Aspects in astrology are perhaps one of the most important part of any natal chart. An aspect shows a connection made between planets and the relationship they have formed together; it also shows how the energies of each planet changes as a result of the relationship. For example, a Gemini Sun in a hard aspect to Pluto will have a Scorpionic undertone.
These relationships can be of tension, of challenge, of harmony, of passionate desires and whirlwind emotions, or of hidden underground things. On a deeper level, aspects show behavioural and thought patterns in the native, as well as subconscious beliefs formed in early childhood. As we shed light on our aspects, we become more self-aware, and through that awareness more opportunities arise in our life. Essentially, understanding our aspects leads to expansion, because when we make the unconscious conscious, we leave less room for unwanted choices and for unconscious motivations to drive us in life.
There are five major aspects that most people know of or focus on: conjunction, square, opposition, trine and sextile. But there is one particularly important one that’s often missed in readings, that while it often creates inner tension and challenge, ultimately teaches us a lot about love and how to be better in all of our relationships in life – and this aspects is the inconjunction, also referred to as the quincunx.
What is an Inconjunction?
An inconjunction occurs when two planets are 150 degrees apart. For example, 7 degrees of Cancer can be inconjunct either 7 degrees of Sagittarius or 7 degrees of Aquarius. So the inconjunction happens either at the sign before or after.
Zodiac signs that are inconjunct to each other:
- Aries: Virgo, Scorpio
- Taurus: Libra, Sagittarius
- Gemini: Scorpio, Capricorn
- Cancer: Sagittarius, Aquarius
- Leo: Capricorn, Pisces
- Virgo: Aquarius, Aries
- Libra: Pisces, Taurus
- Scorpio: Aries, Gemini
- Sagittarius: Taurus, Cancer
- Capricorn: Gemini, Leo
- Aquarius: Cancer, Virgo
- Pisces: Leo, Libra
Inconjunctions are considered a challenging aspect and can be difficult to address or even notice because they stay mostly hidden from us, in our deep subconscious, throughout life. Most people don’t even know they have them until they consult a good astrologer, and that’s when a whole new door of understanding may open up for them.
Inconjunctions usually create quite a bit of inner tension in the native and can feel hard to deal with. This is because the two planets involved in the aspect come from two completely different energies, and have little-to-nothing in common, essentially creating a conflict. The two planets have no real relationship or point of connection, and yet they exist within the same person. It’s like holding two completely incompatible truths astrue. This is where the inner tension arises because how can both be true?
Within the person, it’s like a marriage of irreconcilable differences. But there’s no need to divorce parts of yourself yet – all you need to do, like in any other relationship in life, is to learn about one another and about your individual needs. Through listening and acceptance, with a kindness of rhythm and with patience, you will settle the relationship into peace. You may not ever reconcile the differences, and that’s okay – what matters is to just find a way of more respect for each planet’s needs and individual expressions. The core of the tension is that there is a separation created within the psyche of the individual, so the way to soothe this is through compassion, awareness and recognition.
There will always be wild unknown parts inside of us, and in other people. And while it may not be possible to ever even truly understand all parts of ourselves, we can acknowledge them, honour them in their individuality and mystery, and just accept them as they are. At its essence, this is what love is: acceptance.
Inconjunctions allow opportunities for a deepening. They allow the soul a way towards expansion in a way not much else can. And at the very least, they teach us ways of approaching differences in life, and settling our relationships into more harmony and balance. They show us how we can live with contrast, contradiction and the complexity of nuances; they show us how we can be more tolerant towards those whose opinions or view points are much different from ours. Open communication is key, as well as learning about and meeting each other’s needs. Inconjunctions aren’t about “blending”, they are about accepting and learning to co-exist as they are in their unique self-expression, while being mindful of each other.
Deeper Understanding of Inconjunctions in the Natal Chart
According to psychologists, little children wake up in the middle of the night going into their parent’s bedrooms, not to see whether the parents are there, but to see if they’re there. And it is the repeatedness of this that assures them of their existence. That’s how the world works: repeatedness becomes reality and identity.
We are born and start forming. The things people say to us, the way people look at us, the way people react to us, the way people project on us, etc. – all of which have rarely anything to do with us, yet all these become the frame within which we grow up to think and believe that we are. These frames form because of these stories and perceived experience of our formation, while the shape of them becomes our understanding.
