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Aspects are an important feature of astrology as they help us to understand how energies between planets interact. The main astrological aspects include the trine, sextile, conjunction, opposition, and the square. Each of these energetic patterns provides additional Insight on how we will experience the energy between two planets in the natal chart as well as in other astrological analysis such as transits and relationship or compatibility charts. The square aspect is especially interesting because it denotes a difficult exchange of energy between two or more planetary bodies. Just like the sharp edges of a square, individuals that have significant or prominent squares in their natal charts have a heavy understanding that sometimes life is not easy. However, despite squares being tough, there is great wisdom that comes with learning to navigate the square energy so that it can be utilized in a productive manner.
What is the Square Aspect in Astrology
The square aspect in astrology is often highly maligned. When people see squares in their natal chart or when getting an astrology consultation, they usually sigh and lament over all the troubles those pesky squares have been putting them through. The truth of the matter is that yes, squares can be difficult to deal with. Just like the shape, the sharp edges of the square create less than comfortable circumstances that the holders of the square aspects must acknowledge whether they want to or not. The key to this energy is not to avoid the square, because you can’t. The best way to deal with a square is to acknowledge that there are some energetic issues happening that must be addressed in order to learn the necessary lessons and evolve.
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With the square aspect, there is a 90-degree angle of the energetic interplay between two or more planetary bodies. This angle produces difficult responses based on the elements & placement of the particular planetary bodies. For example, a square between earth and air signs such as Scorpio and Aquarius can represent tensions between the emotional and mental aspects of the psyche. Since both of these signs are fixed in nature, there could be issues with moving beyond those hard blocks and perspectives which cause a clash in the emotional and mental realms.
Lessons from the Square
One of the main things to understand about squares in astrology is that trying to avoid them is pointless. The feeling associated with square energy is palpable, and anyone that has a significant number of squares or very prominent squares in their natal chart will know if there are certain issues at hand that need to be addressed. This is exactly what the square energy is designed to do…to get us to address those mental and emotional behavior patterns that are not contributing to our best self. The feeling of discomfort is there to let us know that something is amiss. Let’s do a comparison for further understanding.
The trine aspect is also known as the easy aspect in astrology. It’s the “everything is getting along” type of energy where you really don’t question what’s going on because you feel good. Now, in comparison to the trine is the square aspect where there’s always this discomfort and questioning about why you feel the way that you do. That discomfort hopefully prompts you to analyze the attention that you’re feeling so that you can take steps to adjust yourself so that you can learn from the experiences that create the discordant energy.
Here is a visual that will help to bring home the lessons associated with the square aspect. Imagine that you are getting ready to get into your car for a short distance drive. As you head out towards your car, you notice that your wheels are no longer circles. They are squares. Innately, you feel that you may have some difficulty getting to your location, but you push aside those feelings and you get into your car. You start the engine, and you proceed to drive off. Immediately, you know this is going to be a bumpy ride because with square wheels there’s always a point where the corner of the wheel is going to hit the road. Unlike the traditional circular wheels where everything is a smooth ride, the square makes things a little bit difficult. You proceed to drive on despite the difficulties and troubles, but at some point, it becomes so troublesome just to go a short distance that you decide to pull over and think about why you’re having so much trouble driving, and how you are going to remedy it.
The physical act of noticing the bumpy ride, the reason for the bumpy ride, and pulling over to reflect on how you’re going to move forward despite the bumpy ride is the experience of the square aspect in its totality. If it weren’t for the fact that you noticed the discomfort that was associated with trying to drive a car with square wheels you would have never pulled over to analyze the discomfort. This is one reason why squares shouldn’t be viewed as being bad. As with many situations, feelings of discomfort push us to really analyze why we are feeling the way that we do. With this self-reflection, there is the potential to acknowledge the discordant energy so that we can make adjustments that improve our quality of life.
Squares that Build Character
While we may only want an easy life, it is often the most difficult situations that really help us to build what is called character. Getting everything that you want in life does not always make you a well-rounded individual. Sometimes it’s necessary to have to go through difficult situations or experience hard emotions to really understand and appreciate your growth and evolution. Squares produce a tension that is so noticeable that it is in many ways a call to action. Because this energy is very hard to avoid, it takes initiative which is something that the friendlier aspects of the trine and sextile don’t necessarily have going for them.
Squares aren’t to be feared…despite their difficulty. They are a heads up that there are some discordant energies that need to be addressed for the growth and evolution of the individual.
