I don’t think there is any more distrusted aspect than oppositions. New students often look at oppositions in charts and shudder, or just sigh and give up. They assume those planets can’t possibly be compatible, they have nothing in common. It’s assumed that the two planets are completely at war with one another, and will never connect. Synastry brings out the worst of assumptions about oppositions, that an opposition formed between two charts dooms those planets in some way, forcing the couple into a lifetime of power struggles, arguments, and misunderstandings.
Part of the problem is the way oppositions have been portrayed in many ‘cookbook’ astrology texts. I’ve seen even the most innocent of oppositions, Venus/Venus or Moon/Venus, given a text that would put off a goth. It’s time to reclaim the opposition.
In mathematical terms, the opposition is the second most powerful aspect, after the conjunction (Surprised you, didn’t I? Bet you thought it was the square.). The ‘two’ comes after the ‘one.’ Dividing the circle by two gives us 180 degrees. The opposition relates to whatever alien ‘out there’ must be integrated. The energies of the two planets involved must be acknowledged, processed, and learn to act as one. No matter how strange the interaction must seem, it has to happen. There has to be some give and take.
Within a chart, there will be a natural give and take between the planets. The trick to understanding these planets is in knowing that they are ‘natural’ partners. Usually, they are in complimentary signs and the one facilitates the understanding of the other via their function in the signs, even though the road may be rocky. They are often like characters in a bad romantic comedy; though they ‘fight’ with one another, you know will get together in the end, given enough time and circumstance. They may never totally agree, though they will have fun (and aggravation) trying. With out of sign oppositions, the plot gets thicker, and the road to one-ness is rougher, but happen it must.
Oppositions work via a see-sawing effect. If it’s not weighted towards one end, the opposition can vacillate, one day embracing one end, the next, the other. This give and take can happen when oppositions are formed between charts, and they can often drive us crazy. If we have a Mars/Pluto opposition between us, one day my Mars might be the victor, the next, your Pluto will win control. Planets in opposition arm wrestle in a pronounced way. Power is turned over quickly, without warning, leaving the participants confused.
Troubles occur when one planet has the upper hand over another, whether this happens natally or in synastry. If it’s my Sun, Moon, Ascendant ruler, or dispositor of the Sun, a ruler of an angle, or if the opposition is weighted by an outer planet, the conflict may seem more intense, because the ‘weightier’ planet will win out. That planet will have its own way, the house involved will have a stronger imprint, and the lesser planet will either have to fight for recognition or come to some compromise. This is difficult when it’s a planet like Venus, which has much to do with our sense of self-worth. When Venus is involved in an opposition, it’s values are challenged. If there is a Venus opposition, we find ourselves being tested regarding our sense of what we own, internally or externally. Venus/Pluto will do this by engaging us in power struggles; Venus/Uranus, by tearing away what we possess, Venus/Neptune, by idealizing what we (may or may not) have and then having it disappear, without explanation or recompense. No matter what opposes it, Venus has to both hold on to its values and allow growth according to the outer planet. Squares to any opposition will aggravate the tension. If a planet is trine/sexile an opposition, it will act as a diplomat, syphoning off the see-sawing energy and allowing both planets easier expression through its position.
The key to the opposition lies in the fact that each planet is on the other planet’s polarity point. The polarity point of a planet is a vulnerable place which indicates what most needs developing in that planet. Oppositions, in fact, are a blessing, because they tell us exactly what those planets need in order to be stronger, to be whole. If Venus is opposite my Pluto, both Venus and Pluto need adjustment. Venus’s values, tastes, and preferences will be challenged by Pluto’s compulsion towards the ultimate truth. Pluto’s obsessive search for the ultimate will be guided by Venus’s love, its values and its aesthetic urges. If successful, both ends of the opposition will alter. Polarity points show us what is missing in the planet’s expression. If my Cancer Venus is opposite a Capricorn Mars, the self-sufficiency that Cancer Venus needs to learn (via the opposite sign) will be helped by practical Mars in Capricorn actions. Venus will be able to ‘learn’ its Capricorn lessons via Mars activity. If Jupiter is there, rather than Mars, the Cancer Venus will need to experience an opening towards achievement, and to getting itself ‘out there.’ It will need to learn how to go about life in a practical and yet adventurous way.
