“The lion is drowning,” Naveed texted me upon seeing Natasha’s drawing of a lion and a water-pouring girl. Knowing my friend to be quite a lion himself, the joke struck a chord with me. “Or the girl is about to be eaten!” I replied.
The drawing illustrates the predicament of opposition – opposite signs having to cooperate for the chart and the actual life to flow.
Opposites tend to make us uncomfortable. Unlikely pairs like D’Artagnan and Oliver Twist, or even Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland may not find much in common at first. Leo’s natural talents such as stage presence, occasional use of heavy paw or mighty roar may seem exaggerated to an Aquarius who may be more content following their own groove behind the scene. Likewise Aquarius’ slight detachment, pot stirring or short attention span may confuse the royal Leo.
Opposites attract. Some ancient astrologers were happy to match people of the opposite signs, betting that in marriage commonalities will act as the cornerstone and differences will excite, entertain and strengthen each other.
Similar ideas apply to us individually. Our birth charts contain all the signs and many built in polarities designed to work together, such as self-vs-others, past experiences vs intentional choices, and comfort-vs-ambition. Still we often take one side and project the opposite side to others. This may lead to conflicts or frustration, but it also encourages acceptance of differences, agreeing to disagree and still cooperate – a skill both badly needed and sorely lacking in our times.
Opposites unite. No one has to be eaten or drown – the opposite signs can collaborate quite well. There is much to share. Leo and Aquarius both have tremendous capacity for nurturing, devotion to family, affinity with kids, unbounded curiosity, creativity and even a touch of extravagance. D’Artagnan and Oliver Twist can become good friends. Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland can join forces and inspire the magicians in all of us.
