Loving Your Solar Opposite

Romantic love can be an amazing, wonderful, somewhat complex, dizzyingly delicious, profoundly transformative experience that is filled with a myriad of qualities that offer spice and opportunities to jazz up our lives. It can be whatever we desire, actually, depending upon the intentions that both individuals bring into creating a relationship together. Remembering that each experience is tempered with choice, we can choose to proceed with a sense of happy anticipation of what is to come.

In astrology, there are many factors that indicate romantic compatibility between two people, and a good astrologer can help you to determine these factors. While traditional astrology contains some hard and fast rules when determining the compatibility of two people, I'm of the Aquarian school of thought where most rules go out the window, and intentions set the tone! That is to say, it's good to have an idea of the basics of astrological compatibility, and it's also good to have an attitude of allowing things to flow with whatever feels good. So many times I've encountered someone who had fallen in love with another, only to have their elation deflated because some well-meaning friend mentioned that their Sun signs weren't compatible, or it was pointed out that there would be problems down the line due to such-and-such aspect in their chart. Setting limits upon experiences such as these can do a grave injustice to the potential gifts this type of relationship can offer a couple. It helps to understand that while it's good to have deeper insight into the dynamics of a relationship, care should be taken not to pinch off the opportunity for growth through this experience just because there may be a few bumps in the road up ahead.

Take Solar opposites for example. There are some who believe that two people coming together with opposing Sun signs are in for a tumultuous ride that consists of severe emotions and calamitous battles of will. While there may be potential for such extremes, there is also greater opportunity for a profound and uplifting love that creates balance and harmony between the couple as a whole, and within each individually. The difference comes down to the basics; choice and intention. Those who desire it can create a relationship with each other where individual differences are embraced, and the opportunity to learn and grow is nurtured and fully utilized. Let's take a look at one factor in the Leo/Aquarius connection, for instance. Leo tends to be fully in tune with self, while Aquarius is focused outward toward humanity. Can you see the opportunity for each individual in this example?

If Leo chooses to become inspired by Aquarius's example, he can learn to expand his inner focus outward a little more, sharing the abundant love he feels within with humanity as a whole. In doing so, he can learn to embrace all the gifts that such expansion brings, which includes unlimited vitality achieved by profound knowledge of Universal connection. This knowledge can become much more than mere intellectual knowing, but a deep, inner feeling of connectedness with All That Is. Conversely, if Aquarius chooses to become inspired by Leo's example, she can learn to channel some of her expansive, outwardly-directed humanitarian instincts inward, savoring the energies created, and utilizing them to gain deeper knowledge and compassion of self. She can also achieve profound inner healing, at the soul level, by learning that love must begin by loving oneself. What amazing gifts these two have to teach each other, and then to share with the world!

There is much to be gained by exploring unfamiliar territory, and embracing the experiences that being with your Solar opposite can bring. Opposing Sun signs have an elemental advantage that can also be utilized, as complementary element combinations are Water/Earth, and Fire/Air. Each sign of the zodiac is associated with one of four elemental qualities; Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and by looking at the charts below, you can see how Solar opposites can compliment each other on this level:

Solar Opposites:
Aries & Libra (Fire/Air)
Taurus & Scorpio (Earth/Water)
Gemini & Sagittarius (Air/Fire)
Cancer & Capricorn (Water/Earth)
Leo & Aquarius (Fire/Air)
Virgo & Pisces (Earth/Water)

Element Compatibility:
Fire -- desires freedom.
Earth -- needs security.
Air -- like fire, but with a different emphasis, desires freedom.
Water -- like earth, but with a different emphasis, needs security.

As I've mentioned in some of my previous articles, there are a myriad of factors other than Sun sign resonance that help to determine the romantic compatibility between two people, although looking at Sun sign potential can be a fun place to start! Bearing in mind that even the most challenging chart comparison in the world can yield happy results if the couple involved are willing to work with each other toward a common goal, it's a good idea to have a chart comparison and/or composite chart done by a professional, positive-minded astrologer when you meet that special someone who you think may have some long-term potential. An astrologer can indicate the strengths and opportunities for growth in your union, assisting you in choosing the emphasis of your alliance with each other. In this way, you both can start out on solid ground with a good idea of how to create the most harmonious, open-hearted relationship possible.

Here's to happy loving, everyone!

Relationship Astrology: Is this Experience Right for Me?

Let's face it, we'd all love to get through life as unscathed as possible, right? While intellectually and spiritually we know that we're here to learn and to evolve, our emotional natures may inspire us to duck and cover from the very situations that provide us with the most growth opportunity: Our relationships. These can range from familial, romantic, friendly, and work-related associations and every one of them are important to us for very specific reasons.

