Separating Aspect

Definition

A separating aspect is one where two planets have already reached their exact angle and the faster planet is now drawing away from it. The astrologer Lilly counted two planets as separating once the centre of the faster one had moved more than six minutes of arc (0°06') past the centre of the other.

In Tradition

Western astrologers generally read a separating aspect as describing what has already happened rather than what is coming. In horary astrology — the branch that answers a question from the chart of the moment it was asked — the Moon's last separation shows the recent circumstances that led up to the question.

In Practice

Astrologers look at separating aspects to understand the background and history of a situation. In horary work, pinning down the Moon's most recent separation tells the astrologer what event or circumstance prompted the questioner to ask. In a birth chart, a separating aspect marks energies whose peak has passed — though that does not necessarily mean the two points interact any less strongly. The exact line between applying and separating — Lilly's six-minute threshold — is one tradition's standard, and it can vary from one astrologer to the next.

Historical Origin

Lilly defines separating aspects in Christian Astrology (1647). The applying/separating distinction itself is older — a fundamental concept of the Hellenistic era, predating Lilly.

Definition

In Tradition

In Practice

Historical Origin

Further Reading