The Astrological Semi-sextile, matches and interpreting :
- Symbolic number : 12
- Exact degree : 30°
- Orb in birth chart : 2°
- Symbolic Planets : Mercury – Jupiter – Neptune
- Symbolic Signs : Gemini – Virgo
- Symbolic Houses : 3rd House – 6th House
An expression of these planets, these signs, these houses, implies that the chart is marked by the principles of Semi-sextile below.
The Semi-sextile : integration, rupture of unity, germ of creation
The Semi-sextile is a minor aspect, reputed to be rather dissonant in traditional astrology because it connects adjacent signs of incompatible elements with opposite polarity (fire-earth, fire-water and air-water, air-earth). One should not fall into the trap : a Semi-sextile is not a Reduced or Miniature Sextile, although representing half in degrees it is a fully-fledged Aspect with its own implications.
In practice and in a vision of modern humanistic astrology, the Semi-sextile would be rather neutral, it is coloured according to the planets and signs concerned as well as other possible Aspects and dominants of the chart which could give it a significant character.
In a planetary cycle, the separative increasing Semi-sextile represents the beginning of the cycle, the act of extricating oneself from the past, of overcoming the previous cycle. It is at the same time the breaking of the unification of the Conjunction, but it symbolizes the seed containing the necessary know-how for creation, a creation that will soon find its emergence in Sextile.
In this Semi-sextile phase, it is necessary to focus on its new potentialities which are still only in the state of hypothetical probabilities. These new possibilities of growth must be implemented with the culmination of the Opposition as an aspiration, symbolising the first half-cycle completed with its share of confrontations and tensions to overcome, and one must be aware of all the work to be done.
The Semi-sextile is an aspect factor of discrimination, differentiation, of energies separation (this side is symbolized by the planet Mercury ruling Virgo), but, despite everything it is also a link, an exchange, a communication between sectors known as never being able to associate, or who do so badly (this side is symbolized by the planet Mercury ruling Gemini).
This “forced communication” forces adaptation, it forces intelligence to prevail over prejudice, it forces reflection and understanding. This reflection is accompanied by intellectual mobility, curiosity, more sociability, but not without versatility…
On the contrary, the applying decreasing Semi-sextile is the symbol contrariwise of final integration, the last straight line, the balance sheet that will determine the evolutionary “value” of the completed cycle.
It is to be compared directly to the increasing Quincunx (if we situate the Semi-sextile in relation to the Opposition), it then symbolizes : preparation to the Conjunction, mental tension, introspection, and always with the ambivalent side, either a prevalence of wisdom or on the contrary of unreason…
Advice for living the Semi-sextile :
The Semi-sextile is the first and last step. To succeed at best, it requires both a dose of “letting go” and reflection, with a dose of confidence in oneself, in others and in the future.
With this aspect, it is interesting to note in the Transits, that any harmonic relationship with one of the planets will translate into tension with the other, square / sextile, trine / square, quincunx / trine, opposition / quincunx… This implies that even in one’s daily life, this aspect plays on this contrast, one part tries to facilitate the opening in a harmonic way, but the other produces emancipatory tensions, somewhat as though neither side could ever be satisfied at the same time as the other, and that one must always live by privileging only one part.
Given that the semi-sextile is a rather “short” aspect, we can find it by forming certain relays in a sextile per se, so through figures like small pointed kites, or like very flattened rectangles…