What are aspects?

Aspects are the angular relationships between planets, measured by the number of degrees between them around the wheel of the zodiac. When two planets fall at certain distances, sixty degrees, ninety, one hundred and twenty, they enter a relationship that shapes how their energies work together. The geometry matters because these simple divisions of the circle are what tie separate placements into a connected whole. An aspect does not have to be exact to count. A planet a little off the precise angle still forms it, and the effect is strongest the closer the two come to exact. Some aspects flow with ease and some create tension, and a chart is read in part by tracing which planets are in contact and how. Without aspects a chart would be a list of placements standing alone. With them it becomes a network, each planet speaking to others, supporting, challenging, or blending with them across the whole design.