When planets are opposite each other on the Zodiac wheel, they are said to be in opposition.
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Is astrology’s opposition beneficial?
It’s certainly something to be proud of if you have an opposition in your natal chart. This implies that you have two very different energies within your personality, which is often a highly empowering and encouraging element. However, before it can dominate you, you must learn to control it. An internal battle might manifest as an opposition, which can lead to contradictory conduct. It’s possible that you act one way while feeling another. Perhaps you’re divided between two opposing instincts. If you can find a balance in your birth chart between these polar opposing planets, you’ll discover that this opposition really provides you a very deep and comprehensive insight.
When two planets in your birth chart are in opposition, it signifies they never let each other rest. It indicates that they are unwilling to quit seeing you develop.
What are the symptoms of opposition?
The opposite sign duos are Aries and Libra, Taurus and Scorpio, Gemini and Sagittarius, Cancer and Capricorn, Leo and Aquarius, and Virgo and Pisces, in case you didn’t know.
What are the planets that are in opposition to each other?
You may have heard that the optimum time to watch a planet is when it is in opposition. But, exactly, what is opposition? And which planets are in opposition to each other? Opposition in astronomy refers to a planet’s position in relation to the sun. As a result, planets having orbits within Earth’s orbit (Mercury and Venus, for example) cannot be in opposition. The planets that orbit outside of Earth’s orbit, on the other hand, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are all capable of doing so. In our smaller, faster orbit, we pass between them and the sun once a year. Jupiter is in opposition if the sun is setting in the west and Jupiter is rising in the east. Because the Earth is traveling between the sun and Jupiter, it will take all night for it to cross our sky. A planet is easiest to observe when it is in opposition because it is nearest to Earth and visible all night.
Take a look at the illustration above. The sun is in the diagram’s center. Earth is a long way away, Jupiter is even further away, and Saturn is still further away. The planets are travelling counterclockwise around the sun as seen from above our solar system. Now imagine that you’re running this diagram forward in your head. Earth travels quicker than Jupiter because it is in an inner orbit. Jupiter, on the other hand, travels quicker than Saturn. As seen from above the solar system, the planets will be in a variety of configurations. However, Earth will travel between Jupiter and the sun, or Saturn and the sun, roughly every earthly year. This is an example of opposition.
By the way, Jupiter and Saturn will be in approximately the same line of sight from Earth in August 2021. As a result, we see them in our sky close together. At the end of 2020, these worlds will come together for a once-in-a-century big conjunction. As observed from Earth last year, they were fairly close together. Jupiter will overtake Saturn in orbit and in our sky in the coming years.
An opposition as seen from Earth
The sun is at one end of our sky, and the opposition planet is in the opposite direction, when Earth is in the midst of a line between an outer planet and the sun. It’s as if you’re standing in the supermarket between two buddies, and you have to turn your head halfway around to see one and then the other. The sun lies on the other side of the sky from the outer planet when it is in opposition; when the sun sets in the west, the planet rises in the east. As the planet sinks under the horizon, the sun rises above it in the other direction.
To be technical, an outer planet’s opposition occurs when the sun and that planet are 180 degrees apart in the sky. The word comes from a Latin root that means “to put against.”
Consider the fact that, as seen from Earth, Venus and Mercury can never be in opposition. Because their orbits are closer to the sun than Earth’s, they can never appear in our sky opposite the sun. When the sun sets in the west, for example, you will never see Venus in the east. From our perspective, these inner planets always stay close to the sun, no more than 47 degrees for Venus and 28 degrees for Mercury.
Only objects that are further from the sun than Earth can form oppositions. Every year, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune form oppositions. They occur as Earth travels between these distant worlds and the sun in its much quicker orbit. We also witness oppositions of the planet Mars, but they only happen every 27 months or so since Earth and Mars are so near in their orbits around the sun. Their orbits and orbital speeds are more similar.
Dates of upcoming oppositions
Because everything in space moves, planets farther from the sun collide with each other on a regular basis. When it comes to the bright planets, the next opposition is never far off:
On October 13, 2020, Mars was in opposition, and it will be again on December 8, 2022.
