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Aspects in a birth chart: the five major angles
By the Hourwyn team
An aspect is an angle between two planets on a birth chart, measured along the zodiac. The five major aspects are the conjunction (0°), sextile (60°), square (90°), trine (120°) and opposition (180°). Astrologers read them as the way two planets work together, with squares and oppositions seen as tension and trines and sextiles as ease.
The five major aspects
| Aspect | Angle | Signs apart | Traditional reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conjunction | 0° | Same sign | The two planets act as one. The effect depends on which planets they are. |
| Sextile | 60° | Two | Cooperation that takes a little effort to use |
| Square | 90° | Three | Friction that pushes toward action |
| Trine | 120° | Four | Ease. The two work together without effort. |
| Opposition | 180° | Six | A pull between two sides that asks for balance |
Hard and soft aspects
Squares and oppositions are called hard aspects. Trines and sextiles are called soft. Hard does not mean bad in the tradition: hard aspects are where astrologers expect effort and growth to concentrate, and a chart with only soft aspects is read as comfortable and less driven.
Orbs: how close counts
Two planets are rarely exactly 90° or 120° apart. The margin allowed either side is the orb. A square of 87° has an orb of 3°. The tighter the orb, the more weight astrologers give the aspect.
There is no single standard for orbs. Most astrologers allow more room for the Sun and the Moon than for the other planets. This is why two sites can list a different number of aspects for the same chart.
Applying and separating
If the faster planet was moving toward the exact angle at birth, the aspect is applying. If it had already passed, it is separating. Traditional astrology treats an applying aspect as the stronger of the two.
Out-of-sign aspects
Angles are measured in degrees, and signs do not always agree. A planet at 28° of Aries and another at 2° of Cancer are 64° apart: a sextile by angle with a 4° orb, although Aries and Cancer are three signs apart, which is the distance of a square. Astrologers call this an out-of-sign aspect and usually read it as weaker.
Minor aspects
Beyond the five there are minor aspects, among them the semisextile (30°), semisquare (45°), quintile (72°) and quincunx (150°). They are used with small orbs and by some astrologers only.
Common questions
What are the five major aspects in astrology?
The conjunction (0°), sextile (60°), square (90°), trine (120°) and opposition (180°). They are also called the Ptolemaic aspects, after the second-century astronomer Ptolemy, who described them.
What does a square mean in a birth chart?
Two planets about 90° apart. Astrologers read it as friction between what the two planets stand for, and as a source of drive, because the tension asks to be worked out.
What is the difference between a square and an opposition?
A square is 90° and is read as inner friction that pushes toward action. An opposition is 180° and is read as a pull between two sides, often met through other people.
Which aspect is the hardest?
Tradition names the square and the opposition as the difficult ones. How an aspect is read depends more on the planets involved and on the orb than on its type.
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Sources
- Astrological aspect. Wikipedia.
The guides are written by Hourwyn with the help of AI tools. Astronomical and historical facts are checked against the sources listed under each guide. Astrology is described as a tradition and offered for entertainment. Nothing here is medical, financial, legal or psychological advice.