The Esoteric Meaning of the Aspect Pattern

This post is an extract from an article by Ghislaine Adams from the magazine Conjunction No. 61, July 2014, from a talk Ghislaine originally gave at an Astrological Association conference..

‘The Divine Fragment may be represented as a small blank circle in the centre of every horoscope… From this centre, we may imagine strands, or threads, running in various directions within the circle of the horoscope and becoming attached to the points within that circle to which they are attracted’.

Alan Leo, Esoteric Astrology, pp 241-2

This divine fragment is our individual soul. As our soul incarnates, it sends out energy into the world via the aspects and this energy comes back to the soul altered by
experience. It is similar to an energy wave, a continuous ebb and flow.

This energy wave represents our inner motivation, our unconscious drive to be, act and respond. It manifests as our individual Cosmic Play whereby the planets are the
actors, wearing the costumes of the signs and the drama unfolds through the aspects onto the stage of life. As the play is being enacted, the energies are being refined by
experience and as a result, our soul becomes imbued with purer energies. The purer the energy wave becomes, the more our soul’s purpose can manifest and the easier our life journey becomes.

All three types of energy (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable) have equal value but it is the quality of the energy that is being expressed that allows growth to occur – not the type. It is the refining of energy through the process of outward and inward motion (wave pattern) that results in clearer thoughts and purposeful actions. This is what self-growth is about.

The Aspect pattern allows the soul to find expression in the world. Hence it can also reveal:

1. our soul’s purpose for this incarnation.
   What is it that we have come into this world for?
   What do we need to do/be/learn in order to fulfil our soul’s purpose?
2. our path towards self-growth.
   What type of energy do we have at our disposal (eg Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable)?
   How will it best find expression through our personality so that our personality aligns itself with our soul and becomes a true agent for the manifestation of our soul’s purpose?

The image of the aspect pattern reveals our soul’s purpose. The colour, shaping, direction, orientation and position of the aspect pattern show our path to self-growth.

The Dancer

This chart suggests a dancer practising ‘en pointe’, or someone walking on stilts. Quite a precarious position requiring effort, concentration, focus, poise and balance in order to achieve true core alignment at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level (soul’s purpose).

The cardinal energy at the centre of the chart (red, vertical, linear) indicates an unconscious motivation towards achievement and striving. The focus of the chart is on the 4/10 axis and this person has constantly strived to become an individual in her own right and to achieve something that would make her feel valued in the eyes of the world. As she had a very negative internal parental voice, it resulted in incredible stress manifesting as depression, anorexia and acute mental anxieties.

The pain resided at the bottom of the chart (feet of the dancer!). She wanted to let go of her 4th house conditioning and expectations. Yet she couldn’t because of the fear of being left dangling in the air and collapsing in a heap. What she needed to do was practice putting her feet down gently to rest. The more she could learn to accept her family background, the more steady and aligned she would be.

In her mid-thirties she realised she needed to bring more balance into her life and resigned from her executive job in the City. She returned to her country of origin for
a year in order to learn more about her roots. This was very challenging but she came back to the UK feeling stronger and with a much clearer sense of self.

Her soul’s purpose is about individuation (core alignment). It requires integration of her cultural background with her own personal values and philosophy.