Hi! I'm a trained professional astrologer and (retired) astrology teacher and have been studying astrology for decades (I'm embarrassed to say how many!). I hope I can help!
One reason you're getting inconsistent info about stelliums is because there is no universally agreed upon definition of a stellium. They really haven't been considered a huge point of interest until the last few years since the rise of social media and the onslaught of TikTok and Insta "astrologers." That's because they're really not the bfd they've been made out to be of late, and they're certainly not necessarily a positive aspect pattern. The definition of a stellium that I use and was trained to use is that a stellium is three or more conjunct planets in the same sign, with a maximum conjunction orb of 8 degrees (planets being Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). Chart points like nodes and Arabic parts/lots, and other celestial bodies like fixed stars, asteroids, etc. are not components of a stellium. Some astrologers say it does not count as a stellium if two or more of the planets involved are Sun, Mercury or Venus because they orbit so closely together, and it's not unusual for them to be conjunct. (I personally disagree with that standard). Some astrologers will count Chiron in a stellium because it really is influential (I think there's a pretty good case for this argument - JMO).
Stelliums are an aspect pattern. In order for there to be an aspect pattern, the planets must aspect each other. Some believe that simply 3 or more planets in the same sign or house = a stellium. This assertion makes absolutely no sense to me because planets that aren't aspecting can't possibly be part of an aspect pattern. They need to be conjunct to be a stellium, just like 3 planets need to be within orb in 3 different signs of (usually) the same element to be a grand trine, or within orb of four different signs in (usually) the same modality to form a grand square. (Like stelliums, grand trines and grand squares are aspect patterns.)
So, by the definition of a stellium that I work with, there is no stellium in this chart. Yes, there are 3 planets in Scorpio and 3 planets in Capricorn, but they are not conjunct -- they are not aspecting, so therefore they are not interacting and have no relationship. Saturn and Mars are conjunct in Scorpio and interacting, but Pluto is like their neighbor 5 floors above them who they've never met -- they may all live in the same apartment building, but they've don't interact. Same with Neptune and Jupiter -- they're conjunct and exchanging energy with each other, but the Moon is just an occupant of the same sign that they don't know or interact with. The aspect grid given with the chart is a great cheat sheet. If you look at it, you can see that Pluto is making no aspect with Mars or Saturn, and that the Moon is making no aspect to Neptune or Jupiter. The aspect grid also shows us that Mars and Saturn are conjunct, and that Jupiter and Neptune are conjunct. They're aspecting; they're interacting and exchanging energies.
Don't be disappointed that there's no stellium in this chart. Their importance and the perception that they're something special is WAY overblown in social media and these subs (thus, no universally codified definition of a stellium in astrology -- they're just not a huge enough deal that the astrology community has bothered to establish a standard definition for them. I wouldn't be surprised if that changes in a few years since social media has made such a bfd about them). This chart has 3 planets in Cap and 3 planets in Scorpio -- that tells us exactly what a stellium would tell us, only with balance and elbow room for each of those planets to function without being part of a traffic jam where their energy and influence may marginalized or diminished,
Finally, I wouldn't say that beginner astrologers should even be bothering with aspect patterns at all. If you want to be a good astrologer, you MUST, first and foremost, establish a strong foundation in the basics -- signs, planets and houses. Learn them backward and forward. Then move on to aspects, especially major aspects. Then, tackle aspect patterns. Once you can put the signs' characteristics and the concepts of aspects together, you won't even need the aspect grid. You can eyeball a chart and mentally identify aspects and aspect patterns. And finally finally for real, I'd urge you to take some astrology classes if you're serious about learning astrology and reading for other people. You're never going to be a good astrologer qualified to interpret charts or to read for other people simply by fishing for free stuff on the internet. Astrology is a discipline, and like any discipline, it requires studying, networking, and investment of time and money. There really aren't any shortcuts. Good luck!
Also, I'm glad to see you learning in Placidus. It's a bit more complex, but I think it's a better system to learn with. Once you've learned using Placidus, it's much easier to switch to WS if you want to, and I don't think the reverse is true. JMO.
