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Introduction
Conjunction, Opposition, Square, Trine,
Sextile, Semisextile and Quincunx
Two planets form an aspect when their degree of separation (the absolute difference of their longitudes) is sufficiently close to one of the following: 0° (conjunction), 180° (opposition), 90° (square), 120° (trine), 60° (sextile), 30° (semisextile) or 150° (quincunx). Astrologers also recognize other aspects, not dealt with here.A certain inexactness is permitted, which is called the orb. Thus if an orb of 10° is used then two planets are conjunct if they are separated by less than 10°. They are opposite if their separation is less than 10° from 180°, they are square if their separation is less than 10° from 90°, they are trine if their separation is less than 10° from 120°, and so on. For example, if a certain planet's longitude is 35° then another planet will be square to it if the second planet's longitude is anything between 115° and 135°.
The exactness of an aspect is expressed as the difference between the actual angle separating the planets and the ideal angle of separation for that aspect. For example, if Mercury has longitude 55° and Mars has longitude 57° then the exactness of that conjunction is 2°. If Venus has longitude 80° and Jupiter has longitude 195° then they form a trine aspect with an exactness of 5° (= 120°-(195°-80°)).
The sample screenshot given in the Introduction shows all the planetary aspects at June 9, 2010 (using the default values for the orbs) together with how close to exact those aspects are.
When three or more planets are such that each pair of planets forms an aspect then we have what is called an aspect pattern. The main ones are described below.
3- and 4-Stellium
A 3-stellium occurs when three planets are all conjunct to each other. A 4-stellium occurs when four planets are all conjunct to each other. 3-stelliums are fairly common (because Mercury remains close to the Sun) but 4-stelliums are not. Here is an example of a 4-stellium, Mercury-Venus-Mars-Saturn, with Pluto opposite all four planets and Neptune trine to them. This arrangement occurred on May 11, 2002.Grand Trine
A grand trine occurs when three planets are such that each pair of planets forms a trine aspect. This is considered auspicious.Here is an instance of a grand trine (Mercury-Jupiter-Pluto) which will occur on September 13, 2011. (On this date Pluto forms a T-square with Venus and Uranus.)
You can read more about the meaning of the grand trine aspect pattern and the meanings of the other aspect patterns mentioned below, by consulting some of the web pages given in Astrology-Related Links.
Kite
A kite occurs when three planets form a grand trine and a fourth planet is opposite to one of them and is sextile to the other two.Here is an instance of a kite consisting of a grand trine formed by Mars, Jupiter and Pluto, with the Sun opposite Mars and sextile to Jupiter and Pluto. This kite will occur on March 2, 2012.
T-square
A T-square occurs when three planets A, B and C are such that A is opposite to C and B is square to both A and C. A screenshot in the Introduction shows three T-squares, in particular the Saturn-Pluto-Uranus T-square (which, using an orb of 10°, began on February 9, 2010, and will last until October 4, 2010). This T-square is part of one of the grand crosses shown in the image below.
T-squares are traditionally considered inauspicious, but may be regarded more positively as indicating a challenging situation to be overcome. (Regarding the Saturn-Pluto-Uranus T-square just mentioned, see Renn Butler's Hard Labor and Rebirth in the Psyche — The Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-Square.)
Grand Cross
A grand cross occurs when four planets, A, B, C and D are such that A is opposite C, B is opposite D, A is square to B, B is square to C, C is square to D and D is square to A. This is cause for alarm.
Here is an instance of not just one but four grand crosses (Su-Ju-Pl-Sa, Su-Sa-Pl-Ur, Me-Ju-Pl-Sa and Me-Sa-Pl-Ur), occurring on June 25, 2010.
Rectangle
A rectangle occurs when four planets A, B, C and D are such that A is opposite to C, B is opposite to D, A is sextile to B and trine to D, and C is sextile to D and trine to A.
Here is an instance of a rectangle, Su-Ma-Ne-Ju, which occurred on March 14, 1965. With slightly larger orbs for trines and sextiles there are three additional rectangles (Su-Pl-Ne-Ju, Ve-Ma-Ne-Ju and Ve-Pl-Ne-Ju).
An unusual planetary arrangement occurred from February 6, 1945, through February 13: A T-square (Ve-Sa-Ne), a grand trine (Me-Ur-Ne), two kites (Ne-Me-Ur-Ve, Me-Ur-Ne-Pl) and a rectangle (Me-Pl-Ne-Ve), with all and only the outer planets retrograde. This arrangement coincided almost exactly with the Yalta Conference (a meeting of Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin), which took place from February 4 through February 11.
Yod
A yod is an aspect pattern formed by three planets, A, B and C, where B forms quincunxes (150° aspect) with A and C, and A and C are sextile (60° aspect).
Here is an example of two yods (Me-Sa-Ve and Ma-Su-Ur) occurring simultaneously at 06:00 GMT on April 24, 1982. In this graphic only the sextiles and quincunxes are shown for the sake of clarity. (See the user manual for how to remove selected aspects from the image.)
Yod Kite
A yod kite is similar to a kite, but instead of three trines plus a fourth planet opposite to one of them, a yod kite is a yod with a fourth planet opposite to the planet at the vertex of the quincunxes and semisextile to the other two.
Here is a yod kite (Su-Sa-Ne-Ur) which occurred at the time of the Deepwater Horizon blowout (22:00 local time on April 20, 2010). Again, in this graphic only the oppositions, sextiles, semisextiles and quincunxes are shown for the sake of clarity.
At right is another yod kite (Sa-Ju-Pl-Ve) which begins at midnight GMT on December 20/21, 2012, and lasts until December 25.
Yod kites are unusual. By means of this software the following can easily be confirmed: During the twelve years 2007 through 2018 there are only eleven yod kites. There are none in the years 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016 through 2018. In 2007 there was one yod kite (February 12-14), in 2010 there are six, in 2012 there will be three (all in December), and in 2015 there will be one (May 19-22). They last on average four days. In these twelve years yod kites were present on forty days, so during this period the probability of a yod kite being present on a given date is less than 1%.
Trapezium
A trapezium is composed of four planets, A, B, C and D, with
- A sextile B, B sextile C, C sextile D,
- A opposite D and
- A trine to C and B trine to D.
The image at right shows three trapeziums, Ve-Ne-Pl-Sa, Ma-Pl-Sa-Ve and Ju-Pl-Sa-Ve, which occur on July 29, 2013. (The orbs used for this image were set as follows: opposition 4°, trine 6°, sextile 5°, all others 0°; thus only oppositions, trines and sextiles appear.) This planetary configuration also includes two grand trines, four kites and two rectangles (plus three T-squares) and so is rather unusual. What makes it even more unusual is that the Moon at this time is situated halfway between Neptune and Jupiter, and with these two planets plus Venus, Saturn and Pluto a very rare grand sextile is formed.
Midpoint
An arrangement of three planets is called a midpoint if no two of them are conjunct and the position of one of them is within a specified range (the midpoint orb) of the exact midpoint beween the other two. There are actually two exact midpoints (called the near midpoint and the directly opposite far midpoint), and the intermediate planet can be located at either of them. The midpoint orb can be set (in this software) to any of eight values from 0° 5' to 3° (see below).A midpoint is not an aspect because it involves more than two planets, and it is not an aspect pattern because the planets involved do not have to form aspects with each other (though they may, e.g., in a T-square). Nevertheless a midpoint is considered significant by many astrologers.
The image at right shows three midpoints which will occur on June 7, 2011: Mars midway between Mercury and Jupiter, Jupiter midway between Venus and Uranus, and Saturn midway between Mars and Neptune.
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