The Star of David, still used as a sacred symbol by Jews worldwide, is based on the horoscope of King David, who was said to have been born with two fortunate grand trines, which interlocked to create a six pointed star. To intimidate his enemies and imply he was unbeatable, it was engraved on his armor. It must have worked, because he seems to have won all his fights and become a powerful monarch.

In modern times we still see the grand trine as a favorable pattern in the horoscope because it links all the qualities of a particular quadruplicity together- all the earth signs, or all the fire signs - in 120 degree relationships, thus providing the individual with talents in particular areas.

However, we also realize that while the grand trine implies a talent, it is a lazy aspect and the individual with such a pattern may not do a great deal with it unless a large spur is applied to the backside in some manner. It is like having a million dollars in gold buried in the backyard and being too lazy to go dig it up to open a business and become independent when a check from mommy arrives in the mail every month.

It takes some other stress to force the individual to go get some of the gold and put it to work. And then, only as much is used as is necessary to cope with the current emergency. The owner simply can’t be bothered with doing more than he or she has to.

Fortunately, few people have grand trines with so little impetus. Most charts with grand trines show one or more of the three key positions receive a square or opposition. The hard aspects of square and opposition are exactly the spurs that work best with the grand trine: problems that come along regularly enough to keep the lazy aspect engaged and using its talent.

For King David, two trines provided further talents, linking two triplicities together in such a way as to create a series of sextiles, 60-degree aspects, around the chart. The sextile is half as large an aspect as the trine and implies potential to develop a talent. Many sextiles such as this pattern draw the individual into exploring a wide array of interests, some of which will be developed to become full-fledged talents, perhaps.

In any case, the individual is more interested in the world and, often, more interesting to others, than would otherwise be the case.

As the planets move along through the zodiac, they create many patters in charts that have specific meanings.

Charts with oppositions - the 180-degree aspects between two planets - tell us the individual must learn the lessons of compromise and cooperation in order to reach their goals in life. Any opposition is tension between what I want and what You want. More than one in a chart shows that resolving those tensions will be a life long battle.

Squares, the 90-degree aspects, are like having your path blocked by a huge stone that has landed on your foot. You have to do something about the problem immediately because it’s too painful not to do it. Then, in order to progress, you have to move the stone or figure out how to go under, over or around it. And you have to do that as soon as possible because there is a large animal with big teeth just a mile back and you have to get going before it gets here.

Squares have a definite immediacy about them.

This is one reason the so-called T-square pattern is such a dynamic one, impelling the individual to find challenges in life and to achieve results. It fosters ambition. The T-square is an opposition of two planets with a 3rd one lying in square to each end. The energy is used in the area opposite the planet in the middle, much as if it were a bow and arrow with the focus in the fourth direction.

When that fourth direction is occupied by another planet, a grand cross is created. Grand crosses are not much fun for the owners. Life goes along just swimmingly for them, but when things get bad in one area then all hell breaks loose in another. Nothing for the grand cross person is EVER just “one problem.” It is always everything you can imagine and more.

Here’s an example. You back into a car in a parking lot, slightly damaging a car behind you. You apologize profusely, the owner says no problem, it was a minimal dent and you pay the bill to fix it. Easy, right? That’s because you don’t have a grand cross.

If you do, the car turns out to be an antique worth $300,000 and the owner has a contract to bring it to a show tomorrow and if he doesn’t show up, has to pay a big fine. You will not only have to pay a lot more to fix the damage, you may also be responsible for the no-show fine. Then you learn that the car owner has a vendetta against your uncle and they have been going at each other for years, and when your uncle hears about it, he starts a fight with the guy and they both go to jail and you have to bail them out. But you can’t go down to the jail because your car’s muffler got damaged in the accident, you can’t find a baby sitter for the kids, your husband’s mad at you for making him ride to work with a dingy neighbor while the car’s in the shop and the bank is closed for a audit so you can’t get the money to bail out your uncle anyway and he’s going to be furious at having to stay in jail. Meanwhile, your mother is yelling at you for involving the uncle in your problem and you need to borrow some money from her to cover the damages and…. well, you get the idea. Things snowball for those with the grand cross.

Aspects between the planets are fascinating and some patterns are more dramatic than others.

Astrology makes understanding them seem like magic.

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