Read on to get a complete answer about the fascinating polarity dynamics that the natural zodiac shows us about the attraction between opposites. Learn about our natural propensity to see ourselves within other people (and vice versa), and specifically, how this shows up in Leo, the opposite sign of Aquarius.
There are many different methods to approach this question, and Evolutionary Astrology is just one terrific tool to help us not only shed new light on the patterns in the world around us, but also within ourselves. In fact, especially within ourselves..
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We’ve all heard the old adage “opposites attract”. Okay, so that is not new information. But then the bigger question becomes “why”. WHY do opposites attract?
For starters, the entire zodiac has 12 signs, and each sign has a sister sign or an opposite that sits exactly 180 degrees across from it. The sister zodiac sign for each archetype is as follows:
The “sister signs” for each zodiac archetype is as follows:
The pairs of opposites do not share the same element (earth signs, air signs, water signs or fire signs), however they do share the same modality (There are cardinal signs, fixed signs and mutable signs in the modalities)
The Zodiac Sister signs and their modalities
| Aries/ Libra | Cardinal |
| Taurus/ Scorpio | Fixed |
| Gemini/ Sagittarius | Mutable |
| Cancer/ Capricorn | Cardinal |
| Leo/ Aquarius | Fixed |
| Virgo/ Pisces | Mutable |
When we are looking to understand the idea of opposites in astrology, we look at it through the framework of the first polarity of astrological signs in the natural zodiac, which is Aries and Libra.
The opposition aspect is expressive of the dynamic that arises naturally between ourselves (our own needs and actions: Aries) versus a partnership (a close relationship and the pursuit of balance, harmony and justice: Libra).
The Aries energy, first sign of the zodiac, is naturally trailblazing and self focused. They are the initiators of the zodiac, while the Libra energy is inherently imbalanced, swinging back and forth between over and under giving to the other and the self. The objective of the fiery Aries energy is to take instinctual action- that is action without forethought.
The pursuit of the Libra energy is to understand how to attain and maintain balance while keeping both the self AND the other in mind.
The instinctual action that arises through the Aries energy cannot be perceived by the self, because it is subjective. It’s like if you went on a roller coaster. While you are on the ride, you are feeling the bumps and the movement and the up and down motion of the car that you are riding in. What kind of faces did you make while you were falling down the really tall slope? What did you look like when you were screaming? You don’t know, because you were “being” in the experience.
In order to know, you need to check in with the camera or the MIRROR that was observing the ride participants…enter Libra.
When the ride is done, you can go and look at the automatic photos that were snapped at certain points throughout the ride to see what you looked like. You felt yourself scream when you were scared, but how loud were your screams relative to everyone else’s?
This is where the Libra energy acts as a type of mirror, reflecting back to you their observations about your instinctual action. Through this feedback, you are learning about your own self, and the Libra individual is then put in a position where they have to also understand themselves so that they can make the necessary adjustments that would allow your freedom and experience, but also safeguard their own comfort and needs.
Perhaps your screams hurt their ears. Maybe you threw up on them during the ride and they didn’t love that. So the Libra individual adjusts (to try to rectify the inherent imbalance of the Libra energy), and the Aries individual receives the feedback (acts as a mirror, so that they can SEE themselves) about their instinctual behaviour that allows them to better understand themselves.
The caveat here, is that while at first glance it appears that these energies are quite different…actually they are the same! They have much common ground that is not so apparent at first.
They are, in fact, opposite sides of the same spectrum. So the way that we understand an energy in astrology, is to also understand it’s polarity (or opposite sign or sister sign), and see where it is that one energy has all of one quality but none of the other, and the other energy has all of that second quality, but none of the first.
We can think of it as a coin, where it is the same item, however the item has 2 faces. The 2 faces share the same edge and belong to the same coin, but depending on how the coin is tossed, we can only see 1 side of it.
Another way to think of it is to look at the opposite signs as a type of teeter- totter or see-saw. When one side is prominent (or in the air), the other side is necessarily touching the ground. So there is a dynamic of only being able to experience the ride one side at a time, which is what happens when “opposites attract” in a love relationship type of setting, but even in a friendship type of situation.
