Hard aspects cause conflict between the planets. They cause problems of psychological nature or from the surrounding (depends on the signs and houses in which the aspect is located). Fighting these problems many people undergo severe life periods, but when they learn to face the problem it opens many new possibilities to the individual, now stronger as a person.
Soft aspects help the person express his inner abilities. But every aspect has two sides: hard aspect can result in great development of personality while soft aspect can become totally unused, especially when there is no balance and there are a lot of soft aspects that contribute to laziness and wasting time.
Conjunction is the strongest of all aspects. It unites two or more individual energies of the planets. Three or more planets in conjunction we call stellium.
Opposition is the strongest of the hard aspects. It brings difficulty, but it also demands dealing with the problems which contributes to development.
Trine is the stronges of the soft aspects. It combines individual strengths of the planets enabling them easy expression.
Square is a strong aspect but weaker than the opposition. Basically, the square's energy is similar to that of a trine but it is intensified to such an extent that the energy is said to be stressful.
Sextile is a strong aspect, but weaker than the trine. It indicates ease of communication between the two elements involved, with compatibility and harmony between them, but only provides opportunity, requiring effort to gain its benefits.
NON-ASPECTED PLANETS
If the planet is not aspected it has difficulty in expressing itself. Maybe it's badly incorporated into the rest of the horoscope, but also its influence can be significantly boosted because other celestial bodies are not in the way. So a non-aspected planet has to be carefully explained.
IF IT'S NON-ASPECTED:
The Sun - weak effect, but still selfishness is emphasized
The Moon - out of touch with home, family, heritage and emotions
Mercury - difficulty in expressing ones opinion
Venus - close relations are difficult to attain, the person needs more socialization
Mars - lack of motivation and uncontrolled energy
Jupiter - large part of the energy is spent on the creation of living conditions
Saturn - difficulty in determining the limits of their own abilities, there is a need for self-discipline
Uranus - difficulty in expressing our own personality
Neptune - difficulty in expressing imagination and spiritual aspirations, but a commitment to art and religion
Pluto - constant inducing emotional conflicts and difficulty in managing their own energy
Small amount of aspects in a natal chart talk about a weak personality and a monotonous life. A lot of aspects tell about a dynamic, complex and interesting individual. The nature of aspects is under the influence of the sign in which the planet is situated. It is important to know which planet is stronger and influential. Every aspect affects the area which is ruled by the house or houses in which the planets is located.
THE CONFIGURATION OF THE PLANETS
When three or more planets are interconnected with an aspect, we get a configuration that has a special meaning in a natal chart. The configurations are easy to recognize. The most common are:
1. STELLIUM - A Stellium is a configuration that occurs when three or more planets are in the same sign or are in the same house. This places much focus upon the affairs ruled by this house and the tendencies shown by the sign involved. Strong will power, self-awareness, and a direct stimulation to action in a particular direction of development is shown.
2. THE T-SQUARE - This type of configuration occurs when two planets oppose each other and both are squared by a third planet. All of the planets are connected and their influences. The T-square is a difficult combination of aspects as it indicates the need to overcome many obstacles, but at the same time, it produces a strong driving ambition to do so. It can be cardinal, fixed and mutable. A cardinal T-square gives dynamic and energy, fixed stability and militancy, and mutable flexibility and adaptability.
3. THE GRAND CROSS - The Grand Cross consists of four or more planets spread at intervals of approximately 90. This kind of combination can become a very dominant point of a natal chart. It can be cardinal, fixed and mutable. The grand cross in cardinal signs demands forcefulness, in fixed it bonds people to trouble refusing them to change, and in mutable it tries to oversee the causes of the problems.
4. THE YOD - A Yod occurs when two planets in sextile (60 apart) and both form an inconjunct (a 150 angle) with a third planet. The third planet in the inconjunct represents the action point of the Yod; the midpoint between the other two planets is the reaction point. This is also referred to as the Finger of God or the Finger of Fate and is an uncommon configuration. The configuration is usually troublesome and difficult to handle during childhood but can develop into an ingenious force in later period.
5. THE GRAND TRINE - A Grand Trine occurs when three planets are placed an equal distant apart, approximately 120 from each other. Usually the planets are in the same element so we have a Grand Trine in air, earth, fire and water. In accordance with the element and depending on which planets are involved, it can be a kind of protection. The Grand Trine is a show of many natural talents. The fire offers enthusiasm and search for new possibilities, earth practical work and experience, air intellect and a flow of ideas, while water compassion and intuition.
6. THE KITE - The Kite configuration is an extension of the Grand Trine. There is a fourth planet that opposes one of the three Trine planets. Kites will always be in the same polarity, either masculine (Fire and Air) or feminine (Earth and Water).
7. THE BOOMERANG - The Boomerang looks very much like the Kite configuration except that the opposition is connected to the apex planet of the Yod. The first planet in this case really works as a boomerang because the solution of the problem can be only achieved in the opposition, bypassing the inconjunctions.
8. MUTUAL INFLUENCE - It's a relationship between the two planets that are in the other one's natural ruling house. Its harmonious and complementary and it can be interpreted in two ways: as a conjunction of the planets, and as if the planets are in their ruling sign.
Credit: witchcraftforall.blogspot.com