You would think that I would take the easy way out, and work my way down the aspects according to their so-called ‘importance’ or weighting in the chart. So of course, if I had any sense, after discussing the opposition, I would move towards the quarrelsome square or the more refined and laid back trine.

But no, I’m going to tackle that astrological bug bear, the quincunx (150 degrees), and his brother, the semi-sextile (30 degrees). Both are called inconjuncts, which gives you some idea of how stroppy they are. They need more than one name. The quincunx and semi-sextile are the Basher Reg and Jimmy Knuckles of astrology. Both of the Inconjunct family of bad boys. They are the veritable sociopaths of the aspect family.

Now, both Basher and Jimmy are misunderstood youths. (Cue “Officer Krupke” from West Side Story.) They don’t fit in anywhere. No one wants them. They’re a total pain in the a*** (or a**). Try to connect with them and they spit in your face. Ignore them at your peril. And they’re alike, in a way, but also very different. Basher, the bigger one, is outright difficult. Jimmy, his little brother, has a chip on his shoulder (he doesn’t want to be ‘semi’ anything, let alone a sextile) and causes trouble by more nefarious and undermining means.

Neither one really knows what he wants. They take their cue from the infamous Marlon Brando line from The Wild One: when asked “What are you rebelling against?” He answers, “Whaddya got?” What we’ve got are the two planets on either end of the aspect, rebelling against one another.

Neither Basher nor Jimmy cooperate (or even make any sense) unless we relate them to the opposition. Take the two together, and they add up to 180 degrees. The opposition cooperates, it has flow, it resolves. Each Inconjunct has a schizophrenic personality–Basher secretly has an angel’s wings. Jimmy secretly longs to be a sextile. Problem is, you have to reach way round to the other side of the chart, which may as well be the other side of the world to these guys, to unite the ‘good’ side with the ‘bad’ and then you have to get them to work together. But that’s what the Fairy Godmother of Balance is here to do for them. She’s looking out for them, even when she’s not actually there.

For Part Two, click HERE.

I’ve been a bit remiss about posting full articles recently. We’ll move on with the Nodes soon, and in the meantime, I’m going to begin discussing the Inconjuncts.