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IN the first volume of this series, Astrology for All. Chapter VII, a list was given of the aspects formed between the heavenly bodies as they pass along the zodiac, and for convenience sake this list may here be repeated in the following form:—

The formation of these aspects will be made clear to the mind by the following illustration. At the time of the New Moon, the Moon and Sun are in conjunction, i.e., they occupy the same degree of the zodiac, but as the Moon moves faster than the Sun, they very soon separate, and in fact two-and-a-half days later the Moon is 30° further on in the zodiac than the Sun is, and five days later 60° further on; hence they are said to be respectively in ‘semi-sextile’ and in ‘sextile’ to each other at these dates. Seven days after the New Moon they are 90° apart or in ‘square’ to each other, this being the date of the First Quarter. Ten days after, they are in ‘trine,’ and when half a month has elapsed we have the Full Moon, which means that the Moon is opposite to the Sun, 180° away, or in ‘opposition’ to the Sun. After that, the aspects given in the above list are re-formed in the reverse order, namely, , until 30 days from our starting point we have the Sun and Moon again in conjunction, or, a New Moon. In just the same way, we find a similar cycle of aspects occurring between any two planets, the faster of the two gradually passing from the conjunction to the square of the other, thence to the opposition, and again to the conjunction once more; in fact the two series of events are precisely analogous, though we must not forget that the Moon or a planet may be in square to the Sun, or to some other planet, at the same time that it is in trine to a third and in sesquiquadrate to a fourth.

To the aspects just enumerated may be added the Parallel of Declination, when the two bodies are the same distance, whether north or south, from the equator; its nature is variable, like the conjunction. The following minor aspects are taken into account by some astrologers, but in reality their influence, if they have any, is so slight as to be negligeable.

Those who pay attention to them believe them to be slightly good; the ancient astrologers ignored them, and the moderns may safely do the same. Omitting these, it will be seen that the table of aspects may be divided into three sections, the good, the evil, and the variable. Let us consider the latter first.

Conjunction is when two heavenly bodies are together at the same point of the zodiac. It therefore stands, symbolically if not practically, for union, synthesis, the blending of two in one. What effect the union will have depends upon the nature of the combined planets. When two torces meet, the resultant varies according to the angle between them and the strength of each force. When two notes are sounded together upon a musical instrument, the resulting sound depends upon whether the two sets of vibrations harmonise or not. And so with planetary conjunctions. If we suppose the planets to transmit their influence by means of vibrations sent through the subtle ethers of the solar system, the effects detected by the astrologer in a horoscope will vary according to whether the waves of the one supplement or contradict those of the other.

Planets, as we know, may be divided for convenience into three classes; first those which are in the main benefic—Jupiter and Venus; second, those which are very often malefic, more or less—Mars, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; third, those which may be described as more or less neutral and variable—Sun, Moon, and Mercury. A benefic planet is one the influence of which harmonises and blends sympathetically with our own, the Earth. Jupiter and Venus both stand, at least in relation to our humanity, for growth, increase, harmony, balance, the avoidance of extremes; while the so-called malefics bring about exactly those extremes which it is desirable to avoid; at least that is their effect when considered as malefics, although as we have seen in a previous chapter there are various ways of interpreting planetary influence. Broadly speaking, the conjunction of a neutral planet with a benefic is good and tends to harmony both in terms of fate and of character. The conjunction of a neutral planet with a malefic is exactly the reverse: Mars tending to extremes of heat, disintegration, and impulse, Saturn to coldness, selfishness, devitalisation, and isolation; Uranus being moderately Saturnian in its degree of cold, with an added tendency to suddenness and reversal, while Neptune along with some sensitiveness and intuition gives sensuousness and instability. The conjunction of one benefic and one malefic is neither wholly good nor wholly evil, but strikes a mean between the two; and that of two benefics or two malefics is neither so good nor so bad as might be expected.

To take an illustration, when Mars is in conjunction with Saturn the result should, theoretically, be a harmonious unity, but really is not so, for the combination is in effect not unlike the influence of the planet Uranus in some respects. If we look upon Mars as heat and Saturn as cold, the effect upon the weather is less cold than Saturn and less hot than Mars, and to this extent the two may be regarded as modifying one another. But in spite of this they do not blend or unify; they act irregularly as if now one and now the other had obtained control, reminding one of a gusty and chilly day with spells of heat at intervals.

