Gifts of Oppositions — Aries and Libra

I recently realised that I have two pairs of signs to complete for my ‘Oppositions’ series. In honour of the current position of the North and South Nodes of the moon, today’s focus is on the axis of Aries and Libra, and the lesson of ‘relationships.’

Oppositions are two signs, 180 degrees apart. Different elements, same modality (cardinal, fixed or mutable). In chart readings, oppositions are usually interpreted as push-pull. Something is lacking so we swing the pendulum in the other direction to find it. A healthy management of the aspect is to find a balance and learn to integrate qualities of the two.

Many people are already familiar with Libra as the 'relationship’ sign. It is associated with the 7th house of one-on-one partnerships, and its glyph, or symbol, is the scales, where one side is intrinsically linked to the other, and can only move up or down depending on what its counterpart is doing. In this way, Libra is a natural diplomat, constantly making micro-adjustments in response to whatever or whoever it is interacting with.

Aries, on the other hand, tends to blaze its own trail regardless of what feedback it received. It is associated with the first house of self, and as cardinal fire it is that first spark of life that wills itself into existence. So while on the surface it doesn’t seem like Aries has much to do with relationships, upon reflection the most crucial relationship Aries experiences is the one with its self. It is the instinct of self-preservation, the little voice that tells us to stand up for who we are, even if others don’t understand.

As we move throughout the world, we need to utilise both functions – sometimes working in partnership, sometimes flying solo. With the North Node (where we are heading) in Aries at the moment though, the invitation is to really focus on what we as individuals need to feel OK, and to be brave enough to prioritise that before making sure everyone else in our lives is happy.