On August 19, 2021, Jupiter was in opposition, and it will be again on September 26, 2022.
On August 1-2, 2021, Saturn was in opposition, and it will be again on August 14, 2022.
On November 4-5, 2021, Uranus will be in opposition, followed by November 9, 2022.
On September 14, 2021, Neptune will be in opposition, followed by September 16, 2022.
Each year, Jupiter’s oppositions occur roughly a month later. Each year, Saturn’s return is around two weeks later. Year after year, the opposition dates of Uranus and Neptune are only a few days apart.
Why are planets at opposition so interesting to sky-watchers?
Planets in opposition rise as the sun sets and can be found somewhere in the sky throughout the night because they are opposite the sun.
Second, planets in opposition are approaching their closest point in orbit to Earth. The actual closest point may differ by a day or two due to the non-circular shape of planetary orbits, as it was for Jupiter in 2020. Jupiter’s opposition occurred on July 14, 2020, while its closest approach occurred on July 15. Nonetheless, for several weeks around opposition (the moment when we pass between an outer planet and the sun), the outer planet is normally closest to Earth. The planet shines brightest at this time, and greater detail can be seen through telescopes.
And here’s something else to think about when it comes to resistance. We view the fully lighted daytime side of the far-off planet since the sun and outer planet are completely opposite each other in the Earth’s sky. Planets that are entirely illuminated appear brighter to us than planets that are partially illuminated. If you’re thinking to yourself, “This sounds a lot like the moon,” you’re absolutely correct! What is a full moon if it isn’t the moon at opposition? The moon is completely opposite the sun in the sky during its full phase, fully lit and at its brightest during that orbit. The sun-Earth-moon line bends as it progresses through the rest of its orbit, giving us what we view as the moon’s phases from Earth.
Oppositions from other planets
Opposition is all about point of view, just like so much else in life. We’ve been discussing the Earth’s perspective. What if we reverse the situation?
When an outer planet, like as Jupiter, is at opposition for us, Earth is in inferior conjunction from that planet’s perspective. In other words, observers on Jupiter would see Earth passing between their world and the sun at the time of opposition for us on Earth. Except for trained observers using special equipment, the Earth and the sun would be on the same side of Jupiter’s sky, with the Earth concealed in the sun’s glare.
Consider that the line between the sun and Jupiter travels directly through the Earth, implying that the Earth is directly between the sun and Jupiter. A visitor to Jupiter may one day observe Earth transit the sun as seen from Jupiter. That is, from half a billion miles away, they will watch Earth’s darker nighttime side, as well as all of humanity, traverse the face of the sun.
In conclusion, the best moment to observe a planet is when it is in opposition. Earth crosses between an outer planet and the sun during opposition, placing the planet opposite the sun in our sky. In its orbit, a planet in opposition is closest to Earth and brightest. It rises as the sun sets and is visible throughout the night.
Is there a difference between squares and oppositions?
The Conjunction: The energies of planets and points that create a conjunction are joined. Because they are mixed, they behave as a unit. These combined energies become more subjective as they get closer to conjunction. They don’t exist in isolation, and they have a hard time seeing each other as different or separate.
In practice, conjunctions might be difficult to detect. Others may notice the difference when the Sun is in tight conjunction with Neptune, for example, but it might be difficult for the native to distinguish between their feeling of identity and their spiritual, evasive, or roundabout character. Naturally, the native may presume that others are in the same boat.
The Sextile: Although there is a distinction between the two aspects, the sextile is frequently read similarly to the trine. Sextiles, like trines, indicate some ability and comfort. Sextiles, on the other hand, have a little more “They have oomph to them. Sextiles are a little more overt to the native, whereas trines come so effortlessly to people that they may need to be reminded of their own skills or dispositions. These are the skills that individuals value in themselves. They may be more likely to notice and develop these abilities.
Sextiles are features that are communicative and relationship-friendly. They point to energies with the ability to be directed. Sextiles demonstrate the potential for effective energy management.
