Hex, Square and Trine Figures
Hexes
Hexagonal figures are known as sextiles. We often use “hex” since it’s easier to type. There is always one image separating stars in a hexagon (sextile) making the images 60° apart for a total of three signs. A hex will always involve two active signs (a fire sign and an air sign), or two passive signs (an earth sign and a water sign).
A sextile or “hex” will always occur between two like signs in terms of diurnal or nocturnal. The diurnal signs are also known as masculine signs but again we prefer “active” since it helps with interpretation. The nocturnal signs are called feminine signs. We prefer “passive.”
Two stars in sextile in active (diurnal/masculine) signs indicate things which begin suddenly and last for a short time, usually a few years. Two stars in a hex in passive (nocturnal/feminine) signs indicate things which develop slowly over a long period of time, usually a decade or more.
Squares
Tetragonal figures are squares. We like to use “square” (the pinky finger gets exercised reaching for the “q”). You can use tetragon if you want to. There are always two images separating stars in a square making the images 90° apart or a total of four signs. A square will always involve an active sign (a fire or air sign), and a passive sign (an earth or water sign).
Knowing the quadruplicities helps you easily identify squares in a chart.
All squares are event-based figures meaning they will produce an event at least once, possibly as many as twelve (12) times in a person’s life.
Let’s say we have Saturn right square Jupiter which can mean any one of a couple of things, but suppose in the chart you’re interpreting it means demotion, loss of position or loss of power. Saturn right square Jupiter in fixed signs means that person will be demoted or lose their position or their power only once. In bicorporal signs, it will happen two or three times to that person. In tropical signs, anywhere from three times to as many as twelve (12) times.
Astrology is the original WYSIWYG (“What You See Is What You Get”) so there is absolutely no debate. That person will be demoted, or lose their position or power. The only questions are how many times and when.
But, each time they are demoted or lose their position or power, it will manifest differently. Why? The primary predictive method you’re using will determine the type of secondary chart you use and for each event the secondary charts will not be identical. Also, your primary predictive method determines which tertiary charts you will cast (either lunation charts or transit charts but not both) and the stars are never in the same positions when each event occurs.
Trines (Trigons)
Trigonal figures are trines. There are always there images separating stars in a trigon (trine) making the images 120° apart or a total of five signs. A trine will always involve like types of signs meaning fire (active), earth (passive), air (active) or water (passive) signs.
Contrary to popular belief, not all trines and sextiles are good just as not all squares are bad. For example, Mars right trine Moon is very good but Moon right trine Mars is not as good and might even be bad.
Trines can produce events in a chart so knowing the type of signs and where the stars are located in the chart can tell you when those events will happen. If the trine is a condition-based figure, where the stars fall in the chart gives clues as to how long that condition will last.
Can things developing over time or quickly also involve personality trait sextiles?
Hi, and welcome, WaterElemental.
Yes, that is certainly possible and one such sextile or trine would be Venus-Saturn. Assuming neither is afflicted (maltreated) and in good houses it indicates people who are humble, modest, reserved, disciplined and such. For some those are inherent character traits, but for others, they learn the art of humility or discipline, or they become more reserved over time (maybe due to life experiences). One thing sociologists note is that people tend to become more conservative as they age, not necessarily politically conservative rather socially or culturally conservative.
Saturn-Mercury would be another. Some people are inherently logical, using deductive reasoning or take time to craft arguments whiles develop those traits over time.
Thanks for asking, and welcome, once again.
Does it make much difference whether that is Venus or Saturn on the right? I understand that if planets are in water/ ground signs then it is something developed over someone’s lifetime? With air/fire sign something innate then?
What if Saturn and Venus would be both maltreated= how does this change interpretation? What if one of the planet would in a good shape and the other not?
Thank you very much all of you for all your informative support in understanding real astrology :).
Hi Aleksandara, air-fire is not something innate. It’s usually something that happens suddenly or develops quickly and we’re talking over a couple of years not overnight.
Like maybe you have an undergrad degree and you go back for your Master’s which takes a year or 2 and then that leads to a different job/career. That’s typical fire-air. That’s different than earth-water where you might work at the same company for 10, 12 or 15 years to work your way up to get yourself into a position where you can take a higher level position in the company.
For afflicted stars, it depends on the houses they rule. For the 1st and 10th they often function as barriers preventing you from going beyond a certain point or achieving something. For the 2nd House that can place limits on income or cause problems with income.
The 6th or 12th can go either way. Sometimes they can prevent injuries and accidents but at other times they can make them worse. It all depends on what’s happening in the chart.
I did see a comment from someone who works on this website mention how depending on certain factors, Venus-Saturn hex can manifest as someone having a facade of the aforementioned traits.
That would be Venus right sextile/trine Saturn, right?
The person who said that was discussing Saturn right hex/trine Venus.
I have this figure and I can see that happening. Saturn right hex Venus, 9th hex 11th, Venus is in good condition though I considered her even elevated since she is in the 11th and the lord of her own house. Saturn is in his confines and gets help from Jupiter who also rules him. I have had people say things to allude of me being conservative or a decent person or respectable. Since this figure is in the Crab and Maiden (so passive signs).
Hello,
I couldn’t comment on the previous page on Intro to Figures and Configurations (https://artofastrology.org/aspects-figures-configurations/) so I’ll ask my question here:
It seems to be there could be multiple aspect configurations depending on which planets you pick. In the given example of Kamala Harris, the page says “A real astrologer — a true astrologer — sees Jupiter right trine Venus right sextile Mercury opposition Jupiter which is the real configuration.”
But could it not also be Jupiter right square Mars right square Mercury opposition Jupiter?
Or Jupiter right trine Venus right sextile Mercury right square Saturn right square Jupiter (+Mercury opposition Jupiter)?
Saturn right square Jupiter is mentioned to not be a good square, and is this true regardless of any other planets that aspect Jupiter or Saturn? Kamala’s example uses Saturn right square Jupiter but not Sun right trine Saturn right square Jupiter.
Hello, Aaron and welcome. Yes, Jupiter right square Mars right square Mercury opposition Jupiter is a separate aspect configuration.
The Jupiter right square Mars indicates fame and power and also since Moon is the sect light in trine to Mars leadership. After all, she was the Attorney General for the State of California. Effectively, she was the big boss of all 58 county prosecutors and their staffs so we’re talking about several 1,000 people. The Mars right square Mercury indicates scandals but Mercury opposes Jupiter so she is the one accused and those scandals may or may not have substance, meaning most of it is just people blowing hot air and since Mercury is in the 6th House those are her hidden enemies that levy the charges against her. Sure, some accusations could be true but most of them aren’t.
Saturn right square Jupiter is never good. It doesn’t matter what other stars might be in aspect.
If Jupiter or Saturn or both rule the 10th then that person’s career is over at some point and not in a good way, or like in Donald Trump’s chart where neither Jupiter or Saturn have anything to do with his career or his life but everything to do with his finances and business partners he loses money and property and for all others they suffer failures at whatever Jupiter and Saturn rule. Maybe marriage. Maybe life. Maybe with 5th or 9th or 11th House matters.
I know the authors said that having a figure is rare, but what if the stars in aspect are coming from the left and it is not a complete configuration? Let’s say you have Sun right square Jupiter/Mars with a left hex from Saturn (to Sun). Would you just say the figure is Sun right square Jupiter/Mars?
Hello, WaterElemental. The Sun-Saturn sextile is separate and apart from the Sun right square Mars-Jupiter figure. Saturn being in aversion to Mars-Jupiter has no influence on them.
Oh okay. That explains a lot, thank you.