How Do Oppositions Work?

If a person has an opposition in their chart is is impossible for them to act both sides of it simultaneously.The reason is the energies are opposite each other. This would be akin to being generous and cheap at the same time. It can’t be done!

You can be generous and then cheap and then generous, though. This is exactly what people with oppositions do. They act one side of the opposition (projecting the other) and then they flip positions.

Years ago I attended a workshop with astrologer, Tracy Marks. She explained, if you acted one end of a person’s opposition, they would have little choice (it would force them) to act the other end.

For example, if a person has a Virgo/Pisces opposition and you start nit-picking, they will go all universal on you.

On the other hand, if you are all fogged out, they’ll start picking out the details.

This is disturbing but factual.

Do you have an opposition in your chart? Tell us about it.

149 thoughts on “How Do Oppositions Work?”

  1. Sun Opposition Saturn. – I restrict myself sometimes.
    Moon Opposition Neptune. Crazy dreams that won’t fit my reality.
    Moon Opposition Uranus. Moon wants stability, Uranus wants freedom.
    Venus Opposition Uranus. I’m attracted to all things unique.
    Jupiter Opposition Saturn. – Very strange.
    Uranus Opposition Ascendant. I seem a bit strange.
    Neptune Opposition Midheaven. I actually find this useful, I’m creative in whatever I’m working on.

  2. um aquarius sun opposite a leo mars probably what I struggle most with is balancing others needs to personal needs.

    any other interpretations are welcome!

  3. i’ve always been interested about my oppositions in my chart: saturn in aquarius opposses my packed 7’th house-my venus(cance 29 47′ or so) , my mars and jupiter in leo.. i hate my 7’th house , i can’t tie a relationship with someone *opposite sex* without feeling that all my energy is drained.

  4. I only have 1 opposition in my chart, it’s Neptune opposite ASC.. I mostly see others through rose-colored glasses it says! Or I can be seen as imaginative or deceptive by others.. To be perfectly honest, I have issues understanding that one!! A bit confused there!! I seems to work with this aspect right!! I have issues understanding how people see me and how I see them!!
    My father has Mercury opposite Saturn-Pluto and I have Mercury square Saturn-Pluto (and my Mercury conjuncts his Sun!).. He thinks I’m stubborn and unchangeable!! I perfectly see the effect of an opposition in his chart where I’m concerned!! 😉

  5. Wow, now you’ve got me thinking, Elsa.
    My Taurus Moon opposes my Sag Mercury and Scorp Neptune,
    Virgo Mars opposes my Pisces Asc.,
    retrograde Saturn in Pisces opposes Virgo Uranus and Pluto, and also Uranus opposing Chiron–do you count that? hmmm, lot’s of oppositions, and four of them are part of a mystic rectangle in my chart. I guess i should look at this a little deeper. When i have time, sigh. 🙂

  6. First welcome back Elsa! Missed you!
    Yes I do have an opposition. It is Uranus in Leo in the 9th opposing my Chiron in Aquarius in the fourth. I am no expert to comment on it though except to say perhaps I sometimes really want to be apart of a group and want to share my ideas and sometimes I really feel very shy and want to remain in the background. I don’t like it too much when people push their philosphies on me. but that is kind of a universal thing. I think sometimes I may even do just that and I have to catch myself.

  7. Mars/Aries/6th opposing Jupiter/Libra/12th
    and
    Venus/Gemini/8th opposing Saturn/Sag/2nd

    and I’m not certain what it means. I do know I have a tendency to vacillate between extremes; at times like that my closest friends just call me “psycho”. I just thought it was part of Scorpio rising.

  8. Uranus in Leo-10th house opposing Chiron in Aquarius in the fourth, like Dawn’s. Chiron is almost opposed (but wide -8) to the MC. I can see this one’s going to be worth some heavy google.

    Otherwise, I noticed that my packed 2nd Sag (merc. jupiter & mars all conj.) oppose the 8th=house vertex and Lilith. This would give me a total of 6 pretty close oppositions. Like sardines. Anybody have an opinion or experience w/this kind of thing?

