StillOne
Well-known member
Stephen Arroyo says of Squares and Oppositions in Astrology, Karma and Transformation:
In interpreting the birth chart karmically, all square and opposition aspects show the necessity of coming to terms with our own complexity, with somehow developing that awareness necessary to encompass markedly different approaches to life. The forces indicated in the square aspect are at cross-purposes and interfere with each other's expression. These forces therefore need to be harmonized within the individual, a process which usually takes years as the person slowly develops new behavior patterns and greater self-understanding.
The forces involved in the opposition aspect reveal opposite and yet complementary, pulls toward expression that the individual feels most immediately in relating to others. A need to harmonize these polarities is therefore also indicated in these aspects, but the opposition specifically emphasizes the need to develop more awareness of not only one's self but also of other people's desires, expectations, and points of view. The harmonization mentioned above can only occur through the development of a higher awareness of the forces and urges involved.
The eminent psychologist C.G. Jung, in his studies of alchemy, often quotes the ancient alchemist dictum: terbium non datur, which means that the third factor (which alone can resolve the problem of opposites and personal conflicts) is not given. Jung goes on the explain that a conflict is never resolved on the same level where it arises, but can be resolved only on a higher level, based on a higher perspective and level of consciousness. Hence the square and opposition aspects show the areas of greatest tension within ourselves but also - a fact which should be welcomed eagerly - the areas of greatest potential growth.
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