Approaching aspect

In astrology, an approaching aspect (also known as an applying aspect) occurs when a faster moving planet, or significator, is moving towards a slower moving planet, or promittor, is moving towards an aspect in the natural order of the zodiac, which is a counterclockwise direction. A very old term, which astrologers which as William Lilly used to describe an approaching aspect is a dexter aspect, with the word dexter deriving from Latin meaning "to the right".

For example, the Sun, although not a planet, is a celestial body and moves much faster than Saturn. Because the Earth orbits around the Sun and astrology is based upon man's view of the heavens from the orientation of the Earth, the Sun can therefore never appear to go retrograde, or backwards in direction. Therefore, because the Sun is a faster moving body than Saturn and cannot go retrograde according to the rules of Western astrology, whenever it makes an aspect to Saturn, it will always be an approaching.

The Moon is a celestial body that orbits the Earth, and because of its monthly circular movement around the Earth, can never give the appearance of moving retrograde, or in a clockwise motion, around the zodiac. It is for that reason that because the Moon is perhaps the fastest moving object within our zodiac and cannot go retrograde, any aspects it makes will invariably be approaching aspects.