Astrology in Depth                 New Light on Aspect Orbs
                                             

        Astrologers and students alike have always found it difficult to settle on a reliable standard for how much orb to allow when delineating aspects.

        Even though traditional standards have assigned a 9 degree Aspect orb for all conjunctions, squares, trines and oppositions, as well as a 5 degree orb for sextiles, with an even smaller 2 degree orb for semi-sextiles, the orb itself should not be interpreted as being separate from the Aspecting Planets.

        This is where Astrology becomes not merely a Science, but rather a fine Art as well. If we were to hold two magnets of the same size and equal distance from a magnetic object, then we would expect the magnetic pull or effect on the object would be equal for both magnets.

        But, what would happen if one magnet were much larger than the other? At the same distance, the larger magnet would have a greater pull. What if we were to slightly increase the distance between the larger magnet and the object? Would we still not observe a pull from the larger magnet?

        Because of this, we should measure orbs not merely in terms of what the Aspect in question is, but rather in terms of what Planets are involved as well. If our limit is 9 degrees for a major Aspect, but either of the Planets in question is a very large slow moving Planet with a larger magnetic field (and a larger effect on different levels), would it not be right to allow a slightly larger orb, so that we do not rule this Planet out, when in fact it is actually having an effect? This could be particularly revealing when using smaller orbs (2 or 5 degrees).

        In this respect, the Astrologer must not be too strict in delineating Aspects, if he or she is to see the whole picture. An Aspect between Mercury and Venus will have a much shorter duration of effect and much less magnetic influence than the same Aspect between Saturn and Jupiter.

        We must also not make the mistake of thinking that to be adaptible means to always make the allowable Aspect Orb larger. Where a full 9 degrees is allowed on the Major Aspects, we should consider that when we apply this same orb to smaller faster moving Planets, we can expect the effect to be far less intense than if the Aspects between them were closer. Again, to use the magnetic simile, smaller magnets have to be closer to each other to be effective.

        To read the Aspect correctly then, it is always helpful to let the Orb of Influence adapt to the most logical effect of the forces involved.