So how do we correlate this principle of opposite zodiac signs, and use it to understand the opposite sign of Aquarius?
First, let’s start with the baseline energy of Aquarius.
Airy Aquarius is the last air sign of the zodiac. It is a fixed sign, which means that this energy is about maintaining a flow and movement. The sign of Aquarius is ruled by the planet Uranus, and is the 11th sign of the zodiac in the eleventh house. in the last quarter between Capricorn and Pisces.
The objective of the Aquarius energy is to fracture old patterns, for the purposes of establishing innovation and positive, forward thinking change.
It is a type of humanitarian/ acts of service energy that instead of looking at the individual, seeks to serve the collective.
It is for this reason that the Aquarius archetype is known as the “water bearer”. The “water” that the Aquarian energy pours out onto the people is the refreshing flow of innovation and inspired change.
This energy is very intuitive, which speaks to the glyph of Aquarius which looks like lightning bolts. If we think of the way that lightning strikes, haphazardly and without warning, it is a good metaphor for how we can understand this energy. It is not linear, nor is it predictable. It’s objective is to fracture the old and outdated in order to create space for the evolution that is required.
Because this energy is very concerned with the mind (it is very idea oriented), and it’s focus is on the collective- not the individual- it can be experienced by others as being aloof or unsympathetic.
In fact, what seems like a lack of sympathy is in fact a deep acknowledgement that change is difficult, and yet it is necessary if change is to happen. It is a type of indifference to emotion because the focus is on new things and progress, and thrives on intellectual stimulation. This ability of the Aquarius energy to dismiss the emotional aspect of a change is not a reflection of a lack of love or caring.
On the contrary, this energy cares deeply for the people and is constantly looking forwards towards the big picture. This energy seeks a lot of freedom and the allowance to move in different directions following its intuition and inspiration. Many humanitarians are known for having strong Aquarius energy in their birth chart.
So, to recap, Aquarius energy is
-sporadic
-intuitive
-ground breaking
-unemotional
-full of ideas
-innovative
-focused on the collective
-seeking to evolve
-contrary to the status-quo
Now, if we travel to the opposite side of the zodiac, we have the vibrant, lively, radiant, creatively expressive sign of Leo. This sign is ruled by the sun, and at home in the 5th house of the zodiac wheel. The fiery Leo energy is about creativity, self expression, affirmation and self actualization.
The warmhearted Leo energy (remember, it is ruled by the sun) is ego centric in that its objective is to understand it’s unique giftings, and then go and shine them out into the world. It is a heart energy, in that it is passionate and action oriented, seeking to make the world a better place by offering whatever it uniquely possesses. “The world is my stage”, is an excellent motto for this energy.
The area of the zodiac that this energy rules has to do with not only the actualization of self, but also the inherent creative power that we all possess. To sew, to build to craft… to procreate even, which is why this house also is connected to children.
This is a space of profound personal freedom where we step out into the light of the world untethered and ready to dance to our soul’s inner drum for the world to see…and to affirm and appreciate. This energy is sometimes chided for the irresponsibility that can be expressed when it is not adequately managed. This is an energy that wants to just have fun and…be. It is innocent, playful, self focused and tends to get a lot of attention…just like the typical child. The Leo energy is more focused on the physical level and the outside world, whereas the opposing energy is more focused on mental energy
So, to recap, Leo energy is
-expressive
-creative
-self focused
-warm
-seeking to fulfill it’s purpose and destiny
-steady
-spontaneous
-innocent
-natural leaders
-fun, know how to have a great time
What is the opposite of Aquarius then, and why do they attract?
The opposite sign, and attractant energy of Aquarius is the Leo energy.
In the Aquarius motion, there is an intense focus on the group and the overall trajectory of the collective. Because of this, the individual kind of fades into the background, with the intention of moving everyone forward together. The focus is on the betterment of the group, and they are ready to embrace change. For that reason the Aquarian energy is individual in it’s contrarian nature to the status quo, but the overall pursuit is a type of melting together to spread the innovation throughout. It is known for being one of the stubborn signs with very strong feelings, which is a necessary trait to initiate change and progress.
