Focal point planets can be the key to resolving tensions whether on the point of T Squares or the apex of yods or as the driving planet of a Kite from a Grand Trine. They can harness the energy of the planets in aspect to produce a dynamic thrust. Though it can depend on the planet involved and the element (Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable). And like anything else in a chart can be mishandled and end up accentuating the negative properties of the planet.
Oppositions in a chart pull in two diametrically opposite directions. Without a unifying focal point in square to both ends, the individual is left to hop from one end of the opposition to the other seeking and never finding a balance. James Earl Jones and Edna O’Brien born in the tough early 1930s with Saturn opposition Pluto giving them grit to endure hardship, though with a dollop of Jupiter close to Pluto for luck and confidence, were able to find an outlet for early angst through their Uranus in Aries on the point of a T square in forging an unconventional lifestyle. Rupert Murdoch has similar placings though his road-less-travelled has tended to be divisive as well as trailblazing.
Cardinal T squares are marginally easier to handle since they are driven by initiative and good at self-motivation.
Actor Jack Nicholson has a charming, creative Venus in Aries on the point of his Pluto opposition Jupiter, softening his go-getting determination.
Princess Catherine has a surprisingly tough Saturn Pluto on the focal point of a Sun Moon opposition. From early on as a Full Moon baby her heart told her to do one thing and her head another, so she’d be constantly unsatisfied whichever end of the opposition she tried to lean on. She learnt to put duty and submission first (Saturn + Pluto) above all else, moulding her for the Royal life to come.
Likewise Queen Elizabeth 11 had an adventurous Mars Jupiter in Aquarius opposition (Moon) Neptune in Leo and could have ended up an escapist dreamer but since that opposition squared onto Saturn in Scorpio on her Midheaven, duty became her watchword. Her Saturn channelled a complex mix of Mars Jupiter and Moon Neptune and forged it into a momentous life of sacrifice and commitment. Fixed T squares can be problematic since they tend to be inordinately stubborn – on the upside enduring and steady but not flexible.
Mutable T squares can be scattered and frenzied since too much flexibility/susceptibility to outside influences jacks up the nervous, highly-strung energy – as with Liam Gallagher with his Saturn opposition Jupiter square Mars Sun in Virgo. In his case all that high-tension opposition energy is not balanced but more detonated through his Mars in Virgo.
Even Mars on the focal point of a Cardinal T Square can be overly aggressive initially. But the tension of the opposition is better with an outlet as long as it is handled in a mature way – and not going off like a scattergun.
Yods also have apex or focal point planets which can be marginally more awkward to get aligned since the inconjuncts pull together by aspect two inherently different and contradictory elements and modalities. For example Aries with Virgo or Scorpio – a Cardinal Fire trying to make friends with a Mutable Earth or a Fixed Water. The two ends basically don’t understand one another and don’t see how to cooperate. Where a square strives to find a solution, there is more difficulty in containing the contradiction of a quincunx so life may be divided to allow different arenas to live out the separate energies. But that way the individual never feels completely whole and is constantly cutting off part of themselves to honour one planet or the other.
Along the way fate usually intervenes with a surprise and unwilled set of events which channels the focal point planet onto a singular trajectory. Prince William with his Venus on the apex of a yod was an uneasy social mixer initially and emotionally awkward but once he found his calling (or in yod fashion it was found for him), he has an innate capacity for engaging at a feeling level and has the ability to make a difference out in society where children (5th house) or culture is concerned.
His uncle Prince Andrew has a prominent yod onto Uranus in his 1st which managed properly would have made him a trailblazer, both inventive and creative. Instead he has followed the less desirable Uranian route of defiance, rebellion, lawlessness and ended up as a disruptor.
The mathematician Alexander Grothendieck has Pluto on the point of a yod and a T square and likewise Bernard Riemann, another leading mathematician has Pluto on the point of a T square. Pluto raised to its highest game gives a penetrating insight, often bringing ideas well ahead of their time.
Less helpfully Gary Oldman has Pluto on the point of a yod which may give him gravitas in acting but will make his controlling tendencies tricky to live with.
Grand Trines on their own can bring an easy flow of energy but often they get stuck in a comfortable rut. What is helpful in finding a constructive way of using the Grand Trine is a planet in opposition to one leg of the Grand Trine and sextile the two other legs forming a Kite. The planet at the end of the opposition becomes the driving planet of the Grand Trine’s talented, lucky energy. Keir Starmer has a Water Grand Trine of Neptune to Mars to Jupiter which on its own might make him inward-looking, a dreamer and unrealistic but it is sprung into gear by Jupiter opposition Sun Pluto. His controlling Sun Pluto drives a good deal of the energy of his chart.
Actor Richard Burton had similarly a creative Water Grand Trine of Sun Saturn and Uranus and Pluto, with Pluto opposition Jupiter. So Jupiter, planet of luck, confidence and excess became his driving planet.
King Charles 111 has a Grand Trine of Moon trine Saturn trine Jupiter with Moon opposition a 4th house South Node – lucky, talented, designed for a public career but his Achilles Heel is his 4th house South Node hinting at family difficulties.
Someone once worked out that a birth chart contains 2500 pieces of information which is ways too much to absorb. It is helpful to prioritize – and focal point planets are one stand-out marker.
Any info on final dispositor planet as the focal planet?
Although I have known I have one, I’ve not read much about it!
I have a grand trine in air – Jup, Chiron and Venus
Jup is exactly opp Mars in Aries so Mars is the kite planet.. the outlet.
Sun in Cancer creates a T square to the Jup/Mars opposition, so Sun is an outlet.
