birth chartBy DailyDestiny Editorial Team

Sextile Aspect in Astrology: Meaning, Orb and How to Read It

A sextile is a 60-degree angle between two planets in a birth chart, read as an aspect of available opportunity rather than automatic ease. The sextile aspect always links signs of the same polarity but different element and modality, most astrologers allow an orb of 3 to 4 degrees, and its defining quality is that the help it offers has to be picked up before it does anything.

What is a sextile in astrology?

A sextile in astrology is a 60-degree angle between two planets or chart points, one sixth of the 360-degree zodiac wheel. It belongs to the classical set of major aspects described in Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, where it appears as the aspect of the hexagon, sitting alongside the trine, the square, and the opposition. On a printed chart the sextile is drawn as a light blue or green line and carries a six-pointed asterisk glyph, which beginners often mistake for a footnote mark. Because 60 degrees equals two signs, a sextile normally links planets two signs apart: a planet at 12 degrees Taurus is sextile a planet at 12 degrees Cancer, and also sextile a planet at 12 degrees Pisces. Every sextile therefore runs one direction forward and one direction back from any given degree, meaning most planets in a busy chart have two possible sextile zones rather than one. The sextile is counted as a major aspect in every mainstream school, but it is universally ranked as the mildest of the majors, weaker in effect than the conjunction, square, trine, or opposition it shares a category with.

The geometry behind the sextile explains its reputation. Divide the circle by six and you get a hexagon, a shape that fits together without strain but does not lock anything in place. Divide by three and you get the trine, which practitioners read as flow so complete it becomes invisible; divide by four and you get the square, which grinds. The sextile sits between those two divisions and inherits a little of each: cooperation from the hexagon's even geometry, and a small residue of effort from the fact that six is a finer division than three. Older astrological texts sometimes describe the sextile as half a trine, which is arithmetically true and interpretively useful. It gives you the trine's compatible feel at reduced strength, and reduced strength in a soft aspect means reduced automaticity. What matters at the chart-reading level is simply this: the sextile is real, it is major, it is friendly, and it is quiet.

What does the sextile aspect symbol look like?

The sextile aspect symbol is a six-pointed asterisk, three crossed lines meeting at a center point, matching the six-fold division of the zodiac that produces the 60-degree angle. Chart software renders it in the same color family as the trine, typically blue or green, to mark it visually as a soft aspect.

Is a sextile a major or minor aspect?

A sextile is a major aspect, one of the five classical Ptolemaic aspects, though it is the weakest of them. Minor aspects such as the semi-sextile at 30 degrees, the semi-square at 45 degrees, and the sesquiquadrate at 135 degrees fall outside that classical set and are given much tighter orbs than a sextile receives.

How many degrees apart is a sextile?

A sextile is exactly 60 degrees apart, and astrologers allow a margin either side of that figure called the orb. So a sextile counts anywhere from roughly 56 to 64 degrees of separation under a standard 4-degree orb. Exactly 60 degrees is called a partile or exact sextile and is read as the strongest version.

What does the sextile aspect mean for the two planets involved?

The sextile aspect means the two planets involved can help each other, but only when something prompts them to. Where a conjunction fuses two planetary functions into a single motion and a square forces them into conflict until you resolve it, a sextile leaves both planets fully intact and offers a channel between them. Mercury sextile Jupiter does not make someone talk expansively at all times; it means that when this person reaches for a bigger frame or a more optimistic argument, the machinery is already there and works smoothly. The classic phrasing in astrological literature is that the sextile is an aspect of opportunity, and the word opportunity is doing exact work: an opportunity is available, not automatic. This is the single most important thing to carry into any sextile reading. A person with Venus sextile Saturn has genuine capacity for durable, well-built relationships and for making beauty out of restraint, and that capacity sits unused if they never attempt anything requiring commitment. Sextiles reward initiative and go silent without it. This makes the sextile the aspect most likely to describe a skill someone has been told they have but does not think remarkable, because it never had to be fought for.

