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ASPECT

Volume 2 · 143 words · 1815 Edition

in Astronomy, denotes the situation of the planets and stars with respect to each other.

There are five different aspects. 1. Sextile aspect is when the planets or stars are 60° distant, and marked thus *. 2. The quartile, or quadrature, when they are 90° distant, marked □. 3. Trine, when 120° distant, marked Δ. 4. Opposition, when 180° distant, marked ⊙. And, 5. Conjunction, when both in the same degree, marked &.

Kepler, who added eight new ones, defines aspect to be the angle formed by the rays of two stars meeting on the earth, whereby their good or bad influence is measured: for it is to be observed, that these aspects being first introduced by astrologers, were distinguished into benign, malignant, and indifferent; the quartile and opposition being accounted malign; the trine and sextile, benign or friendly; and the conjunction, indifferent.