Astrological Aspects
Detailed reference guide to major and minor aspects used in astrology.
What is an Aspect?
In astrology, aspects are the angular relationships between the degrees of planets on the ecliptic. This geometric connection between two planets defines how their energies interact. Aspects are fundamental tools for understanding the dynamics in a birth chart, they symbolize different experiences from harmonious flows to challenging tensions.
Our post on astrological aspects covers the major aspects and their meanings in more detail.
Major Aspects
The five major aspects are the building blocks of astrology, representing the most powerful geometric relationships in chart interpretation.
☌︎ Conjunction
0°, Orb: ±8°The energies of two planets merge and intensify. The beginning of new cycles.
Neutral (depends on planets)⚹︎ Sextile
60°, Orb: ±4°Gentle harmony, opportunities activated through conscious effort.
Beneficial□︎ Square
90°, Orb: ±8°Creates inner conflict and struggle, but can be the engine of growth.
Challenging△︎ Trine
120°, Orb: ±8°Natural flow and talent. Ease that comes without effort.
Beneficial☍︎ Opposition
180°, Orb: ±8°Seeking balance between two opposing energies. Reflection in relationships.
ChallengingSigns in Aversion
In classical doctrine an aspect is first a relationship between two signs. Counting from a planet's sign, the 2nd, 6th, 8th and 12th signs form no classical aspect with it. The planet cannot see them. These signs are said to be in aversion (Latin aversio, a turning away).
A planet in Aries does not see Taurus (2nd), Virgo (6th), Scorpio (8th) or Pisces (12th). The semi-sextile (30°) and the quincunx (150°) connect exactly these signs. This is why both fall outside classical doctrine.
Sign-based and degree-based aspects
A sign-based aspect is the relationship between the signs of two planets. A planet in Aries is trine a planet in Leo, whatever their degrees. A degree-based aspect is the perfection of that relationship within orb. If the distance between the two planets does not exceed half the sum of their orbs, the aspect is also complete by degree.
Out-of-sign aspects
Sometimes two planets are within orb by degree while their signs do not form that aspect. This is called an out-of-sign aspect. For example, 29° Aries and 1° Virgo are 122° apart. The distance is close to a trine, but Aries and Virgo do not see each other. A sign-based reading does not count this link as an aspect. A reading that looks only at degrees may treat it as a trine.
Minor Aspects
Supporting aspects that carry subtler effects than the major aspects, working with narrow orbs. These aspects were added by Kepler and later astrologers. They are not part of classical doctrine.
⚺︎ Semi-sextile
30°
Orb: ±2°
Slight disharmony, adjustment. A subtle tension and process of getting accustomed between adjacent signs.
∠︎ Semi-square
45°
Orb: ±2°
Inner restlessness, irritation. A milder but persistently felt version of the square; creates minor friction.
⬠︎ Quintile
72°
Orb: ±2°
Creativity, special talent. An aspect associated with extraordinary skills and creative expression capacity.
⚼︎ Sesquiquadrate
135°
Orb: ±2°
Friction, impatience. Challenges coming from external conditions; unresolved tensions resurfacing.
⚻︎ Quincunx (Inconjunct)
150°
Orb: ±2°
Incongruity, constant need for adjustment. A perpetual fine-tuning between two energies that struggle to understand each other.
Aspect Table
Comparative summary table of all aspects.
| Symbol | Aspect Name | Degree | Orb | Type | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☌︎ | Conjunction | 0° | ±8° | Major | Neutral |
| ⚺︎ | Semi-sextile | 30° | ±2° | Minor | Neutral |
| ∠︎ | Semi-square | 45° | ±2° | Minor | Challenging |
| ⚹︎ | Sextile | 60° | ±4° | Major | Beneficial |
| ⬠︎ | Quintile | 72° | ±2° | Minor | Beneficial |
| □︎ | Square | 90° | ±8° | Major | Challenging |
| △︎ | Trine | 120° | ±8° | Major | Beneficial |
| ⚼︎ | Sesquiquadrate | 135° | ±2° | Minor | Challenging |
| ⚻︎ | Quincunx | 150° | ±2° | Minor | Challenging |
| ☍︎ | Opposition | 180° | ±8° | Major | Challenging |
Orbs vary from school to school. This table gives values common in modern textbooks. The Aspect Chart tool uses a fixed 6° for major aspects and 2° for minor ones. Classical moiety orbs (Lilly and al-Bīrūnī) are explained in the Orbs and Direction section below. The Lilly and al-Bīrūnī moiety modes are currently available in the Turkish version of the Aspect Chart.
Orbs and Direction
Planetary orbs and the moiety
In traditional astrology the orb belongs to the planet, not to the aspect. Each planet has a field of light around it. Two traditions give different numbers. According to al-Bīrūnī and Abu Ma'shar, the Sun has 15°, the Moon 12°, Saturn and Jupiter 9°, Mars 8°, Venus and Mercury 7°. William Lilly in Christian Astrology gives the Sun 17°, the Moon 12.5°, Jupiter 12°, Saturn 10°, Venus 8°, Mars 7.5° and Mercury 7°. Lilly's values are wider for the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, and slightly narrower for Mars. Mercury is 7° in both.
The calculation works the same way in both traditions. An aspect holds when the distance between two planets does not exceed half the sum of their orbs. This half is called the moiety. For the Sun and Saturn the limit is (17 + 10) / 2 = 13.5° in Lilly, and (15 + 9) / 2 = 12° in al-Bīrūnī and Abu Ma'shar. The ±8° and ±4° values on this page are a practical convenience. The classical orb is planet-based.
Dexter and sinister aspects
An aspect also has a direction. The planet later in zodiacal order casts a dexter (right-hand) aspect backward, against the order of signs, to the earlier planet. The earlier planet casts a sinister (left-hand) aspect forward. For example, with Saturn in Capricorn and the Sun in Aries, the Sun casts a dexter square to Saturn, and Saturn casts a sinister square to the Sun.