There is a second layer to the sextile aspect meaning that comes from the signs rather than the planets. Two signs sextile each other are always the same polarity, always different elements, and always different modalities. Aries is cardinal fire; the signs sextile it are Gemini, mutable air, and Aquarius, fixed air. That combination is the interpretive engine of the aspect. The shared polarity means the two planets have compatible instincts about how to engage the world, either both outward-directed or both inward-directed. The different element means each brings something the other lacks, so there is an actual exchange rather than an echo. The different modality means the two planets never approach a situation at the same tempo, and that small mismatch of timing is exactly why a sextile has to be activated. A cardinal planet starts, a fixed planet holds, a mutable planet adapts, and when two of those meet at 60 degrees, someone has to make the first move. That is the mechanical reason the sextile behaves as a conditional gift rather than a permanent condition, and it is what separates it cleanly from the trine, where element and modality relationships work differently.

Why is the sextile called an aspect of opportunity?

Astrologers call the sextile an aspect of opportunity because it supplies capability without supplying motivation. A sextile between two planets creates a working connection that produces results when the person deliberately uses it, and produces nothing measurable when they do not. The aspect describes what is available rather than what will happen.

Which elements form a sextile with each other?

Fire signs sextile air signs, and earth signs sextile water signs, with no exceptions. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius form sextiles only with Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius; Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn form sextiles only with Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Those element pairings are why the sextile counts as a compatible aspect.

Do sextile signs share the same modality?

No, sextile signs never share a modality. Because a sextile spans two signs and the cardinal, fixed, and mutable sequence repeats every three signs, any two signs 60 degrees apart must differ in modality. Cancer, a cardinal sign, sextiles fixed Taurus and mutable Virgo. That built-in tempo difference is part of why the sextile needs activating.

What orb is allowed for a sextile in astrology?

The sextile orb astrology commonly uses is 3 to 4 degrees, widened to 5 or 6 degrees when the Sun or Moon is one of the two bodies. That is narrower than the orb granted to a conjunction or opposition, which routinely get 8 to 10 degrees, and it reflects the sextile's status as the weakest of the major aspects. A sextile at 62 degrees is solidly in play. A sextile at 66 degrees is, for most practitioners, no sextile at all. If you are working with asteroids, the lunar nodes, Chiron, or the Ascendant and Midheaven, tighten further: 2 to 3 degrees is the usual allowance, because those points are treated as more sensitive and less broadcasting than the classical planets. Chart software rarely agrees on defaults, which is why two reports on the same birth data can list different numbers of sextiles. If your chart shows an unexpected sextile, check the degree separation before building an interpretation on it. Practitioners who use very tight orbs, around 2 degrees, tend to find their sextile readings land harder, because the aspect is faint enough that a loose orb dilutes it into nothing.

Traditional astrology sizes the sextile orb differently, and the older method is worth knowing because it produces noticeably different results. Rather than assigning an orb to the aspect, traditional practice assigns each planet its own orb of light, with the Sun and Moon given the widest reach and Mercury and Venus given considerably less. A sextile is then counted when the two planets fall within half the sum of their two orbs, a figure known as the moiety. Under that system a Sun-Saturn sextile is allowed a much wider margin than a Mercury-Venus sextile, which matches the intuition that a sextile involving a luminary is felt more strongly than one between two small, fast planets. The other traditional refinement that survives into modern work is the distinction between applying and separating. A sextile is applying when the faster planet is still moving toward exactitude and separating when it has already passed. Applying sextiles are read as the live ones, the opportunity still arriving; separating sextiles are read as capacity already established, a resource banked rather than a door opening. Many astrologers will grant an applying sextile an extra degree of orb and dock a separating one.

What is the maximum sextile orb astrologers use?

The widest sextile orb in general use is 6 degrees, and it is normally reserved for sextiles involving the Sun or Moon. Beyond 6 degrees the sextile is dropped by nearly every school. Practitioners working with tight technique cut the sextile orb to 2 or 3 degrees regardless of which planets are involved.

Does a sextile to the Ascendant get the same orb?

A sextile to the Ascendant or Midheaven is usually given a tighter orb than a sextile between two planets, typically 2 to 3 degrees. The reasoning is that angles depend on an exact birth time, so a few minutes of error in the recorded time can shift the Ascendant by a degree or more and invent or erase a sextile.

Is an exact sextile stronger than a wide one?

Yes. A partile sextile, meaning one within 1 degree of the exact 60 degrees, is read as the strongest form of the aspect and often the only sextile that shows up plainly in someone's behavior. A sextile at 5 degrees of orb is usually treated as background texture, real but easy to miss in a full chart reading.

