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Astrology
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Excerpt from Donna's e-book:
An Astrological Guide to Self-Awareness: 2005 Edition
© Moon Maven Publications
Part Eight:
Understanding Natal Aspects:
Conjunctions vs. Oppositions
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by Donna Cunningham, MSW |
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Getting a handle on patterns of behavior that are common among people with various astrological aspects is both a challenge and a major step forward in learning to interpret charts. We will focus here on the differences between oppositions and conjunctions. The table lists notables with Venus conjunctions to the outer planets, side by side with other notables who have oppositions to the same outer planet.1
Comparing Conjunctions and Oppositions
through Celebrity Examples
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Venus
Conjunct Uranus: |
Venus
Opposite Uranus: |
| Actors: |
Tom Cruise |
Lorenzo Lamas |
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Warren Beatty |
Dennis Franz |
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Candice Bergen |
Ellen Degeneres |
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Kathy Bates |
Sharon Stone |
| Pop Stars: |
Michael
Jackson |
Queen Latifah |
| Country: |
Johnny Cash |
Garth Brooks |
| Statesmen: |
Colin Powell |
Jesse Jackson |
Separated
at Birth: |
Richard
Simmons |
Carrot Top |
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Venus
Conjunct Neptune: |
Venus
Opposite Neptune: |
| Politicians: |
Bill Clinton |
Tony Blair |
| Actors: |
Christopher
Reeve |
Michael J. Fox |
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Matt Damon |
Rob Lowe |
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Richard Gere |
Michael Caine |
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Jodie Foster |
Mia Farrow |
| Singers: |
Johnny Mathis |
Stevie Wonder |
| Metaphysicians: |
Dr. Bernie
Siegel |
J. Z. Knight |
| Newsmen: |
Peter Jennings |
Tom Brokaw |
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Venus
Conjunct Pluto: |
Venus
Opposite Pluto: |
| Actors: |
Antonio
Banderas |
Elvis Presley |
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Sean Penn |
Bruce Willis |
|
Raquel Welch |
Glenn Close |
| Athletes: |
Kobe Bryant (basketball) |
Philippe Candeloro (figure skating) |
| Ex-Wives: |
Sarah,
Duchess of York |
Ivana Trump |
| Notorious Couple: |
Phil Hartman |
Brynn Hartman |
Data from AstroDatabank and Information Please Almanac; some sources give birth date only, but these aspects are in range all day.
The method we are using here could be called impressionistic, an attempt to evoke key qualities of these aspects — a watery rather than an airy teaching method. What we are aiming for with this list is a right-brain approach to astrological aspects: intuitive and experiential, not logical, analytical, and cerebral. This approach ultimately makes possible a kind of visceral understanding of the differences between those aspects. Memorizing cookbook descriptions of aspects will take you partway in learning astrology, yet you can’t really own astrology by memorization. As my college German professor used to say, when he was struggling to explain linguistic subtleties, “You have to feel it!”
As you work with the table, set aside your analytical mind. Begin by directing your intuitive faculties (the right brain) to tune into the qualities of the planets in question. With Venus aspects, focus on these individuals' patterns of relating, their sense of style, what qualities make them attractive, and what gives them popular appeal. Clear your mind of thoughts, and just look at the names, bringing the people to mind as vividly as possible. The conjunction and the opposition provide perhaps the starkest contrasts. The energies of the two planets are most closely merged in the conjunction and seem most widely separated in the opposition.
For instance, people with Venus–Uranus aspects usually have a unique sense of style, to put it mildly. They are in no sense part of the mainstream, though the mainstream often winds up following their trend-setting creations. Look at the pairs of people with these aspects. Juxtapose Richard Simmons with Carrot Top; Warren Beatty with Dennis Franz; Michael Jackson with Queen Latifah; Colin Powell with Jesse Jackson. Do you begin to get a sense of how these people are related — and how they are similar, yet different?
When you compare Richard Simmons (Venus conjunct Uranus) with Carrot Top (Venus opposite Uranus), you can’t deny that there are many similarities between them. They could have been separated at birth! But Carrot Top is a tad more over the top than Richard Simmons — and more provocative, as though he dared you to object to his eccentricity and zaniness. Richard Simmons doesn’t seem to get that people consider him eccentric — he just is who he is. Though this is not necessarily true of all oppositions, with the Venus–Uranus group, there is almost a sense of parody of the qualities of both planets. If Saturday Night Live did a send-up of Richard Simmons (and no doubt they have), they should pick Carrot Top to play him.
As you read through the table, you may also sense the differences between Venus aspects to the other outer planets. Venus aspects to Pluto, you may conclude, are more blatantly sexual, but the same distinctions between conjunctions and oppositions might be noted. Both Antonio Banderas and Elvis Presley have Venus–Pluto aspects, and they both project a steamy sexuality. With Venus opposite Pluto, Elvis seemed to enjoy being sexually provocative. In his heyday, his behavior was considered risqué — after all, they did call him Elvis the Pelvis. Antonio Banderas, on the other hand, seems to shrug off the effects of his looks; after all, he can't help being sexy. He seems oblivious of how he comes across; it is just a side effect of how he looks and moves.
