Quincunxes and Yods - The Finger of Fate

by Cate Whelan

This article first appeared in the FAA Journal, September 2025.

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We are a society focused on material success, productivity, KPIs, financial planning… where will you be in 5 years’ time, 10 years, 20 years? Some people love this kind of focus, and we are all expected to honour it. But there is one aspect pattern that doesn’t understand this process, and those who have it in their chart will find their road ahead is not straight, but has many bends and sideroads to explore. Meet the YOD. The Yod is a tall slim triangle comprising two quincunxes and a sextile. And Yods are very important, because they change the way you read a chart.

The Yod is also known as the Finger of Fate or the Hand of God; Yod is in fact Hebrew for ‘hand’. I use all the standard planets and Chiron, and as well I use the Ascendant and MC. I don’t use the Nodes, because they are not sensitive, reactive points.

All three points in a Yod are in different elements and different modes. Already this is challenging to interpret – then you add in the nature of the planets and the Houses they are in and rule! Each planet has a different innate response, and they appear to be pulling in different directions, causing unease and frustration. Because of this, the best advice to someone with a Yod is not to strive too hard towards an external goal, but to develop themselves spiritually and ethically, and to follow the paths as they open up. This will make sense to a mutable person, but to someone with mainly fixed planets, or a stellium in Aries, it is a real challenge!

Yods can also reflect generational issues, so if you have a Yod in your chart you may be the one who changes family patterns or breaks away from family expectations to follow your own path. You may see Yods over a number of generations as change is effected.

As the diagram illustrates, each sign is quincunx two other signs, and these two signs are sextile to each other. You may have a Yod in your natal chart. But anyone who has a sextile or a quincunx in their chart has a point which is a potential transiting or composite Yod. And currently, while we have sextiles between Pluto (Aquarius) and Neptune/Saturn (Aries), and Uranus (Gemini) and Neptune/Saturn, anyone who has a planet in early degrees of Virgo or Scorpio is experiencing a transiting Yod.

But first, we need to talk about the quincunx. The quincunx (or inconjunct) is probably the least understood aspect in the chart – it is not a classical aspect and some astrologers question whether it is an aspect at all. Two planets which are 150 degrees from each other, with different modes, elements and polarities – how could they be connected in any way? They have no understanding of each other, cannot see each other… and yet somehow there is a push-pull between them that creates a sense of unidentifiable unease.

I use a fairly tight orb, 3 ½ degrees, and I don’t use out-of-sign aspects because this makes nonsense of the nature of a quincunx.

So how do the quincunx and the Yod play out in real life? Let’s look at the life of Prince William, who has both in his natal chart. He has a Sun-Moon conjunction in Cancer in the 7th House, quincunx Uranus in Sagittarius in the 11th, and as well as a Yod comprising Venus, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto. But we’ll focus on the quincunx first.

William’s quincunx

Uranus quincunx Sun is about having to compromise your need for personal autonomy. For the heir to the throne, this is not surprising! This leads to issues of frustration and tension, but also points to new perspectives and being prepared to do things differently. Uranus quincunx Moon indicates charisma, independence and impulsiveness.

Because he is an heir to the throne, William has not been able to express the Uranian side of himself, so this has been done by others – particularly, when growing up, by his mother and father. The Sun – his father – rules the 8th House of sex and trauma. Charles certainly lived out the key words of frustration, tension, and he also was constantly balancing tradition with his innovative approach to issues like conservation. The Moon – mother – is the second ruler of the 7th. Diana was a loving mother but circumstances brought chaos and uncertainty into the life of her son. His early life was full of her crises, all relating to her relationships. William grew up with the scandals and betrayals of his parents being played out in public, in books, newspapers and on TV.

Of recent times, his brother Harry has taken on the disruptive role, and William, firmly ensconced in the Cancer side of the quincunx, is deeply emotionally troubled, but has no concept of his own role in the divide. We can look at the signs involved – William is firmly anchored in the Cancer side of home and family. Harry married a foreigner, a woman of colour, and has moved to another country, so he is playing out the Uranian/Sagittarian role.

The Yod

How does a Yod work in a natal chart?

There are 3 planets involved which are all in different elements and different modes. The sextile planets have the same polarity (Yin or Yang) but the apex planet is in the opposite polarity. The elements describe how we process the world, and the modes how we deal with problems. Because each planet has a different innate response, they appear to be pulling in different directions. This is uncomfortable and causes unease. Things are ambiguous, not straightforward.

Life can take sudden and unexpected turns which leave you in complicated situations you have no control over. You can feel stuck, with no solutions apparent. You may feel very wronged. This is where you need a different perspective. For people with a natal Yod, life is about the journey, not the goal. You can see that this is at odds with society’s expectations. You may not even be able to articulate a goal, and that’s OK. You need to focus on the quest and what you learn from it along the way.

