CrescentAspects and drishti
Aspects are the angles planets make to each other, and they are how a chart becomes a conversation rather than a list. The Western set is Ptolemaic, measured in degrees. Vedic astrology uses drishti instead, a system of whole-sign glances where certain planets look further than others. Crescent computes both.
Conjunction
Two planets in the same spot, their energies fused together.
A conjunction happens when two planets sit at nearly the same degree, blending into one powerful voice. The result depends on the planets involved, and can be harmonious or tense. It is the most intense aspect because the two energies act as a single force.
Drishti
Vedic planetary aspect: the special way a graha "looks at" another.
Drishti is the Vedic system of aspects, where a planet casts its gaze on other houses and planets. Every graha aspects the seventh house from itself, and Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have extra special aspects of their own. Unlike Western aspects, drishti is counted by whole houses rather than exact degrees.
Opposition
A 180 degree face off: two forces you must balance.
An opposition places two planets across the chart from each other, creating a push and pull. It often shows up through other people, mirroring back what you need to integrate. The work is balance, holding both ends instead of swinging between them.
Sextile
A friendly 60 degree angle: easy opportunity if you take it.
A sextile links two planets about 60 degrees apart in a supportive, low pressure way. It offers a gentle opening rather than a guarantee, rewarding you when you make a small effort. Think of it as a door left ajar that you still have to walk through.
Square
A tense 90 degree angle: friction that pushes you to grow.
A square sets two planets at 90 degrees, creating inner tension and challenge. It can feel like an obstacle, but it is also the engine of growth and motivation. Handled well, that friction becomes drive and real accomplishment.
Trine
A flowing 120 degree angle: natural talent and ease.
A trine connects two planets about 120 degrees apart in the same element, letting their energies flow together smoothly. It brings gifts that come naturally to you. The only caution is that easy things can be taken for granted and left undeveloped.
Keep reading
- The twelve signs: The signs are twelve equal slices of the sky, each one colouring whatever planet happens to be standing in it.
- The planets and grahas: Planets are the actors of a chart.
- The twelve houses: Houses are areas of life: money, home, work, partnership.
- The core concepts: The ideas a newcomer meets first, and the ones that cause the most confusion: what a rising sign actually is, why your Sun sign changes between the Western and Vedic systems, what a dasha period predicts, and what a nakshatra adds that a sign does not..
- The full glossary: every term in one searchable list.