Aspects in astrology: angles, orbs, and planets
An aspect says how two functions of the chart dialogue, agree, or clash, according to the gap between the two planets.
- aspects
- orbs
- angles
- pairs of planets
By Thomas Guilhot · updated
The aspects at a glance
The planet says which function is acting; the aspect says whether two functions cooperate, clash, face each other, or merge.
- Five major aspects
- From harmony to tension
- The most tense
- Square and opposition
- The gentlest
- Trine and sextile
The profiles
Five angles, five aspects
Angles and orbs
The margin of each aspect
The orb is not standardized across schools; the site uses these values, the same as its chart calculator.
| Aspect | Angle | Orb | With the Sun or the Moon | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conjunction | 0° | ± 8° | ± 10° | Depends on the planets |
| Sextile | 60° | ± 5° | ± 6° | Harmonious |
| Square | 90° | ± 7° | ± 8° | Dynamic |
| Trine | 120° | ± 7° | ± 8° | Harmonious |
| Opposition | 180° | ± 8° | ± 10° | Dynamic |
The pairs
Each pair of planets
Choose the aspect, then the pair’s cell: 214 pages.
| Moon | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | ☌︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | |||||||
| Venus | ☌︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎ | ||||||
| Mars | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | |||||
| Jupiter | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ||||
| Saturn | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | |||
| Uranus | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ||
| Neptune | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | |
| Pluto | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ | ☌︎⚹︎□︎△︎☍︎ |
| Sun | Moon | Mercury | Venus | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptune |
Crossed-out cell: an aspect the sky never forms (Mercury stays within 28° of the Sun, Venus within 47°).
How an aspect is calculated
The five major aspects come from Ptolemy, who bases them on the geometry of the signs. The conjunction joins two planets; the sextile and the trine bring them into accord; the square and the opposition set them in tension. None is good or bad: an ease can lull, a tension can build. Each aspect allows a margin, the orb, which is not standardized between schools; Versana keeps a single set, that of the calculation engine, a little wider when the Sun or the Moon takes part.
Certain pairs never form certain aspects. Mercury never strays more than 28° from the Sun, Venus more than 47°: these impossible combinations have no page. Aspects between slow planets, such as Uranus and Pluto, last months or years; they describe a generation more than a person.
Frequently asked questions about the aspects
What is an aspect in astrology?
It is a notable angle between two planets, measured along the zodiac. The five major aspects are the conjunction (0°), the sextile (60°), the square (90°), the trine (120°), and the opposition (180°). Each describes a way in which two functions of the chart combine: fusion, cooperation, friction, accord, or face-off.
What is the orb of an aspect?
Two planets rarely form an exact angle. The orb is the margin allowed around the angle: on the site, 8° around 0° and 180°, 7° around 90° and 120°, 5° around 60°, each value increasing by one or two degrees when a luminary is involved. The tighter the gap, the more marked the aspect would be.
What do applying and separating mean?
An aspect is applying when the faster planet is approaching the exact angle, separating when it is moving away from it. Tradition judged the applying aspect more active, turned toward what is being built; the separating one, more inward, turned toward what has already played out. The chart calculated on the site shows the direction of each aspect.