Yod Aspect Pattern

The Yod aspect pattern is a configuration between at least three planets or points in the horoscope to create a long triangle resembling a witch’s hat. A Yod is also called the Finger of Fate, Finger of God, or the Projection Triangle and has been the source of much debate and controversy within the astrological community.

Traditional astrologers have dismissed Yod astrology as “bogus” or merely a midpoint structure, and even among those who use Yod’s, there is debate about orbs and whether to include only planets or other points in the chart like the Ascendant. I firmly believe that Yod astrology is very significant and does live up to the hype as a very fated aspect pattern denoting a special mission or destiny in life.

Yod Astrology Definition

Yod is the tenth Hebrew letter with significant kabbalistic and mystical significance regarding the name of God, his omnipresence, and our humility. In Marina’s chart below, you can see the Yod apex planet is Jupiter. The green lines are quincunxes (150°). The blue line between Mercury and Neptune is a sextile (60°). The Yod is a challenging aspect pattern but holds great potential for spiritual evolution and increased awareness.

This pattern creates particular and strong energy, stronger than you would get by these aspects on their own. I like to use the analogy of a crystal here, a very definite and unique structure that holds a special energy that took a long time to create. A person with a Yod will struggle with this frazzling and neurotic energy, especially earlier in life.

The energy of the two planets in sextile is focused like a laser beam on the action point, in this case, Jupiter. A sextile is a positive aspect that creates energy. The quincunxes take this heightened energy and raise the vibration even further. Initially, the most negative potential of the sextile planets manifests through the apex planet. The action point planet then comes under incredible stress and tension and must release it somehow. Individuals with this Yod pattern will experience this as a continual build-up and then a release of tension.

Life with a Yod is far from ordinary, as I explored in Nazi Horoscopes: Of the 100 German Nazis listed at Astro Databank, only 6 have Yod configurations. Each had a crucial role to play in the war. A Yod does represent a special task or mission in life that the person feels compelled to undertake. These six guys were undoubtedly “on a mission.”

I have mentioned that I consider Yod astrology very challenging. There will be many difficult circumstances and relationships in life which seem to show a repeating theme as if we are learning a lesson over and over to perfect something. I believe that a person with a Yod has been working on a particular task or mission over many lifetimes, making mistakes along the way while learning the skills needed.

The Yod in the chart for this life signifies that this is the life to bring it all together, the makeup for the mistakes, and pay back the karmic debt. In this life, the skills are to be perfected and used in a constructive, selfless way to benefit others. The skills are shown by the sextile planets, the challenges through the quincunxes, and the mission or task through the apex planet. The quincunx is an aspect of karmic readjustment.

Yod Astrology

In Marina’s Yod astrology, the mission relates to Jupiter, faith, values, and philosophy. Positive values, cheer, and hope are given to many through the Mercury/Neptune spiritual writings and words. The negative manifestation which had to be overcome to get to this positive and constructive stage included a lack of self-belief and the tendency to exaggerate the Mercury/Neptune imaginings, suspicions, and the tendency to get carried away with conspiracy theories. Marina may have a different interpretation – keep your eye on the comments.

Elida Marchisone talks about Yod astrology and labels this aspect pattern the “Spiritual Warrior”, pointing to the struggle to rise above the challenges and to evolve the soul. Concerning the early struggles and finally realizing the wonderful potential bound up in the crystalline structure, she writes that for a Yod “to work positively, a certain evolutionary standard must first be met”. The timing of this evolutionary leap or series of leaps will be shown by aspects, especially conjunctions to the apex planet from eclipses and outer planet transits.

Elida states that with Yod astrology, we need “to develop a great sense of individuality and self-confidence. This person may have to play the role of the rescuer and the victim, over and over, until they develop an understanding of personal and collective service. In relating to others, they will explore realms of experiences that are not understood at an ordinary level, as it will include collective unconscious behavior patterns. He or she will have to meet inner standards rather than conform to social standards of behavior. Because of this, the person will set in motion misunderstanding and aggressive responses from the environment.”

Alan J. Ouimet quotes the astrologer Bill Tierney (Dynamics of Aspect Analysis), describing Yod astrology as “arriving at a fork in the road and having to proceed in one direction rather than another without knowing where it will lead to…activation of the Yod will cause the dropping, or psychologically letting go, of certain interests and habits to become involved in what is showing on the horizon”. Regarding the “fork in the road”, if you take a direction other than the one God has chosen for you, then the universe is likely to give you a kick in the pants. The further you stray from the destined path, the harder the kick.

Other variations of the Yod is the Boomerang Yod mentioned below and the Golden Yod, which is discussed in the horoscope of Adolf Hitler. This Golden Yod involves a quintile aspect (72°) in place of the sextile and two biquintile aspects (144°) in place of the quincunxes. There is still the same theme with a special mission in life and the struggle to overcome adversity, but there seems to be more emphasis on the use and abuse of power.

Boomerang Yod Astrology

When there is a planet or point opposite the apex planet, then we get a Boomerang Yod, also called a Focused Yod. This Yod astrology is more complex. It is made of a standard Yod aspect pattern with an Eye aspect pattern sitting on top.

In my chart, you can see that Mercury and Venus make up the reaction point, opposite Saturn, the apex planet. Interpreting the standard Yod pattern, my special mission involves taking responsibility for something, learning, teaching, and parenting (all Saturn things). They take on a larger spiritual dimension because of Neptune sextile Pluto, the aspect of mass consciousness. Now the energy at the action point Saturn bounces up to the Mercury-Venus reaction point. So the final expression of all the tension is through words and love, the source of difficulties earlier in life, but the avenue for the positive manifestation of the Yod when things turn around. The reaction point is like a pressure valve, and in some ways, it makes it easier to release the pressure build-up found in standard Yod astrology. However, in some ways, it is worse when the un-evolved Yod lets off the energy in an uncontrolled or harmful fashion.

The young Yod was shy, fearful, insecure, and struggled expressing love, words and feelings. As the Yod evolved through a series of sometimes painful leaps from the negative to the positive manifestation, wisdom, and stability counteract the fear and inhibition. Now I express my thoughts to a wider audience on the Internet more confidently and have a more mature approach to loving and taking responsibility for my family.

We may never feel in total control of our lives when we have a Yod in our charts. Life is fated. We have to surrender to a higher power and sacrifice some personal desires and needs. Along the way, we can at least move from the back seat up to the passenger seat and start enjoying the ride.

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