A disassociate square is found when the planets are in different modes.
For instance, the Sun at 29° Virgo and the Moon at 3° Cancer finds them still square but in different modes, the Sun in mutable and the Moon in the cardinal mode.
Square aspect meaning
Internal dilemmas
Two planets in a square aspect face internal dilemmas.
Difficult conflict
It can be difficult to work with the energies for the individual.
Active
The individual continuously attempts to address the issues but sometimes it is hard to define the actual conflict.
Resistance
The square offers resistance between the two and tension is present.
Unease
It is an aspect of unease where on-going change and constant attention is required to the two planets involved by the person.
The astrological aspects are the angular relationship between the planets and points (the Ascendant and Midheaven etc.) in a chart.
In your chart some planets will be in aspect to each other and some will not have aspects. Some planets may have easy aspects and some may have difficult aspects.
There are five main aspects.
The Conjunction
More on the conjunction
The Sextile
Planets in sextile work well together and support each other. They suggest that you have latent talents in the nature of the planets involved and this can be brought forward for the creativity and vision in your life. The sextile is a soft aspect.
The Trine
Planets in trine to each other are easy going and let the other planet be themselves. This is the best aspect of support and being positive. The trine is an easy or soft aspect.
The Square
Planets that are square to each other have some tension between them. Their energies compete for dominance and challenge each other. Planets in square create internal dilemmas for you. The square is a hard or difficult aspect.
The Opposition
Planets that oppose are in tension with each other and will struggle to work together. These planets create external dilemmas for you and can indicate where you project the issues to the other. The opposition is a hard or difficult aspect.
And another – The Quintile Aspect
Although not one of the big five aspects I use the quintile aspect as well as it is the aspect of creativity. Planets in quintile to each other show your creative expression in line with the meaning of the two planets. The quintile should always be considered when analyzing creative expression and outlets in your life.
Thor’s Hammer is a Major Aspect Pattern sometimes found in astrology charts. It is triangle shaped and if you have one you can see it immediately.
If you don’t have one you will probably only learn about this pattern later in the first or second year of your astrology studies.
Thor’s hammer and other major aspect patterns used to be part of the second year syllabus but have recently been brought forward to some first year classes.
Thor – the Man
Thor was a mythical guy who wielded a small hammer that was used for throwing. When hurled the hammer would spin and hit his opponent with quite some force. It was not a hammer for banging nails in or banging on about.
The head of his hammer was shaped short and blunt as the major aspect pattern triangle is today thus the name Thor’s hammer.
Thor’s hammer is formed by three planets, two planets in square with each other and both sesquiquadrate to a third planet.
Features of a Thor’s Hammer
There are several things that make a Thor’s hammer different to any other triangle shaped aspect pattern like a grand trine, T-square or yod.
This pattern has only hard aspects
The square (90°) always drawn in red ink, and the sesquiquadrate (135°) always drawn in orange ink, are both aspects from the eighth harmonic. This means they are derived by dividing the circle by 8 (360/8=45) and 4 (360/4=90). The sesquiquadrate is one quarter (90°) plus one eighth (45°) resulting in 135°.
There are no soft aspects in this major aspect pattern such as a trine or sextile.
In our example chart Terry Fox has Sun square Mars and both sesquiquadrate Saturn and this forms his Thor’s hammer.
It is a manifesting aspect pattern
A manifesting aspect is one from the eighth harmonic set of aspects. These are always challenging and will be the aspect that the person will be working with already. Manifesting aspects do not hide in the bushes they are to be grappled with from day one.
Resistant to change
Due to the tight squares and sesquiquadrates this aspect pattern is resistant to change and the planets in the aspect pattern will be locked together and work as a ‘team’ for the person whose chart it is. This can be for good or bad depending on the planets involved.
In our example chart the three planets are the Sun, Mars and Saturn.
Difficult to live with
A Thor’s hammer is difficult to live with because it will keep on coming up as the squares and the sesquiquadrates demand their attention.
The Sun square Mars is a very masculine aspect full of life and energy.
