Conscious Community Magazine Dedicated to Elevating Consciousness
Related Articles
By Kaye Berjot –
So far, you’ve learned about the 10 planets, the 12 signs of the zodiac, the 12 houses, the ascendant, the Moon, and the importance of the Sun. I’ve covered years of knowledge in just a few months, and for your convenience, all previous articles can be found at www.ConsciousCommunityMagazine.com .
In this month’s article I am covering transits and aspects in Western Astrology. Transits and aspects add an additional layer to astrology because they help us understand how planets interact with one another, and how they relate to the ascendant and other more advanced points within a chart.
In beginning astrology you will most often work with the following aspects:
- A-B Opposition
- C-D Square
- A-C Trine
- B-C Sextile
- E-A Conjunction
- F-A Transit
When planets are 180 degrees away from one another they are said to be in opposition. In the above example planet A and planet B depict this aspect. When an individual has an opposition in their chart they are struggling with which planet they identify with. An example would be if the Moon is in opposition to Jupiter. The individual may be overly emotional, and identify with Jupiter, or the individual may restrict their emotions by not identifying with Jupiter.
A square is when planets are 90 degrees away from one another. Planets C and D represent this aspect. Squares are tension points, and they occur so that people can take some form of action. In many cases squares can lead to stress. An example would be if Venus is square to Mars. Venus represents values and love, while Mars represents action and force. Therefore, this could indicate an individual that becomes stressed when they must stand up for their values.
Planets B to C represent a Sextile and are 60 degrees apart from one another. Sextiles represent characteristics that individuals like about themselves, and they will usually work more tenaciously on growing those characteristics. A person with Mercury sextile Neptune might be an inspirational communicator, because Mercury represents communication, and Neptune represents faith and what we are inspired by.
Trines are 120 degrees apart and are similar to sextiles. Planets A-C represent a Trine. Trines are naturally occurring talents that individuals have. Oftentimes individuals are unconscious to these talents because they are deeply engrained within the person’s nature. If you’ve ever given someone a compliment, or asked them, “how did you do that?” and they reply, “I don’t know, that’s just how I am…” then a trine is most likely the aspect to thank.
Conjunctions occur in natal charts when planets are side by side (1-2 degrees apart) or are located on the same degree. Planets A and E represent a conjunction. The planets are blended, and are in harmony with one another. A Uranus Venus conjunction could indicate an individual that values adventure, or is adventurous with regards to financial or love pursuits. Individuals with conjunctions may assume that others are just like them when it comes to the planetary conjunction, and may ask the question, “Doesn’t everyone feel this way?”
The aspects that I’ve discussed pertain to a natal birth chart. As a reminder, this type of chart is based upon your individual time, place, and date of birth. Due to the fact that planets are constantly in motion they cause transits to occur.
A transit occurs when a planet stops at a degree that is conjunct, trine, sextile, or in opposition to a natal planet in your chart. In the above example, planet F is a transiting planet and is conjunct natal planets A and E, opposition natal planet B, and trine natal planet C. A transit is an external force whereas natal planets are internal. A Saturn transit to Venus would indicate that external circumstances could cause you to build stability with regards to the things you find valuable.
Because all charts are unique to individuals, some charts may not have aspects. In these cases missing aspects indicate:
- Conjunctions- Lack of internal harmony
- Sextiles- Tendency to avoid pursuing opportunities to grow their talents
- Squares – Little to no motivation to move forward
- Trines-Tendency towards internal conflict
- Oppositions-Little attention is paid towards learning from others
Summary:
Throughout the series, I’ve discussed how all of the components of astrology work together to provide insight. Aspects and transits are no different because they derive their meaning from the houses, the zodiac signs, the ascendants, and the planets.
The best way to put the pieces of the puzzle together is to look at a chart, which we will do next month.
We would like to thank all of you who continue to support The Conscious Community Magazine. We value your support, and feel honored that you choose to be an active participant as we evolve. Many blessings!
Kaye Berjot is a transformational astrologer who can be contacted for readings and guidance at: [email protected].
