Aspects in Astrology: A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope

by Sue Tompkins

Overview

Illustrates how aspects can offer a profound depiction of an individual and his or her destiny.

• Contains comprehensive sections full of interpretations for every planetary combination.

• Concepts are explained through the use of actual birth charts and diagrams.

• A core textbook at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London.

Aspects are an essential piece of the astrological puzzle when it comes to interpreting and using the information that astrology can give us. It is not enough to know the placement of the planets on the horoscope. It is the relationships between the stars and planets that let us grasp the destiny of the individual. Aspects describe the drama of our lives—the complex configurations that influence what will happen to us over time.

Sue Tompkins, a fellow of the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London, shows how to interpret aspects when doing daily astrological readings. She uses the lives of real people to plot the aspects and offers examples of every possible planetary combination. Detailing the influence of oppositions, trines and elemental trines, and cardinal, mutable, and fixed crosses, Tompkins shows how aspects provide the energy in the chart that transforms the horoscope into something symbolizing an alive and vital human being. With Aspects in Astrology, Tompkins provides both the novice and the experienced astrologer the evidence and concrete methods needed to grasp the vast knowledge offered to us by our horoscope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780892819652
Publisher:	Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Publication date:	09/01/2002
Edition description:	North American Edition of Aspects in Astrology
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	123,775
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.94(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Sue Tompkins has been a practicing consultant and teacher of astrology since 1981. She was Director of Schools for the prestigious Faculty of Astrological Studies in London for 15 years and now operates her own school, the London School of Astrology. In addition to her independent courses and workshop offerings, she is a practicing homeopath in central London.

Read an Excerpt

Page xi-xii
I started studying astrology in the 1970s and like most students, then and now, when I discovered it, got quite obsessed. I never thought of it as having career potential; I was just fascinated and, not being in any particular hurry, my apprenticeship was long and slow. As I progressed in my studies, qualified and started seeing clients, it became obvious to me that the most important facet of the horoscope, the bit that one urgently needed to understand and be able to describe, was aspects - and yet, I couldn't find much in the way of contemporary material on the subject.
Even then there was much that was excellent on the market as to the nature of planetary combinations. Stephen Arroyo for example on the outer planets and Liz Greene on these and Saturn. Charles Carter's book Astrological Aspects was and still remains a classic in the field but is a little out of date and does not include Pluto. Bill Tierney's book Dynamics of Aspect Analysis is invaluable for the subject of aspect patterns, so much so that the writer has not attempted to comment further on these. So Aspects in Astrology came about because I needed to know more, and as I began teaching I realised that students needed to know more too. So I set about my own low-key empirical research and what follows is the result of that.
Much of the art of astrological interpretation lies in the capacity of the astrologer to bring different symbols together and synthesise them. At every step of the way, this is what the interpreter is doing. The astrologer considering, for example, Mercury in Sagittarius in the 4th house has to bring together their understanding of the planet, the sign, the 4th house, and the houses that are ruled by Mercury. The average student of astrology can usually manage to juggle around with these different factors but when presented with the fact that Mercury is not isolated but is in fact in 'aspect' - that is, forming a relationship with other planets or points in the chart - can feel totally overwhelmed. This is not surprising. Interpreting aspect configurations is a very complex business and not easy, even for the most experienced practitioner.
Nevertheless such interpretation is worthy of effort for it is the aspects that provide the energy in the chart, the energy that transforms the horoscope from the description of a lifeless puppet into something symbolising an alive and vital human being, complete with conflict and joy. Above all else in the chart, the aspects describe the prima materia, the raw stuff out of which every individual has to build their life. Horoscopes can be set up for anything; their use is not confined to the study of human nature and human life but whatever the birth-chart depicts - the time of an event, a question, a live being. The aspects describe the drama, they describe what actually happens. And in terms of people, aspect configurations describe what psychologists call 'complexes' (groups of interacting symbols), of which the psychologist C.G. Jung commented that it is not so much people who have complexes but complexes who have people. In other words, aspects play a large role in describing what might be termed our 'fate' inasmuch as they describe what we have to deal with.
The birth-chart by its very nature is unique and has to be viewed as a whole; thus it must be clear that any astrological 'cookbook' such as this one is always going to have its limitations, interpreting as it does one piece of information out of the context of the rest of the chart. Nevertheless, the interpreter has to start somewhere and it is hoped that this book will provide some help.

