With the resurgence of Hellenistic astrology there is a growing trend in the re-adoption of whole sign houses, which disregards degrees, and if we are to take this to its conclusion, the next logical step is the re-adoption of whole sign aspects which also disregards degrees.

Whole sign aspects reveal planetary relationships via their sign placements. There are seven basic aspect relationships between the signs, five of which double up, so that there are in reality twelve distinct aspects or relationships. The conjunction(same sign) and opposition(opposite sign) are singular, whereas the semi-sextile(one sign away), sextile(two signs away), square(three signs away), trine(four signs away), and quincinx or inconjunct(five signs away) all have a dexter and sinister side.

The original astrology handed down to us by the ancients dealt with aspects by sign rather than degree, and they were not even regarded as being especially important since all planets(like the signs) aspected each other. The exceptions may have beem the semi-sextile and inconjunct which were considered aversive or "non-aspecting" -but even these obviously have a particular relationship or purpose.

This whole sign view of the aspects can be seen in the first two centuries BC all the way up to about 600 or 700 AD, principally in ancient Greece and Rome. The Alexandrian Library in Egypt was the center of true astrology until it was destroyed or confiscated by a growing false Christianity. Astrology was rescued from Holy Rome and elaborated upon by the Arabs and Indians in the Middle Ages who made some important changes. It is here that Hellenic astrology began to acquire its mathematical complexity with its orbs and degrees and houses. Astrology later found its way back into Europe during the Rennaisance where it underwent further modification and then brought to the New World where it changed even further.

Today's modern Western astrology suffers from over-complexity, especialy with the advent of computers. We go to ridiculous lengths to get extremely precise planetary positions and have introduced a whole array of predictive techniques, systems of house division, and interpretative methods that did not even exist in ancient times, and it's all because we have become obsessed with numbers and precision and the tendency to dissect everything to death. I would say that currently we are more in the Age of Virgo than in the Age of Pisces.

Signs are whole divine energies and should be treated as such. In Hellenistic astrology, the sign was more important than the planet. Planets served as vehicules of expression for the signs and not the other way around. If a planet was destroyed or removed, another would take its place. Planets are expendable. Signs are not. Bare-bones astrology is about signs and planets. Everything else is theoretical.

The constellations, while they may have been in alignment around the first century, have nothing to do with the zodiac signs -they are simply markers or backdrops for the planets. The real zodiac is an invisible band of spiritual energy surrounding our planet(or any other orb) and measured from the crossing of the Earth's equatorial plane with that of the Solar plane or eclipic creating two equinox points. Precisely thirty degrees per zodiac sign are then counted from the vernal or spring equinox. This is the only real area where mathematical precision is required -where the signs start or end. Why twelve signs? Because this is the divine number for this particular universe, time, and reality.

Aspects by sign take into account the gender, mode, or element of the signs or planets being aspected -something that is destroyed by degree aspect. Not only is this method simpler, but it does away with all the other numerous invented aspects which are purely mathematical and have no astrological basis. It also eliminates "out of sign aspects" which are also purely mathematical. Decans, orbs, degrees, etc. have no real qualities of their own. They are cold, sterile, artificial, man-made divisions. Signs on the other hand are live forces and energies. To psychics they appear as living, pulsating, colors.

What about transits and progressions? The ancients did use such but they were more concerned with the TIME a planet took during its passage through a sign rather than the specific degree it held. The longer a planet spends in a sign the deeper or stronger its impact. Signs cover a large swath of sky so as to enable(timewise) a large number of different planetary combinations. As we evolve into the higher and more complex zodiacs during the course of our evolution, the need for degrees will completely disappear. Can you imagine a thousand-sign zodiac with degrees? Even the aspects themselves may become inconsequential.