By Len Wallick
Sun is in Virgo. Jupiter is retrograde in Taurus. The weekend starts off tomorrow night with Sun and Jupiter in precisely the same degree of their respective signs. That’s an aspect. This particular aspect is called a trine. Tradition considers trines to be positive, easy and strong. All of those potentials are often confirmed in experience. There is a catch, however. The ease and strength can get out of control. When that happens, things can become negative. That’s where we come in. It is important to remember that astrology does not happen to us, it happens through us. When we make trines happen, it is important to do so responsibly. It starts with a visualization.
A simple diagram can help you to see and feel what trines look like on a zodiac chart. Please find a piece of paper and a pencil. Draw a triangle with all three sides as equal as you can make them. Next, sketch a circle around the triangle that just touches all three corners. The curved part of the circle between any two points of the triangle is the distance between planets in a trine. For reference, write a little “J” for Jupiter where one angle and the circle come together. Make an “S” (for Sun) at one of the other two points.
Notice how your drawing looks. An equilateral triangle inside of a circle is an interesting and symmetrical combination of straight and curved lines. If the circle were the twelve signs arranged on the zodiac, the signs being touched by the corners of the triangle would all have something very important in common. That shared attribute would be the element associated with the three signs. Hence, when two or more objects are in a trine aspect it means that the bodies are in the same spot in different earth signs (as is the case with Sun and Jupiter tomorrow), or fire, water or air, as the case may be. It is the element in common that symbolically endows tries with their characteristic ease. It works the same way in the material world.