Astrology's Biggest Challenge: Oppositions & How to Work with Them

The Cross, Planetary Aspects & Planetary Pictures

Many people think squares are a big challenge in a chart (and they can be), but I would argue that oppositions are the most difficult aspect to work with. Why? Because they have opposing qualities and pull us in opposite directions. It’s very easy to “do” one planet in its sign and house or the opposite planet in its sign and house, but not both at once. Balancing and using them at the same time requires a great deal of maturity. And unlike squares, the issues aren’t strained to force us to work them out. Squares are motivating and force us to grow in order to release the tension. That is not so with oppositions. Yet, oppositions are meant to be balanced. We are at our best when we can utilize the energies of both sides together.

What are the important oppositions in any natal chart to work with?

1. The entire natal chart is built upon oppositions. The natal cross is the backbone of the chart, and is made up of two opposite signs - the ASC-DES and MC-IC always have opposing signs. We are always working with the oppositions during our life times. The ASC - DES represent SELF and OTHER, while the MC - IC represent our social lives and private lives.

2. The Moon’s Nodes are always in opposite signs. The South Node represents a huge part of who we are, as it represents the gifts and lessons learn as well as one big wound from the past life. A big part of our purpose here in this lifetime, is to balance the North Node sign and house with the South Node sign and house. The North Node is new experiences and lessons to be learned, and it helps us heal the South Node wound.

3. Pluto in its sign and house also represents a past life wound, and it’s opposite degree gives us clues on how to balance and heal that wound.

4. Some astrologers also look to the opposite degree of the Sun to see what we need to balance in order to better use the Sun’s sign energies. We all have something to learn from our Sun sign, or we wouldn’t have that sign.

5. Any planet opposite another planet also represents the need to balance those planet's energies and activities.

Opposing signs are like two sides of a coin. They are related - one is embedded within the other, even if at the same time, they pull in opposite directions. Let’s look at how the oppositions pull in opposite directions, while at the same time, complement one another.

Aries-Libra

Aries stands alone affirming its own self-definition and right to be an individual, while Libra needs relationships to learn about itself. I think the Aries-Libra opposition is the most difficult for human beings to master. But the two together help us to maintain our individual identity within our relationships. Working together, they help us be at our best in the world.

Taurus-Scorpio

Taurus loves peace, simplicity, pleasant interactions, and stability. It dislikes change, complications, emotional drama, and having to work all that hard to get what it desires. It thinks that life ought to be pleasant. It will stay pretty much on the surface, for that reason. But Scorpio is all about the other side - the dark side - the complicated, messy, unpleasant emotional drama side. If the glass half full is all pleasant, then Taurus is the glass half full, and Scorpio is the glass half empty - because it likes to dig deep into the emotional and spiritual side of human nature and isn’t afraid of it. It’s easy to see how each one could benefit from learning what each of them is comfortable with. Taurus needs to learn to embrace the complexities and unpleasantness in life in order to navigate through it. Scorpio needs to learn to let go of emotional drama and the weight of emotional wounds or negative beliefs.

Gemini-Sagittarius

Gemini sees all the little pieces of a puzzle - all the details - and enjoys piecing them together into a whole. Some astrologers think Gemini rules astrology because being an astrologer requires piecing together the various elements of a chart - and it’s a lot of details to consider in order to synthesize the whole. Sagittarius, on the other hand, sees the big picture, but isn’t so keen to deal with all the details. It will spend hours philosophizing about the overall big themes in life. Together, Gemini and Sagittarius can accomplish a great deal, but alone, Gemini can get bogged down in details while never truly seeing where it is going, and Sag can be blind to the steps that are needed to get where it wants to go.

Cancer-Capricorn

Cancer and Capricorn represent parental energies for good reason. Cancer is nurturing, understanding, and compassionate. It represents the archetype of the mother. Capricorn is serious, hard-working, and likes to provide for others. It is the archetype of the father, or boss. You could say they represent the male or yang and female or yin energies we all possess. Capricorn is a DOER. Cancer FEELS. Capricorn can be very out of touch with its own feelings, and Cancer can get mired or lost in feelings or be overwhelmed by them. Most often, this manifests as “sensitivity” rather than emotions or feelings. Capricorn needs to learn how to nurture itself. Cancer needs to be less sensitive. Balanced, we can feel nurtured and nurturing and feel strong in our sense of duty and work.

