There are five major aspects in astrology, and an opposition is one of them. Aspects form in an astrology chart from the angles made between two different bodies in the chart. An opposition is when two points or bodies are 180° apart. You can visually see oppositions because they are directly across from each other. There are several natural oppositions in an astrology chart:
- Ascendant and Descendant
- Midheaven and Nadir
- North Node and South Node
Aspects do not have to be exact to be valid. However, the more exact they are, the stronger the effect will be. Oppositions generally have an allowable orb of 10°. However, some astrologers only allow an orb of 5° or 8° depending on the planets involved.
An opposition is generally considered a more difficult aspect. It can represent where you feel pulled in two different directions. However, oppositions aren’t always bad. Sometimes opposites attract and are good for each other. The qualities of an opposition also depend on the sign, house, and other aspects to the planets involved.
Natal Mercury Opposition Aspects in Astrology
In astrology, Mercury represents how we communicate, our learning style, and how we process information. It also affects our ability to analyze information, our relationship to logic, and how we disseminate information. When other planets form an aspect to Mercury, your communication and intellect are affected.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Sun
In an astrology chart, Mercury is never more than 25° away from the Sun. The only possible Mercury/Sun aspect is a conjunction.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Moon
The opposition of Mercury’s quick wit with the Moon’s emotionality and intuition results in someone who can read and analyze peoples’ emotions quite easily. You’d probably make a good therapist or counselor. However, your own emotions can be a bit mysterious to you. They are strong but it’s hard for you to express them. You also feel torn between logical and emotional reactions.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Venus
The maximum distance between the Sun and Venus is 47°. That means the maximum distance between Mercury and Venus is 72°. So, an opposition is not possible in a natal chart.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Mars
With a Mercury opposition to Mars in your natal chart, there is a tension between how you do things in the world and how you communicate. What you say may not match what you do, or what you are actually capable of. This can go both ways. You might either underestimate yourself or overestimate your abilities. In some cases, you may end up lying, exaggerating, or telling half-truths about what you do or what you have done, especially if you feel insecure.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Jupiter
Exaggeration is also part of this aspect but in a different way. When your natal Mercury is opposite to your natal Jupiter, you are a great storyteller, but the details may become fuzzy, causing you to exaggerate or tell a tall tale. Jupiter is very expansive, optimistic, and a bit naive. When that contrasts with logical Mercury in an opposition, you get bogged down in the details and can lose focus easily. You may be a bit forgetful as well.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Saturn
With Mercury opposite to your Saturn in the natal chart, there is a stress between your logic, communication, and learning, and how you relate to structure and order. You may find yourself putting your foot in your mouth. If not, you have a strong social anxiety about saying the wrong thing. The plus side of this is that you are thoughtful with your words. The downside is that your fear of speaking outside of the social structure holds you back.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Uranus
In astrology, Uranus is seen as a “higher octave” of Mercury. So, it has some of the same qualities, but in a more intense or focused way. For example, Mercury is associated with speed and local travel. Uranus is associated with sudden change. When these two are opposed to each other, your basic communication and analytical skills are at odds with higher-level skills. You may have ideas that are ahead of your time that people are not ready for yet. Conversely, you may be fascinated by things that you don’t understand.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Neptune
Your dreams, intuition, and the way that you escape are opposite to your communication and intellect. You may feel torn between your creativity or spirituality and more logical pursuits. You may be quite empathic, but you can have trouble separating what belongs to other people and what belongs to you, emotionally. This makes it hard for you to speak about your empathic experiences.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Pluto
With your natal Mercury opposite your natal Pluto, your intellect is filtered through a lens of power and sometimes crisis, leading to worry. You might be a very anxious person. A benefit of this is that you are often prepared for the worst. Your friends can rely on you to know what to do in a crisis. However, you may have an overly pessimistic attitude that leads you to see only the worst in all situations. You might come off as overly judgmental, but it’s just your fear expressing itself.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Chiron
When Mercury is opposite to your Chiron natally, your deepest wound gets expressed in detrimental ways. When your deepest wounding is triggered, you can lash out at those closest to you with your words. You might get angry or say things that you don’t actually mean in the heat of the moment. Another way this can manifest is an inability to communicate about your wounding, which makes it deeper, darker, and lonelier.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Black Moon Lilith
Relationships of every type may suffer when Mercury is opposite to Black Moon Lilith. This is because your intentions and communication are often misunderstood. People may see you as overly lascivious or controlling, even when you’re not trying to be. This can happen in friendships, with co-workers, and in romantic relationships. As you get older, you will learn who your closest friends are who actually trust you. You will also learn when you need to take responsibility for doing something wrong.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Ascendant
A Mercury opposition to your Rising Sign in the natal astrology chart, your outward persona and your intellect are at odds. You are probably a social chameleon. You easily base your thoughts and opinions on what other people think. This could serve you well in some ways. You would probably make a great salesperson because of it! But it also causes tension within you because you struggle to know who you really are.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal North Node
You are very smart and maybe even intellectual with natal Mercury opposite to your natal North Node. However, you have a hard time applying your skills to any solid life path. You might feel a lack of focus in your life. This could manifest in the form of jumping from job to job, or stopping yourself when you get close to a life goal.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal South Node
When your natal Mercury is opposite to your natal South Node, your intellect helps you on your life’s journey. It’s easy for you to find your path and it’s likely that writing, communications, technology, or academia will be a big part of your career. If you have this aspect in your chart, you usually also have natal Mercury conjunct natal North Node, so it has similar qualities to that aspect.
Natal Mercury Opposite Natal Midheaven
With a Mercury opposition to your natal Midheaven, it is conjunct to your natal Imum Coeli. The IC represents your home life, your relationship to privacy, and your family. So, your communication and learning are more focused on your ancestry, your family, and those closest to you. You’re probably quite introverted. Your work may use technology and communication, but it may be something that helps people enjoy their homes more, or you may do best when you work from home.
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