cine and psychology along with occultism. He later studied Oriental languages,
including Coptic, Assyrian, Sanskrit, and Chinese.
Sepharial moved to London in 1889. Soon thereafter he was admitted into
Madame Helen Blavatsky’s “inner group.” Sepharial introduced Alan Leo to Theoso-
phy, and Leo remained within the Theosophical fold for the balance of his life.
Sepharial, on the other hand, left formal Theosophy at some point between
Blavatsky’s passing in 1891 and Annie Besant’s ascension to presidency of the society
in 1907. In contrast with Leo, Sepharial was interested in astrology as a practical sci-
ence rather than as some esoteric art produced by marrying it to theosophy.
Sepharial retained a strong interest in Kabbalah and numerology along with
his astrological interests. He was a significant, widely influential astrologer. His reflec-
tions on prenatal astrology inspired E. H. Bailey’s theorizing on the prenatal epoch.
He died on December 23, 1919, in Hove, East Sussex.
Sources:
Holden, James H., and Robert A. Hughes. Astrological Pioneers of America.Tempe, Ariz.: Amer-
ican Federation of Astrologers, 1988.
Sepharial. Eclipses.London: L. N. Fowler, 1915.
———. The New Manual of Astrology.London, 1898.
———. Prognostic Astronomy.London: L. N. Fowler, 1901.
OPPOSITION
An opposition is an aspect of 180° between two points—e.g., between two planets—in
an astrological chart. An opposition is a major aspect, regarded as challenging and
inharmonious. It is sometimes referred to as the aspect of separation. It is difficult, but
not as difficult as a square, partially because a 180° angle carries overtones of a polar
relationship. By way of contrast to a square, which tends more to signify inner conflicts,
an opposition indicates conflicts between internal and external factors. People with a
Mars-Saturn opposition, for example, might regularly attract people into their lives
whose impulsive, aggressive behavior (Mars) disrupts their sense of security (Saturn).
Sources:
Gettings, Fred. Dictionary of Astrology.London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985.
Hand, Robert. Horoscope Symbols.Rockport, MA: Para Research, 1981.
ORB OFINFLUENCE
Few aspects are ever exact (exact aspects are referred to as partile aspects). For this
reason, astrologers speak of the orb—or the orb of influence—within which specific
aspects are effective. For a sextile, or 60° angle, for example, many astrologers use a 6°
orb in a natal chart, which means that if any two planets are making an angle (with
respect to earth as the vertex) anywhere in the 54°–66° range, then they are regarded
as making a sextile aspect with each other. The closer an aspect is to being exact, the
stronger it is. Major aspects (e.g., conjunctions and squares) are given larger orbs than
minor aspects (e.g., quintiles and semisextiles), and the more important heavenly
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Orb of Influence