The birth chart is essentially a map of our defences, of how we can keep ourselves safe and perhaps even soothed; and all these thought and behavioural patterns were formed by our early childhood environment, people and situations that we faced before the age of seven. We form our identity until that age based on what will keep us safe, more loved, more happy, less abandoned, less alone, and more connected with others. In other words, we form our personality and our ego structure based on fear, as this is the primary motivation for us as human beings in the process of structuring the ego.
Do you remember who you were before the age of seven? Do you remember how you laughed, jumped around, and played and expressed yourself without fear, without limitation, feeling completely free? That’s your soul. That’s who you truly are.
In this way, you can view the birth chart as the personality you shaped – but you can absolutely rise above it, it is not your real limitation or destined-can’t-change path in life. You are not your birth chart. And this is why for my own clients, I focus on aspects – so that they gain a deeper understanding. Through more self-awareness, they are then able to push past limitations and invite new opportunities into their life.
Inconjunctions are essentially parts of us or of our expression, needs and desires that weren’t accepted, respected or appreciated early on in our life – perhaps because the energies were just very different and didn’t align with the comfort level of the people around us or the environment we were in. In one way or another, the native had to create a need to hide this aspect of themselves, or separate from it. This may create inner tension throughout life because of the inner fragmentation or the inability to even be aware of these conflicting energies within. The conditions of the past as well as the many “shoulds and musts” usually weigh heavily on the native.
While it is true that we are all conditioned to our past, when someone has an inconjunction to their Ascendant, the inner monologue of this conditioning and inner conflict become even louder. For example, if Venus is inconjunct the Ascendant, the native might seem cold, aloof or rigid, and yet behind closed doors, they might be incredibly artistic and warmly loving. But this side of their personality is not shown to the external world because a sense of shame or some insecurity of self-expression may have formed in childhood. Or if the Moon is inconjunct the Ascendant, then the native might not seem compassionate at all, and yet they are incredibly sensitive, empathic and even romantic.
With such aspects, it is important to realize that you are the master and re-claim your power. Inconjunct aspects can be very powerful stores of energy which allows us to accomplish anything we want if we understand how to master that energy and apply it properly. Especially if involving Uranus, they offer a lot of creative talents and may even make someone a creative genius.
How to Navigate the Inconjunct Energies
To navigate through an inconjunction is like in any relationship between two people in life: we need to have open honest communication, accept our individuality and uniqueness, learn and re-learn what each other’s needs are, and be honest in voicing and honouring our own needs.
Leaning into creativity is a beautiful way to navigate through the energies. You have to find a way to live with these two, and instead of forcing them to be together, you need to just allow them the space they need to be themselves freely yet respectfully of the other. It is challenging indeed. This is why solving this through the creative lens is needed, and there are no “shoulds” – it is unique to each person how they will find a way to settle the relationship this peace.
A thing to remember is the humble reality that you will perhaps never be able to reconcile these two – and you never had to do that anyway. The best you can do is just be more compassionate towards yourself and don’t force yourself into a box with clearly defined forms and sharp angles. Invite humour in your life as well when looking at this aspect – because after all, you are only more unique because of it. People really won’t be able to figure you out but that’s the beauty of you. You’ll always be interesting, especially to yourself!
In the context of relationships or synastry that has inconjunct aspects, your connection is not doomed but it will just require a bit more effort and willingness. The best way to empower each other as partners is to learn about each other. You have to really open your heart, and be really compassionate and tolerant of each other’s perspectives. Try not to wrap yourselves into the drama of a situation, and remember what really matters in your relationship. If fights arise, remember that you are not fighting against each other but you are fighting together for a solution – for a way both of you will feel better in your connection. And sometimes you just need to disconnect and have some distance in order to see your partner’s perspective and become more harmonious with them.
Inconjunctions essentially teach us, and or at the very least they offer us an opportunity for a deepening – for how we may deal with differences, and how to be better in our relationships with other people. How do we deal with those with whom we don’t agree? Are we able to settle relationships into peace despite our challenges? How do we approach “the foreign” and that which we cannot even begin to understand? We can only meet someone else as deeply as we’ve met ourselves.
An Example: Natal Venus Inconjunct Uranus
Let’s now walk through an example.
In general, natal Venus inconjunct Uranus shows a person who has a deep need to connect, to be intimate, to commit, while simultaneously needing freedom and space from that very person they desired. In your adulthood, you might have longed for a soulmate but as soon as you get that deep bond, your feet start itching and your soul needs space. But once you get your space and freedom, you then begin longing and reminiscing about the affection of another. So in this life, you walk of path of exploring and understanding how freedom and intimacy weave in and out and of themselves – and that they are not mutually exclusive but in fact, can co-exist together in a creative and fulfilling way.
