You Will Never Defeat The Opposition

And wouldn't want to if you could

In astrology, an opposition occurs when two (or more) planets occupy positions 180° +/- apart. This places these planets in signs directly across from one another on the zodiacal wheel (for example, within Taurus and Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius, etc.). This aspect is said to be of the nature of Saturn because it is Saturn that creates boundaries between things. Although it is considered a “hard aspect”, one that will take effort and persistence to navigate, we may find a wealth of creative tension here. The opposition can deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of astrology and, more importantly, of the tensions that arise between people that are diametrically opposed. For example, the first house in a birth chart represents the self while the seventh, the one directly opposite, relates both to one’s spouse and to sworn enemies. The most bitter conflicts can arise between those who are most belove and we can learn a lot about ourselves from those who we dispise.

One of the most striking things we discover as we begin the study of astrology is the importance of symmetry. This is especially true with the opposition. For example, the sign of Leo is concerned with the individual. Ruled by The Sun, Leo wants to be seen, be in the center of things. By contrast, Saturn ruled Aquarius is about the collective, about the common good and equal rights. Leo emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual while Aquarius emphasizes the similarity between people. Although these tendencies are opposed there is also a kind of reciprocity between the two signs.

Leo is a Fire sign while Aquarius is Air. Fire needs Air to burn. When we think of Leo we might think of royalty or celebrity, someone who stands in the spotlight, on center stage. But without subjects, an audience, this position would lack both power and meaning. The mystique of any figure, even a child at their birthday party, is “kindled” by the presence of others who gather around them. The Aquarian ideal insures that everyone has a chance to shine by requiring us to take turns. Ideally, this allows the “fire” to spread to each person in the group. As the fire grows, it creates a wind which spreads the flames ever further. Aquarius is associated with spreading the “light of liberty”.

There is a conflict here in that the Aquarian tendency, pushed to the extreme, leads to a bureaucratic state in which everyone feels “like just another cog in the machine”. The Leonid tendency leads to an autocratic situation where one (or a few) individuals “suck all the air out of the room”. This is the central conflict in the modern state but it has its implications at every level of social interaction. Should a few celebrities set the standards of beauty or talent by which all must be judged? Which departments in the university deserve the most funding? Should the wealthy few set policy that impacts the economic well being of the many? Should one partner in a marriage have all the power in the relationship? Any group of people, even only two, will have to negotiate the balance of power and privilege that each member of the group should enjoy. The tension between the good of the individual and the group is a feature of human relationships, not a bug. Neither Leo or Aquarius can be removed from the zodiac nor can the powers of The Sun to shine or Saturn to limit the brightness of this shining.

We see a similar tension in the opposition between Mars ruled Ares and Venus ruled Libra. Ares is about taking strong and decisive action while Libra is about Justice. Mars, planet of action, wants to act boldly without gathering consensus while Venus, who, in this sign stands for social harmony, is concerned with consent and that everyone’s voice is equally represented. Likewise, Mercury ruled Gemini and Jupiter ruled Sagittarius hold the tension between received truth and skeptical questioning. Sagittarius seeks a universal truth that will set everyone free. Jupiter as ruler, acts like a king, priest or pedagogue who knows (or claims to) what is in everyone’s best interests and insists that he has arrived at this position through infallible logic (Sagittarius has a reputation for philosophical rigor). Gemini likes the give and take of spirited debate and with Mercury, who is both critical and inclined to do a bit of bullshitting, insists on questioning the narrative, ANY NARRATIVE, as much for the pure sport of it as to arrive at a final truth. Mercury is very skeptical about anything final.

When the ruling planet of any sign is placed in the sign opposed to that of its’ rulership, we say that this planet is in detriment, its’ nature in conflict with that of the sign. Jupiter in Gemini, for example, will not feel its accustomed certainty because the nature of Gemini is to question everything, even itself. Jupiter will experience this constant inner skepticism as crippling self doubt or “paralysis by analysis”. Mercury in detriment in Sagittarius will find the dusty library of authoritative tomes oppressive. You can dislike a book, but you can’t argue with one. Although Mercury likes writing, s/he might prefer letters between friends, or even enemies, over stone tablets from heaven.

Inevitably, every planet will spend time in every sign. This means that every planet must experience its opposite (and all the space between). In this way, they learn about themselves by learning what they are not. It is not our “right” to remain in our comfort zone, it isn’t even possible. The planets that guide our fortunes must “see how the other half lives”. This is the mandate of heaven. If the Deathless Gods are not exempt from this, why would we assume that we should be?

Sun Tzu taught us to “keep our friends close, our enemies closer”. In battle, it is important to know how the enemy thinks and feels to anticipate their actions in advance. This is also true in love. We hear a lot these days about “love languages”. If we are to speak love to another, it is important that we know THEIR language. Remember that the first and seventh houses are opposed and that the seventh, the house of the enemy, is also the house of the spouse. The opposition built into the shape of the heavens present us with an uncomfortable but essential truth: to love another person is to love what we are not. This means that the price we pay for the possibility of love is the possibility of alienation. We have all heard that the opposite of love is not hatred but rather indifference. Both love and hate are generated through opposition.

Yet the opposition is a “hard aspect”. It IS of the nature of Saturn. Saturn is all about labor, hardship, estrangement, and all of these are difficult. But it is also about endurance and maturity. The latter virtues are essential to the cultivation and maintenance of our most valued relationships. And then there is this. At any given time, at least half of the people in the world will vehemently disagree with whatever we hold most dear. They will never disappear nor come to see things our way. They are “wrong”, but only by our standards as we our by the light of theirs. This too will never change until the power of Saturn is overcome. And since this power literally underwrites all things that endure, it is unlikely that this will change. But this also means that no matter how close we get to our beloved, the distance between us will never be bridged. If we are true romantics, we may not want to know this, wanting to merge into oneness. But we build this bridge with love, and since the chasm will never be bridged, the opposition bids us love forever.

OR NOT

If you really hate those bastards.

But Saturn guarantees that you will never beat them.

So there is that. …