The Square: The planets and points involved are tense as a result of this aspect. While tension is required to motivate action, too much tension leads to stress. In a square, the planets are functioning in opposition to one another. We can overdo it with squares and run into a slew of problems before we go anywhere “Get it correctly the first time. Squares, on the other hand, shake us out of our complacency and begin the ball going. When we are young, squares are generally more tough since they force us to grow and learn our lessons.
The Trine: Planets in a trine are mutually supportive. Trines are, by their very nature, accepting. They help us accept others, ourselves, and our circumstances. Trines provide a native with talents that are so natural that they are virtually unnoticed. Often, natives do not fully realize the abilities that these trines provide, and they do not attempt to cultivate them.
These abilities, on the other hand, are entirely natural and second nature. If a man’s Venus is trined to Neptune, for example, he may be poetic, passionate, or artistic, and he may embrace his romantic partner for who he or she is. A man with Venus square Neptune may have similar attributes and a strong desire to accept his partner without question, but it is not as natural for him to do so as the first man. He must work on it, and as a result of his acceptance, he may face difficult situations in which he feels duped or abused by his relationships.
The Group in Opposition: “The term is “it takes two,” and the opposition is made by splitting the circle by two. Therein lays the key to this aspect’s meaning: connection. People who have internal conflicts seek for others to mirror their own internal conflicts. Interactions with others teach them about themselves. Oppositions frequently force us to swing from one side to the other, leaving us feeling torn.
Oppositions represent a situation of conflicted allegiances. Inner dissatisfaction, doubt, and insecurity are possible outcomes. An opposition is doubtful and wavering, whereas a square is urgent and courageous. We are more open to consider the other viewpoint and can be skilled negotiators when we use our opponents wisely.
The distinction between sextiles and trines is that both aspects reveal the planet “friends who get along The trine buddies, on the other hand, may take each other for granted, even though they enjoy each other’s company, whereas the sextile buddies remain independent in certain ways, and when they cooperate, they truly value each other’s company “friendliness
The trine’s manifestation is quite natural and automatic, whereas the energies provided by the sextile can be tapped into if necessary. The energies tend to flow naturally into constructive channels with trines, whereas sextiles take intentional effort to force the energy into constructive channels.
The difference between oppositions and squares is that squares create tension that requires action. Tension is created by oppositions as well, but natives often seek out others in partnerships to work out the tension! Planets in opposition are more likely to occur with compatible sign elements, whereas squares are more likely to occur between signs that are incompatible by element.
In a chart, the most important features are:
People who are focused on conjunctions get their inspiration from within; if there aren’t enough oppositions, it’s difficult to see the other side and lose perspective.
squarespeople who are crisis-oriented, action-oriented, motivated, determined to overcome hurdles, energetic, strong of character, and will.
Contrary to popular belief, they seek balance in their lives through relationships, they are insightful, they want meaning in life, they are prone to projecting attributes onto others, they are unfocused, they have a stronger ability for objectivity, and they seek growth through relationships.
In a chart, there aren’t enough aspects:
Sextiles who shy away from artistic endeavors are less expressive and talkative.
squareslack motivation, prefer to take the easy way out, avoid confrontations, and are unchallenged, routine individuals.
oppositionssubjective, don’t require partners to reflect themselves, self-satisfied, unconcerned about growing through relationships or increasing their own horizons, self-reliant
The closer an aspect is, the more unconscious and habitual it is. Surprisingly, I’ve discovered that we identify more with aspects with larger orbs. Aspects with larger orbs are normally the more visible aspects of our personality, although others in our life may notice the energy of our near aspects more than we do. This is due to the subjective and habitual nature of intimate aspects. We may not pay much attention to the personality dynamics that they represent because they are so much a part of us. We become more aware of these instinctive aspects of our personality as we gain experience and more self-awareness (along with input from others). Of course, astrology can assist us in better comprehending these forces.
As astrology students, after we’ve gotten to the stage where we’ve “The following activity can be incredibly satisfying and insightful once we’ve proven that astrology works. Consider each component of your horoscope and understand that it is a part of you. For the sake of this exercise, let go of the notion that one aspect is more strong than another. Accept that each aspect you see in your chart is a valid source of energy in your life.