In terms of character the result is similar. If we look upon Saturn as caution and Mars as boldness the result is not that prudent balance of judgment which is to be desired: to some extent the caution is modified and the boldness restrained, but now and again one or the other will operate with an irregular vigour all the greater for having been held back. If the conjunction takes place in one of the houses of Mars or Saturn the effect is very much more harmonious.

Again, if we take Mars as the senses and Venus as the soul, when they are in conjunction and Venus is the stronger by sign, as in the earthly or airy triplicity, the soul will control and refine the senses and will gain in feeling and emotion; but if they are in a fiery or watery sign there will be more danger of the senses and passions enslaving the soul. Jupiter may be taken as the higher mind, sympathy, benevolence, and growth; Saturn as the lower mind, separateness, caution, and limitation; and if these are in conjunction in the watery or fiery triplicity, which strengthens Jupiter’s influence, the former characteristics will overpower the latter and will gain by the process in definiteness, practical application, method, perseverance, and will power; while if Saturn is the stronger through being placed in the airy or earthy triplicity, the combination will show less of the elasticity and expansiveness of Jupiter and more of the rigidity and contraction of Saturn.

DIAGRAM No. 6

If the reader acquires a thorough familiarity with the nature of the planets, it will not be a difficult matter to see how the one must modify the other when any two are in combination; and the result may be expressed either in terms of fate or in terms of character, for these are really convertible as has been explained before.

The Parallel of Declination is generally regarded as the same In nature as the conjunction. When, however, two planets are in parallel and in some definite aspect at the same time, it is best in practice to interpret the combination in terms of the aspect. whatever it may be good or bad. If there is no aspect, the parallel may be treated as a conjunction, but it will not be so strong, and will act rather as an inclining than a determining influence.

The remaining aspects in the table, it will be seen, are all definitely good or bad, and not variable like the conjunction and parallel.

The Good Aspects are all based upon a threefold division of the circle of the zodiac, as in Diagram 6. Thus the trine, 120°, is a third of the circle, the sextile, 60°, is half a trine, and the semi-sextile, 30°, half a sextile.

The Evil Aspects represent the circle halved or quartered, as in Diagram 7. Thus the opposition, 180°, is half the circle, the square, 90°, is a quarter of the circle, and the semi-square, 45°, and sesquiquadrate, 135°, are respectively half a square and a square and a half.

DIAGRAM NO. 7

The question is certain to be asked here as to why the threefold and fourfold divisions of the circle should be the one good and the other evil? If a given planet, say Jupiter, is on the whole more good than evil, so far as its influence upon the inhabitants of this earth is concerned, why, even when it is in square to a given point in the horoscope, should its good side be entirely suppressed and only its evil side be allowed to manifest, so far as that point is concerned?

The question is not at all an easy one to answer, and we can do little more than indicate analogies. The religious philosophy of the mystic assures us that there is a basic three-fold mode of operation underlying the whole universe, and that it can be stated in terms of consciousness and in terms of force working through matter. The former aspect of it is seen in the continually recurring doctrine of the divine Trinity found in nearly all religions; and the latter side in the Hindu teaching as to the “three qualities” or modes of operation of force when involved in matter and termed Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva. If, then, three is the basic number underlying, permeating, creating and sustaining the whole universe, the astrological doctrine of the harmonious nature of those aspects based upon a three-fold division of the zodiac, falls into line with this general philosophy of things. We are apparently justified in conjecturing that the angle of 120° harmonises with the material constitution of the solar system and with the modes of operation of vitality, consciousness and force. The evil aspects are based upon a wholly different mode of vibration, and start from numbers two and four instead of number three. It is philosophically impossible to suppose that there is such a thing as radical evil anywhere, evil deliberately planned and worked into the universal scheme of things by the Creator. All the evil we know of or can imagine is the result either of ignorance or of distorted free-will, which itself perhaps is only another name for a higher form of ignorance. Good is harmony, evil is discord. In music, two notes harmonise if their vibrations accord with one another; and if they do not, discord is the result. We seem, therefore, bound to suppose that aspects based upon the square represent clash, conflict and discord; and that the soul which finds itself surrounded by forces working in this fashion has itself created the discord from which it is now suffering. The effect, although temporarily painful, is spiritually good, because the soul learns by its own experience to distinguish between that which will produce discord and that which will produce harmony; so that the clash and conflict of opposition end in wisdom.

