Yods don’t appear in every birth chart – two planets in sextile which are in quincunx/inconjunct/150 degree aspect to a focal point planet. So it’s worth paying attention when they appear in transit either celestially or in a chart. The recent Venus Mars conjunction being a case in point – with Neptune sextile Pluto inconjunct Venus Mars.
The rule of thumb interpretation for a quincunx/yod is – needing adjustment, unsatisfying, energy draining, strained – the planets don’t function well together as a team. So there’s always a left-out feeling as if one planet can’t express itself or only erratically which leads to too much and then too little of the focal point’s nature.
Yods are not much researched and one theory is that having fast moving planets on the focal point doesn’t count as a Yod but is more a double quincunx. But not everyone agrees.
In general there is a sense of energies that need to be reassembled or adjusted before there can be progress. Without that there’s a haphazard and disorganised, sometimes passive-aggressive or self-defeating mood.
Tierney remarks: “The quincunx can be viewed — as a “nagging problem” operating over an extended period of time.” As opposed to squares and oppositions which bring clear conflict and crises that demand decisive action.
Obviously this week’s Yod had the faster-moving inner planets Venus and Mars on the focal point – and transiting Yods won’t operate exactly as they do with a more concretised birth chart Yod. But there will almost certainly be the same – not-quite-clicked-into-place and disorganised feel about the mood.
In an individual chart a Yod usually has to wait for a ‘fated’ event i.e. a chance happening from outside which clicks it into place and what follows is a singular, focused sense of direction. One of the classic examples is Michael Phelps the swimmer who was a disorganised kid with ADHD etc and his parents eventually sent him off aged 7 to swim to soak up his energy. And the rest is history. His Yod has Mars has a focal point.
There are interesting examples of relationship Yods formed either on synastry – comparing the two charts – or in the composite chart itself. Where they occur one individual will change the destiny of the other in a significant way, sometimes leading to a radical alteration of life’s direction. Their coming together tends to be unexpected and fast-moving rather than a steady development. The Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson are one example, Jaqueline Kennedy and Ari Onassis another. In the latter case Onassis’ Uranus was quincunx Jackie’s Sun sextile Jupiter. Myra Hyndley and Ian Brady, the Moors murderers (child killers) are another example. And Liz Taylor and Richard Burton with Liz providing the focal point planet, so being the main instigator of change.
The most recent example is Donald Trump and Jared Kushner with two Yods formed in their synastry and a central composite Yod in their relationship chart. They changed each other’s destiny for good or ill.
Thanks for this commentary Marjorie. The focal point of the current yod has been hanging out near my natal Sun, and feel it I have!
Do quincunxes count if they’re out of sign? I have Mars at 29 Capricorn and Pluto at 0 Virgo. It doesn’t feel like a quincunx to me because they are both in earth signs.
Thank you Marjorie. I currently have tr Neptune quincunx to and fro natal Mars sextile Mercury. Over the past few months I have been exploring, understanding, assimulating and moving on from a Mars Neptune square in my natal chart. What you have said adds a bit to what I found.
May I add to Marjorie’s explanation by saying a Yod always involve different modes and elements.
So the recent Capricorn-Leo-Pisces is cardinal-fixed-mutable modes with earth-fire-water elements.
This is part of why they struggle. Other aspects usually have something in common e.g. the Cancer-Cap opposition involves Cardinal energy; the Cancer-Neptune trine is watery. The sextile part of a Yod does at least involves planets that are of the same masculine-feminine energy.
Good point, thank you. I think that’s why I struggled with the concept of yods before: the sextile is the helpful aspect; it’s the apex of the yod that destabilises the sextile, not the other way around, so why would it be the solution? Surely, you start with the apex and the solution is to focus on the sextile? It all seemed backwards to me 🙂
But in true yod style, I’ve readjusted the way I look at it. What you say about the elements and modes makes a lot of sense. And thanks again Marjorie for the Michael Phelps example, it really helps to see it in action.
Thanks Marjorie, that’s helped a lot. I guess that the focal point of this pattern’s tension is less naturally fixed than a t-square and needs more effort or input from the native to find it’s release. And “things not quite clicking into place” is interesting in the context of covid restrictions being lifted, particularly finding the right way forward for sport/socialising/leisure to resume as well as the cost of the pandemic on children and young people (Ven/Mars in Leo).
Immensely helpful, thanks Marjorie
Yes, Marjorie, that is quite clarifying. I don’t have a Yod in my natal chart so I tend not to read much about them but thank you for helping me understand how they operate.
Fascinating. Thank you Marjorie for your insights. And explanations to this newbie