Section Headings
Jupiter conjunct Saturn (Dec 21): Karmic Justice
Humans assign Meaning; Not Molecules
Jupiter conjunct Pluto (Nov 12): Power to the People
Fulfilling our Innate Nature with Divine Assistance?
Forming an intimate relationship with our surroundings provides a sense of belonging. Familiarity transforms a potentially hostile, unknown environment into a place that is comfortable, even nurturing. Getting to know our neighbors is a part of this process.
After forming bonds with family and friends, it is healthy to also bond with those that live in close proximity – even though we might not share common interests. This bonding extends to larger grouping as well, e.g. city, state, country and even our fair planet, at least hopefully. A better understanding of our immediate neighbors as well as the greater community enables us to better take advantage of opportunities as well as avoid pitfalls.
Extending our range of belonging is healthy for our personal ego as he is wary, even afraid, of strangers. The unknown gives him anxiety. To ease this stress, this article aims to extend the sphere of intimacy to our solar system.
All of us are aware of the Sun, as it provides nourishing warmth and illuminating daylight. Plus our star’s traverse from sunrise to sunset injects our lives with a little daily drama. Most of us have at least a decent relationship with the Moon. We are casually aware of our lunar neighbor’s monthly cycle, especially the Full Moon as it lights up the darkness of the night, maybe even waking us up in the wee hours of the morning. For those of us with werewolf propensities, we might even go a little crazy. The words ‘loony’ and ‘lunatic’ reflect this relationship between the Moon and temporary insanity.
I would like to extend this familiarity to our outer planetary neighbors. In the coming months, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are all clearly visible in the evening sky after sunset: Mars in the east and the others in the west. Further, Jupiter is chasing Saturn through November and most of December – finally catching his ringed friend on the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius in close proximity to Xmas and at the Winter Solstice (December 21).
Justice is meted out – at last. We’ve been waiting for so long. Our powerful neighbor stopped short last winter, but is finally coming into alliance with Saturn. Together the two could signify a balancing of the karmic scales – ergodicity in action.
Oops! Warning: from objective observation, the Author just slipped into astrological projection. Is he deluded? Or does he instead have some type of justification for his seemingly superstitious statement?
Why is this man of science and reason (me) hanging out with this supposedly disreputable character – astrology? What does he with his modicum of erudition see in her? Science certainly does not support astrology and instead invalidates some of her key tenets. What is his rational justification for this presumably illogical relationship.
First astrology is an art, not a science. Art does not need a scientific justification. Its value is the meaning assigned to it by the Participant.
The particles that make up Picasso’s Guernica have no value by themselves. However as a group, they are worth hundreds of millions of dollar. Why would someone pay such an exorbitant sum for these dots and smears of pigment on canvas? Only someone who has invested the painting with immense meaning, hence value.
In some mysterious fashion, Picasso and artists everywhere in all times and places are able to transmit their inner vision to a canvas, which in some equally mysterious fashion imparts the artist’s vision to the viewer. Evidently when these colors are arranged in this unique fashion, they evoke an exquisite inner experience over and over again. This experience is so meaningful that the wealthy are willing to bid against each other for the privilege of possessing it. The eventual price, signifying value, has no scientific justification whatsoever. Molecules and electrons can’t reveal the meaning/value of these peculiar arrangements of color, line and space.
In similar fashion, the value of astrology does not reside in its physicality. Rather, the Participant infuses the planetary configurations with meaning. Just as some do not appreciate Picasso’s artistic renderings, others do not find any meaning in astronomical arrangements. Meaning is in the eye of the beholder and has nothing to do with Science.
To crystallize understanding, let us look at a timely example. Currently, I look at Jupiter in the sky and am aware that this giant behemoth is about to cross tiny Pluto’s path (November 12 in late Capricorn). Due to its proximity to the election, this union evokes a special meaning/significance in me. American’s new leader (Jupiter) will benefit the masses of the world (Pluto). Power to the People.
Rather than predictive, the astro-logic reinforces the political logic – a type of redundancy. This auspicious omen gives me hope – a positive, invigorating emotion. My subliminal component imparts an optimistic meaning to this seemingly random cosmic event. Then these black and white electronic dots presumably transmit my meaning to you, the Reader. Maybe this alliance of big and small evokes the same positive meaning in you, maybe not. Similarly, some might not assign to any value to a Picasso painting.
Where did this value come from? Mainstream science believes that the feelings that evoke value are either primordial or derivative. We do not consciously assign value to food, women, money or God. Rather we have innate urges/appetites that drive our behavior. Intellect/Consciousness is the helper/facilitator, not the Driver.
The assignment of meaning to the union of Jupiter and Pluto came to me spontaneously, not through a book, lecture or conversation. It emerged from a subconscious source. I could have suppressed this meaning because it doesn’t make logical sense. Rather than censor this unbidden feeling, I chose to embrace these natural responses. After hugging my humanity to my chest, I then ask why?
Do these correspondences between Heaven and Earth have any value? Or are they merely the human urge to assign meaning to everything, random or not?
The scientific community tends to believe that all of our innate feelings/appetites, e.g. hunger or satiation, are aiming at maintaining the organism’s homeostasis – satisfying appetites – balancing the bike. I reject this limited biological perspective on life. Rather I believe that humans in particular have an innate nature that drives them to fulfill potentials – going somewhere rather than just existing – biking to a destination, rather than just balancing. Writing articles, playing sports, tapping into our passion.
Why? Undoubtedly, these urges to self-actualize might only be conditioned responses without any inner connection. However, modern psychology counsels parents to encourage and shape the child’s individual intrinsic interests, rather than treating them as a blank slate, a roboton.
For some bizarre reason, this same innate nature drove me to first examine the relationships between our planetary neighbors and then connect this heavenly logic of with human logic. Boredom? Overactive imagination? Perhaps. Or could it be something else?
Let us take a different tack. Imagine that a divine force is attempting to help us on our course, e.g. fulfilling our innate nature, and chooses to communicate to us via random events, e.g. celestial omens. Indeed virtually all ancient cultures believed this to be true. Leaders have consulted oracles to determine the best course since time immemorial. Entrails, cracks on a tortoise shell, cards, the random throw of yarrow stalks, flocking birds and celestial events have all been employed to divine the intent of the gods. Indeed only in the last few centuries has the scientific mindset completely replaced divination on the political level. Has this change of course really helped?
Even in ancient times, we imagine that the oracles were only one indication amongst many. Ptolemy, the premier astronomer/astrologer in Roman times, counsels his readers to take many other factors in consideration, i.e. nationality, age and sex, before astrology. These presumably random events provide a nudge one way or the other. Cross the river or wait.
What are the gods attempting to communicate? The current union of Jupiter and Pluto validates the Biden presidency as good for the planet. This astrological info, rather than definitive, adds some color to current events. This metaphorical relationship between Heaven and Earth provides a sense of comfort and relief that the gods approve of this transition.
For me personally, this conjunction of our outer planetary neighbors inspired me (expansive Jupiter) to reach out to the public (Pluto) by publishing these articles on Medium. Astrology indicated that the time was ripe and I seized the opportunity. Our planetary neighbors both evoked hope for the future and motivated me to expand my sphere of influence. Rather than deterministic, the stars can be motivational. Perhaps they can also motivate you to help the less fortunate. It is a good time.