Major Aspects Overview

The Major Aspects. The major aspects, sometimes called the Ptolemaic aspects, are the five strongest angular relationships between planets. They come from dividing the circle by the simplest numbers, which is part of why they carry the most weight in a chart. These five are the conjunction at zero degrees, the sextile at sixty, the square at ninety, the trine at one hundred and twenty, and the opposition at one hundred and eighty. Astrologers read the major aspects first, because they describe the loudest and clearest connections in a chart. The sextile and trine are the harmonious aspects, bringing ease, talent, and flow. The square and opposition are the hard aspects, bringing tension that drives effort and growth. The conjunction is neutral on its own and takes its tone from the planets involved. Because they are so strong, the major aspects are given wider orbs than the minor ones, meaning the planets can be several degrees away from the exact angle and the aspect still counts. The entries in this subsection define each of the five in turn.