Astrology Basics: The Square and Harlow Winter

A natal chart shows the placements of the planets in the sky at the time of someone’s birth. To the average person, it may just look like a lot of dots in a circle, but to an astrologer, it reveals the patterns and tendencies in that person’s behavior and needs. The planets, while very far apart in our sky, look closer together when placed in the natal wheel, and connections between them can be seen by tracing certain mathematical angles between the planets, such as the 90 degree* angle, called a square, which is featured in Harlow's chart below. The connections between planets are called aspects.

Birthday girl Harlow, daughter of Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, just turned 4 this week. She has a square aspect in her chart between the planets Venus (middle right) and Uranus (top middle). Venus is the planet of relationship. It's connected through the square to the planet Uranus, which is a planet that drives us toward freedom and individuality.

Venus is how we establish connection with others, but Uranus, valuing freedom, tends to avoid anything that will tie it down. Harlow's special challenge with Venus squaring Uranus is to get her needs met for connection without sacrificing her need for freedom and individuality. The feeling of planets squaring each other usually feels tense and uncomfortable, but it's that tension and discomfort that continues to get our attention, and pushes us to work toward finding a way to make our conflicting needs work! As she forms friendships, she will be working out this challenge of collecting friends, but feeling tense or cramped when they expect too much of her or want to latch on too tightly. But she'll get the hang of it as she grows and will learn how to be independent but not alone.

*A degree is a unit of measurement. They are marked by the degree symbol following the numbers by each planet in a natal chart. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each sign is divided into 30 degrees, so counting restarts at 0 when entering a new sign. To find an opposition, locate any planet in a natal chart and note its degree number. Then count 6 signs from there in either direction and see if another planet lands in the same degree (give or take a few degrees) in the new sign. That’s an opposition! If you’re not sure, or you don’t have a copy of your natal chart, you can calculate one for free instantly online at Kiddiegram.com!

Astrology Basics: The Conjunction Aspect and Ryder Robinson

A natal chart shows the placements of the planets in the sky at the time of someone’s birth. To the average person, it may just look like a lot of dots in a circle, but to an astrologer, it reveals the patterns and tendencies in that person’s behavior and needs. The planets, while very far apart in our sky, look closer together when placed in the natal wheel, and connections between them can be seen by tracing certain mathematical angles between the planets, such as the 90 degree* angle, called a square. The connections between planets are called aspects.

Most aspects can be categorized as positive or negative in their effect. A trine helps two planets work well together, while an opposition gets planets in a tug of war. But a conjunction can be a devil or an angel, depending on the planets involved. Two or more planets conjunct each other (very close to one another as in Ryder's chart) can intensify each other, creating a sort of 'superplanet'. One planet, or part of that person, doesn't function without the other part--they are fused in their expression. This can lend a certain focus and intensity, but it also doesn't allow the planets to have any perspective. In an opposition, the planets duke it out, which can feel tense, but ultimately it helps us reign each planet in. Not so with the conjunction.

In Ryder's chart (son of Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson), we see Mercury in a conjunction with Pluto. Mercury is the planet of communication, learning, and point of view--how we think and how we communicate those thoughts. With Mercury in Sagittarius, Ryder has a tendency to think big, and to express what he's thinking with directness, in an unfiltered fashion. Mercury in Sagittarius likes to express itself rather naively and optimistically.

Add Pluto to the soup, and you'll get a deeper flavor. While Mercury in Sagittarius might be rather naive, Pluto, the planet of power and psychological depth, gives Ryder a certain penetrating insight that Mercury in Sagittarius might not have alone. It's hard to pull the wool over Ryder's eyes, as he is more likely to be looking for the story behind what he sees, not just accepting things at face value which is more in the style of Mercury in Sagittarius. He's also likely to have a sharper tongue, both in his ability to sting with his words if he chooses, knowing just what to say to really dig into someone, but also to probably stun all the adults around him with the level of maturity and awareness in his observations.

Other celebri-tots with Mercury conjunct Pluto: Benjamin (Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen), Axel (Will Ferrell & Viveca Paulin), Zahara (Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt), and Margaret Grace (Mark Wahlberg & Rhea Durham).

*A degree is a unit of measurement. They are marked by the degree symbol following the numbers by each planet in a natal chart. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each sign is divided into 30 degrees, so counting restarts at 0 when entering a new sign. To find an opposition, locate any planet in a natal chart and note its degree number. Then count 6 signs from there in either direction and see if another planet lands in the same degree (give or take a few degrees) in the new sign. That’s an opposition! If you’re not sure, or you don’t have a copy of your natal chart, you can calculate one for free instantly online at Kiddiegram.com!

^Ryder's birth time is not publicly known, so a noon chart has been cast. This does not affect the planets placement in the signs, except possibly the fast-moving moon, so the planets in signs discussed are correct even without a birth time.

Image used with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

Astrology Basics: The Opposition Aspect and Lily-Rose Depp

A natal chart shows the placements of the planets in the sky at the time of someone’s birth. To the average person, it may just look like a lot of dots in a circle, but to an astrologer, it reveals the patterns and tendencies in that person’s behavior and needs. The planets, while very far apart in our sky, look closer together when placed in the natal wheel, and connections between them can be seen by tracing certain mathematical angles between the planets, such as the 90 degree angle, called a square.

Mlle. Kiddie would like to introduce you to a challenging aspect called the opposition. Oppositions can be easy to spot because they are directly opposite each other. An opposition is created in a natal chart by two (or more) planets that make a 180 degree angle* when a straight line is drawn across the wheel to connect them, like this:

An opposition in a natal chart shows a connection between two planets, or parts of ourselves, that may conflict with each other because they have opposing needs and/or styles of fulfilling the needs that those planets represent. This internal 'tug-of-war' can be frustrating to manage and can feel like we are not sure what we want, but it can also keep our awareness heightened in each area because these planets pull on each other.

