posted February 18, 2009 07:13 PM            

I take hard aspects to the luminaries very seriously even if they are wide.

posted February 18, 2009 07:18 PM              

.. What orbs should we give transiting aspects ? Astrologers will advise differently on this point, but experience has taught me to be generous with orbs in respect to the transits of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In the case of a transiting outer planet conjuncting, squaring or opposing a natal planet, we usually start noticing its influence when it is 5 degrees away from the exact transiting aspect - in some cases even sooner than that. The stage is being set: if we take time to attune to what we are feeling inside, we will be aware of certain rumblings, perhaps a growing sense of restlessness, boredom or frustration. Or we are aware of a desire inside ourselves for change, a need for something new to happen. Such feelings mark the prelude to the events which might occur as the transiting aspect becomes more exact. For a transiting trine or sextile, i would reduce the orb of influence slightly, to 3 or 4 degrees before an exact aspect.

.. I believe we can prepare for an outer planet transit well before it becomes exact. For instance, if we know an important Uranus transit is coming, we can listen to that part of us which wants change, and begin to explore and experiment with bringing new things into our life. We don't have to destroy totally existing structures in our lives, but we need to make room for some new elements to enter. If we anticipate and co-operate with the upcoming transit in this way, its force when exact will not catch us off guard or overwhelm us with its intensity. However, if we are not conscious of the changes that need to be made and are not doing anything to integrate the new, the transiting aspect will gather greater power as it approaches exactitude. The end result is that our desire for change explodes uncontrollably and expresses itself in an extreme way, or change is forced upon us via external events and agencies.

.. Betty Lunsted, in her book "Transits: The Time of Your Life" uses a 10 degree orb in charting upcoming transits, and her rationale makes sense:

" Transits signify periods of growth. If we wish to use the transit period for our growing, we need to begin when the seeds of the transit are planted ... Many students attempt to interpret a transit when it is basically over, for they begin to work with it when the crop is being harvested. The unpleasant crop harvested from a difficult transit occurs when we haven't been aware of the effect of a transit soon enough. I use a ten degree applying orb. In that way the energy can be transformed with knowledge and understanding."

.. Tracy Marks makes a similar point:

" If we don't want the universe to burn down our houses or destroy our cars or send spouses or lovers to bed with other people in order to get us to pay attention to what is happening, we must motivate ourselves to actively live our transit; we must attune ourselves to the energy of the transit as it first approaches, and discover ways to express that energy constructively."

posted February 18, 2009 07:33 PM              

Some charts are composed of tightly aspected planets- and in such a chart I would use tight orbs as well.
For example a square between sun and mars with a 1° orb has precedence to a square between sun and neptune with a 6° orb.

But what about charts where the tightest/closest Ptolemic (conjunction,opposition,square,trine,sextile)
aspects start at a 5° orb?
For example, the tightest aspect is a sun square mars at 5°, and then sun square neptune at 7°.

Would you consider the 5° square in this second chart to play out more in the life of the individual since it's the tightest aspect to the sun?
(I would also take into consideration the neptune square sun in the second chart more keenly, due to lack of closer aspects)

Surely in such a chart you would implement the usage of wider orbs, since if you kept them tight, say under 5°, you'd have no aspects in the chart at all

Does anyone else treat the natal orb allowance on a case by case basis?

posted February 18, 2009 07:46 PM              

But overall I tend to only really look at and analyze tight orbs (no matter which planet involved) because they are most intense..and intensity is really all I care about lol.

------------------
Capricorn sun / Scorpio rising / Sagittarius moon

posted February 18, 2009 07:48 PM              

quote:

---

I believe we can prepare for an outer planet transit well before it becomes exact. For instance, if we know an important Uranus transit is coming, we can listen to that part of us which wants change, and begin to explore and experiment with bringing new things into our life. We don't have to destroy totally existing structures in our lives, but we need to make room for some new elements to enter. If we anticipate and co-operate with the upcoming transit in this way, its force when exact will not catch us off guard or overwhelm us with its intensity. However, if we are not conscious of the changes that need to be made and are not doing anything to integrate the new, the transiting aspect will gather greater power as it approaches exactitude. The end result is that our desire for change explodes uncontrollably and expresses itself in an extreme way, or change is forced upon us via external events and agencies.

---

Wow, this is really insightful! I'm thankful I have a new perspective on Uranus transits, since Uranus is squaring Venus at a 3 degree orb and it will be exact by April.

Another thought. Have you noticed anything specific when an orb becomes exact and then widens and becomes exact again?

posted February 19, 2009 12:57 AM            

5 degree orb for conjunction,opposition,trine,square

3 degree orb for sextile

1 1/2 degree orb for semisextile,quincunx,biquintile,quintile,semisquare,and sesquiquadrate

1 degree for all other aspects

1 1/2 degree orb for conjunction,opposition midpoint pictures

1 degree orb for indirect midpoint pictures (square,semisquare,sesquiquadrate)

I use a more geometrical-based system,and so I use smaller orbs.

I use 1 degree orb for parallel,contraparallel

I would use only 12 minutes of arc for parallel,contraparallel midpoints

I believe that wide orbed aspects work because of midpoint pictures involving planets involved in those wide aspects. They can also work because the planets could be in parallel or contraparallel declination.

also...wide orbed aspects could work because they could be in tighter orb in Right Ascension especially Pluto and other kuiper belt objects where there is a significant difference in the orb of a regular chart and the orb of a Right Ascension chart.

Right Ascension is the equatorial longitude coordinates that astronomers use to locate celestial objects. They also use the declinations(which is equatorial latitude coordinates).

I also believe that people can identify with wide orbed Pluto aspects because they could have aspects that involve other kuiper belt objects...especially the plutinos(like Orcus,Ixion) which would have similar type of energy as Pluto.

I also believe that all the aforementioned things also apply to wide orb transits too.

Raymond

posted February 19, 2009 01:31 AM              

Much food for thought.
I agree that Right Ascention charts and Kuiper belt object in aspect may lie behind wide orbed outer planet aspects that seem to work.