Darth MI
This quote is from someone claiming to be a traditional astrologer. Is this true or more nonsense being spread by self-proclaimed traditionalists?
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Question on Aspects in Traditional Astrology
This quote is from someone claiming to be a traditional astrologer. Is this true or more nonsense being spread by self-proclaimed traditionalists?
dadsnook2000
A comment
I've been involved with astrology for over four decades. I cannot find anything to disagree with in that statement. Dave
I've been involved with astrology for over four decades. I cannot find anything to disagree with in that statement. Dave
dadsnook2000
More comments
When we talk of astrology we are talking about life. Life and all of its expanse, complexity and details. Just talking about aspects is like a discussion of eyebrows, it just can't end there. No one "detail" of astrology can really stand on its own but has to dovetail in some way with other details. It is an opening discussion that I have had with myself and others for several decades. I still have basic issues that I haven't yet been able to answer to my own satisfaction. Luckily, I have been able to discard the majority of what I have learned and focused more on what seems relevant.
I truly wish there was some short statement that would serve as an "answer" to all of those who were interested in starting their own studies. There is not such an answer that I have found. The only truthful statement that I can make to start an astrological conversation is, "Be prepared to read, study, calculate a thousand or more charts, buy books, join groups, adopt an obsession, and taken in everything you can while not being afraid to throw away what istn't reliable almost 100% of the time. Set high standards to be met. Dave
When we talk of astrology we are talking about life. Life and all of its expanse, complexity and details. Just talking about aspects is like a discussion of eyebrows, it just can't end there. No one "detail" of astrology can really stand on its own but has to dovetail in some way with other details. It is an opening discussion that I have had with myself and others for several decades. I still have basic issues that I haven't yet been able to answer to my own satisfaction. Luckily, I have been able to discard the majority of what I have learned and focused more on what seems relevant.
I truly wish there was some short statement that would serve as an "answer" to all of those who were interested in starting their own studies. There is not such an answer that I have found. The only truthful statement that I can make to start an astrological conversation is, "Be prepared to read, study, calculate a thousand or more charts, buy books, join groups, adopt an obsession, and taken in everything you can while not being afraid to throw away what istn't reliable almost 100% of the time. Set high standards to be met. Dave
Barleywine
I've been involved with astrology for over four decades. I cannot find anything to disagree with in that statement. Dave
Ditto on both counts here. I think the primacy of aspects (and especially aspect patterns) has been over-sold by modern Western astrologers seeking a holistic architecture that gives a relatively quick, functional, high-level overview of the character and personality; the more everything is integrated by aspect, the more of a well-defined psychological "gestalt" they can find in the figure. Since I began working with traditional methods, I find myself paying more attention to planetary strength, using angularity,essential and accidental dignity, rulerships and dispositors to home in on the planetary keynotes in a chart. Aspect analysis thus becomes a second-tier technique that either adds to or detracts from the initial impressions. I also lean toward the German Cosmobiologists' habit of looking mainly at the conjunctions and the "hard" aspects for visible manifestations (read "developmental challenges") in the life of an individual. In their view, nothing much happens that is obvious to an outside observer when trines and sextiles are involved, so they dispense with them.
ETA: To be completely accurate, they dispense with "aspects" entirely and just look at angular separation using special 360, 90 and 45-degree wheels.
Barleywine
"Aspects are the be-all and end-all of modern astrology. Or in the words of one modern astrologer, they are the guts of astrology. Trouble is, that's not true."
I thought I'd have some fun with this. Reflecting on the above quote, I suppose I would characterize the chart axes (and by extension the houses) as the "bones," the signs as the "skin," the planets as the "organs," (or "guts," if you choose) and the aspects as the "neural pathways" by which the organs communicate and interact. For example, if your kidneys (Venus) and your bladder (Mars) are out-of-sync (square), you might get a "stone" (Saturn) that impedes their cooperative functioning. I know, not a perfect analogy, but in the ball-park.
I thought I'd have some fun with this. Reflecting on the above quote, I suppose I would characterize the chart axes (and by extension the houses) as the "bones," the signs as the "skin," the planets as the "organs," (or "guts," if you choose) and the aspects as the "neural pathways" by which the organs communicate and interact. For example, if your kidneys (Venus) and your bladder (Mars) are out-of-sync (square), you might get a "stone" (Saturn) that impedes their cooperative functioning. I know, not a perfect analogy, but in the ball-park.
Minderwiz
Rather boringly I'm going to agree entirely with Dave and Barleywine.
Aspects are important but as the quote says it's the quality of the aspect not the number that count. I'ts also the planets that are involved in the aspects that determine that quality and indeed any other aspects that the are involved with.
The original purpose of aspects seems largely to create connections or configurations and more particularly to indicate whether the thing a planet signifies is facilitated or hindered by another planet.
Yes applying aspects are more relevant than separating aspects. I've read some modern Astrologers who say it doesn't matter whether the aspect is applying or separating in natal work. Clearly they don't make any attempt to forecast because they'd soon see that separating aspects refer to events before birth and applying aspects indicate the things that will come in the future (assuming that one planet doesn't turn retrograde before the 'point of perfection').
Like Barleywine, I look at the planets essential dignity - the extent to which it can 'be itself' (not a good expression because it's never anything else LOL) and it's position in the chart by house, especially its angularity. Dave might not go for the first but he certainly would go for the second. It's the 'accidental dignity' - mainly chart position and it's position relative to its Sun cycle,at the time but also including aspects from benefic or malefic planets - that determine the extent the planet gets 'involved' in your life. It's the essential dignity that shows whether the involvement is going to be as good as it could be.
Aspects are important but as the quote says it's the quality of the aspect not the number that count. I'ts also the planets that are involved in the aspects that determine that quality and indeed any other aspects that the are involved with.
The original purpose of aspects seems largely to create connections or configurations and more particularly to indicate whether the thing a planet signifies is facilitated or hindered by another planet.
Yes applying aspects are more relevant than separating aspects. I've read some modern Astrologers who say it doesn't matter whether the aspect is applying or separating in natal work. Clearly they don't make any attempt to forecast because they'd soon see that separating aspects refer to events before birth and applying aspects indicate the things that will come in the future (assuming that one planet doesn't turn retrograde before the 'point of perfection').
Like Barleywine, I look at the planets essential dignity - the extent to which it can 'be itself' (not a good expression because it's never anything else LOL) and it's position in the chart by house, especially its angularity. Dave might not go for the first but he certainly would go for the second. It's the 'accidental dignity' - mainly chart position and it's position relative to its Sun cycle,at the time but also including aspects from benefic or malefic planets - that determine the extent the planet gets 'involved' in your life. It's the essential dignity that shows whether the involvement is going to be as good as it could be.
