Receptive Configurations (Part 5)
Grand Sextile and Cradle (Half-Hexagon)

Grand Sextile

The Grand Sextile is formed when six planets sextile each other, creating the appearance of a six-point star or a hexagon. It is also called a Grand Hexagon or the Star of David pattern. Grand Sextiles will be in either Receptive of masculine (Fire and Air) or feminine (Earth and Water). It is the Grand-daddy of the configurations and is quite rare. It contains six Kites, six Trines, three Mystic Rectangles (depending on how one looks at them), three Oppositions, and two Grand Trines, all of which are connected together by six Sextiles. The recommendation is to keep the aspect orbs at 5°. The validity of the Grand Sextile is one that is maintained by all the planets contained in either masculine signs or feminine signs.

The Grand Sextile provides a mixed blessing to the individual who finds one in their chart. There is significant potential at a creative level. On the other hand, it tends to lack motivation or may scatter the focus across too many areas of the individual's life. The receptive that the Grand Sextile is contained in will define the type of action necessary when this configuration is triggered by transits. The masculine will incline the individual to react with active drive and an independent attitude. The masculine Grand Sextile tends to be more extrovert in nature. The feminine will incline the individual to react more passively with a communal attitude. The feminine Grand Sextile tends to be more introvert in nature. But, since the Grand Sextile is an all or nothing configuration, the individual may move through life as though this is simply the "way" life should be without ever questioning or working with the energies. When the Grand Sextile is triggered, the individual tends to scatter their energies rather than consciously collect them into a unified force and miss out on many opportunities that are, seemingly, handed to them if the individual would simply open up to the potential that the Grand Sextile provides.

** The example above is the Grand Sextiled formed on July 21, 1995. This example is a dissociate configuration. Mars's transit into Libra (masculine) while the five other planets are in the feminine receptive signs.


Cradle

The Cradle is formed when four planets are connected by three sextile aspects, two trine aspects and one opposition. It is also called a Half-Hexagon because it looks like one-half of a Grand Hexagon (Grand Sextile) configuration. The Cradle is similar in energy to the Grand Sextile. It will be in either Receptive of masculine (Fire and Air) or feminine (Earth and Water). The Cradle energies are not as self-contained as the Grand Sextile. The Cradle lacks the continuity of the polarities and modes, to balance and harmonize with the two center planets. The planets in the opposition set the dominant mode (cardinal, fixed or mutable) while the other two planets tag along as step siblings from the other two modes.

Also, like the Grand Sextile, the Cradle provides a type of mixed blessing to the individual who has one in their chart. The Cradle provides potential at an inspired and congruent level when the individual learns how to blend the three mode energies. On the other hand, it tends to lack determination or may disperse the energies across the four areas of the individual's life based on the house placements. Like the Grand Sextile, the masculine will incline the individual to react with active drive and an independent attitude, lending an extrovert tendency to the individual. The feminine will incline the individual to react more passively with a communal attitude, lending an introvert tendency to the individual. The Cradle individual must work more diligently at developing discipline, patience, ambition and endurance if they are ever to master the energies of the Cradle. When the Grand Sextile is triggered, the individual tends to scatter their energies rather than consciously collect these energies into a unified force and miss out on many potentials and opportunities attainable through the Cradle's influence.