Leo-Aquarius

Leo is inherently about gaining confidence and esteem through affirmation and recognition from others. It’s generally quite self-centered, even if it is relational. Aquarius, its opposite, is also very self-focused, but is tuning into its own inner intuitive knowing of one’s true character. Aquarius tends not to care about what others think. It marches to the beat of its own drum. It’s inventive and thinks differently. But working together, they affirm one’s special intuitive knowing and problem-solving abilities while being able to fit in and relate.

Virgo and Pisces

These signs enjoy selfless helping and giving, but Virgo does it through detailed attention upon what others need, and Pisces does it through empathy and compassion. This is perhaps the easiest opposition to integrate or balance. But, as you will see when I talk about my Saturn in Virgo and Jupiter in Pisces opposition, it can present some challenges.

The Houses

Now, before looking at the planets, let’s consider the houses. We not only have opposing signs, but opposing houses where the planets are placed. The houses are oppositions too. Think about these short descriptions and how balancing the signs of these houses are useful for success in both houses.

Houses 1-7

House 1 is the Self - the body, self-image, self-presentation (including clothes you wear and your hair style), and sometimes early childhood experiences.

House 7 is the Other - all one-on-one relationships (love partner, marriage, business partners, close friends, clients, patients, students, teachers, enemies).

Without having a strong individual identity with strong boundaries, our relationships suffer.

Houses 2-8

House 2 shows your possessions, money, self-concept, self-value, need for stability, and sometimes, shallowness or insecurity with a lack of interest in changing.

House 8 shows other people’s possessions, money, self-concept, self-value. It also shows your depth and ability to change and transform.

The 8th house is the 2nd house from your partner. So, you both share 2nd and 8th houses in terms of money and how you value yourself and others. Without having self-value, we have difficulty bonding deeply with others or doing our own deep inner work.

Houses 3-9

House 3 is perceiving, thinking, learning, communicating, and usually associated with childhood education. There is attention to detail here.

House 9 is associated with higher education, continued growing, learning and becoming throughout adult life. It is expansive in feel, encouraging us to reach for the stars and follow our hearts and dreams.

Without learning to have a strong sense of individuality, self-value and the ability to think and express our thoughts, it’s difficult to expand ourselves into the world to accomplish our goals.

Houses 4-10

House 4 is all about our conditioning, our childhood modeling and nurturance. For this reason, it’s a psychological house. What happens in our childhoods shapes our entire personality and determines how we nurture ourselves or have difficulty in nurturing ourselves.

House 10 is about our career - finding right vocation - doing what makes us happy, as well as our social status and reputation. Here we take responsibility for our own lives, and often the lives of others.

Without the ability to nurture ourselves, we aren’t happy in our work. We can give too much, be overly-dutiful, and if we are successful monetarily, we can be unhappy. Without attending to our own needs, feelings, and self-nurture, our success can feel empty.

Houses 5-11

House 5 is about self-identity - who we think we are. It’s where we play with various roles that help us find out what we like or don’t like, who we want to be or not be. It’s where we play, have fun, do pleasurable things, be creative, perhaps have children (although children can creative projects).

House 11 is where we align personal goals with our vocational goals. It’s where we do our vocation, where we network with others who share our values and vocational goals. Here, we can find people who help us achieve our goals.

Without knowing who we are and what role we want to play in life (5th house), it’s very difficult to fulfill our goals in the social world.

Houses 6-12

House 6 is about having healthy routines, and providing service to others, even if it is being a helpful friend or neighbor. It’s about looking at the details and perfecting a skill so that one can be even more helpful in a specific way.

House 12 is about not grounding in this world. It’s more spiritual in nature. It can be escapist, because essentially, it’s about “letting go” of what is no longer needed. It’s time to rest, attend to one’s spiritual needs, to heal, to reflect, to stop and smell the roses - to BE.

