Aspect pattern
An aspect pattern is a configuration of three or more planets whose aspects close into a shape, such as a grand trine, a T-square or a yod.
The named patterns are combinations rather than new aspects: a grand trine is three trines closing a triangle in one element, a T-square is two planets in opposition both square a third, a grand cross is two oppositions squaring each other.
Classical astrology has no doctrine of patterns as such and reads the individual aspects; the shapes are a modern reading habit. What survives translation is the observation that a closed figure keeps recycling among its own members rather than resolving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a grand trine always fortunate?
It is always easy, which is not the same. A closed circuit of ease can be a talent that never had to be worked at.
What is the apex of a T-square?
The planet squared by both ends of the opposition. It carries the configuration's pressure and is where the pattern is usually read from.
See also
See this concept in your own chart: Free birth chart