really our conflict with the other is elemental. So my tip for dealing with oppositions is to switch elements. Your adversary will be coming from the opposite element to whichever end of the opposition you are sitting in. I find it an interesting practice if I think an opposition is in progress to walk toward the opposite end.
Example if the opposition is Mercury /Pluto. The issue is powerful speech so when speaking if you identify you are in Mercury walk toward Pluto. If you claim your planetary space, others cannot stand in it. Out of sign oppositions have no commonality and these people who step in to challenge us are real opponents that we will find hard to like or own because we believe we have nothing in common, at least on the conscious level. The opposition says you will be challenged; your issues aren t private but can be very public. They really are lessons in projection. They send us bouncing from one side of the chart to the other. Bounce willingly is my motto. Over my years of studying astrology, I no longer see aspects from a perspective of good or bad in fact this is very limited thinking. I see aspects as what type of flow exists between any groups of bodies in a chart. It tells me if an energy will move quickly and with ease or whether it will cause a problem within a circuit. I also believe the so-called positive aspects- the blue lines, can be just as troublesome as the red lined aspects. The real importance of aspects is the high lighting of connection between planets. If we consciously work on any aspect in a chart we can bring understanding and learn how to create a positive expression to its flow. Blessed Be Lyndall McQuinn.