Concrete planning doesn’t work – flexibility is needed. You may reach a long-term goal, but it’s unlikely to be by the route you expected. You need to be aware of pathways as they open up – try to focus on developing your inner self and you will make the right choices. A Yod often indicates inherited family issues, and you may be at the turning point. And the second half of your life is often markedly different from the first, as you develop wisdom and perspective.

William’s Yod

William has the Gen X sextile between Neptune in Sagittarius and Pluto in Libra, both quincunxing Venus in Taurus in the 5th House.

There are generational issues around relationships in the families of both his parents. The 5th House describes childhood, and William’s childhood was continually disrupted by his parents’ marital problems. This was played out in public, and he could do nothing about it. It reinforces the statement made by his Sun-Moon-Uranus quincunx.

Either parent can be Pluto or Neptune in this Yod. Charles has Neptune on his IC, conjunct Venus. Diana has a close Sun-Neptune trine. Both displayed Neptunian behaviour. There was also much Plutonian drama, with manipulation, betrayal and sex all over the tabloids. Charles has a Sun-Pluto square while Diana has a Pluto-Mars conjunction in the 8th House. (Note that Diana’s Venus was also at 24° Taurus. She was experiencing a transiting Yod when William was born. She also has a natal Yod in her chart.)

With his 5th House Venus in Taurus at the apex of the yod, William has a solid, respectable marriage and is ensuring his children’s childhood is as safe and uncontroversial as possible.

Composite Yods: The Royal Yod

Any quincunx or sextile in the chart has the potential to form a composite Yod with another person. In William’s chart, a planet at 0° Taurus would create a composite Yod. Queen Elizabeth’s Sun at 0° Taurus, and Charles’s Moon at 0° Taurus, both sextile William’s Sun at 0° Cancer. Together with William’s Uranus at 1° Sagittarius, this means that 3 generations of heirs to the throne have a composite Yod between them. This makes a resounding and powerful statement about the family inheritance and traditions which William has no choice but to follow. The fatedness of the Yod connects them all.

Transits to Yods

The first point to make here is that a transit to any point on the Yod activates the whole Yod. In May 2018, Uranus reached the point of 0° Taurus, the Royal Yod and profoundly affecting all three generations. Uranus speaks of turbulence and change in the Royal family. Because William’s Moon at 4°57’ Cancer was drawn into the Yod, for him the transit lasted until the final Uranus hit of that point in March 2020.

Any transit has the energy of a natal placement, except that is it concentrated into a defined period, rather than a lifetime. When a planet activates a Yod by transit, it will bring Yod energy: unsolvable complex problems, stalemates, lack of perspective and frustration. The transiting planet describes the new energy – Uranus brings unexpected situations, rapid change on a personal/societal level, disruption and new ways of thinking. So what was happening in May 2018 that is described by a Uranus transit to the Royal Yod?

Uranus transit to the Royal Yod, May 2018 to March 2020

Harry and Meghan married in May 2018. At that stage, Meghan was the darling of the press. William and Harry’s relationship had always been close but complex, and marrying Meghan increased the tension – William did not initially approve. Tabloids suggested Capricorn Catherine and Leo Meghan did not get on. (Capricorn is quincunx Leo). Certainly there were comparisons in the press.

In October 2018, on the retrograde hit of Uranus at 0° Taurus, Harry and Meghan visited Australia and the South Pacific. It was very successful and Meghan became even more popular, especially as she was now pregnant. This echoed Diana’s first trip to Australia. The public flocked to see her and spurned Charles, and it wasn’t long before leaks about her private problems came from palace employees loyal to Charles. This time the leaks appeared to come from the Palace in favour of Catherine, and the press turned on Meghan. Tabloid headlines and social media bullying meant that Harry and Meghan struggled with life in the media spotlight, just as Diana had. Once again the Yod highlighted past issues revisited.

As is the nature of Yods, this created a complex problem for the Royal family, but particularly for William. There seemed to be no solution.

In December/ January 2019-20, as Uranus stationed and turned direct, Harry and Meghan had a break in Canada, and on their return announced that they were stepping down as working Royals. After a Royal Family summit at Sandringham, they moved to California. In January, in response to rumours, the Palace issued a statement, from both brothers, that William had not bullied the couple. Harry had not been consulted, and there were repercussions later when he was able to use his own voice. In March, at the end of Uranus’s hit to the composite Royal Yod, they settled in Montecito. The Uranus transit had triggered massive change in the structure of the entire Royal Family.

