If you're a novice, D-Rok (and a very talented one at that, I might note
) I just recommend that you try working with minor aspects before making up your mind. I think it's out-of-print, but if you can find it, just a great book on minor aspects (and other topics) is Harding and Harvey,
Working With Astrology that gives a methodology for using minor aspects. Alice Portman
www.aliceportman.com has a lot of good articles based on her extensive research with minor aspects, as well.
Modern astrologers often do a lot of research before they push the traditional envelope.
I've been studying astrology for 27 years and reading charts on-line for 10. This doesn't make me the resident expert, but it does give me some confidence to assert that quintiles involving the AS or inner planets have real influence. Again, some talent plus the ambition to try to manifest it. If you've got such quintiles in your chart or someone you know well, I recommend that you take an open-minded look.
Fair enough, I should consider the contemporary views of aspects, and will do so.
Some food for thought, brought to you by the contemporary Ryhan Butler:
(I do not own nor did I create the following text, but I bring it to you in hope of gaining some insight)
“In the ancient world, scientists and philosophers observed geometrical patterns in nature and understood the ratios in these patterns as representative of divine order in the universe. Sacred meanings were then ascribed to specific patterns, shapes, and ratios. Considered something of a sister science to the study of optics (both having to do with rays and angles), geometry also plays a large part in planetary aspects. The premise is that when two planets are within an aspectual relationship, the angle they form between them is indicative of the nature of that relationship based in part on the figure they imprint on the heavenly sphere behind them. The 90° aspect gets some of its interpretation from the fact that a series of 90° aspects will form the shape of a square in the sky. More importantly, these ideas of classical geometry and the Pythagoreanism from which they arose impose limitations on what can and cannot be classically regarded as aspects with interpretive value.
One of the central premises of traditional aspectual theory is the forms or shapes the aspects make as they link signs of the zodiac. Trine aspects make triangles and square aspects make squares. It is necessary that an aspect type be able to make a complete figure in the zodiac that links signs in a specific and unique way. This is a criteria that the opposition, trine, square, and sextile fulfill.
The sextile aspect forms two different hexagons, one made of masculine signs (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius) and the other made of feminine signs (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces).
The square aspect forms three distinct squares, separating the signs by quadruplicity; one of cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), one of fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius), and one of mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces).
Likewise, the trine aspect forms four triangles which group the signs together by element; a fire trine (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius), an earth trine (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), an air trine (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius), and a water trine (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces).
The opposition also separates the zodiac into six sets of lines; Aries/Libra, Taurus/Scorpio, Gemini/Sagittarius, Cancer/Capricorn, Leo/Aquarius, and Virgo/Pisces.
As we have seen, traditional astrology relies on the five Ptolemaic aspects, so called because they were the only aspects described by Ptolemy in his work Tetrabiblos (Book I, Chapter XVI), which for many centuries was the oldest astrology reference available. Recent discoveries and translations of earlier works demonstrate that these aspects are
much older. These are the conjunction (0° !), the sextile (60° '), the square (90° #), the
trine (120° $), and the opposition (180° "). It is also worth mentioning that older texts will often refer to aspects by their geometric names based on the divisions of the circle; sextiles are called “hexagons” or “hexagonal” because they represent 1/6th of a circle, squares are called “tetragons” or “quartiles” as they represent 1/4th of a circle, and trines are called “trigons” for they are 1/3rd of the circle. Conjunctions are referred to as “assemblies,” and while viewed as an aspect for the sake of conversation, the conjunction carries an entirely different set of circumstances that often is only given a passing nod in more recent texts. In this section we will address the semi-sextile and the quincunx (inconjunct) as these are so called “minor aspects”. While not aspects proper, they do have meaning within the traditional framework.
The conjunction, however, is unique among these in that it is not treated like the other aspects and does not have the typical sight or light words used to describe it. Conjunctions are referred to as “aspects by body” or some other phrasing of the same, which suggests that the two planets have physically blended. Aspects by degree connect the light of one planet to the body of another. Conjunctions represent something stronger – a union of both planets’ light and body in the same degree of longitude - an incredibly powerful blend of planetary force. These are more intimate and often more difficult to interpret as the conjunction does not have a planetary nature to assist us in understanding it. When a conjunction occurs, the nature of the planets involved becomes paramount in interpreting it. Conjunctions involving Saturn are going to be less pleasant than ones involving Venus, for example.“
Again, this is mostly for people who are pretty new with most of the basics. I have never been able to pass most of the bread and butter stuff without freaking out over something or another, so I stay in my comfort zone. I’m happy to know the basics. But heliacal rise, planetary lots, profections, and complicated stuff like that, are best (for me) left at arm’s length.