Let's observe a few scenarios:

You've just met and connected with this really great guy - or gal - and your body, mind and heart are singing a chorus of happy anticipation for what is yet to come. You can't recall ever experiencing such a strong initial attraction before, and you feel as if something within you has awakened from a long, lonely slumber. At this point, the possibilities are endless, and you find yourself adrift amid happy mental images of true connection that you hope will become an enduring reality.

What is it that has inspired this initial attraction? You know, the one that gets your whole being blissfully buzzing? How long will it last? What are the benefits of intimacy with this person? Is there a soul-connection? A karmic link? Would co-mingling with this individual provide the perfect chemistry for what your life resonates right now?

How about this one:

You love almost everything about your job, trained hard to reach your career goals, apply yourself diligently to your duties, and yet there's a big, fat, hairy fly in the ointment: your boss. Nothing you do seems to satisfy this person, and try as you might, you just can't seem to rise above the deep emotion her/his disapproval evokes within you. You are continually subjected to petty reprimands, overloaded with more than your fair share of projects, and given impossible deadlines. What is the nature of the challenge here? Have you contracted with this person prior to your birth to provide you at this time with an opportunity for growth? Will you ever be able to measure up to his/her standards?

Let's try another one:

All your life, your sister has tormented you. From the moment your shining face appeared within the loving embrace of your mother's arms, your elder sibling's mean-spirited countenance sneared back at you, attempting in any way possible to make you go away. If she couldn't manage it physically, she was determined to do it emotionally. She tripped you during your first efforts to walk, bullied you in the school yard, humiliated you at family functions, and to this day attempts to undermine all your efforts at establishing yourself as a confident adult. Is this simply a classic case of sibling rivalry, or is there a deeper matter at hand? What needs to happen between you and your sister to rectify the situation?

Do any of these circumstances feel familiar? Have you asked yourself these or similar questions about your own relationships? It is very likely that you have, and may still be looking for the answers, which can be discerned with the help of your friendly neighborhood Astrologer.

Since no one is an island -- no, not even Scorpios, though some may fancy themselves to be -- we benefit from connection with others as we move through our lives. We have the opportunity to learn so much about ourselves through our relationships, even the perceived "bad" ones. They can mirror us, showing both our negative and positive traits, while inspiring us to move forward, and to change through personal growth.
Many of us have been wounded through our experiences with various groups and individuals, and some of us may still have scars that block us from thriving or experiencing certain joys as a result of previous conditioning. Since everything happens for a reason, it is through understanding the true purpose behind these experiences, how and why we have personally contracted them, and how they can prove to benefit us when we accept the opportunity for growth and expansion they offer us, that we can begin to heal these wounds, and to move forward into our highest soul purpose.

Relationship Astrology, or Synastry, offers us a profound opportunity for understanding the inner mechanisms of all our personal and social connections. It can show us why some relationships are easy and flowing, while others seem to trip us up at every turn. It can also indicate where we block the easy flow of our own close relationships through fear and unconscious patterning, and suggest alternative attitudes and behaviours that can inspire us to allow these connections to flourish once again.

A qualified Astrologer can assist your efforts by casting various charts that can include your own natal chart, which will indentify any karmic or subconscious behaviours you have generated within your own psyche; a composite chart of your relationship to another, which can indicate the benefits and/or challenges that such a relationship provides each of you; and/or compile a report that compares your natal chart to that of another to determine what type of spiritual contract you both have with each other. It is important, and self-empowering, to remember that Astrology is a very effective tool in gaining deeper insight into ourselves and our circumstances.
Your astrologer is there to assist you by pointing out specific challenges that could be interfereing with your creation, and acceptance of harmonious relationships, and by suggesting possible alternatives. Since free will is the name of the game, it is up to you as an individual, or the two of you together, to determine what course of action you will utilize, based upon the information provided, to bring about constructive resolution to the challenges you face, or to determine whether this relationship should even continue at all.

We instinctively reach out to others because we innately recognize the value of such connections. Each person we meet has something to teach us, and we have something to teach them. Why we sometimes engage in destructive knee-jerk reactions and attempt to pinch off those very connections, or why the individuals we attempt to relate to are blocking the flow of harmonious exchange through their own counter-productive tendencies, is often the cause of a great deal of confusion and distress in our lives. It is through understanding the origin of these inclinations, gaining insight as to how these particular situations serve us, and determining a more constructive method of handling these circumstances that can allow us to continue moving forward in our own personal evolution.

Best wishes for your healthy relating!

Namaste.