Acceptance is the foundation of this activity. We have a tendency to pick and choose whatever aspects and places in our charts are important in our early astrology studies “The majority of people are like us. We think in phrases like, “Oh, this is ME!” or “This element reminds me of me,” and so on “This isn’t the actual me. As we continue to try to prove that astrology works (or doesn’t), this is a natural process. Also, we haven’t really accepted the idea that, although living with ourselves every day, we don’t really know ourselves!
We miss out on the knowledge that astrology offers by picking and choosing which aspects and placements correspond to our conceptions of ourselves. Every part of our chart is ours, whether it’s tight or wide, angular or not. We acquire enormous insight into our characters by accepting this concept. We become more attentive and mindful of our surroundings.
See The Quincunx/Inconjunct in Astrology for further information on the quincunx or inconjunct aspect.
See Planetary Aspects for interpretations of planetary aspects in a natal chart.
What does it signify when Saturn opposes the Sun?
The opposition of Saturn is a significant event. Retrogrades get all the attention, but planetary opposition isn’t messing around. When Saturn is directly opposite another planet, it is called a Saturn opposition. In this situation, Saturn will be in opposition to the sun from July 1 to 7. When the planet is at its closest and brightest, this opposition occurs. This is pretty serious business, stargazers. Instead of looking at your phone or your shoes, gaze up at the sky!
So, how does this affect us? Like retrogrades, oppositions are frequently a time of increased energy and strife. Saturn regulates important laws and concepts such as karma, duty, authority, and even time, so this can be complicated. Lateness to crucial meetings or events is more likely during this time, and increased obligations can make even the most placid signs a little more irritable and tense than normal.
What is my recommendation? Take it easy. Slowing down just as things are starting to pick up might seem counterintuitive, but here’s the thing: While oppositions (and retrogrades) tend to amplify conflict and tensions, the tension and conflict were already present beneath the surface.
It’s time for another one of my tiresome metaphors: Obstacles and hardships in life are similar to chronic hormonal acne. It can appear at any time and without notice. We’ll never have a heads up on this monster if we’re continuously reacting by covering up with concealer and various pastes and potions that take away our ability to, say, pay our rent. Rather than responding, we must learn to stay the course. We must learn to be patient and to take our time. Mindfulness is like to using a prescription-strength Retin-A lotion on a regular basis (the only dermatologist approved cream that will actually help your acneeverything else is BS).
So, while we’re at it, let’s all quit plucking at our faces and brushing our teeth in the shower. Let us, like Saturn, oppose the notion that we should be so rushed and pressured that I have to worry about adult-onset acne at 27 years old, because that shit is tired. I’m in the same boat.
Is it true that opposites attract in love?
In relationships, the belief that “opposites attract” is a fiction. In actuality, as scores of studies have demonstrated, people are drawn to others who are similar to them. This could be due to the fact that personality differences tend to stand out and grow in size over time.
Why are Taurus and Scorpio diametrically opposed?
- Taurus and Scorpio are about personal prosperity vs. communal wealth.
- Both signs are fixed (stabilizing) and have a tendency to be set in their ways.
- Both are patient when pursuing their goals and do not reveal their ideas (except to trusted confidants).
- Taurus is self-stabilizing, whilst Scorpio is attempting to do so via combining.
- Taurus is all about expansion, whilst Scorpio is all about transition.
- Venus rules Taurus, whereas Mars (traditionally) and Pluto dominate Scorpio (modern).
- When you use your sneaky sixth sense to build a full, stable existence, the two come together.
Why are Virgo and Pisces diametrically opposed?
On the Zodiacal wheel, they are immediately opposite each other, but both are mutable, able to ‘go with the flow.’ What binds these two seemingly diametrically opposed lovers together? Maybe it’s a case of “You make me whole.” Pisces is the sign of the otherworldly, whereas Virgo is the sign of practical or natural magic.
Why do the polar opposites attract each other?
Why Do We Attract Our Opposites in the First Place? At first, opposites may attract because the other person appears to be new and intriguing. Maybe you’re an accountant and the subject of your attention is a medal-winning professional snowboarder. Or maybe the person who walked into the meeting room indicates something banned.