Sextile

A sextile forms when two planets are approximately 60 degrees apart, usually in compatible but different elements (fire-air or earth-water). With a trine, the door is wide open and you're already walking through it. With a sextile, the door is unlocked but you have to notice it, decide to open it, and step through. This aspect offers real opportunities and cooperative energy, but requires conscious initiative to activate. People tend to be more aware of their sextiles than their trines, because sextiles need your participation. They represent skills you can develop and openings you can seize -- invitations, not guarantees. In traditional astrology, the sextile was considered a lesser trine. But there's an argument it's more useful, precisely because it asks something of you. Trines can breed complacency; sextiles breed competence. Sextile energy often shows up as "I met someone who mentioned something that led to this" -- lucky breaks that only happen because you showed up.