Separating Aspect

Separating Aspect

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

When a transiting planet has completed making an aspect with another planet or a house cusp and is beginning to pull away, it is said to be separating. Before the aspect became exact—as the transiting planet was approaching—the aspect was applying. To illustrate, suppose Neptune is located at 25° in the sign Leo. As transiting Venus passes Neptune (e.g., moves past 25° and reaches 26°, 27°, and 28° Leo), Venus is said to be separating from a conjunction with Neptune. Prior to reaching 25° (prior to becoming exact), the aspect was applying.

A doubly separating aspect occurs when both planets are moving away from an aspect. In other words, if in the preceding example Neptune was moving retrograde (backward through the zodiac) as Venus was moving direct (forward through the zodiac) after Venus had passed 25° Leo, the aspect would be doubly separating. For the purpose of interpretation, applying aspects are regarded as being stronger than separating aspects.

Sources:

Gettings, Fred. Dictionary of Astrology. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985.Lee, Dal. Dictionary of Astrology. New York: Paperback Library, 1969.