Aspect
An aspect is a specific angular distance between two points in the chart, measured in ecliptic longitude. The classical major aspects are the conjunction (0°), sextile (60°), square (90°), trine (120°) and opposition (180°).
Aspects describe how chart points stand geometrically in relation to one another. The angle is measured along the ecliptic. Two points 90° apart form a square; at 120° apart, a trine.
Because exact angles are rare, astrology works with a tolerance, the orb: a square still "counts" at 88° or 92°, depending on how strictly it's calculated. By tradition, trine and sextile are read as harmonious, square and opposition as tension-filled, and the conjunction as a merging of the principles involved — that's interpretive convention, not a measurement.
Beyond the major aspects, astrology also recognizes minor aspects such as the semisextile (30°) or quincunx (150°); these are considered weaker and aren't used by every school. An aspect says nothing about physical forces — it's a geometric relationship that gets read symbolically.
- 0°Conjunction
- 60°Sextile
- 90°Square
- 120°Trine
- 180°Opposition
How we use this term
Leitstern works with the conjunction, sextile, square, trine and opposition. Each aspect keeps its own name; the orb is shown rather than collapsed into a blanket category.
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