In the category of ex-wives of the rich and famous, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who has Venus conjunct Pluto, has a good deal in common with Ivana Trump, who has the opposition. Yet, Ivana is substantially more flamboyant in the way she dresses and acts. They are also different in how they handle separation and the ending of a relationship, something that’s never easy for a Plutonian type. Fergie somehow manages to coexist with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, even sharing a mansion with him; Ivana’s approach to divorce is best exemplified by her cameo in the movie, First Wives Club. Her memorable one-liner in that film was: “Darlings, don’t get mad — get everything!”
Continue going through the table to get a sense of the differences between the conjunctions and oppositions. Conjunctions are a bit like glass, which is made from sand combined with various minerals and heated to such a high temperature that the elements become fused. When you look at a piece of glass, you don’t generally recall that it started out as a handful of sand. The same is true of mixing two planets: The planets no longer seem to have a separate identity. For folks with a Venus–Neptune conjunction, for instance, it’s hard to separate love and merging. Part of the appeal of Bill Clinton was his empathy (“I feel your pain”).
To narrow it down to something these folks could wear on their T-shirts, the slogan for the conjunctions might be, “I yam what I yam.” For the oppositions, however, the T-shirt might say, “Look what you made me do.” People who have an opposition between any two planets tend to project the conflict onto people or circumstances outside themselves, rather than taking responsibility for their part in the situation. Those with Uranus oppositions, for example, react strongly to what they perceive as society’s desire to restrict their freedom and individuality. So, they become even more outrageous and rebellious — more of a character, if you will.
People with oppositions often project their unwanted qualities onto others and then attempt to reform them or convert them to their own point of view. Those with Venus oppositions to Neptune often find partners or followers who are acting out the most difficult facets of Neptune; they then try to rescue, save, or fix them. Not surprisingly, among the Venus–Neptune aspects we find a guru like J. Z. Knight; she has been married five times, most recently to a gay man with AIDS. A key phrase for the Venus–Neptune opposition might be: “What would they do without me?”
I must confess that this method of analysis has given me a deeper appreciation of oppositions. Having none in my own natal chart, I tended to think that their bad reputation in traditional astrology was exaggerated, until I researched them with AstroDatabank. With any given pair of planets, there were markedly fewer celebrities with the opposition than with the conjunction — usually hundreds less. They also tended to be less famous: For instance, people with the conjunction might be musical stars while those with the opposition were more likely to be members of the backup band.
One possible conclusion that can be derived from this analysis is that some people with natal oppositions either encounter more difficult obstacles than do those who have softer aspects, or (more likely) they undermine their own success. Some of these folks anger others with a provocative, stubbornly oppositional approach. “Contrary” is another word that could define them, because they may take a position opposite the prevailing winds of opinion, just for effect.
Note
1. The sources of the birth data of these famous people are twofold. Most are from AstroDatabank; its amazing research capabilities make it possible to generate lists of notables with various aspects in just seconds. The other major source is the impressive online biography collection, Information Please Almanac, at http://infoplease.com
(This article is an excerpt from The Outer Planets and Inner Life, Part 2: Exceptional Soul Seeks Same — Outer-Planet Aspects to Venus and Mars, one of Donna's new series of e-books; readers can find further information and some downloadable samples at: http://www.moonmavenpublications.com)
© 2004 Donna Cunningham – all rights reserved
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Donna Cunningham,
Astrologer
& Healer |
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Donna Cunningham is an internationally respected astrologer and the author of 13 books on metaphysical topics.
Donna Cunningham has a dual background in astrology and psychotherapy, with a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University and over 30 years experience as a professional astrologer. She considers doing the astrology charts of children to be a sacred trust. It is a way of knowing who these Indigo children are on their own terms rather than as their families, teachers, and society expect them to be.
In these sessions, she focuses on typical childhood concerns such as family and peer relationships, the best educational approaches, and the child's special gifts and abilities. She can be reached for consultations at (503)291-7891, by email, or at her web page. Ask about her special rate for children's charts.
Donna is also co-editor of Vibration and a frequent contributor. She has written fourteen books on astrology and other metaphysical topics, including her Flower Remedies Handbook. Astrologers who want to know the special considerations involved in doing children's charts can read the chapter on this topic in Donna's text, The Consulting Astrologer's Guidebook.
Listed in several Who’s Who volumes, she has given seminars on astrology around the world and won the prestigious Regulus Award at the 1998 UAC.
She teaches astrology classes online at: astrocollege.com
You may reach her for long-distance astrology consultations at her web site:
DonnaCunningham
MSW.com
by email:
moonmaven @spiritone.com
or by calling:
(503)291-7891.
For the past 20 years, she has worked with the flower remedies, and she is co-editor of Vibration Magazine, a free online educational quarterly at:
essences.com/
vibration/
For information on Donna's online classes about flower essences, visit her website:
DonnaCunningham
MSW.com
"Donna's first astrology ebook will be available in March.
For more
information go to her web page:
http://www.donna
cunninghammsw.com
This series is reprinted with gracious permission from Donna Cunningham.
©2002 Vibration Magazine/The World Wide Essence Society
PO Box 285
Concord, MA 01742
978 369-8454
If you are interested in ordering a copy of Donna's new ebook:
"Flower Remedies--How Plant's Energies Can Heal Us,"
It is $15, available at Moon Maven Publications:
www.moonmaven
publications.com
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