Past Articles

AR 39 The Poles of the Zodiac

AR 38
Uranus In Pisces
2003-2011

AR 37
Twelfth Planet, Plutinos or
Planet X

AR 36
Eclipses – Promise or Peril?

AR35
Solar Fire

AR34
The Lunar Mansions of Vedic Astrology

AR 33
Children of the Gods

AR 32
Wheels Within Wheels

AR 31
Horoscopes of Destiny

AR 30
Zodicac of Dendera

AR 29
A Star Is Born

AR 28
Age of Aquarius

AR 27
Persia's Royal Stars of Ancients

AR 23
The Lore of a Shaman

The Poles of the Zodiac

""You can never find yourself until you
face the truth" - Pearl Bailey

Above the doorway to the temple of Delphi in ancient Greece hung the admonition, "Man, Know Thyself." Astrologically speaking, knowing ourselves, understanding the true nature of our "sign," depends in part upon embracing the opposite.

Modern magazines, newspapers and web sites are filled with astrological Sun Sign forecasts which eager readers consume, hoping for guidance and insight into their increasingly complex lives. Sun Signs are divisions of time and space based on the Sun's apparent annual journey through a circular band of sky called the ecliptic.

Astrologers divide the 360-degree circle of the year into twelve equal segments of thirty degrees each, resulting in the familiar twelve zodiacal signs. In this system Aries, the first sign, has the number one position. The Sun's annual journey begins in March at Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere as Autumn begins down under. As the Sun seems to advance through the year its place in the sky and signs changes, progressing from Aries in Spring, to Cancer at summer solstice, through Libra at the beginning of autumn, and into Capricorn at winter solstice. The equinoxes are reversed in the southern hemisphere. The four arms of this axis are called the cardinal points of the year and form a conceptual frame or wheel of time.

Six pairs, or twelve of a kind?

The twelve signs of the zodiac can be viewed in a sequential or linear fashion, beginning with Aries and progressing through Pisces. Seen this way the experience of the signs represents an unfolding journey and an experience of the soul moving through time and space to gain experience. The nature of the signs develops from a personal and very individual orientation in Aries, the first sign, to a transpersonal and collective orientation in Pisces, the Fishes, which swim in the cosmic ocean. Moving from the Sun outward through the solar system the planets are symbolically viewed the same way.

The word zodiac comes from the Greek and means "circle of animals." A Russian proverb states that every road has two directions. So it is with the highways we call the signs of the Zodiac. This circle of stars is formed by energies which alternate in gender or positive or negative "charge." Beginning with masculine, projective Aries the signs alternate polarity every other sign.

The two ends of any spectrum are both polarized and complementary. Between the extremes of black and white lie infinite shades of gray. Between hot and cold are varying degrees of temperature. Lying along the spectrum of wet and dry are degrees of humidity. The qualitative energy of the twelve signs are also six pairs of polarized expression, operating as continuums. Therefore, the sign on the opposite side of the circle of animals is also of opposite polarity.

Since we view the position of the Sun, the Sun Sign, from our home planet, the opposite sign is where the Earth resides. In some circles knowing your enemy is as important as knowing yourself. Astrologically one of the keywords, or ways of understanding the aspect of polarity or opposition (180 degrees), is "awareness." When we acknowledge and recognize what confronts us we begin to understand ourselves. The opposition can denote both balance or imbalance, cooperation or conflict, depending on awareness.

Six polarities of energetic expression

Aries - Libra Continuum of personal expression

Mars-ruled Aries is the fiery sign of action. Venus-ruled Libra is the airy sign of partnership. Aries initiates and Libra responds. This polarity offers the extremes of domination or acquiescence, leading or following, with the higher ground pointing the way toward partnership and cooperation. As the energy moves back and forth along this continuum we shift from individual action to joint effort. The goal is the middle ground of taking turns and perceiving strength and talent based on specific situations.

Taurus - Scorpio Continuum of resource

Earthy Taurus gathers possessions while the deep waters of Scorpio desires intense experiences. This energy moves along the line of what we personally possess to how we spend or invest these resources. Taurus can hoard possessions like a miser while Scorpio can indiscriminately spend their resources. The goal of this pair is knowing when and what to acquire and how to utilize our energy appropriately on every level. Money is "green" energy and sex is life energy. How do we store, keep a savings, or pass the energy on?

