T-Square Interpretation

Conventional, late-20th-century astrological wisdom (at least as I learned it in the early '70s) held that the T-square aspect pattern is something like a "drawn bow," with the apex planet a kind of arrow aimed at the empty leg of the configuration. It was supposed that the energy of the complex will manifest in the empty house when the apex planet is activated by transits or directions, as a "release" or "discharge" of the tension inherent in the T-Square. Recently, more traditional-minded writers have observed that nothing overt will happen by transit or direction in a house not actually containing the planets involved (and, it should be added, where the Lord of the house is also not involved). Therefore, the house containing the activated apex planet should be looked to for any observable effects. Personally I've never seen the "drawn bow" scenario work to my satisfaction, so I've been leaning toward the latter model. Any thoughts or opinions on this?

You would need to post a chart. there is no one size fits all except in the newspapers or in Linda Goodman's Sun Signs which are real astrology.

Zarathu said:

You would need to post a chart. there is no one size fits all except in the newspapers or in Linda Goodman's Sun Signs which are real astrology.

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Sorry if the title misled you. I'm asking a philosophical question about general principles, not a specific question about a particular chart interpretation. I would rephrase it as: As a general rule, do you follow the practice of treating the empty leg of a T-square pattern as the location (i.e. the affairs represented by that house) for expression of the pattern's "stored energy" (for lack of a better term), such as when a transiting planet passes over the point opposite the apex planet? I've been at this for four decades now and have never seen that work very well.

Zaphod said:

Sorry if the title misled you. I'm asking a philosophical question about general principles, not a specific question about a particular chart interpretation. I would rephrase it as: As a general rule, do you follow the practice of treating the empty leg of a T-square pattern as the location (i.e. the affairs represented by that house) for expression of the pattern's "stored energy" (for lack of a better term), such as when a transiting planet passes over the point opposite the apex planet? I've been at this for four decades now and have never seen that work very well.

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I don't use transits. However, I have never used the "empty leg" as if I was working out of a YOD.

But then, I'm not one to believe that any of these things work in any way outside of an actual chart. So in some instance this might work. It would depend on the power and friction of the house involved and on the significant of the opposition that might be formed. So again, it would depend on the chart itself, IMO.

However, I've never seen anything in the literature that discusses it.

Zarathu said:

I don't use transits. However, I have never used the "empty leg" as if I was working out of a YOD.

But then, I'm not one to believe that any of these things work in any way outside of an actual chart. So in some instance this might work. It would depend on the power and friction of the house involved and on the significant of the opposition that might be formed. So again, it would depend on the chart itself, IMO.

However, I've never seen anything in the literature that discusses it.

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Thanks for the response. Traditionalist Kevin Burk makes brief mention of it on page 279 of his book, "A Comprehensive Guide to Classical Interpretation," as follows: "Some astrologers consider this point (the point opposite the apex planet) to be the 'release point' of the T-square." He, on the other hand, believes the house containing the apex (or "focus") planet, and secondarily the house locations of the other two planets in the pattern, to be the active zones for expression of the energy. He sees awareness of the point opposite the apex as "an anchor of sorts, and a reference point to ensure that the path and direction of the action taken is true."

Unfortunately, without a fair amount of digging into my library, I can't say for sure who "some astrologers" are, but I remember it being part of the standard curriculum when I was first learning.

Zaphod said:

Unfortunately, without a fair amount of digging into my library, I can't say for sure who "some astrologers" are, but I remember it being part of the standard curriculum when I was first learning.

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While I have a large library of more than 100 books, none of them are traditional. So I would not know.

Zarathu said:

While I have a large library of more than 100 books, none of them are traditional. So I would not know.

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Actually, I was referring to the more psychological or "humanistic" astrology books written during the second half of the last century (primarily 1960s through 1980s), since I've only recently come upon the revitalized traditional approach myself. Other than those I use regularly as reference works, I haven't read most of them in decades.

I take the apex planet itself to be the dynamic focus.

I look at the t-square as a "psychological complex", with the opposition depicting the "basis" of the complex or fundamental conflict demanding resolution and the apex planet to be the active point of resolution (or failure thereof).

greybeard said:

I take the apex planet itself to be the dynamic focus.

I look at the t-square as a "psychological complex", with the opposition depicting the "basis" of the complex or fundamental conflict demanding resolution and the apex planet to be the active point of resolution (or failure thereof).

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Well-put, and it very neatly summarizes the modern understanding of the dynamics of a T-square.

IMO, all the complex figures of the chart such as t-squares, grand trines and grand squares and YODs represent cognitive structures that influence how we experience the world. They are like different colors put on our glasses through which everything is biased.

If we don't have them in the natal chart we are often subject to them for periods of time in our tertiary, and minor progressed charts.