Opposition

Dual forces are ever at work when Oppositions are present in a birth chart. The voice of one planet involved in this challenging aspect will say one thing, while the voice of the other will say the complete opposite. Back and forth, up and down, this push and pull dynamic continues relentlessly, with each planet trying to exert its will over the other, with a maddening end result that nothing gets accomplished.

You can see the nature of Opposition aspects in our world everywhere you look. A two-party political system in which the efforts of one cancel out the other so there is a perpetual back and forth stalemate. A society that wants to advance forward to the future with electric vehicles, work-from-home policies, and Universal Basic Income but is held back by traditional thinking, return-to-the-office policies, and fossil fuel dependencies. Each side thinks it is correct.

Both Sides are Correct

The key to solving the energies of an Opposition aspect is to understand that elements of both celestial bodies involved need expression and are correct. Not that we should all work in offices or live on Universal Basic Income, mind you. But both "sides" must be expressed in a way so that one doesn't oppose one another, and then great things can be accomplished. In a natal chart, that means allowing the needs of both planets and signs involved in the aspect to come to the surface. It also means recognizing that right and wrong are merely illusions of our reality and are ever-changing.

Transits with Oppositions get even more interesting. These aspects, unlike Squares which are more obviously internal, usually seem to come from the external world, thwarting your every move. When a heavy outer planet like Saturn or Pluto transits a personal planet by Opposition, it may seem like people and circumstances are out to get you. However, the most important lesson you can learn about these transits is that it is actually you that is attracting this energy. You merely need to change your relationship with a part of yourself, represented by the planet that is being Opposed, in order for the world to stop being in your way.

It should seem obvious now that Oppositions are difficult aspects, but they are important ones which allow us to see sides of ourselves that need expression. That the world, and all of the people in it are really just reflections of the relationship we have with ourselves.

How Oppositions Work

The Opposition is a powerful aspect with an orb as wide as 8 to 10 degrees. Like other aspects, if one planet in Opposition is at the end of one sign and the other planet is at the beginning of the next, the transit is significantly weakened. It is important to pay attention to which planets are involved and opposing one another as they will give a big clue to the nature of the tension within this individual.

Because Oppositions highlight planets that reside in totally contrary Astrological signs, but these planets are in complimentary elements such as Air and Fire, there are two things happening: There is a disagreement about how energy should be expressed between these planets, yet the signs involved are truly two sides of the same coin. That's the beauty of this aspect; each side is simply a mirror of the other.