Mars is conj S.Node and Moon in Aries, and IC!
and then?
Mars in Aries in the 3rd is a final dispositor!!! Yikes!!!
I have such a feeling of PRESSURE in me! 🙂 A kind of “do or die” “get this figured out this lifetime!!” feeling. I have taken so many communication courses.. practical ones… to reign in that Mars. If let loose?, like a magician skillfully throwing knives at a person against a board, I can do the same with words.
And I will win.
So THAT needed to change… although you want me around at certain times!
Still.. at 66, this Mars in Aries is my nemesis.. my teacher. My words come out direct and honest. Very often people are caught off guard. I have learned to manage that and use it properly when speaking. Writing works well. Certain people value it, actually. It’s ME learning to appreciate it more, I guess.
I had a friend once channel a name for me unexpectedly.. it just came out.
Threw Down Her Weapons.
Yes indeed.
Any thoughts or experiences with final dispositors?
I could still use some help!!
Just want to put the cat among the pigeons on the Astrological canon concerning aspect patterns. I know that many people do not think to include T squares or Grand Trines that are ‘out of sign’ with one of the planets in a different modality but I have never agreed. They are not ‘weaker’ for having a planet in an ‘unatural’ sign/modality for the aspect pattern as is sometimes stated, some astrologers won’t even accept they are genuine – more complex certainly but just as worthy of attention.
In the case of a T square an out of modality focal planet, it will have some trine/sextile energy to it’s squared partners, this can be useful where there are no mitigating aspects tying in to the T square to make it work constructively.
It doesn’t make sense to write them off, general aspects like conjunctions are still aspects even when out of sign, people with several planets at the end or beginning of signs have this quite often and I have never seen a decnet argument as to why that makes them ‘weaker’
I have a fixed T-Square in my chart of Mercury in Leo opposite Jupiter in Aquarius focusing onto a 12th House Saturn in Scorpio, which is also widely conjunct my South Node. This is quite a problematic energy sometimes as with Saturn as the focal planet it’s rather stern in nature and sitting on my South Node is a drag factor. However Saturn also forms a trine with my Sun/Mars conjunction in Cancer, and this aspect is probably the main anchor point of my chart and one I am grateful for as it provides much needed stability (my chart also has a lot of Pluto squares and no Earth planets so can be quite hard to handle). When I actually get going on things I can use this Saturn placement quite effectively.
Thanks Marjorie for this interesting article. I have a T square in Cardinal signs, with Neptune in Libra conjunct the IC opposite my MC in Aries, both square Mercury in Capricorn in the sixth. Thank goodness for sensible down to earth Mercury there to give me some steady common sense. Bill Tierney has written a very good book on aspects, The Dynamics of Aspect Analysis which has a good chapter on T squares.
Mutable t-square outleting through Mercury in Virgo. When given time to compose and edit my thoughts, my communication can be decent. Ask me on the fly and you either get Neptunian confusion or Saturnian bluntness.
When neptune transited across the Pisces empty leg, I learned to trust myself and not feel I had to plan every detail. With Saturn there now, I am communicating less.
Thanks Marjorie! I never thought I had to consider Yods personally until my current solar return showed 2 Yods, side by side, all planets around 29degrees (Pluto & Mercury focal points)
In trying to understand the Yod energy, I wondered whether I didn’t have one in my natal chart, if I included other minor objects, such as asteroids – & found Pallas as the focal point, sun in opposition (with Venus * Mars). While ‘only’ an asteroid, that’s a significant placement (even w/o the Yod) which never crossed my mind, not being on the usual chart.
Reading up on Pallas-Athena, it all clicked – a father’s daughter, warrior maiden, born from his mind – which is what my intellectual father had wanted for me, while also giving me a first name that is usually given to boys, meaning wisdom & intellect, with the rest of my chart (sun Virgo, Mars-Mercury) also fitting the profile of a Pallas-Athena. It’s the symbolic equivalent of ‘all roads leading to Rome’. One could say Dad/the gods really piled it on.
N i thought it was due to feudal indian mindset that my father wished to name me on a boy’s name but society didn’t permit though today it’s name of all woke women
Anyhow he still managed to name me as his dream ..ignoring all documented birth names by grandparents to govt
As someone who has two yods, a cardinal T-square and a kite in his chart, this post is helpful.
Thanks Marjorie for the explanation. Good to see T squares are not all doom and gloom and can be used constructively.
Hi Suzy, my daughter has a Cardinal t-square and is very successful in her field (at an early age). A good example of Marjorie’s statement “Cardinal T squares are marginally easier to handle since they are driven by initiative and good at self-motivation.”
I firmly believe we all have the capacity, with the right mindset, to handle our challenging aspects. It’s being aware of your strengths and weaknesses, acknowledging them, and then handling them. In other words exercising control over your behaviour and actions. It won’t work all the time, but awareness of how to do better next time in any situation where something didn’t go well is personal growth or evolving.
Thanks for that Cher.
I have a fixed T Square (Mars in Taurus opposite Neptune in Scorpio with Saturn in Aquarius squaring both in my 7th house) and a mutable one (Pluto in Virgo opposite Jupiter in Pisces squaring Mercury in Gemini in the 11th). After some thought I do think I am conscious of the fixed T square. The mutable t square I am less conscious of – one to work on.
Amazing astrology
This is fascinating! I love your astrology lessons – hope to see more of them.
Would Black Moon Lilith on the focal point of a cardinal T-square act similarly to Mars (as mentioned above – in a cardinal T-square)?