  9. Late Gemini Venus in the 7th opposite Sag Neptune in the 1st. My ASC is conjunct Neptune, but just out of degree to also be opposite Venus.

    I’m not feeling a see-saw effect of this opposition so much as it’s just a hot mess. I keep falling for liars.

    The opposition ties in to other aspects in my chart, and I’m literally sitting her trying figure out how all this energy spins out in the wash.

  10. I tend to agree about the “see-saw” effect. I think I’ve felt more difficulties than anything-intimacy, values, monetary and otherwise-related to Venus-Saturn. I have felt vacillation r/t generosity and fighting w men, if that’s possibly how the Mars-Jupiter thing plays out-but I don’t understand how it fits in the 6th/12th houses, except I have had a few secrets, and maybe they’ve (men) encouraged me to improve my lifestyle, or, we’ve had a few addictive tendencies together…hmmm… Interesting.

  11. Love the llama pic.

    I have several oppositions,if you count Chiron. They would be Venus Leo opposition to an Aqu moon and then a first house Scorpio Mars and Uranus opposed to a seventh house Taurus Chiron.

    All in all they seem to give me very opposing notions toward relationships and make it hard to be able to settle down and just accept that things may be going fine in a relationship and then when I know they are going fine, I start to wonder if I wouldn’t be better alone, though it’s the last thing I think I want.

    Or at least that’s my take on it…confusing!

    I have to wonder about houses, too — what if you have a planet in a house ruled by the sign which it opposes — ie, a Jupiter in Gemini posited in the ninth house, is that similar to these?

  12. it was much easier to form healthy relationships (venus) when i stopped looking for other people to be my pluto for me.

  13. venus-sun-mars in aries opposite pluto in libra. Not sure if it’s all bad but I do tend to either love unconditionally or not at all. Love can easily turn to grudges. I’m learning to be dispassionate but it usually takes time and self awareness to get over past relationships. I eagerly scrap ones which aren’t working, especially if someone is trying to overpower or control me.

    Love aside, I like to tackle problems and get to the bottom of things. The Mars side is easily motivated to action and Pluto is obsessive. I try to apply this energy to my goals and not to petty disputes or a desire to control. My Pluto is in the 4th house so I find that there is nothing like cleaning and organizing my space to ease stress and worry (Virgo on the 4th cusp!).

    I also have a jupiter/saturn opposition to mercury/mc. I’m generally reserved and hate small talk but get me going on issues of social justice or culture and I will give you an earful.

  14. Venus in Aquarius vs. Pluto in Leo (2 degrees, applying). Also, the Moon in Aquarius vs. Uranus in Leo (5 degrees, applying). With these two oppositions I have accepted the fact that I am not cut out for intimacy and I do my best to look on the bright side of being a loner (although I have lots of friends of the same sex). I believe that in my next life I will desire more closeness and choose a chart/family/birth circumstances that force or facilitate that.

  15. I have 4th house Uranus, Leo opposed to 10th house Moon, Chrion. When I am attached to anyone it’s one person at a time. Otherwise I remain detached from most people.
    Now the person I have been dating has Neptune in Libra, 12th house opposed to Moon, Jupiter, Mercury: Aries 6th house. I just saw Tina’s comment about something similar. We are going through that I want, I don;t want at the moment. I love but, it doesn’t fit with what I want to do. He’s hurting but doesn’t see a way to fix the problem.

  16. I’ve got moon in 11th Capricorn opposite Saturn and Venus in 5th Cancer.

    I have no idea what that does, though I do tend to try and corral or control or instruct in a rather cold, clinical way if I think people are becoming too flaky or emotional or wishywashy about a subject. God forbid anyone have too much fun and not take things seriously! However, if they become overly logical, tense and pragmatic I encourage them to listen to their intuitions to lighten up, have fun and stop trying to control things. I also do this to myself.

    I must be absolutely maddening to live with. lol!