Is the sextile an easy or a challenging aspect?

The sextile is classified as an easy aspect in astrology, but with a qualification that no other soft aspect carries: it does nothing unless used. Traditional and modern astrology both file the sextile under harmonious, benefic, or soft, in the same bracket as the trine. The classification comes from the geometry described earlier, where sextile signs share a polarity and pair fire with air or earth with water. Nothing about a sextile creates internal friction. Nobody has ever been kept awake by a sextile. The complication is that the classification tempts readers into treating a sextile as a guarantee, which it is not. A chart can be full of sextiles belonging to a person whose life shows very little of what those sextiles describe, because a sextile does not generate events. Practitioners handle this by reading the sextile as a resource rather than a trait, then checking the rest of the chart for anything that supplies initiative. A sextile whose planets are also touched by a square or opposition tends to activate reliably, because the harder aspect creates the pressure that makes someone reach for the sextile's help. An isolated sextile in an otherwise quiet part of the chart often stays theoretical.

Comparing the sextile against the trine is the fastest way to see what it does. A trine at 120 degrees links two signs of the same element, which means the two planets speak an identical language and their cooperation is so seamless the person often cannot see it. That is what gives trines their reputation for lazy talent. A sextile links two different elements, so the cooperation has to be translated, and translation requires someone to be present and paying attention. This makes the sextile more usable than the trine in one specific sense: because it is slightly less automatic, it is easier to become conscious of, and conscious abilities can be trained. A number of astrologers argue that a person gets more measurable life value out of their sextiles than their trines for exactly this reason. It also explains the standard advice attached to sextile readings, which is not to relax into it but to go looking for it. If a chart shows Mars sextile Jupiter, initiative and sense of possibility reinforce each other whenever the person takes a risk, and the aspect stays invisible in a life containing no risks.

Is a sextile weaker than a trine?

Yes, a sextile is read as weaker than a trine in astrology. Both are soft aspects, but the trine at 120 degrees connects same-element signs and flows automatically, while the sextile at 60 degrees connects compatible but different elements and requires deliberate use. Astrologers grant the trine a wider orb as well, usually 6 to 8 degrees against the sextile's 3 to 4.

Can a sextile ever be difficult?

A sextile is not difficult in itself, but it can support behavior that causes problems. Mercury sextile Neptune makes persuasive imagination easy to reach, and that same fluency can be used to talk around inconvenient facts. The sextile supplies smooth access to whatever the two planets do; whether that access is put to good use is not encoded in the aspect.

What happens if a chart has many sextiles?

A chart with many sextiles describes someone with broad, adaptable competence and a wide set of usable skills, though not necessarily anything that pushed them to develop it. Sextile-heavy charts often belong to people who pick things up quickly and connect ideas across areas. Without hard aspects supplying pressure, that potential can stay spread thin rather than concentrating anywhere.

How do you find a sextile in a birth chart?

To find a sextile in a birth chart, subtract the two planets' absolute zodiac positions and look for a result near 60 degrees, or take the shortcut and count two signs. If Venus sits at 8 degrees Virgo and Mars at 10 degrees Scorpio, the gap is 62 degrees and the sextile stands with 2 degrees of orb. Most chart software does the arithmetic for you and prints an aspect grid, the triangular table below the wheel, where sextiles appear as the six-pointed asterisk glyph at the intersection of two planets. On the wheel itself, sextile lines are drawn in blue or green and are visually distinguishable from the red lines used for squares and oppositions. When scanning a chart by eye, the two-sign rule catches almost every sextile: a planet in Leo can only sextile planets in Gemini or Libra, a planet in Capricorn only planets in Scorpio or Pisces. The exception is the dissociate or out-of-sign sextile, where the degree math produces a valid 60-degree angle across signs that are not in the sextile relationship at all. Those get missed by sign-counting and caught by software, which is why checking the aspect grid rather than trusting the eye is standard practice.

A dissociate sextile is worth understanding because astrologers treat it as a genuine but altered version of the aspect. Take a planet at 28 degrees Aries and another at 1 degree Cancer. The separation is 63 degrees, comfortably within a 4-degree sextile orb, but Aries and Cancer are square signs, not sextile signs. The angle says cooperation and the signs say friction, and the interpretation has to hold both. Practitioners generally read a dissociate sextile as help that arrives in an unfamiliar form, support that works but never feels quite natural, or a talent the person uses without believing it suits them. Some astrologers who work strictly from whole-sign relationships discard dissociate sextiles entirely on the grounds that the sign relationship is what generates the aspect and the degree count is secondary. Others weight them normally. The practical move is to note whether a sextile is in sign or dissociate before interpreting it, because the two produce readings that differ in tone.

