Aspects: Understanding the Energies at Play

The planets have agendas and preferred ways of doing their thing

Hello reader! Every Wednesday, I post the notes from this week’s episode of Maria Luz’s Conscious Curiosities podcast. I recently released some free tools, including this one on Planets.

If you are relatively new to astrology, and have learned your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, maybe dipped a toe into your personal planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), I will offer a next step to deepen your understanding of the energies which may arise internally and externally. I must disclose that it involves math, but no higher than addition and subtraction. 

Here is how I think aspects can make you feel more aligned and easeful in your life:

• Help you see where you have challenges to manage, as well as where you may experience a natural flow. 

• Show you where the advice given in astrology horoscopes/forecasts is drawn from, so you can determine the impact based upon your management of that planetary arrangement.

• Indicate likely themes in relation with another person, so you can consciously manage them.

The birth chart is 360°, with each sign spanning 30°. The number of degrees between the planets moving counter-clockwise, will tell you the aspect between them. I will begin with the major aspects, but note that there are many more to explore. The closer to the exact degree of the aspect, the stronger the energy described, although astrologers use an orb (circle around the exact degree) within which the influence exists. 

Any planet aspecting the Sun or Moon has an orb of 10° on either side of exact. Most astrologers use an orb of ~5° for other planets to one another. Also, be aware that astrologers also change the orb depending on the specific aspect type being evaluated. Aspects to the angles (ASC, IC, DSC, MC) are also considered.

I will present the information on the major aspects and then give some examples of how it would manifest given some combinations of planets and scenarios.

Conjunction: 0° separation. The energy of the planets mingles and creates a ‘super planet’ that cannot react independently of the other planet. This feels like a blend of the two planets. If one is aspected, the other will feel it, as well.

Photo by Andy Sanchez on Unsplash

Sextile: 30°, 330°. There is a not obvious ability for cooperation between the energies, yet it exists. Often, conscious awareness or external circumstances are needed to activate and tap into this.

Square: 90°, 270°. There is a serious challenge, that, unless worked out, prevents either planet from expressing its energy in the typical manner and strength. Until this is managed, it feels frustrating, like you keep repeating the same pattern and you cannot figure out why.

Trine: 120°, 240°. There is an easy flow of energy between the two planets. This may be so easeful that it could become a weak spot if one of the planets involved is significantly challenged, and the challenge ends up activating the other planet.

Inconjunct/Quincunx: 150°, 210°. There is an adjustment to be made, a lesson to learn about the less obvious energy of the planets involved. Perhaps a hidden agenda to decode. This can feel like something is sneaking up on you.

Opposition: 180°. There is an obvious confrontation and need to acknowledge each planet’s energy and negotiate a manner of existing for the highest good. This may feel like a flip flop or constant imbalance until the negotiation is consciously made.

There are plenty of caveats, of course, such as which planet may have a stronger position, due to other factors. However, even if you simply have awareness that you have a square aspect between two planets, you will experience your life’s challenges through a different perspective, because it applies some logic where it may presently feel random or mysterious.

You may calculate the aspect between two planets in your birth chart, or between a planet in your birth chart and a planet in the sky (called a transiting planet). By placing another individual’s chart on top of your own, you may calculate aspects between the planets in the two charts. 

You could then take the following approach to understand how to work with the energies:

1. Eyeball your chart to identify obvious aspects from the list above (for example, two planets are opposite one another on the wheel), then calculate how many degrees are between them, moving counterclockwise beginning with the slower moving planet (note that if the Sun is involved, always start with the Sun). If there is an aspect, taking into consideration the orb, proceed to step 2.

2. Describe the individual energy of each planet involved, by its sign and house placement. Remember, the sign is its manner of operating and the house is generally where that planet will play a prominent role in your life.

3. Considering the activation that the aspect introduces to the two planets, how might this manifest? How will this awareness help you in a practical or emotional way?

The order of planets, slowest to fastest, when calculating the separation: Sun, Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Moon

Example 1: The Full Moon person (an Opposition). 

I see this quite a bit, perhaps because I attract these people! This configuration is when the Sun and Moon are in an opposition aspect to one another. The Sun is your ego self, or conscious purpose, while your Moon is your emotional self. The Sun generally wants you to shine in the house that it resides, using its gifts via the sign it is in. The Moon generally wants to keep you safe, healthy, and comfortable, especially in the area of life represented by the house it resides in, in the mode of its sign.

Let’s use one of my son’s chart (slightly fudged) as an example. His Sun is at 6° Virgo in the 11th house, and his Moon is at 15° Pisces in the 5th house. Going counterclockwise from his Sun to his Moon, I calculate 189°, which is just within the 10° orb for an opposition (180°). His Sun’s agenda by house and sign is to be in groups (11th house), serving them, mentoring them, keeping them organized (all Virgo) for the highest good of all (11th house). His Moon’s agenda is to creatively express himself (5th house) through music, imagination, and spirituality (Pisces). His conscious negotiation involves having boundaries on how much he gives of himself to the various groups he is involved with in order to leave energy and time to create in solitude in the world of his imagination. If he is in a time period where this is not managed, he can tend to hermit himself away furiously creating and then slide to the opposite polarity and be with his friends and other groups 24/7 as the person keeping things humming by adapting to the group’s needs.

Example 2

The Mega or Super Planet person (a Conjunction).

This is pretty common, especially with Mercury and the Sun, because Mercury’s orbit to the Sun is so tight. Most astrologers say that Mercury, more than other planets, takes on the energy of the planet it is conjunct with.

If we pretend that my son has Mercury at 10° Virgo, this would mean that his way of perceiving and communicating would be filtered through how it would come across to groups, or perhaps in rebellion to the status quo (also 11th house). The mode would be technically precise (Virgo) and likely deferential to others (also Virgo). Combined into a Mega planet, if it were conjunct his Sun, this may be someone who is the spokesperson for the group, or who thinks, writes, or speaks about group-related dynamics or issues.

I notice that per Astro-seek.com that Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty, and Joni Mitchell all have Venus (singing) conjunction Neptune (music, imagination), and Jon Bon Jovi, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, and Trent Reznor all have Venus conjunct the Sun.

I want to leave you with the square aspect, because It is said that the square aspect provides the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity for growth. I have definitely found this to be true, especially with Neptune square to my Sun, which can manifest as a compulsion for escapism, especially using alcohol, if one doesn’t negotiate sufficient time for the subconscious (Neptune) to have significant time to roam and integrate with the conscious (Sun). Thankfully, once I became aware of Neptune’s agenda, I was able to allow it to operate in a way that doesn’t compromise my well-being. Matthew Perry and Whitney Houston also shared this aspect, as does Drew Barrymore, who is now sober. 

I hope you are now feeling empowered to be consciously curious about aspects in astrology!