Part I: On Aspect Orbs Used for Magi Astrology

A note about orbs: when I got their book I spent about a month in a research frenzy, doing a lot of the best research I've ever done. By testing orbs with various techniques, I came up with different orbs than the Magi suggest. I found that when I used an orb of 4 1/2 degrees (4 5/8 to be really particular), that the results were the most accurate. I didn't find a 3 degree orb to be as accurate. I can't tell that much of a difference between an aspect at 2 degrees from exactness and an aspect at 4 degrees from exactness.

I'm finding that the bigger orbs, like those up to 8 or 10 degrees are true in an overall general sense when you look at a person's life as a whole, but that these aspects are not true as an IMMEDIATE PSYCHOLOGICAL REALITY. They still work in the big picture, but they are not as revealing and psychologically relevant as aspects within 4 1/2 degrees. You might observe them working in someone's life, but you don't really observe or feel them in the actual person's psychology.

When forming planetary geometry (T-Squares, Grand Trines, etc.), I'll use some higher orbs. Between 4 5/8 and 5 1/8 I think an aspect is at half strength. And between 5 1/8 and 6 1/8 degrees i think an aspect is at about 1/4 strength. An orb between 6 and 8 or 10 degrees seems true in a general, overall sense, but not as a very powerful psychological reality.

It was really cool to finally come to some of my own conclusions about orbs. I just put it out to stimulate thought.

Aloha,
Moses

Part II: On Regular Aspect Orbs

In my everyday practice, my own research has determined the following orbs to be most useful. I have put a lot of time, energy, and thought into this. Notice that as the number signifying the orb goes up (the number by which you divide the circle), the orb goes down. In each case, I always allow for an addition 15 degrees beyond what is listed here. Of course, closer aspects are always more powerful than wider aspects.

(1) Conjunction: 10 orb
(2) Opposition: 8 orb
(3) Trine: 6 orb (I'm considering going up to 6 1/2 on trines)
(4) Square: 6 orb
(5) Quintile: 5 orb
(6) Sextile: 5 orb
(7) Septile: 3 orb
(8) Semi-Square: 3 orb
(9) Novile: 1 orb
(12) Semi-Sextile: 1 orb

Special:

Quincunx: 3 orb

Sesqui-Quadrate: 3 orb (I don't actually use the sesqui-quadrate, but when I add another aspect to my toolbox, this will probably be the first)