Aspects and orbs

An aspect starts as arithmetic. Here are the five relationships Astroyana displays in its Western Expert table:

| Aspect | Exact angle | | --- | ---: | | Conjunction | 0° | | Sextile | 60° | | Square | 90° | | Trine | 120° | | Opposition | 180° |

Those angles are the observable rule. Interpretation comes next: conjunction gathers functions; sextile offers cooperation; square asks for adjustment; trine describes easier flow or reinforcement; opposition sets up polarity or balancing. A trine is not a prize, and a square is not a punishment. Ease can go unused; friction can produce effort. Which planets are involved matters more than a good/bad label.

An orb is the distance from exactness. Astroyana uses a uniform 6° orb for these five planet-to-planet aspects in its Expert display. That is a clear product and teaching rule, not a universal standard. Historical practice often assigned different orbs to planets; modern schools and programs may vary the allowance by planet, aspect, or luminary.

Work the shortest distance

Our synthetic Sun is at 18° Leo and Moon at 20° Taurus.

1. Convert each to longitude from 0° Aries. Leo begins at 120°, so the Sun is 120° + 18° = 138°. Taurus begins at 30°, so the Moon is 30° + 20° = 50°.
2. Their absolute difference is |138° − 50°| = 88°. It is already below 180°, so it is the shortest separation. If the first difference were over 180°, subtract it from 360°.
3. The closest major angle is the 90° square.
4. The orb is |88° − 90°| = 2°.

Observable result: Sun square Moon, 2° orb. A first interpretive sentence might say that purposeful visibility and habitual needs are in a close, frictional relationship that asks for adjustment. It does not predict conflict, and it cannot say how the tension is handled without more context.

Now calculate Sun at 18° Leo to Jupiter at 19° Sagittarius. Sagittarius begins at 240°.

Try it before you reveal it

What major aspect connects the teaching Sun and Jupiter, what is its orb, and which shortcut would give a weaker answer?

Your attemptI made the attempt mentally instead.

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Worked answer

Jupiter's longitude is 240° + 19° = 259°. The separation from the Sun at 138° is 121°. That is a trine with a 1° orb. Merely saying “Leo and Sagittarius are both fire, so they trine” is the weak shortcut: signs show the broad relationship, but the degrees show whether the planets fall within the declared orb and how close the aspect is.

A likely mix-up

Signs in the same element always form an in-orb trine.

Try a fresh case

Move Jupiter to 26° Sagittarius and retest it with Astroyana’s 6° orb.

Transfer beyond the orb rule

Move Jupiter to 26° Sagittarius. Its longitude becomes 266°, making the separation 128° and the distance from an exact trine 8°. Under Astroyana's 6° lesson rule, this pair is not displayed as a trine. A school using a wider orb might keep it. Neither result should be reported without naming the orb rule.