Thread by @RyanCaradog

Okay, here's a quick follow-up thread on chirality in aspects (dexter and sinister, or, left- and right-handedness). For the sake of example, we'll be using the planets Venus and Mars in the context of a relationship chart. #astrology #theory #horary

Remember a couple of things:
- One, the planet that is moving faster is the one initiating connection.
- Two, what determines whether something is dexter or sinister is the observer's position. Dexter aspects go backwards in zodiacal order. Sinister go forward.

I was helped out on this by @RyhanButler who deserves a shoutout; the difference between dexter and sinister aspects is a difference in perceptibility. Dexter aspects tend towards being visible or public, sinister aspects tend towards being hidden or private.

- Three, and I didn't talk about this in the original threads, but it's come up in a conversation with @liber_celestis and I think it deserves mention here, is the Hellenistic doctrine of overcoming aspects—

—namely, planets earlier in zodiacal order have the upper hand in manifesting aspects. This is where stuff starts to get nuanced AF.

So let's consider our example. The question is "will we be in a relationship?" It's a relationship chart with Taurus on the ascendant, Scorpio on the descendant. So Venus is the person asking, Mars is the person they're asking about. Time for more Powerpoint graphics!

There's a couple of things we could say about this configuration right off, but since we're talking about ASPECTS ONLY, no other considerations, let's remember that Venus is "lighter" than Mars, meaning she's faster. "Lighter" means lower in the Chaldean order.

And Venus is literally faster-moving than Mars. She is initiating this movement. Also,
- She is casting her sinister square to Mars, and
- She is earlier in zodiacal order, so she is in an overcoming position.

- If Venus does not station retrograde and no other planet interferes (i.e., perfects an aspect with either Venus or Mars prior to Venus perfecting her aspect to Mars), this aspect will perfect, and there will be a relationship.

THE PROBLEM IS, however, the perfection is a square (tense) aspect, with Venus in the sign of her detriment, and Mars angular in the midheaven. Venus, as the faster planet in the overcoming position, is going to initiate something that she has a lot of say in.

She's in the position to take advantage, in other words. Mars has to respond to what she is taking the initiative to propose. Venus controls the narrative. And because this is a sinister square, this will happen privately between the two of them, without a lot of bombast.

So that's how we might consider interpreting overcoming positions: the overcoming planet controls the narrative of how this interaction plays out. Venus in Scorpio must accomplish Mars purposes, so this'll be the conflict that becomes a legend for this person.

Other considerations in interpreting this come from the sign position of either planet and the house position as well: Venus rules the 6th as well as the 1st. Does she feel "bounden duty" towards Mars? Mars peregrine in the MC loves a good fight, too!

Consider too that Venus is in detriment here in Scorpio. There's something to this that doesn't sit right, and were this an actual client question in a consulting setting, I would be very interested in the querent's (Venus') motivation for a relationship in the first place.

And again, that's where the context of the question itself gives you a lot of opportunity to craft an interpretation that meets the querent where they are. This is, of course, slightly different for natal astrology.

Let's assume that this aspect were present in the nativity and needed interpretation. Venus, ruling 1 and 6 answers to Mars, who rules the 7th (relationships & relational style) and the 12th (self-undoing, isolation). Because the aspect is applying, it will become

progressively more manifest over the native's course of life, especially coming into activation by direction or by secondary progression.

Let's look at the same question, but the positions of Venus and Mars are different. Now, Venus is exalted in the 11th, and Mars is in fall in the 3rd, and Venus is applying to Mars via trine. The answer is still "yes" if the aspect perfects, but it's a much different feel!

In this instance, Mars really needs Venus to help him out, and Venus has a lot of ability and opportunity to accomplish what she wants to accomplish. What I would caution the Venus individual here to do is ensure that she does not take on Mars as a project—

—but I still think this would be a lovely relationship. And in a natal chart, again, I would read this as an individual who has an important responsibility role in group settings finding important relationships within day-to-day environments that can also be isolating from

their priorities and goals. Just for kicks, let's make a fictive natal chart out of this:

In this chart, the Moon actually interjects herself within the perfection of Venus' trine to Mars, but would we consider this a help or a hindrance? Because it's all by trine, it's going to make matters of relationship happen, but because Venus doesn't receive the Moon,

matters of the native's relationship to people within the local community (Moon rules the 3rd) are going to be a little more fraught—especially since Mars is in the 3rd too. But the Moon is separating from Venus, so it's as though that will be something that

the native felt they had been born into and just have to deal with for the rest of their lives. Cute And Fun™, right? Also, when their Jupiter directs to the descendant via primary direction they might lose an important female relationship—

—in such a way that they are freed from it, rather than overly aggrieved by its loss. That's a bonus delineation for you. #astrology #aspects

Oh, with that second Venus-Mars chart, it's also a sinister aspect and Venus is still overcoming Mars. Put Mars in Scorpio instead and it'll be a big, intense, public relationship that comes to bear.

That's because if Mars were in Scorpio, he would be overcoming Venus in Pisces. Venus is still faster and thus initiating, but Mars controls the narrative, and it's a dexter aspect so it's visible.

BUT ALSOOOO none of this takes into consideration the idea of reception or the pushing of virtue, which deals with what precisely is being transmitted symbolically in the aspectual contact, or how the planet being applied to deals with incoming requests.

It just keeps getting deeper.