The opposition is striving for wholeness, much more so than any other hard aspect, and is much more capable of success in this area. In a natal chart, with a little work, these two fighting elements will add up to greater than the sum of its parts. If the opposition occurs between charts, these who energies may collide in some way, but with luck, each will help the other to achieve what could not be achieved before the interaction. For example, sticking with Venus, if my natal Venus in Cancer is made vague somewhat by a contact with Neptune, someone who comes along with Venus in Capricorn opposite my Venus may set me straight about the practical goals I need to achieve in order to feel self-sufficient and grounded in my own tastes and desires.
Sometimes, oppositions created between charts are involved in what I call, “hungry planet syndrome.” This occurs when a planet in a natal chart is primed for growth–due to transits and progressions; it knows it has somewhere to go, but it doesn’t know quite where yet. If someone comes along with something to oppose that planet, that planet may think that the new person is the be all and end all of existence. It can result in intense obsessions, fascinations and compulsive relationships. It can also be related thematically. For example, if my progressed Ascendant is conjunct Neptune, and I’m primed to experience all things Neptunian in my life in order to elevate that planet’s expression in my chart, I may fall into an obsessive relationship with someone whose Sun is opposite my natal Neptune, or whose Neptune is opposite my Sun. My interaction with that person will be highly Neptunian (fascination, illusion of perfection, surrender), and the Neptune lessons will influence the entire chart, as indicated by the progressed Ascendant.
The most challenging and strongest, but most rewarding oppositions, are between the higher and the lower octaves of planets: Mars opposite Pluto, Venus opposite Neptune, Mercury opposite Uranus. These oppositions are the fast track to spiritual development, and while they are difficult, either natally or between charts, they can hold unimaginable rewards. (Chiron is involved in the process, whether it’s in aspect or not, but we will get to this another day.)
I’m very pro-opposition, whether I see it within or between charts, because I know that there is a direct path to integrating two potentially opposing elements. Natally, the two planets in an opposition have a dialogue, they are talking to one another. The opposition shouldn’t be confused with the quincunx (150 degrees) which argues with itself to no good use and is often a real challenge, spiritually, mentally and metaphorically. In synastry, the opposition creates a unique circumstance for positive development, no matter how painful the initial encounter.
The next time you see an opposition in a chart or between charts, be brave. The debates are open and the translators are at the ready.
This is my first in an occasional series on the way aspects operate in synastry.
I have the same feeling about oppositions and am always surprised by the resistance to notion there is nothing truly awful about them. After all they are in friendly signs & elements unlike squares and quincunxes. Oppositions are more like sextiles in that respect, bringing enough diversity to keep things interesting. 🙂
As in life, dialogue is everything.
I’m curious as to what you say regarding the higher octave of planets: “Mars opposite Pluto, Venus opposite Neptune, Mercury opposite Uranus”
how is that defined?
at first I thought it was because the traditional planet rulerships of the signs were perhaps the lower octave of the higher planets (due to Mars-Pluto for Scorpio) but then I remembered that Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces (Neptune) and that Saturn is the traditional ruler of Aquarius (Uranus).
The idea of these higher octaves is a generally accepted one in astrology. However, as far as I can tell, they have no basis in hard geometry or numerical sequence, and in some circles these relational octaves are contested. Not everything in astrology is cut and dried. Some astrologers believe that Pluto rules Aries, for example. Some people insist that Neptune is the higher octave of Mercury. Frankly, if you’re good at debate, you can argue anything. For me, the proof comes in the practice, and as far as I’m concerned, they work. I’d be happier if someone came up with a numerical pattern for them, but I’ll live with it. The great astrologer/philosopher Dane Rudhyar believed that the outer planets influenced the inner by antithesis–because they were beyond the limits of the concrete universe (Saturn), they influenced the inner planets by a kind of magnetic opposition. For example, in very simplistic terms, Venus is about having, and Neptune is about letting go. Mercury is about connecting, and Uranus severs the need for connection. Mars is about focused and pointed action. Pluto thwarts and destroys that forward motion. These opposing actions ultimately stimulate and elevate the inner planet via a transpersonal consciousness. They, and we, become less Earth bound by them.