This may be illustrated in practical Astrology. The opposition aspect is when two planets are situated at exactly opposite points in the zodiac. Let us suppose that these are Venus and Mars. In this case the soul and the senses will be at war and the person will suffer. He will find it a hard task to preserve a straight course morally through life; his passions will be continually overstepping the bounds of moderation, especially in the direction of sex. When he truly realises this, and that it is a highly undesirable phase of character, he will have made a big step in the knowledge of the difference between good and evil, wisdom and foolishness. But mere knowledge will not of itsel suffice to undo the harm done; action, will, is necessary. A strong will may gradually rein in the runaway passions, and the knowledge acquired will direct them into the right path. This may take a lifetime or even more to accomplish, but the result is good, doubly good indeed, for there is an increase of wisdom and a greatly increased strength of will brought out by the continual effort at self-control. If Venus is elevated or is otherwise the stronger of the two, the task will be rather easier than it otherwise would be.

All oppositions, and in fact all evil aspects, may be resolved along somewhat similar lines to the foregoing. In some, such as Saturn afflicting Jupiter, it is partly selfishness and partly lack of practical ability that has to be got rid of. In all those in which Mars is one of the two, trouble will arise from an excess of energy, a lack of gentleness or prudence or of consideration for others, in those matters that are signified by the other planet. When Mercury is one of the two, the reason will be at fault; as, for instance, when Mercury opposes Jupiter, intellect and emotion clash at times and trouble will be brought about by action based upon impulse, although that impulse might be highly creditable if it were controlled by common-sense. And here, as elsewhere, the particular shade of the misfortune will depend upon which of the two is the stronger or higher up in the horoscope. With Venus it is the emotions, affections, and social qualities that contribute to the trouble and that need regulation. With the Sun it may be pride that has to be restrained, or the laws of health that must be studied and obeyed. With the Moon it may again be the bodily health that will cause trouble, or the mind may be wrongly impressionable in some direction, or the psychic and mediumistic side of the nature lacks control.

Along these lines of tendencies of character nearly all Astrology may be interpreted, that which centres round the good aspects—which will here represent balanced and wise phases of character—as well as that resulting from the evil ones—which stand for excess or defect. The planets may thus be looked upon as faculties or powers in human nature, and good or bad aspects as men’s wise or foolish use of them—their virtues and vices, in short. That these are innate in the character and date back to birth shows, not that this view is unsound, but that the real origin of tendencies resulting in such aspects must be traced back beyond birth to a previous state of existence.

The question will doubtless be asked as to how we are to interpret those aspects or directions that coincide with events which seem to be mere fate, good or evil, and not directly brought about by any operation of character in this life. The probability is that such events are really fewer than it is natural for astrologers to suppose; nevertheless it cannot be denied that they exist. An eldest son may inherit an entailed estate; another man may be killed in an earthquake; a third may suffer through the negligence of a parent or nurse in infancy; and none of them may be in the slightest degree responsible for the event. Here we must see the result of action in a state of existence preceding birth, and in the aspects found in the horoscope merely the methods adopted by the superhuman Controllers of human evolution to ensure that the adequate effect should follow the cause that had previously been started, so that the soul may reap as it has sown and learn the right lesson. That many such lessons cannot be understood and finally appreciated until after death, when the whole life is impartially summed up from the point of view of the onlooker instead of the actor, does not detract from the reasonableness of this interpretation, but only shows how long drawn out is the evolution of the soul, and how impossible it is to compress that evolution into a few years of existence on this physical plane.

To return to the table of aspects at the beginning of this chapter, it may be noted that the Trine is by far the strongest of the good aspects; it stands for progression and harmony, and may be compared to Jupiter, the greater benefic. It seems to bring even better fortune than a conjunction with a benefic planet. The Sextile aspect is appreciably weaker, but is nevertheless good, and may be compared to Venus. The Semi-Sextile is extremely weak and may be compared to Mercury, the ‘convertible’ planet; not much is lost if it is omitted from consideration.

