Opposition Sun – Venus

(Transit. Sun → Natal Venus)

Avesalom Podvodny. Aspects

Opposition of the Sun: Before fulfilling an intention, one must understand to what extent it is truly one’s own. The opposition with the Sun actualizes for the planet the issue of its relationship with the human will and various imperative circumstances that arise along its path. The mere presence of a major aspect between the Sun and a planet means that its principle will never manifest independently of the person’s will or the defining circumstances that shape their behavior; the opposition additionally indicates a certain opposition between these principles, often accompanied by the exteriorization of one of them. At a low level, this provokes conflict when a person forcibly resists one or another external manifestation of the planet’s principle, or, conversely, external conditions suppress the internal manifestations of the planet’s principle with which the person identifies. For example, in the case of a Sun–Mars opposition, a person will experience various conflicts and battles with the external world (at a higher level—with themselves), but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that they come in “two types”: in the first case, the person emphasizes and interiorizes the Sun’s principle, opposing their will and composure to their own external self and initiative; in the second, they instead adopt an aggressive Martian stance and actively fight against an imperative hostile will, effectively submitting to its initiative—meaning they have no will of their own.

In a Sun–Moon opposition, a person constantly battles with themselves, and the people with whom they periodically clash are essentially surrogate figures embodying their will and ego, which this aspect so urgently needs to learn to cooperate with and understand. For instance, by emphasizing the Moon—that is, adopting the ego’s position—the person immediately threatens to destroy their own “house,” depriving themselves of family and sustenance (or at least that’s how it feels to them). Conversely, by adopting the Sun’s position—that is, activating their will and initiative—the person acts in a way that painfully suppresses their own vital interests (though they won’t be able to explain why this happens).

Working through this aspect grants extraordinary resilience in life—for example, a woman who can heal her husband of alcoholism or mental illness and then raise wonderful children with him together.

Opposition of Venus: The world’s insufficient love for you is not proof of complete selfishness. A Venus opposition raises issues in the areas governed by the planet—ethical, aesthetic, and especially emotional, not to mention matters of love. If the emphasis is on Venus, the person becomes overwhelmed by social norms, conventional ethics, and encounters external manifestations of the planet’s principle armed with the clichés of societal consciousness and subconsciousness. In general, any expression of the planet is viewed through an aesthetic lens, or even more prejudicially, through the binary of “like–dislike,” “love–hate,” where a peculiar mix of purely personal sympathies and antipathies blends with the standard societal attitudes the person initially fails to distinguish.

If, however, the emphasis is on the planet itself and the person interiorizes its principle, Venus manifests as an external opponent—in the form of social influences (often hostile), negative ethical and aesthetic judgments from the outside world, with which the person may stubbornly fight without realizing that the roots of antagonism lie in their own inner emptiness. For example, in a Venus–Saturn opposition, a person deeply desires to dedicate themselves to serious art. If they emphasize the Venusian principle—that is, see themselves as a free artist with no obligations beyond living in the world of the Beautiful—they reject Saturn’s principle of discipline, effectively exteriorizing it, and the lack of genuine, persistent, and purposeful effort (inner indulgence) weakens Saturn. The world responds with various external obstacles and a general sense that the external world is cold and disapproving of the person.

Conversely, interiorizing Saturn—that is, focusing on its principle, when the person turns inward, immerses themselves in solitary serious work, or simply rigidly ignores the world—activates Venus in outer life: champagne appears out of nowhere, guests arrive (if Venus has harmonious aspects), or sharp social conflicts arise, often with accusations of selfish behavior (if Venus is afflicted).

In general, a major Venus aspect raises the issue of love, and in the areas governed by the planet in opposition to Venus, the question of what the person truly wants—whether to love or to be loved—becomes acutely pressing at some point. Working through it leads to a stable fusion of the planet’s principle with the Venusian one: all expressions of the planet become perfectly formed and filled with love for people; in the spheres governed by the planet, the person gains a profound understanding of others and the ability to influence large-scale social programs.

A. Ryzhov. Health, ASC, Sun, Moon

Minor ailments arising from carelessness and lack of restraint. Well, a fungus might flare up—what else can Venus bring? A venereal disease.