Knowing the relationship of each sign to the other signs is one of the primary requirements if we want to understand Astrology. Today we explore the dynamic relationships between the signs so we understand the value of each in "the whole cycle" of our evolution. This material can help us turn friction into dynamic power to steer our lives through all kinds of changes, and help us understand what is emerging in our lives, what grounds those energies, what antidotes those energies, and how to deal with each stage of change in productive ways without getting deflected into needless conflicts.
To most students of the craft, what we’ll cover today may seem basic, but it holds the keys to why we hit turning points and challenges in life. Still, knowing the relationship between the various Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable signs can show us when changes in direction will occur, and what energies are needed to navigate those changes, as we navigate the progressions and transits in our charts.
We all have all the signs in our chart. All 12 sign energies are somewhere in our hologram, and they hold a fixed relationship to each other. It doesn't matter if a sign is intercepted. We still have that sign, as well as the sign opposing that sign, whether it shows up on a house cusp or not. Each of us has to deal with every energy in our makeup at recurring points in our lives, and knowing the relationship of the signs to each other is important if we are to understand how to ground certain types of energy, how to externalize those energies, and how to fulfill any energetic pattern we encounter.
I first gave you this 4 years ago, and so it seemed like a good time to re-introduce the material, since it is the foundation for at least two more articles which will follow this one. Even though this information may be familiar, hopefully it will help you understand the interrelationships between the signs in your chart, and you can anticipate what you need to bring forth in times of friction and challenge. The following table will be an easy reference for anyone wishing to understand the particularness and wholeness of the 12 sign system.
Aries is lower squared by Cancer, opposed by Libra, and upper squared by Capricorn
Taurus is lower squared by Leo, opposed by Scorpio, and upper squared by Aquarius
Gemini is lower squared by Virgo, opposed by Sagittarius, and upper squared by Pisces
Cancer is lower squared by Libra, opposed by Capricorn, and upper squared by Aries
Leo is lower squared by Scorpio, opposed by Aquarius, and upper squared by Taurus
Virgo is lower squared by Sagittarius, opposed by Pisces, and upper squared by Gemini
Libra is lower squared by Capricorn, opposed by Aries, and upper squared by Cancer
Scorpio is lower squared by Aquarius, opposed by Taurus, and upper squared by Leo
Sagittarius is lower squared by Pisces, opposed by Gemini, and upper squared by Virgo
Capricorn is lower squared by Aries, opposed by Cancer, and upper squared by Libra
Aquarius is lower squared by Taurus, opposed by Leo, and upper squared by Scorpio
Pisces is lower squared by Gemini, opposed by Virgo, and upper squared by Sagittarius
As you can see each sign bears a distinct relationship to each other. The sign that is lower (waxing) square, though challenging, also shows the foundation of a sign that will bear fruit at the upper (waning) square. The waxing square is an emergent turning point, the opposition is where the energy surfaces or externalizes somehow, and the waning square is where a given sign finds fulfillment.
So Aries has Cancer as its foundation and flowers in Capricorn. In another example, Leo's foundation is Scorpio, and culminates its social process in Taurus. Virgo is grounded in Sagittarius, externalizes in Pisces, and culminates in Gemini.
The sign opposing any other sign shows how the first sign exteriorizes. All signs express their qualities through the sign opposing them. This is related to the "I-Thou" process of its own self-realization. So Aries is the exteriorization of Libra, and Virgo the exteriorization of Pisces. This is why when a sign is not functioning as it ideally should, it often shows as dysfunctional qualities of the sign opposite to it.
That's why it is useful to regard each sign as part of a distinct polarity, and each polarity holds another polarity in a state of tension. The Aries-Libra polarity “holds” the Cancer-Capricorn polarity in a state of tension, and Cancer-Capricorn holds Aries-Libra in a state of tension. This is part of the dynamic that a T-square can be fundamentally integrative, since it forces us to deal with “the tension of opposites” and release that tension through the sign that squares each pole of the opposition.
You can see how as our various planets in signs are squared by other planets in other signs it produces experiences that show us how to choose wisely what we will do and when we will do it. That is the highest use of the many and various squares and oppositions that affect us throughout our lives, whether internally via the progressions, or through external events as indicated by the transits.
I have a much longer article on the subject of using squares and oppositions wisely coming out in Horoscope magazine in a few weeks, so please keep your eye out and get your copy when it’s available. You will learn all the nuances of how to make the friction of your squares and oppositions work for you instead of struggling with them, which is part of “the art of Life.”
© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson
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