Aspects are perhaps the most difficult astrology pillar, because aspects weave together all the other astrology archetypes: planets, signs, and houses. Aspects are very complex!
When learning something as complex as aspects, it’s only natural to make mistakes along the way.
Here are the most common mistakes people make when interpreting aspects, based on our experience working with astrology students at all levels:
Mistake #1 – Categorizing aspects as “hard” or “soft” or mixing up squares with oppositions, or sextiles with trines
When we make these broad-brush categorizations, we miss very important interpretive nuances. Each aspect serves a unique purpose.
Oppositions are not the same as squares. The goal of an opposition is to help us understand ourselves better by role-playing the unintegrated parts of our psyche through 1-on-1 relationships.
Squares, instead, help us integrate into our environment by teaching us how to respond to external challenges.
Squares and oppositions work very differently and serve very different purposes. Oppositions are about “us”, squares are about “the world”. Very different playing fields.
An aspect is not simply ‘challenging’ or ‘harmonious’ – each aspect has a unique modus operandi and a very specific area of influence.”
Mistake #2 – Giving all aspects the same weight
Astrology software is designed to display all the geometrical aspects planets make in the natal chart.
When we look at a chart, we see a line between the Sun and Neptune, and another line between Neptune and Pluto, and we are prompted to treat them as if they carried the same importance.
They do not.
Aspects involving at least one personal planet are far more relevant than aspects between slow-moving planets, which are generational.
The orb of the aspect matters too. Tight aspects take precedence over loose aspects.
There are some basic rules which, if followed, can help us narrow our focus and identify what’s truly important in the chart.
Mistake #3 – “Keyword Salad” Interpretation
You have a Mars-Neptune square and you’ve read everything about it on the internet.
The more you read or watch videos, the more the descriptions start to sound the same.
The reality is that there is no cookbook description of an aspect that you will resonate with 100%, because your chart is unique.
What simplified descriptions like “Mars square Neptune” attempt to do is summarize a complex dynamic in a few keywords – but they inevitably miss the details (sign placement, house placement, other aspects) that make that aspect unique.
If astrologers were to write books about all the possible Mars-Neptune combinations across 12 signs and 12 houses, we would need a Lord Of The Rings-style trilogy for each aspect.
That’s not how we learn aspects. We learn them by understanding all the building blocks of the aspect, and slowly developing our own interpretations.
Mistake #4 – Missing the “big picture” of the aspect
How come that nice Venus trine you have doesn’t necessarily translate into good relationships?
That’s because Venus doesn’t only make a trine – it may also form squares, oppositions, or quincunxes with other planets. The Venus square or opposition will further shape the expression of your natal Venus placement.
While isolating individual aspects is a necessary first step when we’re starting out, if we want to arrive at meaningful interpretations, we need to look at the full story – that is, at all the aspects a planet makes.
Your Venus square Jupiter will behave very differently if Venus also trines Saturn. There is a method to the madness, and once we understand how aspects modify and condition one another, it becomes much easier to grasp the full picture of an aspect.
Mistake #5 – Believing you have to “learn more”- or choosing breadth over depth
You know all about squares and trines. So you move on to minor aspects, aspect patterns, progressions, eclipse points, or other complex techniques.
This “keep searching for answers in different places” syndrome is often rooted in an insufficient understanding of the basics.
When we truly understand our Sun conjunction, or our Nodal opposition – when we grasp the full scope of these foundational aspects – we usually find the answers we’ve been looking for. We could write an entire book about the Nodal opposition alone.
Of course, if you’re interested in minor aspects, this doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t master the basics. There are indeed professional astrologers with extensive chart-reading experience who are fluent in aspects and ready for more niche techniques.
However, in our experience, 99% of students – including those with significant astrology exposure – would benefit from a real deep-dive into the core aspects.
Chart reading is not about “knowing more” – more aspects, more asteroids, more predictive techniques – but about truly mastering the basics.
Mistake #6 – Not “owning” the aspect
We might look at our Pluto conjunction or Saturn square as bad luck – “Why was I born with this?” – or, at best, as something we simply have to contend with.
However, the only way to overcome the challenging expression of our aspects is to own them.
When we realize that we are the architects of our natal chart and our life journey, this shift in perspective allows us to see each natal aspect for what it truly is.
Our soul purposefully chose these lessons. We chose these aspects for a reason. We need both trines and squares. Life is a beautiful journey of growth and transformation.
And when we truly embody this perspective, life feels less like a battle against destiny, and more like an intentional alignment with our unique path and deeper purpose.
Aspects And Aspect Patterns 1-Year Program
From March 2026 until February 2027, we run a 1-year program dedicated to aspects and aspect patterns.
In the Aspects And Aspect Patterns program, we study each aspect in depth, and most importantly, we spend a lot of time connecting planets, signs, houses, and aspects into a coherent and meaningful interpretation.
When you follow the “Aspects And Aspect Patterns” approach, you will no longer:
- Google or “read more” about aspects → you will know how to develop your own interpretations
- Feel overwhelmed → The Aspect Interpretation Formula outlines the exact steps you need to follow to analyze an aspect
- Wonder how to reconcile complexity → The “Aspect Hierarchy” framework and the multiple-aspect exercises help you synthesize the different layers into a coherent interpretation
- Get stuck when reading a natal chart → Aspects bring the chart to life! When you master aspects, you connect the dots, see patterns, and focus on what truly matters
- Feel anxious about the so-called “difficult” aspects → You begin to recognize the value, lessons, and opportunities embedded in each one
By the end of the 12-month program, you will understand how your chart works as a system – not as isolated parts, and recognize core dynamics in any chart.
Learn more about the program at the link below:
>> Aspects And Aspect Patterns 1-Year Program <<
The post 6 Mistakes We Make When Interpreting Aspects first appeared on Astro Butterfly.