A Transiting Yod

Pluto dipped its toe into Aquarius from March to June 2023. This created a sextile with William’s Uranus in Aquarius, and another quincunx to his Sun/Moon, and formed another Yod. This one is Sun/Moon/Uranus/Pluto and the transit is William’s alone. (Separately, Pluto also squared Charles’s Moon.)

In March 2023 Harry published his book Spare, detailing his grievances with the Royal Family and in particular with his brother William. The controversial Netflix series Harry and Meghan was also rating well. This transiting Yod will finally leave in November 2027, when Pluto makes its final hit to William’s Moon at 4°57’.

However, in Jan-Feb 2024, when Pluto returned to 0° Aquarius, a different and more confronting issue arose – both Charles and Catherine were scheduled for surgery. Pluto kept returning to 0° and 1° of Aquarius over 2024 and 2025. In February 2024 Charles’s cancer was announced. His treatment is ongoing. In March 2024 Catherine’s cancer was revealed. She received treatment for most of the year, and returned to reduced Royal duties in 2025. The Palace has not revealed either type of cancer, but Catherine’s treatment was intensive and her recovery difficult. William said that 2024 was the worst year of his life.

Transit to a Yod

Meanwhile, in mid-2024, Uranus moved to 24° Taurus, conjuncting William’s Venus-Chiron conjunction, the apex of his natal Yod.

First hit was in June 2024, retrograde hit November-December 2024, final hit March-April 2025, so William was dealing with a transiting Yod and transit to his natal Yod at the same time. The transiting planets, Pluto and Uranus, have brought disruption, trauma and matters of life and death. With the Pluto transit involving his Sun and Moon in Cancer, his family has been shaken up through cancer diagnoses and he has to ready himself to take on the role of king perhaps sooner than he had hoped. This would have huge implications for his young family.

With Uranus conjuncting his Chiron/Venus in the 5th House, the health and healing of his wife is his main focus, while still carrying the Royal workload. Catherine said in a personal video in September 2024 that ‘This time above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things of life, which so many of us take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.’ But more recently, in July, she opened up about the challenges of post-treatment life and the continuing personal struggle facing cancer survivors.

Dealing with Transiting Yods, and Transits to Yods

When a Yod is created by transit, or any point on a natal Yod is activated, the whole Yod is activated, and often manifests as situations that can’t be resolved, so the feeling of powerlessness is often the most distressing part. We find it so hard to simply wait, and yet that is what we must do. Our solution-oriented society doesn’t prepare us for this. We are under a lot of pressure to Do Something, and it takes strength not to just compromise and move on.

Instead, be in the moment without expectation. Appreciate what you have. Above all, maintain your integrity. Be aware of opportunities or pathways that open up, and trust yourself to follow them. But be cautious – this may not be the time for radical change. Weigh up the consequences carefully. The clues are often cryptic and take time to reveal themselves.

Above all, don’t be afraid of situations with no apparent solution. Yod energy is very tangled and never straightforward. Sometimes sitting through a period like this enables a seed to germinate, and ideas and solutions may present themselves after the transit has passed. Make space for this to happen.

For William, the Yod formed by transiting Pluto continues on and off until the November 2027, when it makes its final station quincunx his Moon. Yods always involve some level of ‘fate’, so what will happen over the next 2 years? Will Harry come back into the fold? What of the health of his father and his wife? In May 2028 Saturn hits 0° Taurus. If Charles is still alive, that will hit the Royal Yod. If he is not alive, then the Royal Yod no longer exists, but Saturn will create a transiting Yod with William’s Sun/Moon/Uranus quincunx. Will that be the time he ascends the throne?

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Images and chart data:

• Quincunx diagram: from an original graphic by Lynn Bell, with kind permission
• Chart data: Astrodatabank: 21 June 1982 at 21:03, Paddington, England. RR: AA.
• William, in 2025: Torok/White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• William and Kate: Thank you video after being cured of Cancer.

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Published in: FAA Journal, September 2025.

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Author: Wendy Blume

Cate Whelan has been involved in astrology for over 40 years, gaining her the FAA Diploma in 1996. Since that time she has been teaching and consulting, although these days she loves getting into research. In 2023 she retired after 12 years as FAASA President. Cate has 3 Yods in her natal chart and is currently also experiencing a transiting Yod to her Moon-Saturn in early Virgo, so it’s Yods all the way! Cate has found The Yod Book by Karen Hamaker-Zondag (Samuel Weiser, 2000) to be a great help in navigating the Yod life. Thanks also to Mark Laurensen for lending an audio of his Yod class, and to Lynn Bell for her talk on Quincunxes. Contact Cate at catew49@gmail.com.