Gemini - Sagittarius Continuum of mental exploration

Gemini is perhaps the quintessential air sign, darting mentally and physically in every direction, seeking stimulation. Fiery Sagittarius pulls back his bow and aims his arrow high, but frequently without a target. Gemini tends to explore close at hand while Sagittarius roams far afield. This spectrum explores how we move out of our home base, familiar territory and into the macrocosm. Do we shoot our arrows just for the thrill of it? Synthesis is the key for this pair. Stop, look and listen might be the motto for both. Why am I exploring, and of what value is the data collected?

Cancer - Capricorn Continuum of field of influence

This duo contrasts home and family with work and career. Cancer feels the pull of roots and heritage while Capricorn strives to climb the heights of power and position. This polarizes the personal domain of hearth and home versus making a mark in field and town. The goal of this polarity is understanding our personal impact on our world and learning the consequences of our acts. Whether we are the nurturing influence to an Einstein or Mother Teresa, or whether we go out into the world to make a fortune, this spectrum can teach us the relationship between our base of security and our ability to strive and overcome.

Leo - Aquarius Continuum of personal power

In a sense, Leo represents the king and Aquarius the kingdom. This pair moves us along the continuum from potentially dogmatic dictatorship through rebellion for its sake. One end of this polarity examines how authority is held and power over others is wielded, while the other side examines how we respond to impulses toward Individuation and personal freedom. Even monarchs have to obey natural law, and everyone is ultimately subject to some authority. How we deal with authority, whether following orders or directing others, is the domain of this energetic couple. Is Utopia defined by an enlightened monarch or a conscious, contributing populace? The goal is true understanding of rulership and the concept of noblesse oblige as well as the role of the enlightened members of a republican democracy.

Virgo - Pisces Continuum of assimilation

In the case of practical Virgo the approach is to dissect the parts, isolating each unique snowflake or grain of sand as an individual. At the other extreme, Pisces is immersed in the ocean unaware of solitary drops of water. Virgo analyzes details through a microscope while Pisces gazes dreamily through a telescope. Do we take everything apart into its component pieces or just swim in collective awareness, unaware of distinction? The goal of this duality is knowing when to differentiate and when to blend.

Principles in action

Zodiacal signs represent qualities of experience while planets embody archetypal expressions of energy. Using the Leo-Aquarius polarity, we can examine a current planetary opposition to see how polarities operate. Jupiter in Leo will oppose Neptune in Aquarius for the second time on June 2, 2003 (the last time was Sept. 11, 2002) . We will feel this influence building in April and peaking at the beginning of June.

Jupiter represents growth and abundance. The planet of expansion and lavish expression, operating in Leo, the sign of image, drama and outward display brings to mind the words of Freehand, a character from Saturday Night Live, "It is better to look good than to feel good." Appearance can become more important than substance and a great deal of roaring and posturing may mask inner feelings of doubt and lack.

Neptune, god of the sea, embodies idealism and mysticism but also brings deception, camouflage and illusion. Neptune moving through Aquarius stimulates both idealistic imagination and blind faith. Neptune can signify the highest spiritual ideal to which we can aspire as well as a delusion of oneness and temporary ecstasy. Neptune holds up a magic mirror in which we see what we want to see, or bravely pierce the illusion, perceiving underlying truth behind appearances.

Jupiter in Leo opposed Neptune in Aquarius

When these planets oppose one other in opposite signs we may experience conflicting urges of self-indulgence, struggling with impulses to act for the greater good. The issues are wisdom versus denial, truth versus illusion, and bombast versus substance. Powerful potential for wisdom and inspired rulership exist along side showy self-indulgence.

This combination of energies has the potential for a collective experience akin to the story of the Emperor's new clothes. Will we share a collective illusion or be able to see the naked truth? We may lean toward individual self-interest, blind to needs of unknown others who suffer as a result, or we may sense our connectedness and make choices which heal and benefit the whole. Patterns of thought and choice will play out in our families, our one-on-one relationships, and in the global arena.

Before the discovery of Neptune, Jupiter was considered to be the ruler of the sign Pisces. Jupiter still holds influence over Pisces as co-ruler. A deep mystery of Pisces, embodied in the opposition of the two planets which hold rulership of this mystical sign, lies in the paradox of unity and diversity. Contained within this mystery is the path of sacrifice on behalf others. When we understand the unity of all things, an unselfish act becomes second nature because we see that there is no separation. In the interwoven web of life the choice of one of us ultimately affects the condition of all of us.