The chart pictured is Lily Depp's natal chart,^ the 12-year-old (currently) daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. She has an opposition between Jupiter in Aries and Mars in Libra. Jupiter is a planet of growth, one that represents our desire to hope, to strive, and/or to take a chance. It is known as a lucky planet because it can represent opportunities that come our way, although it's up to us whether we take those opportunities, or see them as such. Jupiter in Aries shows an initiating, go-for-it kind of attitude, being willing to take leaps of faith to go for what one wants. However, Jupiter in Aries can be impulsive if allowed to go unchecked, sometimes leaping before looking.

Across the pond, Mars lies in Libra. Mars is a planet that governs the style in which we take action and the kinds of things that prompt us to take those actions. Mars in Libra people like to weigh all the options before making decisions. They also like to get the opinions of others, and want to make sure that their actions won't displease others greatly. This can be a wise and courteous style of acting, but can also lead to too much hesitation or indecision out of fear of stepping on someone's toes or making the wrong choice.

The impulse to act freely and according to one's own agenda (Jupiter in Aries) is battling the desire to act with caution and courtesy (Mars in Libra) in Lily's chart, which can represent a dynamic where she may struggle with these two opposing desires. Quite often, those who have oppositions in their charts find that they frequently get stuck here, paralyzed between the two desires and not sure how to make a move without causing themselves internal stress.

However, the key for Lily is to learn how they can balance each other. Her desire to act courteously and cautiously can help reign in her Jupiter in Aries impulsiveness, and drive to leap freely and bravely into life can help her overcome the tendency toward excessive hesitation represented by Mars in Libra. Ultimately, planets in opposition can produce fruitful results once a person learns to handle the balancing act inside themselves!

*A degree is a unit of measurement. They are marked by the degree symbol following the numbers by each planet in a natal chart. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each sign is divided into 30 degrees, so counting restarts at 0 when entering a new sign. To find an opposition, locate any planet in a natal chart and note its degree number. Then count 6 signs from there in either direction and see if another planet lands in the same degree (give or take a few degrees) in the new sign. That’s an opposition! If you’re not sure, or you don’t have a copy of your natal chart, you can calculate one for free instantly online at Kiddiegram.com!

^Lily's birth time is not publicly known, so a sunrise chart has been cast. This does not affect the planets placement in the signs, except possibly the fast-moving moon, so the planets in signs discussed are correct even without a birth time.

Image of Johnny Depp is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license and attributed to nicogenin. Image of Vanessa Paradis is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and attributed to Lunon92.

Astrology Basics: The Trine Aspect and Coco Arquette

A natal chart shows the placements of the planets in the sky at the time of someone’s birth. To the average person, it may just look like a lot of dots in a circle, but to an astrologer, it reveals the patterns and tendencies in that person’s behavior and needs. The planets, while very far apart in our sky, look closer together when placed in the natal wheel, and connections between them can be seen by tracing certain mathematical angles between the planets, such as the 90 degree* angle, called a square.

Mlle. Kiddie would like to introduce you to a particularly lovely aspect called the trine. A trine is created in a natal chart by two (or more) planets that make a 120 degree angle when a line is drawn across the shortest distance between them, like this:

A trine in a natal chart shows a harmonious connection between two planets, so it represents two facets of a person that work together easily. This can reveal natural talents in a person, things that they may do well and may even take for granted because they’ve got something going for them that not everyone has. Most people, although not all, have some kind of trine in their chart, although it will be different for everyone, just as we all have different talents.

Trines often work in harmony with the elements in astrology: fire, earth, air, and water. Planets that are trine each other will usually share the same element, revealing some of the ways they work together.

Birthday girl Coco Arquette (she’s 7 years old on Monday, June 13th), daughter of Courtney Cox and David Arquette, has a trine between three of her planets: her Mercury and Venus are close together in Gemini, and her Neptune is about 120 degrees away from both of them, in Aquarius. This is known as an air trine, since Gemini and Aquarius are both air signs.

An air sign trine tends to bring overall skill in communication and understanding ideas and concepts. Coco’s Mercury and Venus in Gemini illustrate not only her ability to communicate and probable love of learning (Mercury) but also her creativity and skill in communicating with some finesse and eloquence (Venus). Connecting that in a harmonious way through the trine to Neptune in Aquarius shows she’s likely to not only be creative, but highly imaginative (Neptune), and inventive in her thinking and expression (Aquarius). She may also enjoy reading (Mercury in Gemini) but perhaps be most excited by fantasy or science fiction stories as opposed to non-fiction, for example, because of her imaginative Neptune connection. She may also tend to daydream a lot, which may be a bit distracting but also can provide unending entertainment and food for her mind.

While some people may struggle to find creative ideas, it’s naturally easier for Coco. Trines reveal where we can take our gifts for granted if we leave them underdeveloped. Further practice and development of these gifts can reveal true, polished talent.

A degree is a unit of measurement. They are marked by the degree symbol following the numbers by each planet in a natal chart. There are 360 degrees in a circle. Each sign is divided into 30 degrees, so counting restarts at 0 when entering a new sign. To find a trine, locate any planet in a natal chart and note its degree number. Then count 4 signs from there in either direction and see if another planet lands in the same degree (give or take a few degrees) in the new sign. That’s a trine! If you’re not sure, or you don’t have a copy of your natal chart, you can calculate one for free instantly online at Kiddiegram.com!