I have spent a lot of time going deeper with astrology; it's one of my favorite themes but also incredibly complex. I have always approached it as a personal awareness tool, looking to my chart for journaling and intuitive healing prompts. Prediction has never been my thing. In part because I've learned to rely on my intuition, and I would rather focus on healing and integrating.
As a healer/astrologer, one of the coolest things about tech is the fact that anyone can access their chart without having to dig through pages of astrological calendars. Or without calculating how many degrees the Earth had spun past sunrise at the their time of birth (Rising Sign).
The past few weeks I've been sharing the basics of chart interpretation on Instagram every Thursday. You'll find a summary HERE.
Looking at Aspects In Astrology
Today I would like to share the next and final theme from the introduction: Aspects, or planetary interactions. This is my favorite theme in natal astrology but it's also where I zoned out when I started studying my chart. My mind couldn’t process the lines crisscrossing the chart.
But it's worth it - I've tried to keep it as simple as possible 😅
In previous posts we looked at the the Personal Planets and what they represent in the personality or the psyche. For example, Venus tells us what a person wants and values whereas Mars is how they go about getting what Venus wants. The Moon speaks to emotions and inner security. Mercury is how one thinks, speaks and processes info.
Most of us are familiar with the idea of the Planets in Zodiac Signs and what it means if Mars is in Libra, for example, but there is a WHOLE other layer to astrology that speaks to how well these qualities in the psyche relate to each other. Do they play ball as a team or not etc?
Have a look at the chart below - the red and blue lines zigzagging across the circle are ASPECTS. These lines tell us where to focus our efforts at self-healing and integrating. And it’s usually with the tense aspects (Red) that we find alchemy - turning our base metal into gold.
Please have a look at the example chart below! I've focused on just one interaction as there are too many to cover. You'll see Mars and the Moon squaring off; this tension will push the individual into action. I like to think of the square (90 degrees) as tension that guitar strings need to play music. You'll also see Jupiter sending a ray of confidence and luck to Mars, which makes it easier for that person to get what they're going after (or to stay positive in the face of setbacks).
The Red is Creative Tension
Blue flows easily, they get along!
There is a lot more to Aspect theory. For example, we can also look at the degree that the planets are in to see how strong the effect is. In this chart, the Moon is at 3 degrees and the Sun is at 5 degrees, a difference of roughly 2 degrees (also known as an Orb). The smaller the Orb, the stronger the effect. I tend to focus my energy healing efforts on aspects with orbs under 5-6 degrees, and always spend more time on those under 3 degrees.
If one of the outer planets (Uranus, Pluto or Neptune) is in close aspect to your Sun or Moon, it will have a HUGE effect on your personality. We haven't covered these planets yet, but in most cases, they are said to be felt on a generational level rather than an individual. I have aspects to all three but I somehow missed the Neptune connection until recently - there is just so much to look at! 😅
🇪🇸 I have a close (narrow orb) aspect between my Sun and Uranus - makes me more of an Aquarius. Uranus rules Aquarius, very independent lol
The Geometry of Aspects
There is also a LOT to be said about the angles formed - that is where the magic happens. If you'd like to know about the meaning of specific ASPECTS, say 60 degree angles vs 90 or 120, The Astrology Podcast has a fantastic 2-hour video on YouTube. It is remarkably easy to follow (Watch it HERE). I've always thought of our personal planets as members of our soccer team lol. The Podcast's explanation of planets in aspect as ‘planets that can see each other’ resonates with me. When in aspect, they can play ball together.
There are many wonderful astrology books out there - Judy Hall's The Astrology Bible is at the top of my recommended reading list because of the chapter on Aspects. I use these as journaling prompts and she covers them in just enough detail. Sue Tompkins' Aspects in Astrology is also fantastic but I wouldn't recommend it right out of the gate.
Check out the Astrology Tab if you're brand new to healing with the stars. The opposition (180°) is the basis for Integrating the Shadow.
Happy Halloween!
Regina
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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, astrologer and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. She holds a BA in Philosophy from Tufts University and an MBA from IPADE - focusing on ethics, finance and leadership. Regina’s passion is bringing self-love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to awaken your intuition and channel energy healing. Available on Amazon.