  17. ((Glad to have u back Elsa!))

    My chart almost looks like one giant see saw!!

    I have 1st house Capricorn Moon opp 7th house Cancer Venus, I want everyone to be my friend and am very affectionate but I hate having to deal with overwhelming emotions! mine or anyone else..

    I also have 6th house Gemini Sun/Mars opp 12th house Sagittarius Jupiter/Uranus…

    Mars opp Jupiter wants me to be a good sport with friends and gives me a lot of energy yet Mars opp Uranus helps to attract people who just drain me at times…

    Sun opp Jupiter allows me to expand my Gemini interest 10 fold (a Jack of all Trades..) while Sun opp Uranus gives me the need to do things my way, subtly under your nose and with a smile 😉

  18. Gemini Mars oppostition to Sag Neptune

    Lots of back and forth between daydream and actually doing. But then Gemini Mars isn’t actually known for being on the go all the time anyway. These also form a t-square with my Saturn.

    I also have Taurus Chiron opposite my Scorpio Uranus/Asc conjuntion. Again this is a t-square with my Jupiter (and my Jupiter is conjunct my Mercury, Moon, Sun, and Venus). But I’m not really sure how a Chiron opposition would play itself out in personality/daily life.

  19. I am very new to astrology. My natal chart is a seesaw pattern. I have 12 oppositions. My life has always been one of trying to find a balance and a compromise. I have been married to my husband for 36 years and retired from a career in the military. When I saw my natal chart for the first time, I could immediately see and understood why trying to find balance in my life had always been a concern for me. The first 11 oppositions are all planets in Aries and Libra.

    1-4. Aries sun in 7th house opposite:
    Libra Moon in 12th Virgo house
    Libra Saturn in 12th Virgo house
    Libra Neptune in 1st Libra house
    Libra Ascendant

    5-6. Libra moon in 12th Virgo house opposite:
    Aries Mercury in 6th Pisces house
    Aries Jupiter in 7th Aries house

    7-9. Aries Mercury in 6th Pisces house opposite:
    Libra Neputune in 1st Libra house
    Libra Ascendant

    10-11. Aries Jupiter in 7th house opposite
    Libra Neptune in 1st house
    Libra Ascendant

    12. Cancer Uranus in 9th Gemini house opposite Capricorn Chiron in 3rd Sag house

  20. I have a See Saw chart too. I cry when I’m angry (Moon/Venus opposition Mars). I think I’m weird, but I also think other people are too radical (Sun opposition Uranus). I get emotionally exhausted and feel like I’m waking up from a movie confused, or going from movie to movie, sometimes (Moon/Mercury oppo Neptune).

  21. Sat Virgo in 10th/Moon Pisces 4th (too severe with myself and then too dreamy)
    Nep Libra in 11th/Jupiter Aires in 5th (no idea)
    Kiron Cap in 2nd/Uranus Canc in 8th (see the wound but have difficulty healing it?)
    Asc Scorpio opp Merc Taurus (no idea)

  22. I have several oppositions due to conjunctions in a stellium opposing my Moon/Chiron, the most noteworthy of which is probably between my Sun and Moon/Chiron. In addition I also have a Jupiter/Neptune conjunction opposite Saturn.

  23. Ceres/chiron/sun opposite uranus.
    uranus opposite descendant.
    Jupiter opposite pluto.
    Moon/venus opposite north node.

    I feel like I’m forgetting something.

  24. Excellent post! Thanks for this Elsa. Always confused about oppositions. You said you can do one side of an opposition, but you can’t do the other side at the same time. So, it makes one flip flop a lot? You can’t do both at the same time you said. I have Venus in Taurus oppose Neptune in Scorp….so I do love my practical senusual desires and comforts, but sometimes i do them to excess to escape. However, that would be overdoing it, which is doing them both at the same time, which is not an opposition. I’ve read one tends to project the outer planet, which I’ve done with Neptune in relationships. I’ve picked potheads and escapist types before, as well as liars. Still trying to grasp the concept….so one tends to do one side, and then turns around and does the other at another time? Sun in Cap oppose Saturn in Cancer …..at one point this person is all business and ambitious and does that well…..but once in a while family issues and drives take over. Right? How exactly do oppositions work.