Depending on the sign of your Venus, you might be a person capable of wholehearted and deep devotion, beautiful expressions of your love and affection, and your partner will see you as a dream come true. But if you don’t give yourself the space your soul needs – like going for a walk by yourself, watching a movie by yourself or even going on a trip by yourself – you may start to become restless, impatient, annoyed, frustrated, even angry, and generally detached. In your partner’s eyes – they might think that you’ve stopped loving them and they might feel isolated from you or just plain confused. And in your mind – you are confused too and perhaps very hard on yourself swimming in endless waters of “what’s wrong with me” along with the added self-blame and self-guilt. You are actually an amazing partner in committed relationships because you are passionate, exciting, inventive, creative and you probably know how to keep the fires burning for your partner even after many years.
So before you label yourself, and wrongly categorize yourself, as someone with a “fear of commitment”, you need to understand that –
you don’t need freedom from relationships, you need freedom within relationships.
Firstly, you need to acknowledge your need for freedom and having space for your creativity to shine because this aspect makes you incredibly creative. You are, in many ways, a creative genius! The energy within you is strong, powerful and you can really create some amazing things in this life inspiring everyone around you. Secondly, you shouldn’t stay away from relationships, as it is actually the intimacy from relationships that brings out your inspired creativity. But what you need to do is find the right one for you.
You need a partner who understands your needs and the many nuances of your inner world, and who is also willing to learn, re-learn and re-explore you throughout the years. You need a confident and emotionally mature partner who will give you plenty of consistent love and affection, and also even encourage you to take your time and space whenever you need it. Stay away from people who are controlling, jealous and insecure as they may “put you on a leash”.
This aspect is also supporting you in walking away from relationships you have outgrown or from those not good for you anymore – as it gives you the courage, free independent mind and self-sufficiency that many people just don’t have.
Part of the reason why this inconjunction may have formed in childhood is because on some level you were led to believe that love is unreliable. This might have happened because one or both of your parents weren’t consistent in showing you love, care and affection. Another reason for this aspect may have been that you grew up with a controlling parental figure or in some controlling environment. Or it could also be that this aspect is essentially protecting you in some way relative to other aspects in your chart. Perhaps without such a strong independent and courageous spirit you would have had the tendency to stay in unhealthy relationships for too long or chosen the wrong partner for you repeating some old karmic pattern. This aspect is also supporting you to remain true to yourself and step into your creative talents and powers.
To soothe the energies you also need to give yourself the freedom to realize that love is something that doesn’t fit definitions or boxes, and that there are no shoulds or musts. There is no right way to love and live – what matters is to feel comfortable and fulfilled regardless of whether others understand you or how your way might seem to them. It’s okay to have an independent spirit, wild like the moon or an adventurer, and then come home and cuddle with your lover in front of the fireplace being the ultimate homebody. Love too is a wild free thing, often times even rebellious as it paves its own unique way breaking away from conditions, boundaries and limitations.
The right partner for you will also be someone who can give you the stability of loving you despite your unexpected sparks and need for freedom and space. When you are shown that their love remains for you, even when you are away from them, this will inevitably heal you, and make you even freer in your spirit and love expression, and you’ll be more devoted and loving towards them also. You also need someone who you can learn to rely on– as it is through healthy dependence that we step into our true independence. It is important for you to learn the humility of receiving and the vulnerability of asking for help too, as your “independence” shouldn’t turn into avoidance to be inter-dependent which is healthy relationships are based on.
A simple practical thing you can do if you are living together with your partner is actually have a separate room in the house dedicated only to you, where you can spend your alone time and indulge your creative side daily. Once you honour those needs within you, you will find that you are more devoted, more affectionate and more loving than ever before.
Any Uranus aspects usually have to do with the themes of free spirit, independence, authenticity, freedom, honesty, courage to be yourself and radical truth; and when these needs are not honoured we become rebellious just for the sake of rebelling or opposing, which is only the result of some restraint or our inability to be our true selves in the environment we are currently in. So it is up absolute importance to be surrounded by people who support us in our authenticity.
And if you are the partner of the native with a Venus-Uranus inconjunction, it is important for you to be honest with yourself, and then with them, whether you are ready to accept them as they are – because one thing is for certain, they are usually very honest individuals and they deserve honesty in turn.
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Cover art: “Lovers” – wall painting (before 79 AD) from Pompeii – Naples, Archaeological Museum, via Wikimedia Commons.