If we do not attend to healthy daily routines, we can get sick. We can be out of balance. If we are overly selfish and unhelpful to others, then we are missing an essential key to happiness. We cannot always just work, but we need to balance work with rest and recouperation. If we are not engaged in productive 6th house activities, and we focus on the 12th house, we can feel lazy, escapist and unproductive. Usually that means, we are unhappy.

When planets are in opposite signs and/or houses, we define the planet in its sign and house, and then determine how we are doing it. Here is a quick glance at the meaning of the planets and signs.

I have Saturn in Virgo, 1st house opposite Jupiter in Pisces, 7th. So, right away, we know these planets are dealing with SELF and OTHER (1st -7th). Virgo tends to put others first, so we know that I have trouble putting myself first. Virgo is on my Ascendant. Saturn is all too happy to be of service in Virgo, and take responsibility for others. Jupiter in Pisces will be empathetic and compassionate. It will also like to help others and will be quite intuitive in doing so.

How have I experienced my Saturn-Jupiter opposition?

Luckily, I can use them together when I’m teaching or working with people. It seems easy to be a Virgo teacher/counselor type who has a lot of empathy and intuitive understanding with students or clients. When I’m teaching or counseling, I often feel like I’m channeling, like the words coming out of my mouth just come from some other place.

But, when I’m not teaching or counseling people - doing something by myself - I can work hard with Saturn in Virgo research or writing projects - and be overly perfectionistic and work too many hours - which then causes me to flip over to Pisces, where I let go of it, relax, do something fun or escapist. So, I can flip back and forth between Saturn in Virgo and Jupiter in Pisces in cyclic fashion when I’m not engaged in teaching or counseling. Yet, it is perfectly balanced when I engage with others, one-on-one. For me, the challenge is letting go of perfecting Virgo enough to let my writing flow when alone. I’ve improved greatly over the years, but it was quite difficult for a long time. What I work at is being relaxed while doing Virgo work, and try not to go into Virgo-Saturn overdrive. In other words, take breaks and relax.

Flipping back and forth between opposing planets is a common experience. Some people will do only one of the planets and be centered there, unable, for one reason or another, to experience the opposing planet. Others who have matured the two planets in opposite signs, may find if easy balance them and use those energies well. Others, like myself, it depends on what I’m doing, if the two planets are balanced or not.

What can help us balance oppositions?

T-Squares

T-squares can greatly help us balance the opposition. The squares motivate us to grow and resolve the tension within them, and while we are doing that, we naturally are balancing the opposition.

Grand Squares (Grand Cross)

Grand Squares are two T-squares put together. Again, the squares can really motivate us to change and resolve the tensions, which in turn, help us balance the oppositions.

Mystic Rectangles

Here we have two oppositions, within a rectangle made up of sextiles and trines. The sextiles and trines can help us balance the oppositions.

There are other planetary pictures that feature an opposition with other aspects, like the rosetta or kite. Regardless of the planetary picture, or any planet aspecting a planet with an oppostion, that aspecting planet can be helpful in balancing the opposition. So, any planet aspecting your lunar nodes can be helpful in balancing them. Any planet conjunct or aspecting an angle (AS, DS, MC, IC) can be helpful in balancing them. But, they can also make it more challenging. For instance, a stellium on one side of an opposition can make it more challenging. You’ll need to evaluate each opposition to determine how difficult it is and what lends a hand in balancing it.

First ask, what is the meaning of each planet in its sign and house. Then, ask yourself how you do them. We all do them differently. Then, ask how an aspecting planet connected with the opposition, might help you balance those planets in those signs and houses. Always define the planet, what it means, and then how it is functioning in that sign and house - for you! How do you relate to that symbol? Then, once you can see how you are doing those opposing planets, you can then reflect upon how you might better balance them. Simply working with the oppositions can provide you with some stimulating and growth-producing inner work. Often, these are the answers to your most enduring questions. Consciously working with oppositions can quicken your maturing potential.

Finally, below are key words for the aspects to help you analyze your chart.