Aspects: the Modifying Influence

1. Aspects are the modifying influences in a horoscope and a prediction is never complete

unless the aspects are properly computed, studied, integrated and synthesized, and the results
then judged.
Below are a few useful hints to enable one to arrive at a correct judgment:
First, assess the strength of the aspect. In Western Astrology, the Decile, or 36 degrees

aspect, is not so powerful for good as a Trine; which is the 120 degree aspect.
A semi-square aspect, or the 45 degree aspect, is not so harmful as the challenging nature of
the square; the 90 degrees aspect.
Below I have constructed an Aspect Table, which can also be viewed in the KP Workshop, to
better
An

acquaint

aspect

or

you

with

the

conjunction

'just

aspects
within' the

that

are

range

of

of

Western

orb

is

weak

nature.

in

power.

Rapt: Two planets occupying the same degree and minute are considered to be in rapt
conjunction. Exact aspect (conjunction) is styled rapt or partile.

Platic: An aspect that is just within the orb, either applying or separating, is termed platic
or wide.

2.

What

is

the quality of

the

aspect?

Is

it

a beneficial aspect, or

an evil aspect?

3. Is the aspect exact (rapt, partile) or is it wide (platic)? If platic, note whether the aspect is in
the

process

of applying or separating.

4. Note the affairs governed by the house occupied by the aspected planet. Is it conjoined with any
other planet at the same time? Association with a benefic (lord of a benefic house in the chart) is
promising and auspicious. Any connection with malefics, most especially with lords of the 6th, 8th,
and 12th houses, either by being conjoined with them or occupying their Nakshatras, etc.,
portends evil. The Nakshatra occupied by a planet is the most important, because the results
denoted

by

the

Nakshatra

lord

(by

its

ownership)

will

primarily

dominate.

5. What does the aspected planet denote by its lordship? Is he a benefic or malefic? For which
house(s)? A planet possesses certain natural characteristics and these will operate, but what the
planet has to give by lordship will change the results indicated by by its nature, for example,
Jupiter, a benefic by nature, will be evil by owning evil houses, while Saturn, by owning favorable
houses, becomes benefic. Even these results are modified and changed by occupation (position) of
various houses in the chart. The correct way is to judge by taking the planets occupation
(position), lordship over which house(s), and its nature. But being posited in a particular
constellation, and the modification by the lord of the constellation, are still more important. Jupiter
and Venus, who are natural benefics, prove to be the worst evils for a number of people while the
natural malefics, Mars and Saturn, immensely benefit some because they are occupying the
constellations

of

the

planets

owning

and

occupying

good

houses.

6. Is the aspected planet posited in a house which is 6th, 8th, or 12th to the house it owns? Find
out whether it is in a good angle (aspect) to the cusp of the house in which it is the owner,and find
out the exact distance by counting degrees. This is the proper and correct method.

Hindus believe that a house gets completely destroyed if its owner is posited in the 6th, 8th or
12th from the sign it owns, or the lords of the 6th, 8th, or 12th to a particular house occupy that
sign. A planet may own two houses, and to one house it may be in the 6th, 8th, or 12th. That
house to which it is in the 6th, 8th, or 12th from will suffer, whereas the matters signified by the
other

house

7.

Is
(a)

The

first

will
the

is

improve.

aspected

planet

in

its

planet dignified?

exaltation

sign

is

the

strongest.

(b) Next is the planet in Vargottama? (Vargottama means occupying the same sign in both Rasi
and

Navamsha
(c)
(d)

Third
Fourth

is
is

a
a

Charts).

planet
planet

in

in

its

Swakshetra?

Mooltrikona

house.

(Its

house)

own

(e) Fifth is the planet hosted by a friend? (See the Planetary Relationship Table in the KP
Workshop.)
A planet in debilitation, hosted by an enemy, or connected with malefics in any manner, is said to
be

weakly

posited

and

afflicted.

