So for example, Let's say the moon is 'sandwiched' between Neptune and Mars, then it will have a different meaning than say, the moon being caught up between venus and the sun.
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I have a book by John Sandbach and Ronn Ballard, "Planetary Containments," which answers your question with a resounding YES! The authors do not concern themselves with the distance between the planets, only their adjacency. (This is the only material I've come across addressing this. They attribute the use of containments to East Indian Astrologers.)
The theory is that planets will behave differently depending on the planets that are on either side of them. They "filter" the middle planet, so to speak. The planets should be looked at from a counterclockwise order.
Here's a quote from the book re: Neptune-Moon-Mars.
"These people's emotions are visionary and idealistic. They may revel in fantasy and long for the perfection that exists beyond the earthly realm. They must not allow all of this to make them passive, because they need to project these impulses outward in a dynamic, constructive manner. They have an emotional need to be forceful where ideals are concerned, for it is through this that they will realize the true nature of their longings.
Positive: Exalted and imaginative emotions become a basis for effective andconstructive action.
Negative: Confusing and disorienting emotions lead to frustration and destructiveness."
See how it compares to Mars-Moon-Neptune:
"The feeling nature is rash and assertive. Emotionally these individuals desire to act out feelings in a dynamic manner. Here excitation can lead to emotional confusion and disorientation. Expressions of aggressiveness needs to be positively and subtly channeled into these people's spiritual ideals. It is through seeing themselves as the warrior fighting for a high-minded cause that they can experience true emotional fulfillment.
Positive: Passionate emotions are projected with subtlety and delicacy.
Negative" Destructive emotions cause confusion and disorientation."
In all my wanderings through bookstores, I have come into contact with this book once, so I scooped it up. I have not spent a whole lot of time with it, but find the idea very intriquing.
The last chapter of the book is a reprint of the "Moon's Containment" from "Evolutionary Astrology: The Journey of the Soul Through the Horoscope" by Raymond Merriman.
I've also read somewhere--not sure where--that each planet has an evolutionary path, or path of response, as it contacts each planet successively through the chart.
This is very different from Occidental and Oriental, which are great little tidbits of information to look at in a chart.