Of the evil aspects, the Opposition and Square may be compared to Saturn and Mars respectively. The opposition separates, and causes rivalry, antagonism, duality, in this respect being not unlike the mutable signs in its influence. The square acts somewhat like the fixed signs; it alternately crystallises and limits into a settled habit, and disrupts and shatters by a sudden shock. The Semi-Square and Sesquiquadrate are weaker than the square and not so lasting, but are similar to it in nature, and may be compared to the cardinal signs as being disintegrative or dispersive; or to continue our planetary illustration they may be likened to a blend of Saturn and Mars, the former by square and the latter by opposition.

We have next to consider the question of ‘Orbs.’ In ancient times it was taught that each planet had an ‘orb’ or ‘sphere’ of influence which extended beyond its own body out into space in all directions; in fact, it might be termed the ‘aura’ of the planet; and that the influences or ‘rays’ of the planets were mingled as soon as the peripheries of these ‘orbs’ came into contact—or into aspecting distance, as the case might be. The latest researches in scientific Astrology seem to be approaching an actual physical explanation of this statement, and there can be little doubt that it is the true basis of the ‘orbs’ employed by astrologers, and will thus explain why orbs should differ for each planet, as well as for every aspect. But we are here concerned with the practical application of the term, which indicates how many degrees of ‘approach’ and ‘departure’ may be allowed before and after any aspect becomes technically complete. In this, experience can be the only real teacher and the following hints must be accepted as such, and not taken as hard and fast rules.

For conjunction or opposition allow 12° when the Sun aspects the Moon, about 10° when either luminary aspects a planet, and about 8° for planets aspecting each other.

For square and trine about 8° all round may be allowed. For sextile about 7°. For semi-square and sesquiquadrate 4°. For semi-sextile and quincunx 2°. For the parallel of declination 1°.

These are the outside limits. In all cases the closer an aspect is, the stronger it is, and vice versa. An aspect that is only just within orbs is very weak. In some cases two planets that are widely apart by aspect may be brought closer together by a third planet; for instance, if the Sun is at 0° and the Moon at 10° the aspect is a wide opposition and not very important; but if Mars were at 5° it would not only be in square to both but would render the opposition worse than it otherwise would be.

If three planets are so arranged that two of them are equally distant from the third, the effect seems to be much the same as a parallel and is therefore good or bad according to the nature of the planets. Whether there is any limit to this kind of influence by position is uncertain. Of course, if the three are in some recognised aspect to each other, good or bad, the effect will be according to the nature of that aspect.

The general character of the various positions and aspects will now be explained. Before judging the nature of each aspect it should be noted which planet is the ‘significator’; that is, whether the planet aspecting, or the planet aspected, is ruler of the horoscope—or of the special house under consideration as the case may be.

The influence of the planets when in conjunction is shown in the accompanying list, which is arranged in the following order, . This is the order of their distance from the Sun and hence their rate of movement; Neptune, of course, being the farthest and slowest; and it is the order that will be adopted throughout this volume.

The first column shows the influence when the significator is the slower planet of the two: the second column shows the influence when the significator is the quicker planet of the two.*

To avoid needless repetition each aspect is only given once, namely under the heading of the slower of the two planets between which it is formed, and this should be remembered when the book is used for reference. Thus suppose we want to find the effect of an aspect between Mars and Jupiter, we look under Jupiter, since that is the slower of the two; and there we find the effect, both when Mars is significator and when Jupiter is significator. Similarly if we want to find an aspect between Mars and Mercury, we look under Mars, if between Venus and the Moon, under Venus, and so on.

Although the influence of any given aspect will be shown out most strongly in the life when one of the two planets between which it is formed is the ruler of the nativity, yet the general nature of its influence upon the whole character will be much as here described, even when neither planet is ruler of any important house, or placed in any prominent position; so that the descriptions which follow will still serve as a guide, if taken in a somewhat modified sense. Only they will represent characteristics, or events, more or less latent in the life and awaiting suitable ‘directions’ to stir them into activity.