8. Then note the nature of the sign occupied by the aspected planet. Is it movable, fixed, or
common? Is the sign fiery, earthy, airy, watery, positive or negative, fruitful or barren, etc.
Similarly, find out whether the aspecting planet is a benefic by lordship, whether he is dignified or
afflicted, beneficial or adverse by occupation (position), and whether the planet that aspects, is
hosted by a friend. Also note whether the aspecting planet is in a Kendra (Angular 1, 4, 7, 10),
Panaphara

(Succedent

2,

5,

8,

11),

or

Apokilma

(Cadent

3,

6,

9,

12)

house.

(a) Kendra's, houses 1, 4, 7, and 10, and planets posited therein are said to be
accidentlydignified, for

example,

they

attain

full

strength

to

express

themselves.

(b) Panaphara's, houses 2, 5, 8, and 11, and planets posited in these houses gain moderate
strength.
(c) Apoklima, 3, 6, 9, and 12, and planets posited in these houses get weakened, and lack
opportunity for expression. It is also important to note who the lord of the constellation is in which
the aspecting planet

is

situated.

If one has basically assimilated the basic elements that constitute a horoscope, and one has
acquired the ability to integrate and synthesize properly, the value of this method to predict
the nature of the event, the time of the event, and the extent to which it can offer, will be realized
and

recognized.

See also KP: Aspects in the KP FAQ and Notebook section.

Note: All references to the material above are from the work and teachings of Prof. K.S.
Krishnamurti, Chandrakant R. Bhatt, K. Subramainiam, Sri M.P. Shanmugam, Prof K. Hariharan,

and/or publications in the KP & Astrology Journals/Yearbooks. For Book information, please go
to KP Books.

House
First
House

Second
House

Third
House

Fourth
House

Fifth
House

Sixth
House

Seventh
House

Modern
Horary
Vedic
Western
body, selfyourself, head, your
image, persona, your state of charisma,
vitality
mind, face
fame,
physicality
money selfrights of
oral traditions,
esteem,
ownership,
family, voice,
possessions,
neck, wealth adornments
roots
mind,
news,
courage, the
correspondence immediate
arts, manual
communication environment, activities
siblings
home, mother, father, lands, land,
family,
endings,
agriculture,
emotional
buried
happiness,
defenses
treasure
vehicles,
education
children,
inventions,
intelligence,
creativity,
romance,
wisdom
speculation,
hobbies,
discernment,
play
indulgence
counsel
work environs, employees,
conflict,
work, coservitude,
anxiety, health
workers, health labor, small workers, debt
animals
marriage,
adversary in sexual
spouse,
lawsuit, war, appetite, self-

business
partner
death,
psychotherapy,
transforming,
occult
travel, religion,
higher
education,

opponents

employment,
brokers
Eighth
joint finances, crises, losses,
House
loans,
grief,
legacies,
scandals,
elimination
obstacles
Ninth
pilgrimage,
father,
House
science,
mentors, luck,
clergy,
intuitive
philosophy
knowing
Tenth career, father, government, status, fame,
House rules, success, kings, the
actions,
achievement
judge,
managing,
honor(s)
commerce
Eleventh friends, groups, acquaintances, easy money +
House hopes, mass
clubs, desires, support older
media
colleagues
siblings
Twelfth hidden
confinement, sexual joys,
House strengths and secret
expenses,
weaknesses,
enemies, self- sleep,
suffering
undoing
enlightenment

The Major Aspects in Western Astrology

Western Astrologers commonly use 5 major aspects in their chart work: the
conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition. (More advanced astrologers
will pay attention to semisquares and sesquiquadrates, as well as quincunxes,
quintile and other minor aspects. Beginners should be wary of trying to use
too many aspects at once, to avoid confusion.)
Aspects that are within 3 degrees of exactness (e.g. two planets 2 degrees apart
or 182 degrees apart for the opposition) are much stronger than aspects that
are 5 degrees apart. Aspects over 5 degrees apart often contribute little to the

