Grand Cross

A Grand Cross is an aspect pattern made of four planets arranged in two oppositions, with all four also square to one another, forming a large cross or square across the chart. The four planets usually share the same modality, so a Grand Cross is typically cardinal, fixed, or mutable, and it expresses that modality with great force. A Grand Cross is one of the most demanding patterns in a chart. It holds four points of tension pulling in different directions at once, which can leave a person feeling stretched, blocked, or pulled four ways. At the same time it contains an enormous reserve of energy and the potential for real achievement, since every planet is engaged and active. A cardinal Grand Cross drives a person to start things, a fixed one to hold and endure, and a mutable one to adapt and juggle. The challenge is that the constant tension can scatter effort or create a sense of crisis. The work of a Grand Cross is to balance its four forces and direct their combined power toward something productive rather than being torn apart by them.