Trine

Trines are everyone's favorite aspect in Astrology, but like Squares, they are a bit misunderstood. These wonderful crystals of ethereal joy bring us the best times in our lives when they come via transit, and they show us the natural gifts and talents we possess in our birth charts. A Trine is an easy and soft aspect, and it shows us when life is flowing smoothly.

Because these aspects are 4 signs apart when they occur, the planets end up in signs of the same element, which is the reason for this aspect's harmonious nature. Capricorn is in Trine to Taurus, and Sagittarius is in Trine to Aries, for example. This easy energy between signs of the same element allows for a healthy and natural flow of information between the two planets involved in the Trine.

Trines represent our natural talents and areas where we naturally focus our strengths. Unlike the Sextile, the Trine highlights a creative gift or positive situation we are not only born into, but which we also instinctively embody. It is no wonder everyone looks for these aspects when reading a birth chart or transit; Trines are all about good times and good vibes. However, not all is rosy with this aspect.

If you have too many of them in your birth chart, you may be subject to living a life where too much seems easy. Natives with a preponderance of Trine aspects often incarnate as trust fund babies or with "perfect families" that shield them from the challenges of life. They may be born into a very stable situation without a lot of economic or political strife. Or they have a gift that carries them so far in life that they don't know hardship in the way other people do. For these natives, real growth in this incarnation is often stunted, and they also can struggle to deal with challenges in the form of hard transits. In other words, Trines can make you too "soft." On the positive side though, many people who have many Trines choose this incarnation because they struggled in a previous life and now have earned an easier one as a reward. So Trines are meant to be enjoyed and experienced, but they should not be substituted for genuine effort and achievement in life.

How Trines work

A Trine aspect utilizes an orb between 6 and 8 degrees at its maximum. A Trine to the Sun or Moon might be valid when it has an orb as wide as 10 degrees. Like the Sextile, if one planet in a Trine aspect is at the tail end of one sign, and the other planet is at the very beginning of the other sign, this aspect is severely weakened and almost doesn't exist at all. So for example if one planet is at 29 degrees of Aquarius and it is in Trine by degree to another planet that is at 2 degrees of Cancer, this Trine is said to be "Out of Sign" and will have very muted effects as a result.

When there are three Trines in a chart that form a giant triangle between three signs that are all in the same element, this is called a Grand Trine. It is a rare aspect that tends to denote a major gift in life, and which bestows a sense of belonging and ease with a certain group of people who feel called to a mission.