What an Angle Means: Separation Along the Ecliptic
The angle between planets is called an aspect in astrology. Here, an angle means the separation between planets along the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the Sun's path represented as a circle, and the 12 signs are divisions of that circle.
How far apart two planets are along the ecliptic is expressed in degrees, and the reading changes according to that degree. No lines are actually drawn in the sky. Think of it as a way of organizing positional relationships in the form of angles.
When you read statements about "planetary movements" in monthly horoscopes and similar material, this angular relationship is sometimes used as a basis alongside sign changes. If you know the basic forms first, it becomes easier to understand what a reading is based on.
The Five Basic Angles
There are five angles considered basic.
A conjunction is 0 degrees. It is a relationship where two planets overlap in almost the same position, and it is read as the functions of the two overlapping and appearing together.
A sextile is 60 degrees. It corresponds to one-sixth of a circle.
A square is 90 degrees. It is one-quarter of a circle.
A trine is 120 degrees. It corresponds to one-third of a circle.
An opposition is 180 degrees. It is a relationship directly opposite across the circle.
These five are considered basic, and finer angles beyond them are treated as something to handle only after you have grasped these basics. At first, it is enough to remember just the correspondence between these five degrees and their names.
Angles Read as Harmonious, and Angles Read as Containing Tension
As a general rule in readings, 60 degrees and 120 degrees are often read as harmonious, and 90 degrees and 180 degrees are often read as containing tension. This is not stated as a fixed law. It is a tendency in readings that has been used for a long time in astrology.
Angles read as harmonious are treated as a relationship where the functions of two planets connect without strain. Applied to work, it can be compared to a state where the power to advance and the power to organize do not clash and can be used in sequence.
Angles read as containing tension are treated as a relationship where the functions pull against each other. However, having tension does not mean a bad result. It is because there is a pull in opposite directions that you need to decide on order and allocation instead of leaning entirely to one side. In work situations, it is close to a state where you need both the judgment to advance and the judgment to stop.
A conjunction at 0 degrees does not lean to either side, and is treated as something whose reading changes depending on the combination of planets that overlap.
You Can Also Read It Broadly from the Positional Relationship Between Signs
You do not need to measure degrees precisely. You can also read angles broadly from the positional relationship between signs.
Because the 12 signs divide a circle into 12 parts, the separation between signs itself becomes a rough angle. Rather than neighboring signs, the view is that signs two apart are about 60 degrees, three apart are about 90 degrees, four apart are about 120 degrees, and directly opposite signs are 180 degrees.
For example, a period when one planet is in one sign and another planet is in the directly opposite sign can be read broadly as a relationship close to an opposition. Precise degrees require calculation, but just from sign positions you can grasp the rough shape of the relationship. When reading a monthly horoscope, this broad view is enough to follow the basis.
The Meaning of an Angle Changes with the Combination
Even with the same angle, the emphasis of the reading changes depending on which planets are involved. Even if you take only the form of 90 degrees, for example, if the planets involved are different, the point at issue when applying it to work is also different. This is because what you need to prepare differs between tension between functions that both advance things, and tension between a function that advances and a function that organizes.
For that reason, horoscope texts do not draw a conclusion from the name of an angle alone. They use the combination of planets together with sign movements at that time as the basis. As a reader, when you see angle terminology, it suits you to continue by checking which planets are being discussed.
Using Angle Readings Without Overstating or Understating Them
What you should watch out for in angle readings is not to decide briefly that harmonious means good and containing tension means bad. This is at the stage of "generally read that way," and actual work decisions are made based on conditions and records.
As a way of using them, it suits you to keep them as one piece of material for knowing the nature of a period. A period with many angles read as harmonious is easier to use for situations where you advance coordination with related parties. A period with angles read as containing tension is a time to organize potentially conflicting points in writing in advance. Angles are material for deciding how to prepare, not for deciding the substance of a judgment. That is how to use this reading.
Also, multiple angles are always in place at the same time. This site does not use a reading that picks up only one angle to decide an entire period. The basic form is to position angles within the whole, together with sign movements and whether retrograde motion is present.
If you grasp the five basic angles and the general reading of harmony and tension, you will be able to follow the meaning of the basis that appears in horoscope texts. For details, check them as that month's movements in the monthly horoscope.