What an aspect is

An aspect is the angular relationship between two planets in your chart. Some angles connect their energies smoothly; others create friction; others put the planets in a dialogue. Aspects are how the chart's planets talk to each other, and most of the interesting interpretation lives there.

The five major aspects

• Conjunction (0°): same place. The two planets fuse and act as one.
• Sextile (60°): cooperative. Easy energy, but needs to be chosen, not coasted on.
• Square (90°): friction. Real tension, real growth. Not bad, demanding.
• Trine (120°): harmonious flow. The smoothest aspect, but can be lazy if everything's too easy.
• Opposition (180°): pulled in opposite directions. Often a felt push-pull between two parts of yourself.

Minor aspects worth knowing

• Inconjunct / Quincunx (150°): the two planets don't speak the same language. Often the most underestimated source of low-grade misalignment.
• Semi-sextile (30°): mild friction between adjacent signs.

Orb

Aspects aren't exact-or-nothing. A "trine" can be off by a few degrees and still operate. The allowed wiggle is called the orb. Vronsky uses tight orbs (3-5°) for clarity; modern astrology often allows up to 10° for the Sun and Moon.

How to read aspects

Two questions: which planets and which aspect. Saturn-square-Sun is structural tension between your identity and discipline. Venus-trine-Jupiter is easy abundance in love and worth. Mars-conjunct-Pluto is intensity that has to be channelled or it consumes.

A House Call reading puts all three traditions on one chart and shows where they agree and where they do not. For why a Western and a Vedic chart can name different signs for the same Sun, see why the charts disagree.