posted September 07, 2008 01:08 AM         

1. The sextile is the most often found aspect in synastry and natal charts. More often than the trine. The orb for the sextile seems to work at a larger orb than I would have thought (previously, 2-3 degrees). Up to 6 degrees for the sun and pretty strongly to about 4.5 for other planets.

2. Squares rarely seem significant beyond 3-4 degree orbs.

Here is my point: I think we have been looking at orbs all wrong. We generally give hard aspects larger orbs than soft aspects bec they seem more powerful, at first glance. They may be more energetic and dynamic but what I am noticing is that soft aspects work with a wider orb bec they are more gradual in their buildup. A trine at 5-7 orb on the sun is much more noticable than a 5-7 orb square.

Squares are trigger aspects and involve quick action (in transit) or a call for responsiveness in a natal chart. They dont gradually ramp up. They are quick and focused. Trines, by their very nature are natural and therefore as transits or aspects in a natal chart happen more gradually. Therefore, they should receive a wider orb. The same goes for sextiles.

I used to assign orbs for aspects in a list from highest to lowest, as larger and smaller divisions of the circle. Conjunction through semxextile.
1-12.
My bias, like many was to assign larger orbs to hard aspects and smaller orbs to soft aspects. This is a mistake.

Given what I am seeing in hundreds of real world examples. I revised my orbs to be something like this:

Sextile - 4.5 (up to 6 for the sun, though it will be strongest within 4 degrees).

Trine - 6.5 (up to 7.5 for the sun)

Quintile - 3 (4 for the sun)

Square - 3 (4 for the sun)

Opposition - 5 (6 for the sun)

Conjunction - 9 (10 for the sun)

Interestingly, quintiles have both hard and soft aspect properties. They are dynamic and focused like hard aspects and don't gradually ramp up. They are there, or not there. There isnt much in between. While they are electric, they are not challenging like hard aspects and offer resources and talents, along with their energy which propels strongly toward outward action and implementation of something. They are not minor aspects and in synastry are always stimulating and electric and very noticable.