Orb

Definition

The orb is the margin of degrees that astrological tradition accepts for treating an aspect between two planets as active. If the angular distance drifts away from the exact figure beyond that margin, the aspect stops operating fully in the reading. Each aspect and each school manages its own limits, but the idea is the same: an aspect is exact only at one point; everything else is approximation.

In context

An astrologer may accept up to 8 degrees of orb for a conjunction and only 2 for a quincunx. If Sun and Mercury sit 6 degrees apart in a chart, they share a conjunction within the usual orb; at 12 degrees, that aspect falls outside the margin accepted by most schools. The narrower the actual orb, the more intense the aspect tends to be read, because the angular relationship is closer to its exact mathematical value in the sky.

To go deeper

The orb is understood inside the system of planetary aspects:

• Major aspect: aspects with the widest orbs.
• Minor aspect: aspects admitting narrower orbs.
• Applying aspect: aspect approaching the exact figure.