Aspects Applying and Separating

by Alison Price

by Alison Price

Information Overload

Astrology is a subject that tends towards the, “I thought I knew what I was doing until I began to learn it” type comments.

Students have mountains of information to process and any method for remembering the little details helps.

Scientists believe the act of learning is improved when you approach a subject from many avenues. Techniques may include; to listen in class, to read a book, to take notes, to make a collage, to put it to music or to watch a movie.

All of these practices create new pathways in your brain which reinforce the original information storage.

Building many roads to Rome lets you recall information better when you try to retrieve or remember something, for example, during a client consultation.

Planetary Speed

A planet’s speed is determined by its distance from the Sun. The closer it is, the quicker it moves. The exception is the Moon which has the most daily movement.

The planets listed by speed are; the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Chiron (depends), Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

An applying aspect occurs when a faster planet moves towards a slower planet.

An aspect is separating when the swifter planet pulls away from the sluggish planet.

An exact aspect has zero orb.

Note any retrograde motion as this will change the status of the aspect.

The Solar Fire Aspectarian

On the Solar Fire aspectarian (the triangle of blocks with the aspects listed in it at the bottom of the chart sheet), there is an “A” or an “S” this tells you if an aspect is applying or separating.

Solid or dotted

Conveniently there is an option to show applying aspects with a solid line and separating aspects with a dotted line in the chart wheel.

In Thick and Thin

Set your program to display thicker aspect lines if the orb is tight and thinner if it is wide. You can select a different color for each type of aspect.

Here is a method to remember the difference between applying and separating aspects which you won’t forget in a hurry. Cast your mind if you will to the fun activity we all love.