Aspects in Astrology: How Planets Talk to Each Other
An aspect is an angle between two planets. The five major aspects are the conjunction (0 degrees), sextile (60), square (90), trine (120) and opposition (180). Aspects show how the parts of a chart work together: which planets support each other and which pull against each other.
The five major aspects
Each page explains the aspect in a birth chart, in transit and between two charts, with worked examples.
Orbs
Planets rarely sit at an exact angle, so astrologers allow an orb, a margin either side. This site uses 8 degrees for conjunctions, oppositions and trines, 7 for squares and 6 for sextiles. The tighter the orb, the stronger the aspect.
Easy and hard aspects
Trines and sextiles are called easy or soft: the planets cooperate. Squares and oppositions are hard: the planets conflict and push for change. Conjunctions depend on the planets involved. Hard aspects are often where a person's drive and achievements come from.
How aspects appear in horoscopes
When a horoscope says "Mercury square Mars", it means the two planets are 90 degrees apart in the sky that day. When a personal reading says "transiting Saturn trine your Sun", it means today's Saturn makes a trine to the Sun in your birth chart.
Find yours
Your chart lists every major aspect between your planets, with its orb. Birth chart calculator
Read today's sky against your own chart
Everything on this page applies to your chart in a particular way. A Precision Horoscope casts your chart, finds today's transits to it and writes the reading for you. The first one is free. Get my free personal reading