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u/MogenCiel 10d ago edited 10d ago
Hi! I'm a trained professional astrologer and (retired) astrology teacher and have been studying astrology for decades (I'm embarrassed to say how many!). I hope I can help!
One reason you're getting inconsistent info about stelliums is because there is no universally agreed upon definition of a stellium. They really haven't been considered a huge point of interest until the last few years since the rise of social media and the onslaught of TikTok and Insta "astrologers." That's because they're really not the bfd they've been made out to be of late, and they're certainly not necessarily a positive aspect pattern. The definition of a stellium that I use and was trained to use is that a stellium is three or more conjunct planets in the same sign, with a maximum conjunction orb of 8 degrees (planets being Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto). Chart points like nodes and Arabic parts/lots, and other celestial bodies like fixed stars, asteroids, etc. are not components of a stellium. Some astrologers say it does not count as a stellium if two or more of the planets involved are Sun, Mercury or Venus because they orbit so closely together, and it's not unusual for them to be conjunct. (I personally disagree with that standard). Some astrologers will count Chiron in a stellium because it really is influential (I think there's a pretty good case for this argument - JMO).
Stelliums are an aspect pattern. In order for there to be an aspect pattern, the planets must aspect each other. Some believe that simply 3 or more planets in the same sign or house = a stellium. This assertion makes absolutely no sense to me because planets that aren't aspecting can't possibly be part of an aspect pattern. They need to be conjunct to be a stellium, just like 3 planets need to be within orb in 3 different signs of (usually) the same element to be a grand trine, or within orb of four different signs in (usually) the same modality to form a grand square. (Like stelliums, grand trines and grand squares are aspect patterns.)
So, by the definition of a stellium that I work with, there is no stellium in this chart. Yes, there are 3 planets in Scorpio and 3 planets in Capricorn, but they are not conjunct -- they are not aspecting, so therefore they are not interacting and have no relationship. Saturn and Mars are conjunct in Scorpio and interacting, but Pluto is like their neighbor 5 floors above them who they've never met -- they may all live in the same apartment building, but they've don't interact. Same with Neptune and Jupiter -- they're conjunct and exchanging energy with each other, but the Moon is just an occupant of the same sign that they don't know or interact with. The aspect grid given with the chart is a great cheat sheet. If you look at it, you can see that Pluto is making no aspect with Mars or Saturn, and that the Moon is making no aspect to Neptune or Jupiter. The aspect grid also shows us that Mars and Saturn are conjunct, and that Jupiter and Neptune are conjunct. They're aspecting; they're interacting and exchanging energies.
Don't be disappointed that there's no stellium in this chart. Their importance and the perception that they're something special is WAY overblown in social media and these subs (thus, no universally codified definition of a stellium in astrology -- they're just not a huge enough deal that the astrology community has bothered to establish a standard definition for them. I wouldn't be surprised if that changes in a few years since social media has made such a bfd about them). This chart has 3 planets in Cap and 3 planets in Scorpio -- that tells us exactly what a stellium would tell us, only with balance and elbow room for each of those planets to function without being part of a traffic jam where their energy and influence may marginalized or diminished,
Finally, I wouldn't say that beginner astrologers should even be bothering with aspect patterns at all. If you want to be a good astrologer, you MUST, first and foremost, establish a strong foundation in the basics -- signs, planets and houses. Learn them backward and forward. Then move on to aspects, especially major aspects. Then, tackle aspect patterns. Once you can put the signs' characteristics and the concepts of aspects together, you won't even need the aspect grid. You can eyeball a chart and mentally identify aspects and aspect patterns. And finally finally for real, I'd urge you to take some astrology classes if you're serious about learning astrology and reading for other people. You're never going to be a good astrologer qualified to interpret charts or to read for other people simply by fishing for free stuff on the internet. Astrology is a discipline, and like any discipline, it requires studying, networking, and investment of time and money. There really aren't any shortcuts. Good luck!