The attraction occurs when the Aquarian energy sees, observes or experiences the individuality of the Leo energy.
Leo is focused on the self, asking how they, as an INDIVIDUAL, can contribute to the betterment of the group. And so by seeing this self affirming, self actualizing energy outside of itself, a mirror is created whereby the Aquarius individual can have reflected back to them their OWN uniqueness and individuality. This is uplifting as the tendency of the Aquarius energy is to look solely at the group.
This mirror provides an opportunity for the Aquarius individual to begin to understand themselves not only as a revolutionary in service to the group, but also in a unique way as an individual, who can support the collective movement by identifying their own unique giftings and actualizing them.
Here, the balance of the Libra energy (which is the archetypal representation of the “opposition” aspect in astrology) is attained because the Aquarius individual is attracted to the Leo energy, because it reflects back to them their own uniqueness and ability to contribute through their creative expression.
How to achieve a perfect balance between the polarities
On the other side of that, the Leo energy is encouraged to continue to self actualize, but through bursting their world bubble (that contains only themselves), and through that understanding that the PURPOSE of their unique gifting, is to contribute to the collective.
So do polar opposites attract? At the end of the day, yes. And also like attracts like….
…and opposites are actually different extremes of the same spectrum.
Whether we are looking to understand our astrological compatibility, our tendency to always attract the same type of best friends or lovers or even coworkers, it is good to always keep in mind that we all have all of the energies of the zodiac, in different areas and to differing degrees.
Sometimes we have a tough time seeing parts of ourselves, and our relationships are not only a necessary element of a fulfilling social life. In the bigger picture, they are also an apt tool to reflect back to us who we are.
So we can see that when the 2 energies come together, there is an interesting dynamic of give and take and also a lot of key similarities.
The best way, or at least one of the best ways to find balance, not only in our love life but in how we approach life, is to consciously move towards the other pole when we find ourselves in extremes.
What star sign are you? And who do you seem to always attract through emotional connection in romantic relationships? Do you notice a commonality and a certain “comfort zone” in all your close friendships?
Can you find a great love match or romantic compatibility or even good friends using astrology alone? Is the initial attraction of “compatible signs” something that can be relied upon as a signal to move forward?
A holistic perspective on relationships
Can you determine who your best matches are using only the Aries/ Libra or 1st/ 7th house dynamics of your chart in relationship astrology?
Well, because you are a whole person, and more than just your first and 7th house aspects, it is best to FIRST understand your whole astrological chart and the overarching and repeating themes in your energy.
In this way, you can get a deeper glimpse into your soul’s objectives, your needs, personal values and the many other areas that impact the area of close relationships.
It is also important to remember than any aspect a planet makes to another planet will affect the way that energy is expressed, and create a type of intermingling of energies.
The most important thing in understanding astrological compatibility
Just like you are a whole person and cannot be identified solely by one aspect of your life, like your job for example, you also cannot understand your soul or your love life journey through looking at just a single facet of your astrological energies. So there are plenty of things to consider in this equation.
For a holistic perspective on the lot of energies contained within the energies represented in your natal chart, seek a professional astrologer who you feel resonance with.
Relationships are not only mirrors, but messengers, bringing you wisdom to better understand yourself. It is not only through energetic compatibility, but also through consciousness, love, healing and self awareness that we can find and keep great friends and great loves…to initiate a healthy relationship and build a life that we’re excited to wake up to every. single. day….you know, that Zoi Life.
Still climbing,
xx,
-Celeste
Aja Celeste is a mom to 6 beautiful children and a twin mom! She is also creator and writer of That Zoi Life and a professionally trained Evolutionary Astrologer who has been doing astrology for 7 years. She is also a health care assistant, has a Bachelor of Ministry Degree, and is passionate about supporting people in conscious parenting. She also does Psychosomatics using Recall Healing.
Please contact her at [info@ThatZoiLife.com] if you would like to find out more about working with her.