What color are sextile lines on a chart wheel?

Sextile lines on a chart wheel are drawn in blue or green in most astrology software, the same color family used for trines, marking them as soft aspects. Squares and oppositions are drawn in red or orange. Some programs distinguish the sextile from the trine by using a dashed or thinner line, since the sextile is the weaker of the two.

What is a dissociate sextile?

A dissociate or out-of-sign sextile is a 60-degree angle between planets in signs that are not two apart, produced when one planet sits at the very start or end of a sign. A planet at 29 degrees Gemini and one at 2 degrees Taurus form a 57-degree sextile even though Taurus and Gemini are neighboring signs, and the aspect is read as support that arrives in an awkward package.

Can two planets in the same sign form a sextile?

No. Two planets in the same sign can be at most 29 degrees apart, well short of the roughly 56 degrees a sextile requires at its widest orb. Planets in the same sign form a conjunction or a semi-sextile-range relationship with the following sign. A sextile always spans at least two sign boundaries or, in dissociate cases, one.

What does a sextile mean in synastry compared to a natal chart?

In a natal chart a sextile describes an internal resource, while in synastry the same 60-degree angle describes an easy exchange between two people. Natal Moon sextile Mercury means one person's feelings and their words have a working channel between them: they can talk about what they feel when they choose to. Moon sextile Mercury across two charts means one person's emotional world and the other person's way of speaking fit together, so conversations land well and neither has to explain themselves twice. The shift from internal capacity to interpersonal ease is the main thing to hold onto when moving between the two techniques. Synastry sextiles read as encouragement, mutual usefulness, and enjoyable company. They do not read as chemistry. That distinction matters because people scanning a synastry grid for evidence of a strong connection often find a stack of sextiles and conclude the relationship is destined, when what the sextiles actually describe is that the relationship will be pleasant and low-friction if it happens at all. Astrologers consistently note that relationships built purely on sextiles can drift apart without any argument, because nothing in a sextile creates the tension that keeps two people locked in each other's orbit.

This is why sextiles are so often described as the friendship aspect in synastry. They show up heavily between people who work well together, collaborate easily, or stay in touch for decades without drama. A Venus sextile Jupiter between two charts describes generosity flowing both ways and a shared appetite for enjoyment. A Sun sextile Saturn between two charts describes one person steadying the other in a way that is welcomed rather than resented, which is the same combination that reads as restriction under a square. In composite charts, where two natal charts are merged into a single relationship chart, sextiles function much as they do natally: they mark what the partnership is capable of when the two people put effort in. The practical guidance most practitioners give is to count sextiles as supporting evidence rather than headline evidence in any synastry reading. Look first at conjunctions, squares, and oppositions between the personal planets to find what actually binds or troubles the pair, then read the sextiles to see where the relationship has spare capacity, easy conversation, and areas the two can build in without struggle. A relationship with hard aspects plus supportive sextiles has both the pull and the tools.

Are sextiles good for compatibility in synastry?

Sextiles are good for compatibility in synastry in the sense that they make a relationship easy to be in, but they are weak at creating attraction. Sextiles between two charts predict smooth communication, mutual encouragement, and low conflict. They are excellent supporting aspects and poor foundations, which is why sextile-rich synastry often describes close friendships more accurately than romances.

What is a double whammy sextile in synastry?

A double whammy sextile occurs when the same two planets sextile each other in both directions across two charts, such as person A's Venus sextile person B's Mars while person B's Venus is also sextile person A's Mars. Reciprocal sextiles are read as reinforced and reliable, since both people experience the same ease rather than one benefiting from the other.

Does a sextile matter in a composite chart?

A sextile in a composite chart shows where the relationship itself has usable capacity, in the same conditional way a natal sextile does for an individual. Composite Sun sextile Jupiter, for example, describes a partnership that grows whenever the two people deliberately take on something bigger, and that stays comfortably static when they do not.

What do specific sextile planet pairs mean?

