Conjunction
0°
Neutral
Two planets stand in the same degree of sky, their lights fused into a single flame. The conjunction is union — potent, undiluted, and impossible to ignore.
The geometry of the heavens
The Five Major Aspects
Aspects are the angles the wandering planets strike against one another across the wheel of a nativity. Where two lights stand sixty, ninety, or a hundred and twenty degrees apart, the ancients drew a chord between them and listened to its tone — some chords harmonious, some dissonant, all of them music. Five great angles compose nearly all of a chart's conversation.
Sextile
60°
Harmonious
At sixty degrees apart, two planets exchange friendly glances across compatible elements. The sextile is opportunity — a door left ajar, waiting for a willing hand.
Square
90°
Challenging
Ninety degrees of tension set two planets at cross purposes, each demanding its due. The square is friction — the whetstone upon which character is sharpened.
Trine
120°
Harmonious
At a hundred and twenty degrees, two planets flow within the same element, effortless as a river finding the sea. The trine is grace — talent given freely by the heavens.
Opposition
180°
Challenging
Two planets face each other across the full diameter of the sky, each the other's mirror. The opposition is polarity — awareness born of standing at opposite shores.