The Sun sesquiquadrate Saturn suggests a struggle to achieve the life’s goals but shows perseverance.
The Mars sesquiquadrate Saturn indicates the drive and the ambition are linked in a powerful way but that caution may be cast to the wind in the push for life.
The focal planet is a sensitive point
One square and two sesquiquadrates.
In every triangle shaped major aspect pattern there are three planets. Two will be in cahoots and the third will be a ‘focal’ planet.
The focal planet in a Thor’s hammer is the one with the two sesquiquadrates connecting to it.
This planet will express the energy of the two other planets in square through itself into the chart. This makes the focal planet very sensitive to the energy from transits and progressions and those from the other two planets as well.
In our example chart for Terry Fox the focal planet is Saturn retrograde in Sagittarius in the fifth house of sport. This suggests the energy (Mars) and the identity (Sun) was been harnessed towards the goal (Saturn) even to the detriment of the life as this man pushed through adversity in sports.
Note the dispositor of the focal planet
The focal planet’s dispositor is the planet that rules the sign that the focal planet is in. So if the focal planet is Saturn in Sagittarius, Jupiter (as the ruler of Sagittarius) will be the dispositor of Saturn. or in other words, Jupiter will dispose Saturn in the chart.
This suggests that caution will be cast to the wind and the underlying Saturn drives may be taken recklessly because of Jupiter’s influence on the staid focal planet Saturn.
General interpretation
Thor’s hammers need careful interpretation. You have to understand the meaning of the three planets (Sun, Mars and Saturn) and the meaning of each individual aspect (the square and the sesquiquadrates) and which planet is stronger in each aspect before you can understand the inner dynamics of a Thor’s hammer.
Again in our example, in the Sun square Mars aspect, the Sun is powerful in Leo (score +5) and Mars is in detriment in Taurus (score -5) so the Sun dominates the square.
In the Sun sesquiquadrate Saturn aspect, the Sun again dominates this aspect and bosses up the sesquiquadrate with Saturn.
In the Mars sesquiquadrate Saturn aspect, Mars is in detriment in Taurus (score -5) and Saturn is peregrine in Sagittarius (score 0).
Neither Mars nor Saturn has accidental dignity by house but Mars is most elevated and Saturn is retrograde so on average Mars will be stronger than Saturn in that particular sesquiquadrate. This again shows the weakness of his Saturn.
Be on the lookout for a Thor’s hammer and see how it works in your charts.
The Sun makes a square aspect to Jupiter twice a year.
The Sun as the faster moving of the two planets and is applying a square to Jupiter until the exact aspect, which forms on September 7th from then on it, will be a separating square. The applying period is felt more than the separating time.
A square aspect is ninety degrees with an orb of eight degrees coming and going. As the Sun moves at almost one degree a day this particular aspect will be in effect for sixteen days or just over two weeks. This one is the opening square.
Mercury owns this square.
With the Sun in Virgo and Jupiter in Gemini Mercury who rules both signs disposes them both. It is always valuable to consider the dispositors of the planets in any aspect as they may indicate which planet is the stronger of the two. In this aspect Mercury is conjunct the Sun reinforcing the Virgo part of this square.
What to expect.
We can expect to see individual aggrandizement and larger than life stories like “The one that got away” whether it was a fish, a job or a date.
If you are giving a presentation this Sun square Jupiter will aid you as it supports honest promotion.
You may want to tell all now and if you do you may not consider how the consequences of the truth you have to say may impact on your life. Be aware that you may be called to justify yourself. Things may later be seen as blatant lies and exaggeration.
This square can indicate a time where personal expression is over the top and excessive ego is visible. Watch out for behaving in a boasting way or hogging the conversation as both planets are in Mercury ruled signs. In the cold light of the day you may wish you had had more tact.
It will be tempting to take on more than you can deliver. Accepting projects with unrealistic deadlines will likely come back to haunt you later.
You (Sun) will be judged (Jupiter) in the aftermath of this square. Make sure your personal bluster does not let you down.
Children may be especially boisterous now and will want to get outside to run it off.
How are you experiencing this aspect? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
