Aspects
Aspects qualify the relationships between the Planets in the sky, but can also help define or clarify the relationship between any objects. The phases of the moon correspond to aspects between the moon and sun.
For example, a Trine occurs between two celestial bodies when they form a 120 degree angle with each other, and it implies a particular relationship between them as the special angle is approached and then left behind.
Explore the meanings of the major Aspects below:
The aspect angles are defined as follows:
Conjunction = 0 degrees
Sextile = 60 degrees (1/6th of a circle)
Square = 90 degrees (1/4th of a circle)
Trine = 120 degrees (1/3rd of a circle)
Opposition = 180 degrees (1/2 of a circle)
Avoidance = No special aspect angle
Retrograde is not an angle, but rather an aspect of motion, in which a planet appears from earth to move in the opposite direction as the rest of the planets across the sky
Direct is the opposite of Retrograde, in which a planet is moving in the same direction across the sky as the other planets
Each planet is always either in Retrograde or Direct, and when it transitions from to the other, it is said to “go Retrograde”, or “go Direct”.
Celestial Tension and Harmony Between the Cards
If a card appears by an aspect symbol, think of it as describing the relationship between two another force, possibly the card on the opposite side. The aspect card can you inform you whether they support, clash, or bypass each other.
How Planetary Angles Create Meaning
Aspects form a kind of geometric language in the sky. When planets stand shoulder to shoulder in a Conjunction, their energies mingle and merge, sometimes harmoniously, sometimes tensely. A Sextile creates a gentle synergy—an easy current of cooperation. Squares, by contrast, provoke friction: planets press at right angles, generating movement through tension. A Trine flows like a well-oiled machine, smooth and reinforcing. And when planets oppose each other directly, in an Opposition, they set up a tug-of-war that demands integration of opposites. Not every celestial relationship forms a neat angle, though—Avoidance reflects a kind of sidestepping, where energies coexist without direct engagement.