Specific sextile pairs are read by combining the two planetary functions and then applying the sextile's conditional quality. Sun sextile Moon describes an inner cooperation between identity and instinct, so the person's wants and needs are not at war, and it tends to show up as steady self-acceptance rather than anything dramatic. Venus sextile Mars gives an easy relationship between what someone finds beautiful and how they pursue it, producing charm that works when deployed and warmth that does not tip into aggression. Mercury sextile Saturn supplies careful, structured thinking that becomes evident whenever the person takes on something requiring precision, and disappears in casual conversation. Moon sextile Jupiter describes an emotional baseline that recovers well and expands under generosity. Mars sextile Saturn is one of the most useful sextiles in a chart, because it links drive to discipline, producing effective sustained effort in anyone who actually starts something. Venus sextile Uranus makes unconventional attractions and sudden creative turns easy to act on. Sun sextile Pluto grants access to real personal power when circumstances demand it, without the compulsive quality the conjunction or square would add. In each case the same rule applies: the combination is available, and something has to call it out.

Two sextile pairs deserve particular attention because they behave differently from the rest. Mars sextile Saturn is the aspect most likely to be underrated in a chart reading, since neither planet is a traditional benefic and the aspect produces no obvious sparkle. What it produces is stamina. People with a tight Mars-Saturn sextile can work at something long past the point where their motivation ran out, because the planet of action and the planet of structure are on speaking terms rather than blocking each other. The second is Moon sextile Saturn, which reads as emotional durability, an ability to stay steady through difficulty that the person may only discover during difficulty. Neither aspect announces itself in an easy life. Some sextiles, meanwhile, cannot exist at all. The Sun never sextiles Mercury or Venus, because both planets stay close to the Sun as seen from Earth: Mercury reaches a maximum of roughly 28 degrees from the Sun and Venus about 47, so neither ever reaches the 60-degree mark. Mercury sextile Venus is possible, since the two can sit on opposite sides of the Sun and add their elongations together.

What does Sun sextile Moon mean in a birth chart?

Sun sextile Moon in a birth chart describes conscious identity and emotional instinct working in cooperation, so what the person wants and what they need do not routinely contradict each other. It reads as a settled internal baseline and a capacity to make decisions without protracted inner argument. Like all sextiles, it becomes most visible when the person is actively choosing something.

What does Venus sextile Mars mean?

Venus sextile Mars describes an easy working link between attraction and pursuit, so the person can act on what they want without the pushiness a Venus-Mars square can produce. It reads as warmth, approachability, and a creative drive that turns on when engaged. It is a favorable aspect for artistic work and for straightforward romantic confidence.

What does Mercury sextile Jupiter mean?

Mercury sextile Jupiter links detailed thinking to broad perspective, giving easy access to the bigger frame around any subject. It reads as good teaching instincts, persuasive explanation, and comfort with learning across fields. The sextile version is more usable than the conjunction, which can inflate claims, because the two planets stay distinct and the person can choose the scale.

How does a sextile work as a transit or progression?

A transiting sextile opens a window of easier access between the transiting planet's function and the natal planet it touches, and the window closes whether or not anything was done with it. Transiting Jupiter sextile natal Venus does not deliver a relationship or a windfall; it makes the conditions favorable for anything the person actively pursues in those areas. This is the defining behavior of a sextile transit and the reason astrologers describe them as periods to act rather than periods to wait. Duration depends entirely on the moving planet. A Moon sextile passes in a few hours and is used mainly in electional and horary work. A Sun sextile to a natal point holds roughly a week at a 3-degree orb. Mars sextiles run for a week or two. Jupiter sextiles can last several weeks, and if Jupiter stations retrograde close to the aspect, the sextile perfects three separate times across several months, which practitioners read as an opportunity that comes back around. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto sextiles can stay within orb for the better part of a year and often describe a long stretch of quiet structural support rather than any single event.

Progressed sextiles are read on a longer timescale and are treated as more significant than their transiting equivalents. In secondary progressions, where each day after birth stands for a year of life, a progressed Sun sextile a natal planet takes years to form and years to separate, marking a whole chapter in which that combination is unusually available. Progressed Moon sextiles are shorter, lasting a few months, and are used to time smaller shifts in mood and circumstance. The technique most practitioners use with any sextile timing is to combine it with something harder. A transiting sextile arriving alone often passes without incident; the same sextile arriving while a square or opposition is also active becomes the escape route, the resource that makes the difficult transit workable. Experienced astrologers scanning a forecast note the sextiles last, after mapping the hard aspects, then read them as the answer to the pressure rather than as headline news. The advice attached to a sextile transit is always specific: identify what the two planets govern, then do something in that area deliberately while the window is open.

