“Imagine that a horoscope is like a movie script. The Sun is the star, the Moon is the co-star, the planets are the actors, the signs are the costuming, and the houses are the sets. The aspects describe complex relationships between all the film’s characters. Each horoscope presents its own “story” expressed through the planets and their connecting lines—astrology’s aspects. ~ Aspects in Astrology and Their Meaning Explained
Aspect Patterns
Aspect patterns in an person’s birth chart say something unique about the individual. Still, they can be challenging to interpret. Below are five aspect patterns you should take note of.
The Stellium
A Stellium is when a single sign has three or more planets or points in a conjunction aspect.
“A stellium can actually eclipse your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant in importance. Why? Because you have a laser-like focus on the qualities, the sign represents, as well as in the house or houses it occupies and the house in which the planet that rules the sign of your stellium resides. A stellium can be a gift or become an obsession that takes over your life.” ~ What is a Stellium? Significance in Astrology
Keanu Reeves September 2, 1964, at 5:41 AM in Beirut, Lebanon (Rodden Rating C.). Reeves has a Virgo stellium – Sun, Mercury, Ascendant Uranus, and Pluto. He also has a Cancer stellium – the Moon, Mars, and Venus.
Gordon Ramsay was born on November 8, 1966, in Johnstone, Scotland, at 6:05 PM (Rodden Rating AA.) Ramsey has two stelliums. Mars, Pluto, Uranus, and the Moon are in Virgo. Sun, Venus, South Node, and Neptune are in Scorpio.
Katy Perry was born on October 25, 1984, at 7:58 AM in Santa Barbara, California. Katy’s Scorpio stellium strings across her Ascendant, bringing her 12th and 1st houses together. It contains Pluto, Sun, Ascendant, Mercury, Saturn, and the Moon.
Garth Brooks “has a super-charged Aquarius stellium that includes the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, South Node, and the Midheaven.
The Grand Trine
A Grand Trine is when three planets or angles in a birth chart are 120 degrees apart. The planets are in the same element but in different astrological signs, and they create a harmonious triangular pattern in a birth chart.
“People born with a Grand Trine in their birth chart are considered lucky because they have received a gift from the Universe. However, the gift must be unwrapped and used in their lives to be fully enjoyed.” ~ The Grand Trine in Natal Charts
Jennifer Lopez, born on July 24, 1969, at 05:49 PM in New York, New York (Rodden Rating, X, i.e., rectified data), has a Grand Fire Trine.
Elton John, born on March 25, 1947, at 2:00 AM in Pinner, England (Birthtime accuracy: poor) has a Grand Air Trine and a Grand Fire Trine.
Alan Alexander Milne, the author of the “Winnie the Poo” books, was born on January 18, 1882, in London, England (Rodden rating X, no birth time available) was gifted with Multiple Grand Earth Trines.
The Yod
A Yod, or the “Finger of God,” forms when two planets are in a sextile relationship and a third planet is in a quincunx relationship with both.
“Those with a Yod in their birth chart often seem driven by some mystical force beyond their control. They may also sense that the Universe has gifted them with a “special calling” and a vast reservoir of talent just out of their reach. As a result, they’re often restless, frustrated, anxious, obsessive, and/or depressed.” A Yod, The Finger of God
Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, at 11:30 AM, in Ulm, Germany (Rodden rating AA). His Yod involves Mercury in Aries sextile North Node in Aquarius, pointing the “finger of god’ at Uranus in Virgo.
Carl Jung was born on July 26, 1875, at 7:24 PM BMT in Kesswil, Switzerland. Rodden rating C (rectified.) Jung’s Yod consists of Mars in Sagittarius sextile Jupiter in Libra. Mars and Jupiter point “the finger of god” at Pluto in Taurus.
Ted Turner was born on November 19, 1938, at 8:50 AM in Cincinnati, Ohio (Rodden rating AA). Ted Turner’s Yod has Mars in Libra sextile Mercury in Sagittarius pointing the “finger of god” at Uranus conjunct the North Node in Taurus.
Prince was born on June 7, 1958, at 6:17 PM (CDT) in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Rodden rated AA). His birth chart shows two Yods, two T-Squares, and a Grand Air Trine.
The T-Square
A T-square is created when two planets oppose each other, with a third planet square to both. It is a dynamic, troublesome, commonplace pattern. A T-square creates tension, discontent, and the feeling of being besieged. But it also goads you to alter your situation. Many, many successful people have T-squares in their birth charts. Ronald Reagan, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Cher are among them.
The Grand Cross
A Grand Cross is dynamic. It occurs in a birth chart when four planets are linked by four squares and two oppositions. All four planets are in the same modality but have different astrological signs. A Grand Cross is insistent and indicates conflicting motivations, uncomfortable clashes, tension, obstruction, and frustration. But it can also be a source of strength, commitment and courage.
Nicholas Cage, born on January 7, 1964, at 5:30 AM in Long Beach, California (Birthtime accuracy: excellent), has a Grand Cardinal Cross.
Robert Redford, born on August 18, 1936, at 8:02 PM, in Santa Monica, California (Birthtime accuracy: excellent), has a Grand Mutable Cross and a stellium of planets in Virgo – Venus, Neptune, Mercury and the Moon.
Last but not least is Adam Levine, born on March 18, 1979, at 3:24 PM in Los Angeles, California (birth time accuracy: excellent.) Adam has a Grand Fixed Cross, A Grand Water Trine, a T-square, and two Yods.
- Grand Fixed Cross – Scorpio Uranus, Leo Ascendant, Taurus MC, Aquarius Venus
- Grand Water Trine – Pisces Sun, Cancer Jupiter, Scorpio Moon
- T-Square – Pisces Mars, Sagittarius Neptune, Virgo North Node
- Yod – Taurus MC sextile Pisces Mars pointing to Pluto in Libra
- Yod – Pluto in Libra sextile Neptune in Sagittarius pointing to Taurus MC
Aspect Patterns
Astrologers have defined all sorts of aspect patterns. There are kites, mystic rectangles, pentagrams, trees, wedges, trapezoids, and a round-about series of 60° angles called a Grand Sextile, Star of David, or Seal of Solomon. There’s also Thor’s hammer, the Golden Yod, another Yod variation called a boomerang, and more. But you don’t need to know every possible aspect pattern. The five above should be sufficient for now — perhaps forever.