A grand trine is a planetary pattern composed of three or more planets in a chart located at the vertices of an imaginary equilateral triangle. Usually all three planets are in the same element (fire, earth, air or water). Although a grand trine may be found embedded in a larger pattern such as the tripod, fan, locomotive, splash, hourglass or bucket, it often manifests by itself; or, the larger patterns are so far from their ideal that any underlying grand trine is more interpretively significant.

The grand trine symbolizes earned, special advantages to be enjoyed in this life in the element common to the three planets. Trines indicate a harmonious flow of energy, the potential for creative self-expression, or blessings, gifts and talents related to the planets and houses involved. If not offset by hard aspects (squares, oppositions, semisquares, or quincunxes), however, the grand trine can symbolize too much stability leading to inertia, passivity or inactivity owing to a lack of obstacles and the compensatory effort in one’s life: spiritual exercise, as it were. For this reason medieval and Renaissance astrologers considered the grand trine an unfortunate aspect, the native doomed to a life of indolence, stagnation and missed opportunities. Modern astrologers do not interpret them so severely if negatively at all, perhaps due to the relatively greater ease with which one can get by in today’s world. Suffice it to say, some individuals with grand trines do not accomplish as much as they could in life because the easy flow of events does not stimulate achievement and ambition. Though it may appear that luck falls into the life of a person with a grand trine, he or she has actually done a great deal to bring it about. It is just accomplished with such relative ease that little or no effort is visible. The exact (1° orb or less) grand trine is thought to be more dynamic, with a lot of energy available to the planets involved.

 Grand trine in fire

The element fire represents inspiration, intuition, yang energy, joie de vivre, the energy of the spirit and the spiritual side of our nature, ardor, impulsivity, enthusiasm, will, activity, dominance, and the principle of self-starting. A grand trine in the element fire indicates, therefore, great ardor, passion, enthusiasm, and love of life—a certain genius of the spirit. Celebrities with grand trines in fire are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1 in water), Louis Armstrong, Sri Aurobindo, Chuck Barris, Ralph Bellamy, Theodore Bikel, Marlon Brando, Beau Bridges, Julie Christie (1 in water), Wally Cox, Davy Crockett, Tim Curry, Arthur Fiedler, Sally Field, Peggy Fleming, Jackie Gleason, Gil Hodges, Heinrich Himmler, Linda Hunt, Elton John (1 in water), Margaux Hemingway, Burgess Meredith, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1 in earth), Bernadette Peters, Pete Rose, Jane Russell, Beverly Sills, Tina Turner (1 in water), Andy Warhol and Walt Whitman.

 Grand trine in earth

A grand trine in the element earth symbolizes a great practicality and a certain genius with money and material things. Celebrities with grand trines in earth are Muhammed Ali, Elizabeth Arden, Ed Asner (1 in fire), Mary Astor, Lucille Ball, Lisa Bonet, James Brolin, Lon Chaney, Ty Cobb, Judy Collins, Michael Crawford, Arlene Dahl, Matt Damon, Faye Dunaway, Jose Ferrer, Brendon Fraser (1 in air), William Henry Harrison, Steven Hawking, Yvette Mimieux, Marcel Proust, Marquis de Sade, Sophie Tucker, Frankie Valli, and Ron Ziegler.

 Grand trine in air

The element air symbolizes ideas, abstract thought, logic, relationship to and association with others, clear, objective vision, and that which is facile and quick. Therefore a grand trine in the element air symbolizes someone able to form rapid and multitudinous associations, a facile and quick wit, and a certain genius of the mind. Celebrities with grand trines in air are Claudio Arrau, Dirk Benedict, Edgar Bergen, Pat Boone, George H. W. Bush Sr., Agatha Christie, Angela Davis, Joseph Fiennes, Bobby Fischer, George Gershwin, Rutger Hauer, Woody Herman, Janis Joplin, Kevin Kline (1 in water), Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Groucho Marx, Audie Murphy, Lynn Redgrave (1 in earth), Robert Silverberg, Tom Selleck, Theodor (Dr.) Seuss, Roger Staubach, Sharon Tate, Noah Wylie, and William Butler Yeats.

 Grand trine in water

A grand trine in the element of water indicates, other things being equal, that you have great ease in the emotional arena of life (water ruling the emotions), and an unusual depth of feeling and empathy for others. As is most often the case, however, other things are probably not equal in your chart. Celebrities with grand trines in water are Steve Allen, James Arness, Warren Beatty, Shelley Berman, Chuck Berry, William Bonney (Billy the Kid), Dave Brubeck, Eric Clapton, Glenn Close (1 in fire), Phil Collins, Tom Cruise, Marie Curie, Miles Davis, Tom DeLay (1 fire), Gustave Flaubert (1 in fire), David Frost, Buckminister Fuller, Princess Grace of Monaco, King Hussein of Jordan, Jean Harlow, Judd Hirsch, Ed McMahon, Yves Montand, Tony Randall, Jonas Salk, Charles Schulz, Aaron Spelling, Erich von Stroheim, Jimmy Swaggart, Loretta Swit (1 in fire), Jules Verne, and James Woods (1 in fire).