Is a sextile transit a good time to start something?

A sextile transit is a good time to start something in the area the two planets govern, provided the person initiates it. Astrologers use sextile transits for launching projects, making approaches, and asking for things, because the aspect lowers resistance without applying pressure. A sextile transit spent passively passes with nothing to show for it.

How often does a sextile transit repeat?

The frequency depends on the transiting planet's orbital period. The transiting Moon sextiles any given natal point twice a month, the Sun twice a year, Jupiter roughly twice every twelve years, and Saturn twice every twenty-nine or so years. Outer-planet sextiles to a natal point may happen only once or twice in a lifetime.

What does a sextile mean in a solar return chart?

A sextile in a solar return chart marks an area of the coming year where support is available on request. Solar return Mercury sextile Saturn, for instance, points to a year in which disciplined study or careful negotiation would go well. As with any sextile, the solar return version describes a resource for the year rather than a scheduled event.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sextile in astrology in simple terms?

A sextile in astrology is a 60-degree angle between two planets, which works out to two signs apart. It is counted as a soft or supportive aspect: the two planets get along, but the sextile does not act on its own the way a conjunction or a square does. Astrologers describe a sextile as an open door rather than a push through it, which is why the same sextile can look obvious in one person's life and completely unused in another's.

What orb should I use for a sextile aspect?

Most modern astrologers use a sextile orb of 3 to 4 degrees, widening to 5 or 6 degrees when the Sun or Moon is one of the two planets. Traditional practice sizes the sextile orb by planet instead of by aspect, giving the Sun and Moon the widest reach and Mercury and Venus much less. A sextile within 1 degree of exact is treated as the strongest form; past about 6 degrees, almost no school still counts it.

Is a sextile a good aspect?

A sextile is classed as a favorable aspect in astrology, alongside the trine, because the two signs involved share the same polarity and their elements cooperate. Fire always sextiles air, and earth always sextiles water. What separates the sextile from the trine is conditionality: a trine tends to run whether or not you notice it, while a sextile stays dormant until something calls on it. Practitioners often call the sextile the aspect of talent you have to remember you own.

Can the Sun be sextile Venus or Mercury?

No. The Sun can never form a sextile to Mercury or Venus, because both planets orbit inside Earth's orbit and stay close to the Sun from our point of view. Mercury never appears more than about 28 degrees from the Sun, and Venus never gets much beyond 47 degrees, so neither can reach the 60-degree separation a sextile requires. A chart listing Sun sextile Venus contains a data error. Mercury sextile Venus, however, is possible.

What is the difference between a sextile and a semi-sextile?

A sextile is 60 degrees and a semi-sextile is 30 degrees, and despite the shared name they are read very differently. The sextile joins signs of the same polarity with cooperating elements and counts as one of the classical major aspects. The semi-sextile joins neighboring signs that share nothing at all, so it is read as a minor aspect with a slightly grating, unresolved quality. Astrologers use tight orbs of about 1 to 2 degrees for a semi-sextile, far tighter than for a sextile.

How long does a transiting sextile last?

The duration of a transiting sextile depends entirely on which planet is moving. A Moon sextile passes within a few hours. A Sun sextile to a natal planet holds for roughly a week at a 3-degree orb. A Jupiter sextile can run for weeks and, if Jupiter stations retrograde nearby, hits three separate times over several months. A Saturn or outer-planet sextile can stay in orb for a large part of a year. Slow sextiles are the ones worth planning around.

What does a sextile mean in synastry between two people?

In synastry, a sextile between one person's planet and another's marks a point of easy exchange that neither party finds threatening. Sextiles in synastry read as encouragement, useful conversation, and shared enthusiasm rather than magnetism, which is why charts heavy on sextiles often describe strong friendships and excellent working partnerships. Because a sextile has no built-in pressure, synastry sextiles rarely hold a relationship together by themselves; they make an existing bond pleasant rather than creating one.