- Angle
- 180 degrees
- Symbol
- ☍︎ (U+260D)
- Commonly used orb
- Up to 8 degrees
- Shares
- Modality, with compatible elements
Two meanings of the word, and where each one lives
Opposition has an astronomical meaning and an astrological one, and they are related. In the sky, a planet is at opposition when it stands opposite the Sun as seen from Earth: it rises at sunset, sets at sunrise and is closest to us and brightest for the year. In a birth chart, the same geometry is read between any two planets, not only a planet and the Sun. This page is about the second sense, with the first used as a way to see it.
Oppositions you can see in the sky
| Body opposite the Sun | Mean interval | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Moon | 29.53 days | The full moon, which is the Sun and Moon in opposition. |
| Mars | 779.9 days | About every 26 months, when Mars is at its brightest. |
| Jupiter | 398.9 days | About every 13 months, close to a year after the last. |
| Saturn | 378.1 days | Roughly a year plus 2 weeks, so it creeps through the signs. |
The six axes of opposite signs
The zodiac has six oppositions, each between two signs of the same modality and of compatible elements, which is why they feel like complementary halves of one idea.
| Signs | Modality | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| ♈︎ Aries and ♎︎ Libra | Cardinal | Fire and Air |
| ♉︎ Taurus and ♏︎ Scorpio | Fixed | Earth and Water |
| ♊︎ Gemini and ♐︎ Sagittarius | Mutable | Air and Fire |
| ♋︎ Cancer and ♑︎ Capricorn | Cardinal | Water and Earth |
| ♌︎ Leo and ♒︎ Aquarius | Fixed | Fire and Air |
| ♍︎ Virgo and ♓︎ Pisces | Mutable | Earth and Water |
How the tradition reads an opposition
- As a balance problem: each planet pulls toward its own end of the axis, and the work is to keep both in view.
- As projection: a person may feel one planet is theirs and the other belongs to someone else, a partner or a rival, until the second planet is claimed.
- As awareness: an opposition is the most visible aspect, because each end is in view of the other, so the effects are often noticed early.
- As a timing marker: a transiting planet that opposes a natal one is read as the halfway point of its cycle with that planet, the moment of full visibility.
Orb and strength
Many astrologers allow up to 8 degrees, which gives a band of 172 to 188 degrees. Oppositions can also span sign boundaries without much loss, since the two planets are in opposite signs either way. A tight opposition between personal planets is generally considered the more weighty.
The same axes seen as houses
Opposite signs have a matching pair of opposite houses, so an opposition in a chart usually also links two areas of life that sit across from each other.
| Houses | The pairing in the tradition |
|---|---|
| 1st and 7th | The self and the partner, one to one. |
| 2nd and 8th | What a person owns and what is shared or owed. |
| 3rd and 9th | Near surroundings and distant horizons. |
| 4th and 10th | Home and the private life, against career and public standing. |
| 5th and 11th | Creative play and the groups a person belongs to. |
| 6th and 12th | Daily work and routine, against retreat and the unseen. |
Find it in your own chart
A symbol or an aspect only means something against a whole chart. Look up your placements, then read the planets in their signs and the houses they fall in.
Frequently asked questions
What does opposition mean in astrology?
It means two planets are 180 degrees apart, in opposite signs. Astrologers read this as a tension of balance between two ends of an axis.
Is the full moon an opposition?
Yes. At full moon the Moon is almost exactly 180 degrees from the Sun, which is the same geometry as an opposition between any two planets.
What is a planet at opposition?
A planet is at opposition when it is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, so it is up all night. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn each reach it about once per synodic period.
Does an opposition always mean conflict with another person?
No. The projection reading says an opposition can appear as other people, but it is a symbolic tendency in the chart and not a rule about anyone's relationships. Many oppositions are lived entirely inside one person.
How do you work out which sign opposes yours?
Count six signs forward. Aries opposes Libra, Taurus opposes Scorpio, and so on, as the six axes above show.
A page cannot know your situation
This describes what the symbol generally means. If you want another perspective on your situation, describe it to a human reader. Your first question and answer carry no reading charge, once per person. Paid messages draw from a balance you add only if you choose to continue.