The Trine

Because Im learning astrology through books and other limited sources (like many others did/do) Im having to discover many things for myself by looking at charts. It takes a very long time for astrology to really "enter the brain", to settle, so that you can use it effectively and not just guess the whole time. In other words, it takes time to learn, like anything else. Today, Im going to be discussing the Trine.

When I first began astrology I learned there were good and bad aspects; easy and difficult. Square is a challenge, trine is easy. Oppositions are still hard for me to grasp. I thought if you have, lets say, Mercury trining Saturn that's invariably good. Or, Jupiter square Venus is difficult, even though they are the "benefics" of astrology. This what I assumed when I began learning astrology, that the positive aspects color the planets positively, the negative negatively.

It also depends on how the native decides to express the individual planets him/herself; he/she can make beneficial choices or negative ones. There are choices to made with everything. For example, you get a baseball for Christmas; you can either play catch with it or throw it at your neighbor's window, or become a professional baseball pitcher. It depends on what you choose to do with it. While we always have choice, aspects show our tendencies. In other words, they show in what directions we instinctively lean in certain situations. Aspects presented in the chart are previews of what happens when certain triggers in our psyches are set off. As we go through life we learn about these triggers and instead of them influencing us involuntarily we can begin to use them in positive ways, and learn about who we are. This is a very enlightening experience.

So, back on track, and the point Im want to make about the Trine. What I eventually realized is that it depends on which planets are involved in the aspects. Lets take a look.

Trine: Shows the line of least resistance, things that connect so easily that we take their it for granted. It describes the easy way out. It also describes talents because of the ease in which two planets work with one another.

So, when two planets are trining one another, what does that mean? Lets take the Sun and Saturn for example. The Sun represents ego, where we want to shine and be recognized for who we are, who we love to be! Saturn represents our fears, limitations, boundaries, contact with authority, responsibility, etc, etc, etc. So, when these two planets trine one another, the energy isn't necessarily going to be positive! Because, the relationship connects these two together, meaning they function as a pair. And, since Saturn represents your fears, limitations, boundaries, etc, etc, etc; this means that when the native is expressing his ego self, it will also lead to his Saturnine energy, which is not easy to deal with. So, therefore, this trine is more of a difficulty because Saturn is involved. See?

I write this article now because I had to figure this out for myself. I don't know how much relevance this has for others, but I want to say that is important, when one is learning astrology, for people to collect their own experiences of what astrology is about. I believe that at a fundamental level what is stated by one person can be recognized by another, and that it also depends in what context an astrologer is talking. It takes years to refine exactly what each aspect means. A long time. Read about astrology, but collect your own experiences as well.>