Table of Contents

Aspects in Astrology
A Guide to Understanding Planetary Relationships in the Horoscope
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part One: The Principles of Aspect Interpretation
1. The Planets
Sun
Moon
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
2. Dividing the Circle and Calculating Aspects
3. The Meaning of Aspects
Conjunction
Opposition
Trine
Square
Quintile
Sextile
Semi-square & Sesquiquadrate
Quincunx
Semi-sextile
4. Interpreting Aspects in Practice
Weighting
Orbs
Planetary protocol
Applying and Separating Aspects
Aspects in Declination
5. Qualities, Elements and Signs in Aspect
The Cardinal Cross
Aries-Libra
Cancer-Capricorn
Aries-Cancer
Aries-Capricorn
Cancer-Libra
Libra-Capricorn
The Fixed Cross
Taurus-Scorpio
Leo-Aquarius
Taurus-Leo
Taurus-Aquarius
Leo-Scorpio
Scorpio-Aquarius
The Mutable Cross
Gemini-Sagittarius
Virgo-Pisces
Gemini-Virgo
Gemini-Pisces
Virgo-Sagittarius
Sagittarius-Pisces
Trines in Fire
Trines in Earth
Trines in Air
Trines in Water
Part Two: A Planetary Cookbook
6. Sun Aspects
Sun-Moon
Sun-Mercury
Sun-Venus
Sun-Mars
Sun-Jupiter
Sun-Saturn
Sun-Uranus
Sun-Neptune
Sun-Pluto
7. Moon Aspects
Moon-Mercury
Moon-Venus
Moon-Mars
Moon-Jupiter
Moon-Saturn
Moon-Uranus
Moon-Neptune
Moon-Pluto
8. Mercury Aspects
Mercury-Venus
Mercury-Mars
Mercury-Jupiter
Mercury-Saturn
Mercury-Uranus
Mercury-Neptune
Mercury-Pluto
9. Venus Aspects
Venus-Mars
Venus-Jupiter
Venus-Saturn
Venus-Uranus
Venus-Neptune
Venus-Pluto
10. Mars Aspects
Mars-Jupiter
Mars-Saturn
Mars-Uranus
Mars-Neptune
Mars-Pluto
11. Jupiter Aspects
Jupiter-Saturn
Jupiter-Uranus
Jupiter-Neptune
Jupiter-Pluto
12. Saturn Aspects
Saturn-Uranus
Saturn-Neptune
Saturn-Pluto
13. Aspects between the Outer Planets
Part Three: The Angles
14. The Ascendant-Midheaven Complex
The Ascendant-Descendant Axis
MC-IC Axis
15. Planets and Angles
The Sun and the Angles
The Moon and the Angles
Mercury and the Angles
Venus and the Angles
Mars and the Angles
Jupiter and the Angles
Saturn and the Angles
Uranus and the Angles
Neptune and the Angles
Pluto and the Angles
Data Sources and Index of Charts Used in the Text
Useful Organisations
Bibliography

What People are Saying About This

Barbara Hand Clow

"An ideal guide for aspect analysis by the beginning student of astrology and an excellent resource for the advanced astrologer. Sue Tompkins clearly and incisively explains exactly what happens in the lives of people as a result of the aspects in their charts, and she offers many brilliant insights regarding how to use this energy constructively. A key text for all those using astrology.

Editorial Reviews

"It's one of a handful among hundreds of astrology books that will remain a treasure for many years to come."

February 2003 Dell Magazines

"An ideal guide for aspect analysis by the beginning student of astrology and an excellent resource for the advanced astrologer. Sue Tompkins clearly and incisively explains exactly what happens in the lives of people as a result of the aspects in their charts, and she offers many brilliant insights regarding how to use this energy constructively. A key text for all those using astrology."

author of The Liquid Light of Sex and Chiron: Barbara Hand Clow

"In this 21st century where relationships are increasing in importance, volume, and complexity, Aspects of Astrology is especially meaningful and timely. This book is a wonderfully insightful and erudite map for managing our relations with others, and for understanding the many aspects within our own innerself."

James Wanless

"An ideal guide for aspect analysis by the beginning student of astrology and an excellent resource for the advanced astrologer. Sue Tompkins clearly and incisively explains exactly what happens in the lives of people as a result of the aspects in their charts, and she offers many brilliant insights regarding how to use this energy constructively. A key text for all those using astrology."

author of The Liquid Light of Sex and Chiron: Rain Barbara Hand Clow

"An ideal guide for aspect analysis by the beginning student of astrology and an excellent resource for the advanced astrologer. Sue Tompkins clearly and incisively explains exactly what happens in the lives of people as a result of the aspects in their charts, and she offers many brilliant insights regarding how to use this energy constructively. A key text for all those using astrology."

"In this 21st century where relationships are increasing in importance, volume, and complexity, Aspects of Astrology is especially meaningful and timely. This book is a wonderfully insightful and erudite map for managing our relations with others, and for understanding the many aspects within our own innerself."

"It's one of a handful among hundreds of astrology books that will remain a treasure for many years to come."

From the Publisher

"It's one of a handful among hundreds of astrology books that will remain a treasure for many years to come."

Dell Magazines

"An ideal guide for aspect analysis by the beginning student of astrology and an excellent resource for the advanced astrologer. Sue Tompkins clearly and incisively explains exactly what happens in the lives of people as a result of the aspects in their charts, and she offers many brilliant insights regarding how to use this energy constructively. A key text for all those using astrology."

Barbara Hand Clow

In this 21st century where relationships are increasing in importance, volume, and complexity, Aspects of Astrology is especially meaningful and timely. This book is a wonderfully insightful and erudite map for managing our relations with others, and for understanding the many aspects within our own innerself...

James Wanless