  25. mars opposite ascendant… sometimes I’m overly-confident almost with an arrogance other times I mask my fear… Or give into it and I’m paranoid as all hell…

    Haha I just feel I’m all over the place…

    mars in virgo, pisces ascendant…

  26. Sun opp. Moon
    Merc opp. Moon
    Jupiter opp. Moon
    Venus opp. Moon
    Mars opp. Saturn
    Mars opp. Neptune
    Mars opp. Uranus
    ASC opp. Pluto

    😀

  27. I’m probably the only one to disagree. Sun opp Moon, Jupiter opp Uranus. The trick to oppositions (whatever they are – astrology, yin/yang, black/white, human/spirit) is to live from the middle. In this world of duality, that is the secret. I learned this early on being blessed with a religious mother and an atheist father.

  28. Thanks this post solves a few stumpers for me about some people. Knew a lady once who had moon pisces oppostion both venus & mars, & wondered at the time why my friendliness was being met with cold resistance. My Cancer asecendent is in the 3rd Decante of Pisces!

  29. I have mars/taurus opposite pluto/scorpio. Most of the people I associate with are extremely energetic so I feel the need to control to keep up. I also have chiron/cancer opposite saturn/cap and I can flip from empathetic to cold and cruel in an instant.

  30. Pisces sun and mercury opp Virgo moon
    leo uranus opp aquarius venus
    cancer ascendant opp capricorn mars

    I don’t think that this means one planet is on or off. My virgo moon shows up in quirky ways. Hate housework, but I like organized drawers and doing the laundry properly. I still remain disorganized housework wise.

  31. Saturn in scorpio 3rd/4th opposing MC in taurus. dammed if you do dammed if you don’t (literally) with regards to work

  32. 3 oppositions all about my Cancer Moon..opp. Capricorn Jupiter , Asc and NNode…too many feelings? moody one day, optimistic the next….going back and forth..a bit messy..Well tomorrow is another day 😉

  33. Avatar
    RisingLibra-AriesSun

    Wait, I have 3 opposites in my chart, 2 of which create opposing quintiles (hour-glass figure in my chart), what does that mean?

    I’m more interested though in the opposing quintiles;

    Mars – Cancer – 10th house conjuncting MC

    quintiles

    Jupiter – Libra – 12th house conjuncting ASC

    Mars opposes Neptune-Uranus
    Jupiter opposes Merc-Venus

    Neptune-Uranus – Capricorn – 4th house conj. IC

    quintiles

    Merc-Venus – Aries – 6th house (not conj. 7th)

    ALSO – Merc-Venus trine Mars, making a twist.

    LOL! If it’s too complicated for a brief suggestion/interpretation to be made, I’ll understand!

  34. i’m an aries,i have pluto in my 7th house asc in taurus opposition and sometimes i just don’t know how to act to my friends and family, sometimes all is well sometimes all is like hell :s

  35. Thanks for explaining opposites in such a clear manner. While squares involve integrating energies, opposites involve alternating between energies…

    Ok, so in this case how does Moon in Sagittarius in the 9th Opposite Jupiter in Gemini in the 3rd work? Would it be that I would alternate between focusing on the lower mind and focusing on the higher mind?

    And for Neptune in Capricorn in the 10th Opposite Chiron in Cancer in the 4th…does it involve alternating between
    a/ spiritual practicality or practical spirituality in the outside world and nurturing in the home/inner emotional healing and nurturing?

  36. It is true I never thought very much about oppositions because they did not demand the same level of attention as squares, but I wonder how to live with the opposition-induced projections.

    So basically if I act out 10th house themes, I’ll be projecting 4th house themes to another person?

    I have definitely seen projections of 3rd house themes when acting out 9th house themes though or vice-versa.

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