Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

Q&A and discussion on Aspects.
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sotonye
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Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

Post by sotonye »

Mr. E has said before that soft aspects connected to a hard aspect structure have the overall effect of strengthening the latter and giving context, and I’m wondering now if something similar happens when only hard aspects are involved in an aspect pattern, for example if Saturn closely squares a Mars-Jupiter conjunction, does the Saturn square amount to the same enhancement we’d see if a soft aspect were made instead
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Jim Eshelman
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

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It makes for quite a powerful combination. I suppose it's about the same - in theory it would be even more dynamic, but that's kind of the point of the soft aspect discover, i.e., tht they act more like hard aspects in that situation.

With all-hard, you won't see the context much or at all, especially if the orbs are all about the same. However, if one of the three aspect orbs is a lot wider - if it becomes more or less incidental to the larger picture - then it may convey incidental details more than full-bore involvement.

Generally, a Mars-Jupiter conjunction square Saturn is most obvious has a horribly afflicted Jupiter, orbs being similar and relative angularity not distorting the scenario. It would read like the coexistence of Mars-Jupiter, Mars-Saturn, and Jupiter-Saturn.
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sotonye
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

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Jim Eshelman wrote: Sat Dec 14, 2019 3:00 pm It makes for quite a powerful combination. I suppose it's about the same - in theory it would be even more dynamic, but that's kind of the point of the soft aspect structure, i.e., that they act more like hard aspects in that situation.
Oh, soft aspects act like hard when they’re part of a structure? This is cool and another point added to my understanding
With all-hard, you won't see the context much or at all, especially if the orbs are all about the same. However, if one of the three aspect orbs is a lot wider - if it becomes more or less incidental to the larger picture - then it may convey incidental details more than full-bore involvement.

Generally, a Mars-Jupiter conjunction square Saturn is most obvious has a horribly afflicted Jupiter, orbs being similar and relative angularity not distorting the scenario. It would read like the coexistence of Mars-Jupiter, Mars-Saturn, and Jupiter-Saturn.
Excellent Mr. E thank you, my friend has partile hard aspects between the Moon, the Sun, and Neptune, and I’ve been wondering how this all plays out together. Thank you again
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

Post by Veronica »

So, in my instance
Would it be like sun moon, sun neptune, sun jupiter, pluto moon, pluto neptune, pluto jupiter?
I have read them seperately.
The sun squaring them is the hard aspect yet the Pluto is soft as I see it.
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Jim Eshelman
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

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Yes, Moon-Jupiter-Neptune as the core conjunction, Sun square each of the three to form a tight six-aspect hard aspect group - then Pluto sextile into it as the add-on.
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sotonye
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

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While interpreting a chart, do we interpret soft aspects connected to hard aspect patterns as being similarly expressive as hard aspects in general?
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

Post by Jim Eshelman »

sotonye wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 7:59 am While interpreting a chart, do we interpret soft aspects connected to hard aspect patterns as being similarly expressive as hard aspects in general?
I usually end up taking them as commentary or supplementation.

Two of my closest aspects are Venus' trines to Jupiter and Uranus. I'm social enough, but it's clear that I don't have the driving need to be social the way people with Venus-Jupiter conjunctions, oppositions, and squares, despite the fact that the Venus trines the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and trines-sextiles those two and their opposition to Mars, etc. But Venus matters are certainly context for how my Mars-Jupiter-Uranus has historically worked out and perhaps adds a "friendly softness" to how the hard aspects express.
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sotonye
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

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Jim Eshelman wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:19 am
sotonye wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 7:59 am While interpreting a chart, do we interpret soft aspects connected to hard aspect patterns as being similarly expressive as hard aspects in general?
I usually end up taking them as commentary or supplementation.

Two of my closest aspects are Venus' trines to Jupiter and Uranus. I'm social enough, but it's clear that I don't have the driving need to be social the way people with Venus-Jupiter conjunctions, oppositions, and squares, despite the fact that the Venus trines the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction and trines-sextiles those two and their opposition to Mars, etc. But Venus matters are certainly context for how my Mars-Jupiter-Uranus has historically worked out and perhaps adds a "friendly softness" to how the hard aspects express.
Got it thank you, that’s a really beautiful aspect structure you’ve got, with the Venus adding context would it be off the mark to wonder if Jupiter-Uranus partly manifests as spontaneous and positive meetings with women?
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Re: Aspect Structure- Hard vs. Soft

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Oh, yes, that's always happened.
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