Orb
Orb decisions fundamentally shape how many aspects appear active in any chart and determine the relative importance the astrologer assigns to each configuration. Too wide an orb creates a web of meaningless connections; too tight an orb causes genuinely important configurations to be overlooked. Orb philosophy also reflects a deeper question about the nature of planetary influence — whether it acts like light that gradually fades or like a field that switches on within a discrete range.
Definition
An orb is the allowable degree of separation between two planets or between a planet and a sensitive point within which an astrological aspect is considered operative. Aspects are not binary on-off conditions but rather zones of influence that grow stronger as two planets approach exactness and weaken as they move apart. The orb defines the outer boundary of that zone. Different astrological traditions assign different orb values based on the nature of the aspect, the importance of the planets involved, and theoretical principles about how planetary light interacts. Traditional Hellenistic and medieval astrology assigned orbs to planets themselves rather than to aspects — each planet was said to have a moiety, or half-orb, and aspects were deemed operative when the combined moieties of two planets overlapped. Major aspects such as the conjunction, opposition, trine, square, and sextile typically receive larger orbs, often between five and ten degrees for the luminaries and three to eight degrees for other planets. Minor aspects such as the quincunx, semisextile, and semisquare are usually granted tighter orbs of one to three degrees. A planet applying toward an exact aspect carries more weight than one separating, and within one degree of exactness almost any aspect tradition regards the configuration as at full strength.
Worked Example
An astrologer examining a natal chart notices Jupiter at fifteen degrees Sagittarius and the Sun at twenty-three degrees Sagittarius. Using a generous eight-degree orb for solar conjunctions, this qualifies as a conjunction. Using a tighter five-degree orb, it falls just outside. The choice matters practically: with the conjunction active, the native carries Jupiter's expansive optimism and luck into solar self-expression; without it, Jupiter's significations operate more independently and the solar identity remains less amplified by Jupiterian themes.
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