dynamics of the chart unless there are few or no stronger aspects. Aspects that
are 1 1/2 degrees orb or smaller are the strongest of all and should be given
the most attention.
A conjunction occurs when planets are within 8 - 10 degrees of each other.
This can be the most powerful of all aspects, because it focalizes the person's
energy more fully in just one area of the life (one house) and amplifies a
particular type of energy (one sign).
The conjunction represents the blending of two (or more) adjacent planets'
energies and themes. If the planets are of similar nature, the conjunction is a
natural blending. (Such as conjunctions between members of the firey group
Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto; or between members of the cooler group
Saturn, Mercury, Venus, and Neptune, but not between the two groups.)
If it is between like planets, one does have to be careful of not being too
skewed or extreme in the area involved. But if it is a conjunction between the
two groups, then there is a challenge within the conjunction that must be
resolved by learning how to "marry" two disparate energies.
Finally, the sign involved can show which planet -- especially in a disparate
conjunction -- dominates. For example, a conjunction of Venus and Mars in
Aries, Scorpio, Capricorn (Mars' exaltation sign), or Virgo(Venus' sign of
fall), will have Mars dominate. In Libra, Taurus, Cancer (the sign of Mars'
fall), or Pisces (Venus' exaltation sign), on the other hand, Venus will dominate
the conjunction.
The opposition, when planets are opposite (within 8 or so degrees of exactly
opposite), is the second strongest aspect.
This aspect can have both positive and negative effects, again depending upon
the planets involved (whether they are in the same or disparate group -- see
the paragraph above) and how strong the opposition is. If an opposition is
within 2 degrees of exactly opposite (178 - 182 degrees apart) it will be more
intense and more likely to cause both inner and interpersonal tension.
It is important to realize, however, that the opposition and conjunction to the
Sun are special cases to consider. Any planet too close to the Sun (conjunct)
becomes invisible -- called in astrology "combust" -- and therefore weakened
in its expression. Any planet (including the Moon) opposite to the Sun is at its
brightest and therefore at its most powerful (note: for Mar, Jupiter, Saturn,

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto this means that it will be retrograde and therefore
be both powerful and less conventional).
Planets opposed to each other can blend their energies (e.g. Moon opposite
Venus representing a very nurturing person), feel paralyzed (e.g. Saturn
opposite Sun feeling full of self-doubt), or at odds (e.g. Mercury opposite Mars
being torn between thinking and action). Note: the examples given are
possibilities, not inevitabilities; e.g. a person with Sun opposite Saturn may or
may not have self-doubt, depending upon the signs involved, other aspects, the
rising sign, etc.
The trine, when planets are 120 degrees apart (within about 6 - 7 degrees), is
the strongest harmonious aspect. The trine represents an effortless blending of
two planets energies, and even blends these energies well between disparate
planets. E.g. Saturn trine Sun can give purposefulness, focus, and
groundedness.
While trines represent inherent talents and places in the life where things flow
easily, they do not give one the motivation or initiative to make something of
these gifts. Unless there are enough challenges (squares and oppositions) in
contact with the trining planets, the person may "coast" and take the easy
way out and not make the most of their abilities.
Squares (planets 90 degrees apart, plus or minus 6 - 7 degrees) are the most
dynamic challenging aspect. While slightly less energetic than the opposition,
they involve disparate signs and so are harder to resolve and more
troublesome.
(Incidentally, internal conflict is more typically represented by squares while
interpersonal conflict by oppositions.)
Even between compatible planets like Jupiter square Mars, for example, the
square may create too much assertion, too much impulsiveness, and too much
arrogance. In fire and earth signs, this Jupiter square Mars would represent
the conflict between play and work, between impulse and control. In fire and
water signs, there might be issues of extroversion vs. introversion and possibly
too much emotional reactivity, impulsiveness, and intensity. In water and air,
this can create intimacy issues: close vs. claustrophobic, as well as
changeability, and very variable thoughts and feelings. In earth and air signs,
this can represent the conflict between a detailed/pragmatic/hands-on
approach vs. an abstract and detached deliberation (working vs. talking and

thinking about it), as well as the conflict between working and

socializing/interacting.
Finally, the sextile occurs when planets are 60 degrees apart (plus or minus 3 4 degrees). This is the weakest aspect of the major aspects, and tends to
manifest more fully as the person matures. That's because the sextile
represents learning to blend different elements in a harmonious fashion. The
sextile, then, is a bridge that allows the person to become more flexible, more
versatile, and more talented.