I will do a bit of research and see if I can come up with any history on the establishment of the octaves. If I can, I’ll explore this further.
Hi Dawn,
I have found oppositions to be very interesting in people too! I had a roommate who found it so difficult to share her things. when I looked at her chart I saw that she had inner planets in 2nd opposite Outer planets in 8th.
What should one know about a Leo Sun opposite Aquarius Saturn? ( It’s a lone angular opposition with no squares, trines, sextiles to it- ease, negotiating aspects that is.)In this case what is it that has to be reconciled?
Most astrology sites name the result of having aspects between planets( in this case- loser, negative, critical) not the process itself that undergoes so that one can come up with the positive and negative results themselves.
With the Sun in Leo opposite Saturn in Aquarius, you have a battle of the Titans–the Sun in its own sign versus Saturn in a sign it co-rules. It emphasizes the basic conflict of the polarity–the individual versus the collective. What is good for me comes in direct conflict with what is good for everyone. Because Saturn involves lessons we must learn and practical things we must do in life, in this case our lessons involve the collective–how do I learn to use my creativity, generosity and light to benefit others? How do I move from being self-involved to doing that is best for all? We may have fears about being swallowed up by the group and losing our individuality. We may disassociate ourselves by declaring ourselves too unique to be involved with others–Aquarius is known for being elitist, when it isn’t working properly. We may not really want to get our hands dirty to join in with the rest of humanity. Of course, the house positions will be extremely important, but on the whole this Leo Sun needs to learn to incorporate others and to be aware of the creative contribution of others to the whole. It also needs to learn to take responsibility for others, to be the wise ruler rather than the indulgent king. One for all and all for one should be the mantra.
You have a very good point.
Me and my partner are completely opposite and is exactly with cancer and capricorn like you gave examples.
He is sun, venus, mercury and MC in Cancer.
I am moon, venus, jupiter and MC in Capricorn.
Our Mars are also opposed, his is in leo, mine in aquarius.
Our ascendants are opposed too exactly.
And my ascendant is conjunct his north node and moon and jupiter.
So you have a very good point. I have this flashbacks with him where I know things even before he tells me. I know he was the one even before we met personally. I even guessed the day of his birthday when was his birthday.
But we are very different. Very. But is complementary; sometimes we butt heads strongly, but after some hours we forgive and try to meet halfway.
We mostly help each other in areas we lack so much we wouldn’t be able to see if we were alone, simply because we lack that vision, we cant see it, and that could make our lives poorer and unhappier. I could end up alone, a control freak, without a partner, without family, without knowing what home is and old, without spiritual vision. Mathematical and without emotions, maybe even ending depressed in old age.
He could lose his house because he forget about practical details, about saving, about common sense on financial and practical matters. Never progressing in career because of being too afraid to change or try to advance and end up being a stay at home dad, but frustrated and depending on someone else. Or not having someone to talk too because of wanting to hide in his hermit shell (he even thought of being single forever as an option, before we met).
So, I think is something very good. And sometimes, with people with conjunctions is too strong. Too much of the same thing and although I feel understood, it tires quickly and makes you feel annoyed in the long run. They are best as friends, but lovers I don’t know. Even the concept of female and male. Is an opposition in its essence. Men are square usually, women are full of curves, and so on.So in love I think oppositions (but depending on which planets) can be very rewarding but also a testing path along the way. Kudos for your perceptions!
I couldn’t agree more! My ex-wife and I, who are still great friends, have a chart loaded with opposites.
