Did Astro.com make a mistake?

Sofiamiddle

Well-known member
So I noticed every aspect has an “a” or “s” beside each separating and applying aspect but for a positive degree there is an “s” beside it and for a negative degree I see that it has an “a” beside it. Is that a mistake? Because I thought only negative degrees were separating and positive degrees were applying.
 

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Osamenor

Staff member
Incorrect. The + or - doesn't indicate separating or applying, it indicates how many degrees from exact the aspect is and whether it's fewer or more degrees than would take to be exact.

If it's a +, the planets are slightly more than however many degrees apart they would have to be in order to have an exact aspect, and the - means less. For example, let's say the aspect is a square. If the planets are 92 degrees apart, the square is +2. If they're 87 degrees apart, it's -3.

That alone doesn't tell us whether the aspect is separating or applying. That part depends on whether the faster moving planet is earlier or later in the zodiac than the slower moving one. If one of the planets is retrograde and the other direct, then we look at whether the retrograde planet is backing into the direct one, or away from it.

Let's say we've got a square of 92 degrees between the moon at 27 Libra and the sun at 25 Cancer. The moon moves faster than the sun, and since it's 2 degrees past the exact square, the square is separating. But suppose the moon were at 23 Aries instead. They would still be 92 degrees apart, making it a +2 square, but in this case, it would be an applying square. The moon hasn't yet reached 25 Aries, where the square would be exact.
 

IleneK

Premium Member
Osamenor, what a complete and generous response!
Thank you for taking the time to clarify what often mystifies newer [and often not so new :)] students of astrology as they try to dig deeper into charts.
 
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Sofiamiddle

Well-known member
Ohhh so would it mean that separating aspects aren’t really felt? Or that they are weaker? How strongly would they be felt if for example we had in a composite Saturn square moon at (-0) degrees, Saturn square mercury at (-1) degrees and Saturn square Neptune at (-2) degrees? Their all separating btw. Would It be felt very strongly?
 
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Oddity

Well-known member
With separating aspects, they're felt more strongly the closer they are. What you may find is that the separation signifies neglect in some part of your life - possibly not even intentional neglect, it could be because of something that happened before you were born that coloured that aspect.

If it's within 3 degrees, I'd say you'll definitely feel it somehow, and it can be even further out and you may recognise it.
 

IleneK

Premium Member
3 degrees? But how would it work if they were negative degrees?

Sofia, please consider educating yourself a bit in the very fundamentals of what a chart is and how it works.

There are no negative degrees. There are only degrees between a planet that is approaching perfection of an aspect with another planet, or there are degrees of a planet separating from perfection of an aspect to another planet. The context, that is, where both planets are in relation to each other, is crucial to understanding what the representation of positive and negative degrees means in the aspect tables.

For example, take a look at how the planets move around the chart. They move in two ways: there is daily or diurnal motion as the earth rotates, and there is seasonal motion as the earth orbits around the Sun. If you want to understand this, then get out an introductory astrology book that explains very simply the astronomy of the perceived motion of the Sun, Moon and planets.

Wishing you the best, Sofia.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
3 degrees? But how would it work if they were negative degrees?

The same. Whether the planets are 87 degrees apart (-3 degrees from an exact square) or 93 degrees apart (+3 degrees from an exact square), it's still the same 3 degree orb.

Same is true of other aspects. A trine is still a trine with a 3 degree orb whether the planets involved are 117 or 123 degrees apart. A 3 degree opposition is still a 3 degree opposition whether the distance between the planets is 177 or 183 degrees. And so on.
 

greybeard

Well-known member
First, aspects must be "within orb of influence" in order to be effective.

The planets move along their orbits (not the same as orb) at different speeds. Moon is by far the fastest because she orbits Earth, and then those closest to Sun move faster than those whose orbital path is farther from Sun. Mercury completes a revolution around the Sun in 88 days, Pluto in 248 years.

We'll use these two planets as our example. Open your Ephemeris to 29 October 1936. We find Mercury in direct motion on that date at 22 Libra 40. Pluto is also direct (but on his retrograde station) at 28 Cancer 45. Mercury is Applying to the square of Pluto with an orb of 6 degrees 05 minutes. The two planets form an angle of 83*55', less than the 90 degrees required for a perfect square. So the notation you originally asked about shows an (a) and a (-).

On 30 Oct Pluto turns retrograde. From this date forward Pluto, moving backwards along his orbit, will be moving toward the approaching (applying) Mercury; the two planets are in mutual application. Mercury has moved forward to 24 Libra 18. The angular distance between the two is now 85*37', still less than the perfect square. Your notation still reads (a) and (-).

On 1 November Mercury reaches 28 Libra 45, an angular distance from Pluto of exactly 90 degrees. The square is perfected, neither applying nor separating; no (+), no (-).

During the period of application tension has been building, events are moving toward a climax. When the aspect perfects the tension is released and a significant event occurs in the life.

On 2 Nov Mercury is at 29 Libra 14. The aspect is now separating, with an angular distance of 29' of arc. Your notation now reads (s) and (+) because the angle is more than 90 degrees. A separating aspect shows the consequences, outcome or aftermath of the event that occurred at perfection.
 
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miquar

Well-known member
Hi. On the subject of applying and separating aspects, is it correct to say that an aspect is applying when it is becoming more exact, even if it will never perfect (because, for example, one of the bodies will turn retrograde)?

Best wishes

Miquar
 

Osamenor

Staff member
Hi. On the subject of applying and separating aspects, is it correct to say that an aspect is applying when it is becoming more exact, even if it will never perfect (because, for example, one of the bodies will turn retrograde)?

Best wishes

Miquar

Yes, I think so. As long as the bodies are moving toward each other, their motion creates the energy of an applying aspect.
 
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