By I o r d a n u s
While the Opposition is undoubtedly a “difficult” Aspect to handle when present in one’s natal chart, it is not a “curse,” nor should it be considered a misfortune in our lives.
The Opposition, like all Dynamic Aspects, should instead be seen as an opportunity for growth, a kind of challenge that, if overcome, can help you enormously throughout your life.
Naturally, anyone with a real and deep knowledge of Astrological Aspects will never see an Opposition in such a dark light.
As is always the case in the world, it is ignorance that generates fear, and it is the lack of a real understanding of what an Opposition is, where it originates, and what it represents in strictly psychological terms, that generates fear-based interpretations.
One of the problems is that when studying Astrology, Aspects are too often neglected, treated too superficially, or even skipped entirely.
For example, one of the most common mistakes people make when interpreting their own natal chart is to immediately focus on the Astrological Houses and leave the Aspects behind.
This is actually a big mistake. The Houses should be practically the last part to analyze in a natal chart.
There is a precise order in analyzing a natal chart, a logical order, and it is: Planets > Aspects > Houses.
This makes perfect sense because the Planets, which are “the what” inside your psyche, are mainly influenced by two factors: the Zodiac Sign they are positioned in and the Aspects they form with other Planets.
The Houses, which represent “the where” inside your psyche, should be analyzed later because you cannot understand how a Planet influences a House if you haven’t first clearly understood how that Planet is influenced by Sign and Aspects.
However, I must add that the “fault” of this widespread ignorance about Astrological Aspects also lies with the teachers, as it is quite rare to find books or lessons specifically dedicated to the study of Aspects.
Often, at best, you will find only one or two chapters dedicated to Aspects in a book that deals with Astrology in general.
It’s a pity because Aspects definitely deserve a specialized course of deepening and study, precisely because they are indeed an important knowledge for anyone who wants to practice astrology at any level.
In fact, if Aspects are already an important part of the natal chart interpretation process, thus in psychological astrology, they become practically the core of everything when it comes to interpreting transits, that is, in horary astrology.
Understanding well that Opposition that will form in a month between Mars and your natal Moon becomes imperative when practicing horary astrology, just to give an example.
If a wrong conception of the Opposition is already harmful when it comes to better understanding your personality, you can be sure that it will be equally harmful when it comes to understanding the effects a transiting Opposition can have on your life.
It is not at all healthy to develop wrong beliefs about who you are and what you can do, but it is a real risk when the psychological dynamics triggered by the Aspects are not deeply understood.
That’s why I decided to give you a hand and better illustrate what it means to have an Opposition and what psychological effects it triggers in your inner world, so you can avoid living this Aspect as an absolute evil (never think in absolutes).
See you here tomorrow; you will find an email from me entirely dedicated to the study of the Opposition.
See you tomorrow!
The Opposition is a Dynamic Aspect of 180° that can form between two or more elements in the natal chart. It is based on the geometries of the Square, and its nature is Saturnine.
Like all dynamic Aspects, it essentially creates a block in the psyche that prevents the energy of the two elements involved from flowing smoothly and easily. In the case of the Opposition, the block is created by the contrast of the two pieces of the chart involved. They have equal power: each wants to overpower the other, and neither wants to give in.
This mainly generates a persistent feeling of pressure and stress in the inner world of those who have this Aspect.
Saturnine Nature
As showed by Thema Mundi, the Opposition is an interaction that acquires the nature of Saturn.
If you clearly understand the psychological forces that Saturn embodies, it will be easier for you to comprehend the nature of an Opposition.
As you should already know, Saturn represents, among other things, limits, obstacles, and challenges.
The Opposition is an interaction that acquires exactly these characteristics.
The two planets involved obstruct each other, so neither can express itself fully. It is as if there is an eternal conflict between them, but not a violent and agitated conflict, rather a slow and persistent opposition of two equally intense but contrary energies.
Imagine two people, a man and a woman, locked in a room and trying to get out. Every time the woman has an idea and tells the man, he stops her and says it’s not a good idea, and every time the man takes an initiative, the woman blocks him and tells him to stay put.
They are not fighting, yelling, or battling, but both are unable to express themselves, they inhibit each other, they hinder each other instead of collaborating, and thus both are stuck and neither can get out of the room.
The Opposition generates a dichotomy within the personality that causes discomfort and stress due to the frustration of feeling inhibited and unable to act.
Unlike the Square, which generates instability, the Saturnine nature of the Opposition expresses stability, constancy, and persistence. Its presence and action within the personality are therefore stable and constant, like a pressure or a conflict that is always active and present or a character trait that does not need to be triggered.
In other words, those who have an Opposition in their natal chart do not experience it with rapid mood or idea changes, but rather as a persistent stalemate, a constant pressure.
