Aspect patterns
Grand Sextile: Natal Chart Example
This grand sextile natal chart is drawn on the wheel below. A grand sextile is six planets in consecutive sextiles, closing a hexagon of 60° aspects around the natal chart. Moon at 6.1° Taurus in the 7th house, Neptune at 4.7° Pisces in the 5th house, Pluto at 9.6° Capricorn in the 3rd house, Saturn at 5.2° Scorpio in the 1st house, Venus at 8.6° Virgo in the 11th house, and Jupiter at 7.5° Cancer in the 9th house form this pattern. Aspects: Moon sextile Neptune (orb 1.4°); Neptune sextile Pluto (orb 4.9°); Saturn sextile Pluto (orb 4.4°); Venus sextile Saturn (orb 3.4°); Venus sextile Jupiter (orb 1.1°); Moon sextile Jupiter (orb 1.4°).
Example chart · Chicago, USA · 29 July 2013 at 16:30 UTC
In this chart
| Planet | Sign | Degree | House |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon | Taurus | 6.1° | 7 |
| Neptune | Pisces | 4.7° | 5 |
| Pluto | Capricorn | 9.6° | 3 |
| Saturn | Scorpio | 5.2° | 1 |
| Venus | Virgo | 8.6° | 11 |
| Jupiter | Cancer | 7.5° | 9 |
| From | Aspect | To | Orb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon | sextile | Neptune | 1.4° |
| Neptune | sextile | Pluto | 4.9° |
| Saturn | sextile | Pluto | 4.4° |
| Venus | sextile | Saturn | 3.4° |
| Venus | sextile | Jupiter | 1.1° |
| Moon | sextile | Jupiter | 1.4° |
How to spot it
- Count six planets in a hexagon of sextiles. This example highlights Moon, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter.
- Each planet should sextile its neighbours around the ring.
- A true grand sextile is rare; one missing leg means you only have a partial figure.
- In this example the points sit in houses 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 — map yours with Placidus cusps, not whole-sign counts.
What it means
A grand sextile is traditionally read as an unusually complete soft-aspect hexagon — rare enough that many astrologers will never see a tight one in client work. When present, it is often described as versatile cooperation among six points. Rarity does not equal importance for every life topic; still check which planets are personal and which houses Placidus assigns. Wide or partial hexagons should not be sold as the finished figure.
Variations
Common misreadings
- Five sextiles in a row are not a grand sextile; the hexagon must close.
- Rarity claims without a measured sample are marketing, not astronomy.
See if your chart has this
Cast a free tropical natal chart with Placidus houses and compare it to the figure above.
The chart above is a synthetic example, not a real person.
FAQ
- What is a grand sextile in a natal chart?
- A grand sextile is traditionally read as an unusually complete soft-aspect hexagon — rare enough that many astrologers will never see a tight one in client work. When present, it is often described as versatile cooperation among six points.
- How do I see a grand sextile in my own birth chart?
- Cast a tropical natal chart with Placidus houses, turn on the aspects the pattern needs (including minors for yods and Thor's hammer), and compare against the checks on this page. In the example chart the tightest listed orb is 1.1° on the sextile between Venus and Jupiter.
- Is the Grand Sextile example a real person's chart?
- No. Example chart W-019 is a synthetic example built so the configuration is visible. In the example chart the tightest listed orb is 1.1° on the sextile between Venus and Jupiter. Use the free natal chart tool to check your own placements.