What is Sextile in Western astrology?

Definition

Sextile is a Western astrological aspect in which two zodiacal longitudes are 60 degrees apart, symbolized by ⚹ and classed as easy in modern usage.

In plain words

A sextile is a Western astrological aspect in which two planets or points are 60 degrees apart along the zodiac, symbolized by ⚹. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos lists it among the aspects and treats it as harmonious, while later sources describe it as easy and of weaker influence than the trine. Modern readers usually treat it as an opportunity that benefits from deliberate effort rather than as a fixed outcome.

Also asked as

• What angle is a sextile?
• What orb is usually used for a sextile?
• Is a sextile harmonious or challenging?
• How is a sextile shown on a chart?

History

In Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, the sextile is listed among the aspects of the signs, enclosing two-thirds of a right angle, two signs, and 60 degrees, alongside opposition, trine, and quartile.¹

In medieval astrology, aspects and planets were considered either favorable or unfavorable, though modern usage places less emphasis on these fatalistic distinctions. Even in modern times, aspects are considered either easy, including the 60-degree sextile, or hard.³

The Ptolemaic major aspects, named since Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, include the sextile at 60 degrees, grouped with the conjunction, square, trine and opposition.³

Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos places the sextile among the aspects of the signs, and the aspect has stayed a fixed 60-degree figure across later centuries.¹³

Quick timeline

1. Early record — In Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, the sextile is listed among the aspects of the signs, enclosing two-thirds of a right angle, two signs, and 60 degrees, alongside opposition, trine, and quartile.¹
2. Classical framework — In medieval astrology, aspects and planets were considered either favorable or unfavorable, though modern usage places less emphasis on these fatalistic distinctions. Even in modern times, aspects are considered either easy, including the 60-degree sextile, or hard.³
3. Later transmission — The Ptolemaic major aspects, named since Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, include the sextile at 60 degrees, grouped with the conjunction, square, trine and opposition.³
4. Modern usage — Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos places the sextile among the aspects of the signs, and the aspect has stayed a fixed 60-degree figure across later centuries.¹³

What classical and modern sources say

Classical view

Ptolemy classes the trine and sextile as harmonious because they join signs of the same kind, either both feminine or both masculine, while the quartile and opposition are disharmonious because they join signs of opposite kinds.¹

Ptolemy reports that the sextile preserves harmony, and that Venus was assigned the signs Libra and Taurus, which are fertile, partly to keep that harmonious sextile aspect with the luminaries.¹

In classical texts, the sextile is reported to be an obtuse angle, based on the hexagon dividing the circle into six internal angles of 120 degrees, and it carries a relatively weak line of vision.⁶

Modern view

The Ptolemaic major aspects, named since Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, include the sextile at 60 degrees, grouped with the conjunction, square, trine and opposition.³

In modern times, aspects are still considered easy or hard, and the sextile at 60 degrees is classed among the easy aspects alongside the trine. Modern readers often treat the sextile as an aspect of opportunity, offering some potential to bring matters to a positive conclusion, provided conscious effort is invested.⁴⁶

Many modern practitioners frame the sextile as a prompt for purposeful steps.⁴⁶

Angle, orb and interpretation

Exact angle

Sextile is the 60-degree relationship between two zodiacal longitudes. Two rays separated by 60 degrees show this geometric definition, and it is the anchor for every other reading of the aspect. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos describes the sextile as enclosing two-thirds of a right angle, two signs, and 60 degrees, so the number stays the same across the sources that follow.¹

Orb

A common allowance is 4 to 6 degrees, so a near-exact sextile is often read as a sextile even when the separation is not precisely 60 degrees. Orb conventions vary among practitioners and are not astronomical constants, so the allowance is a chosen convention rather than a measured fact. Naming that allowance openly lets a first-time reader see where the convention begins and where the measured angle ends.¹

Interpretive frame

Usually described as cooperative, a sextile is best treated as an opportunity that still benefits from deliberate action. The reader supplies the effort, so the aspect works as a prompt for purposeful steps rather than as a fixed result. Skyscript's glossary adds that the sextile is generally seen as an aspect of opportunity, offering some potential to bring matters to a positive conclusion when conscious effort is invested.¹⁶

Geometry

Planets separated by 60 degrees of the zodiac form a sextile aspect, denoted by the symbol ⚹. The geometric definition stays separate from interpretation, which is treated as a symbolic reading rather than a measured force. The angle is measured along the zodiac, so two planets can form a sextile whatever signs they occupy.⁶

The astronomy

Sextile is the 60-degree relationship between two zodiacal longitudes. In astronomical terms, the aspect is a measured angle between two ecliptic positions, and the number 60 is the defining value.¹

Planets separated by 60 degrees of the zodiac form a sextile aspect, denoted by the symbol ⚹. The angle is measured along the zodiac, so two planets can form a sextile whatever signs they occupy.⁶

Usually described as cooperative, a sextile is best treated as an opportunity that still benefits from deliberate action.¹

Where astrologers differ

The sextile is one of the traditional Ptolemaic major aspects, defined by Ptolemy in the 1st century AD as a 60 degree angle. Skyscript's glossary says that because it derives from the number three, the sextile is viewed as similar to the trine in effect but of a weaker influence. Classical sources such as Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos place it among harmonious aspects, while modern sources classify it as easy alongside the trine. Practitioners in later schools have kept the 60-degree figure while changing their wording, orb allowances and emphasis, so a first-time reader should check which tradition a given text follows before comparing claims.

Then and now

Then

Ptolemy classes the trine and sextile as harmonious because they join signs of the same kind, either both feminine or both masculine, while the quartile and opposition are disharmonious because they join signs of opposite kinds.¹

Now

The Ptolemaic major aspects, named since Ptolemy in the 1st century AD, include the sextile at 60 degrees, grouped with the conjunction, square, trine and opposition.³

Worked out from the evidence

Reasoned from the cited facts, not stated outright by any one source.

Because Ptolemy calls the sextile harmonious and modern sources class it as easy, a first-time reader can see that the aspect has kept a favorable reputation across both the classical and modern traditions.

Because the sextile is one-third of opposition in Ptolemy's account and is described as derived from the number three, its weaker influence relative to the trine follows from its smaller share of the two-right-angle opposition.

Not yet confirmed

• How the sextile's weaker influence relative to the trine was measured or weighed in classical practice is not explained in the sources supplied.

Follow the parts of Sextile

Continue through Conjunction, Square.

Questions people also ask

What angle is a sextile?

A sextile is the 60-degree relationship between two zodiacal longitudes, symbolized by ⚹. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos describes it as enclosing two-thirds of a right angle, two signs, and 60 degrees.¹⁶

Is a sextile harmonious or challenging?

Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos calls the sextile harmonious because it joins signs of the same kind, both feminine or both masculine. Modern sources classify it as easy, alongside the trine, rather than hard.¹⁴

How is a sextile shown on a chart?

Skyscript's glossary says planets separated by 60 degrees of the zodiac form a sextile, denoted by the symbol ⚹. The angle is measured along the zodiac, so two planets can form a sextile whatever signs they occupy.⁶

Method and review

Every statement about Sextile was checked against the wording of its 6 sources (Ptolemy (LacusCurtius), Encyclopaedia Britannica, Wikipedia and Skyscript), and its positions and boundaries were calculated with Astronomy Engine. How the Machine works.