Our Sun/Venus/Mercury/Mars were opposite. Also, her moon was opposite my uranus. Somehow, we have managed quite a strong and respectful friendship after the marriage disolved ( amiably). We never argued in the traditional yelling/screaming ego-battle way, however, after awhile, it got the point where I was censoring myself as not to rock the boat.
Regardless, we also had a lot of squares, her moon to my sun/merc/venus/jup/. It was rocky at times, but never violent or aggressive or vindictive.
Thanks for the enlightening article 🙂
I find that most people idolize conjunctions and trines when analyzing themselves and relationships they don’t realize the most successful person or relationship is the one which has been tested, refined, and polished. Even God says He will put those He loves into the refiner’s Fire, to remove, beautify, strengthen.
My parents had I believe 10 or more conjunctions, several trines and sextiles but four strange oppositions and the same amount of squares, give or take a few. As could be expected there was no growth or stability in their relationship. They were together for 15 years but split when my father decided to bounce. And many of their conjunctions would be considered enviable by most standards, so unlike what most people would love to believe about conjunctions, unless you have a moderating or disciplining, binding action the energy becomes unbearable.
I find oppositions as more manageable than squares in some ways. Squares seem to show either too much or too little energy on both sides – my grandparents had a conflicting Mars/Pluto square and their relationship was marked by violent arguments that would slowly escalate over time. Many people seem to stigmatize Venus opp. Pluto as if it were a death sentence. Ideally it should bind and strengthen your love by eradicating previous notions of love and relationships. Whatever sort of sludge Venus has left will be cleansed and transformed, even though it can be uncomfortable and strange at first. I see Venus opp. pluto working in relationships where one person must learn to grow or change in someway – typically Venus. I think this is where the fated feeling comes in. It seems that God uses the Pluto person to shape, mold, and refine the love of the other person – even both. All their previous pains and fears are brought to the surface and, should they be willing, inspire them to make the necessary transformations in their life. Seeing this is why I have come to view marriages not as just about falling in love but an agreement between two people who accept the responsibility of blending two very different worlds.’
I wish more people would realize an opposition in synastry or a composite is not a death sentence. It is a symbol of two very different people who must learn to master different opposite sides of themselves to create a better whole.
I think you meant to say ‘not a death sentence’ in the first sentence of the last paragraph. If so, I agree with you. I will correct it for you if you want.
Yes, thank you! That’s what happens when you type stuff on phones… 🙁
How should i see an opposition between someone’s Chiron(Taurus) and my Moon(Scorpio) and Venus(Saggitarius)?The obsession and pain are all on my side as for now.
All Scorpio lessons are about learning to tame the beast within–excessive passion, possessiveness, the need to lose everything opposite the need to control. With Chiron opposite, this could be long term. Good luck.
I was very fond of what you said, it wasn’t too dooming as I’ve found most sites to be.
I may have set myself for a negative mindset as I don’t know his birthtime, but when I compared our basic synastry chart these three popped up:
Mars Taurus and Scorpio opposition
Venus Aries and Libra opposition
Saturn Aries and Venus Libra opposition,
It was mainly the last one I was concerned about, is there room for growth here too?
My boyfriend has a Taurus moon in opposition to my mars in Scorpio. What is the potential in this combination ?
Thanks
Samantha
Sun opp Moon (double whammy)
Sun opp Ascendant (double whammy)
Sun in 7th house (double whammy)
North node opposite Moon and Ascendant (double whammy)
Sun conjunct descendant (double whammy)
South node conjunct Moon and Ascendant (double whammy)
Venus conjunct South Node
Vertex conjunct Moon and Ascendant
Vertex conjunct Mars
Pluto conjunct Sun and North node
I’ve spent a some money trying to find out if there is anything remarkable about all these oppositions and double whammys. Still none the wiser. There are a lot more conjunctions, opposite signs, overlays, double whammys, but i cannot remember them off the top of my head.
Please could you give me an honest opinion of whether you would consider this chart synastry good or bad? I have basically run away from this person, but cannot stop thinking of them.
Do you do personal readings?
Many thanks.