An aspect is the geometric angle between two planetary bodies as observed from Earth.
The most commonly referenced aspect in The Magic Guide is what’s called an astronomical conjunction.
A conjunction is when two planets (or significant points, but let’s keep it simple for now and just say planets) are within 8 degrees of each other along the zodiac wheel.
When two planets are conjunct, they appear to be in the exact same spot in the sky. From Earth, this often looks like two stars coming together to form one very bright star, like their light is combining and blending, and this is what a conjunction does: it blends the “energy” of the planetary bodies as they light each other up.
Because conjunctions are simply two (or more) planets being in the same spot, they are the easiest to spot when just looking at a chart. But this isn’t the reason I reference them more than any other aspect. The reason my personal practice relies heavily on conjunctions is because every single time my intuition reveals an asteroid to me — like some holy spirit is lifting the veil on the cosmic map to show me a stone in the sky — it is forming a conjunction.
Over the years, this has led me to believe that conjunctions are especially significant.
Beyond conjunctions (0-8°), other major aspects commonly used in astrology are:
Sextile (60°)
Square (90°)
Trine (120°)
Opposition (180°)
An opposition occurs between the sun and moon on every full moon. On the new moon, the sun and moon are conjunct.
Other than looking at the opposition of a full moon, I personally do not use sextiles, squares, trines, or oppositions much at all in my astrology practice. Why? Because save for one time when my intuition pointed me towards a square, the cosmic conversation I’ve experienced has predominately revolved around conjunctions. If you feel called to go deeper on the other aspects, by all means do! As always — listen, listen.
And even if you, like me, aren’t called to rely heavily on the aspects in your practice, you might still enjoy examining the sacred geometry at the center of the wheel. Fun shapes are often formed through the aspects, which are represented in your birth chart by the lines at the center of the wheel. I love intuitively looking at the overall shape and feel of this. Sometimes, something really magical will pop out at you. For instance, when I lay my husband’s chart over mine, our geometry forms a Hexagram (a.k.a. a Star of David)! And that’s just neat.
One day, if you’re anything like me and you speak this language, it’ll all just click, and when you look at a chart, you’ll see all the connections all at once like the whole chart is lighting up like the night sky itself.
Until then, I hope that with these basics in hand you can have fun learning about all of the glyphs and starting to engage more with everything. Baby steps. One step at a time. No rush. No pressure. Let it be light and fun. Just explore the things you are called to explore. Trust your intuition to lead the way.
If there’s something you’re interested in that’s not in this guide — google. There are many incredible resources online, formed by each person’s unique relationship to their practice.
If you’re interested in learning more about aspects specifically, I recommend Cafe Astrology.