Glossary

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

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