The Saturnine nature of the Opposition also gives it a "karmic" nuance. Being Saturn the "Lord of Karma," means that Oppositions, when present in the Natal Chart, also denote a challenge, a karmic test presented to us to learn from our past path and access a higher path subsequently.
Evolutionary Potential
Dynamic Aspects should not be interpreted as absolute discomfort, but on the contrary, as a necessary discomfort to achieve personal evolution. It is indeed the pressure and discomfort produced by the stress of an Opposition that will push you to act to get out of that state of discomfort, and every time you manage to handle and reconcile the two opposing poles, you will achieve lasting personal growth as well as an immediate benefit.
The key to handling an Opposition and unlocking its evolutionary potential involves two factors:
1. Gaining awareness of the existence of the Opposition and what psychological forces are in conflict.
2. Working consciously to integrate the two opposing poles.
The first factor is common to all Aspects; the first step to overcoming a problem or a block is always to become aware that a problem is present, stop ignoring it, and get to work.
The second step is to understand the origin and nature of the block, specifically analyzing the Planets involved in the Opposition, what psychological forces they represent, and how the Zodiac Sign they are placed in the Chart influences those forces.
We will temporarily set aside the Astrological Houses where the Planets are located.
All these steps will give us full awareness of the origin and nature of your Opposition and the effects it produces in your life.
At this point, we can move on to factor number two: the integration of opposites.
The Opposition is a dynamic Aspect, but it is also based on a consonance of alchemical Elements; it can only form between planets positioned either on Fire and Air or on Water and Earth.
As you should already know if you have solid foundations in Astrology, Fire and Air and Water and Earth are complementary Elements to each other, that is, by uniting with each other, they can complete each other.
In complementarity lies the key to handling and "mastering" an Opposition.
Those who have the Opposition in their Chart should ensure that the two Planets involved, or rather, the two psychological forces involved do not oppose each other anymore, but rather ensure that one takes advantage of the help of the other and vice versa.
In some ways, we could say that you need to almost try to transform the Opposition into a Sextile. The Sextile is also an Aspect between two complementary psychological forces, but unlike the Opposition, in the Sextile they are already in harmony and complement each other effortlessly.
In the Opposition, however, they cannot "agree," despite having all the cards in place to find an agreement and work together to achieve wonders. It is therefore in the conscious work of those who have the Opposition to make the two parts involved find a way to agree and collaborate.
Integration is the key word and should not be confused with "alternation," which means giving space sometimes to one and sometimes to the other, something that would only worsen things.
If, for example, in a natal chart, we have an Opposition between the Moon and Mercury, it is likely that there is a constant inner conflict between logical thinking, the desire for control, organization, and the emotional sphere, spontaneity, dreams.
The key to handling this Opposition lies precisely in the integration of the differences between the two opposites, in other words, we can say that the two must find their balance of forces, so that one no longer tries to overpower the other.
Mercury should let lunar qualities intervene to live more spontaneously, especially in situations where logic should not have too much space, such as human relationships.
Similarly, the Moon should give more space to Mercury's qualities in situations where organization and method are useful for success, such as in a work context.
The two Planets in Opposition, in short, must learn to coexist and collaborate together, each bringing their own qualities to the other where required.
This is anything but easy, requiring undoubtedly a lot of conscious work by those who have the Opposition Aspect in the natal chart.
As mentioned earlier, since the Opposition has a Saturnine nature, it also acquires "karmic" nuances.
Thus, unlocking the stagnant energy of an Opposition becomes almost imperative for those who want to live consciously and fully accept the "karmic burden" they are called to carry, so that they can peacefully free themselves in the next incarnations.
I want to emphasize this last point: in this case, you need to work with faith for a future reward, a freedom that you won't achieve in this lifetime.
Naturally, this is a very good reason to work consciously toward fully managing an Opposition.
In closing, I want to share with you the major psychological limiting effects of an Opposition, so you can recognize them into yourself or into your loved ones, and take conscious countermeasures to manage them properly:
Procrastination: The stagnant energy of an Opposition can easily lead to long-term procrastination, delaying decisions on the involved themes, or even avoiding the discomfort caused by the internal conflict.
Inhibition: The two planets involved often cancel each other out. Psychologically, this means an inability to express oneself or act when it comes to the psychological themes associated with the two planets in Opposition.
Frustration: The feeling of paralysis and blockage from the Opposition causes persistent feelings of powerlessness and frustration.
Stress: The ongoing conflict and inner dissonance can cause a sensation of stress, like a continuous annoyance. It’s like a discordant note playing continuously in an otherwise perfect symphony.
Social Pressure: Oppositions are related with social pressure, especially family pressure. Social pressure can be perceived as a source of discomfort, dissatisfaction, or even as a true enemy.
Limiting Beliefs: Opposing ideas that clash in the mind can easily make these ideas seem impossible, unachievable, or discouraging, greatly limiting the person’s potential.
