In the last section, we talked about "aspects."  As mentioned in the article from astrology.com, planets are not always exactly 60-degrees apart, 90-degrees apart, etc.  There is a range when the "energy" between the planets become so weak that it has no further influence (they become so far apart that they are no longer "in aspect" to each other).  The number of degrees greater or lesser than the exact "aspect" is called the ORB.

For example:  If the sun is 120 degrees apart from the moon, we would say that the "sun trines moon."  If the sun and moon are separated by 124 degrees, even though the aspect is not exactly "120 degrees," we would still say that the sun trines moon.  It has a 4-degree orb, in this example.

The article from astrology.com in the previous section recommended as much as an 8-degree variance in orb.  You will have to observe for yourself and do interpretations yourself, to determine if the "reading" remains valid and accurate when as far apart as 8 degrees.  Personally, I use only 5-6 degrees.  I have found that anything more than this orb really begins to lose accuracy very quickly the farther in orb the aspect becomes.

It is also important when looking at aspects to determine if the planets are "approaching" each other or "separating" from each other.  This means about what it sounds like.  For example:  If the moon, the faster moving planet, is 124 degrees away from the sun, but moving towards the sun (closer to the sun), we would say that this is an "approaching aspect."

Alternately, continuing the above example, if the moon were 124 degrees away from the sun, had already become exact, and was now moving away from the sun, we would say that this is a "separating aspect."

The other possibility is when the planets are less than 1-degree "orb."  We would call this an "exact aspect."

The faster moving planet is always the planet used to determine if the aspect is approaching, exact, or separating (from the slower moving planet).

Always, an approaching aspect is stronger than a separating aspect.  For example:  If the moon were only 2 degrees from an exact aspect with the sun while the moon was approaching the sun...then, it became exact...then later the moon became 2 degrees past the sun in a separating aspect, we could determine the strength and influence of this aspect in the following way:
An approaching aspect continues to gain strength until it becomes exact, then it begins to lose energy while separating.  So, 5 degree approaching orb will be a stronger aspect than a 5 degree separating orb, even though it is the same degree of orb away from the slower moving planet.

The strength of the aspect when approaching, exact, and separating is important when determining what "orb" to use.  I said earlier that I use about 5-6 degrees for approaching aspects.  Yet, I would only use 2-3 degree orb for separating aspects.  It is very common in astrology to use a lesser degree of orb for separating aspects, than for the approaching aspect.

Do you have any questions about orbs?  Approaching aspects?  Exact aspects?  Separating aspects?

When you are ready, please continue to the next section.



.

This sounds okay but do you think we could incorporate an example here. Not my chart but any other chart that can be used for practice . From your databank.

Reg

LOL!  That's exactly where we're going!  Shortly, we'll start working with our own charts, like we did for the last lesson; and we'll apply all these things in as much detail as we need, so everyone understands...and does at least a reading for their own chart using aspects, orbs, applying and separating, etc..  

The other possibility is when the planets are less than 1-degree "orb."  We would call this an "exact aspect."

This is called "combust"

Orbs generally for
conjunction 0-8 either side
square -8 +8 either side
sextile -6 +6 either side
trine 6 +6 either side
opposiiton -8 +8 either side
Quincunx (aka inconjunct) -2+2 or max 3.. either side