Squares are not commonly celebrated in an astrological chart or transit. I often hear people lament over what is happening in their charts when they struggle through the realities that squares bring into their life.

In books of the traditional sort of astrological lore the stress of a square is said to be a ‘bad’ aspect, as if stress is always a negative. Whereas I look to a square as creating a personal diversity within the individual, something that needs to be reconciled. In the trine, an aspect that operates with much more ease, there is no challenge to one’s perspective and outlook. The square asks one to be a more well-rounded individual where the two contrary planets and energies must answer to one another and be accountable to one another.

Cognitive dissonance occurs as one aspect of the self disagrees with or challenges another aspect of the self in values, belief or behavior. The square creates this dynamic destroying the possibility of black and white thinking, the truth lies in shades of grey. Two opposing forces can be correct in a nuanced reality. This isn’t the easy path but it is the more interesting one. It puts the figurative feet into different worlds. It forces one to question the nature of their reality. This potentially creates a greater sense of what is possible and how it may be achieved.

Of course this doesn’t always manifest with ease, as conflict is still conflict and being conflicted implies suffering. With Pluto squaring your moon you may feel annoyed by someone implying the square is gift in any way. And yes I would agree that the weight of Pluto on your emotional well-being is complex and far from simple. But I would also celebrate the depth of your emotional life and your ability to rectify and understand the deep psychology of joy and pain. The prize is in meeting the challenge, of exploring your complex nature and giving yourself time to understand yourself and your needs.

So don’t let anyone tell you your squares are bad. Yes, squares are challenging but they give you character and make you more complex, interesting and a more liberal perspective of reality.