What is a Sextile Aspect in Astrology?

In astrology, the sextile planetary aspect represents a special 60° angle between two planets in the natal chart. The energy created between these two planets with a sextile aspect is one that is very cooperative. This means that each of the planet’s energies inspire and encourage each other instead of holding each other back. Because of this, new ideas and opportunities can flow smoothly between different aspects of one person’s life.

The Sextile Aspect and Planets

Let’s look at an example of what that means in the natal chart. In our example diagram below, we have the Moon sextile with Venus. Their positions in the chart can tell us more about what this aspect brings, but we’ll keep it simple for now. The Moon is usually representative of emotions, the unconscious and instincts, while Venus is symbolic of attraction, love, harmony and beauty. Both are characteristically feminine planets, one representing the Roman goddess of love, and the other associated with the ancient energy of the night. Those with this aspect in their natal chart tend to have something soft and gentle about them, deeply in touch with their divine feminine. They are rather charming and tend to be popular, and lucky with relationships.

What Can the Sextile Aspect Reveal About Personality?

Those who were born with sextile planetary aspects sometimes can discover hidden talents relating to the planets involved. It can also make certain goals related to those planets very attainable. When the energy between the planets are comfortable and work well together, there’s an easiness to that relationship. Although this may seem like a good thing, the sextile aspect can bring some disadvantages to a person’s life as well.

For starters, a person with the sextile planetary aspect may realize their ideas and know what their goals are, but this doesn’t mean they’ll follow through with them. The problem with the sextile aspect is that it doesn’t have much friction, which means that a person won’t be motivated or pushed to actually take any action on their ideas. Instead, these ideas will just remain in their head while nothing ever gets done about them.

However, since the sextile aspect is not disruptive, people usually see it as a positive thing because it remains a pleasant force in a person’s life. In fact, many people don’t even notice they have a sextile planetary aspect until they look at their natal chart and research that aspect for themselves.

Out of all 5 major planetary aspects, the sextile planetary aspect is the weakest. But it does improve the planets which are associated with it.