Get the Balance Right

All opposing signs are polarities that belong to a common axis. When oppositions occur, the planets in those signs are driven by needs that often seem impossible to reconcile, since they appear to be contradictory in nature. The key to stabilizing two planets in an opposition is to honor the fulfillment of each sign need individually, without negating the other. This can be done by allowing room for both needs to be addressed in the life at different times or in independent situations. This is how, for example, nature allows for winter and summer to both co-exist on the Earth.

The difficulty arises because, more often than not, one of the needs of the polarity is rejected by the ego and encountered as a projection in another person (oppositions typically involve others in our lives). That encounter with that particular shadow outside of ourselves, then makes it easier for us to continue to define ourselves in opposition to what we’ve rejected. However, if one recognizes that the rejected need is merely the other side of a COMMON NEED that drives them both, then we may begin to stabilize the axis and integrate that shadow.

This diagram consists of the six sign axes that make up the Zodiac. Each sign is listed in a pair with its opposing sign. In the middle sea-saw is the name of the common axis that both poles belong to. Once you’ve gained a good understanding of the driving need of each individual Zodiac sign (as I've discussed in other posts, and which I go through extensively in our Syntax course), study the description of the common axis that each pair of signs belongs to. The integration of these axes is important once one begins to work therapeutically with the signs of the chart. It’s with the integration of an axis -- where two planets oppose one another -- that most psychological healing takes place. An over-identification with any particular archetype can also create a shadow in the opposing sign, even if no planet is present in that sign. For example, it’s not uncommon to see over-identification occur with the rising sign, thereby creating a shadow in the Descendant sign’s need. In part, this is because the Descendant is the place of the setting Sun and is therefore imbued with the symbolic association with “increased darkness”. Thus, most of us will need to integrate the ASC-DSC axis to a large degree. But having a luminary in the rising sign indicates a higher tendency to identify with that need, and consequently, a rejection of the opposing sign. 

So let me now describe the 6 sign axes:

Aries vs Libra – Independence vs Interdependence

Common Axis: involves negotiating the degree of reliance that is stable in life

This axis involves the soul’s individuation process and negotiating the degree of self vs other reliance that is stable for one’s life. When the Aries-imprinted soul perceives in its experiences too much of a dependence on others, or a lack of freedom that threatens its ability to individuate, it will lean more heavily toward Aries to remedy that situation. (Think of a child that’s learning to be autonomous, and note that it’s not Aries that creates the dependency situation, it’s the situation that evokes the need for Aries in us. This is true for all chart components). In this situation, the need for autonomy and independence will exert the greater force of the two poles of the axis because it is perceived as lacking. The soul may prefer doing things his own way and react with frustration at efforts that compromise his autonomy and independence. If the need for autonomy is continuously challenged, conflicts and separations may inevitably arise.

On the other side of the pole, Libra is a mixed light sign that is at the birth of a developing awareness of the collective. In its evolution, the individual is now seen as part of a larger entity that involves other people, particularly in a dyadic relationship. If the Libra-imprinted soul perceives others to be overly selfish or self-centered to the point that they ignore or fail to recognize the native’s own rights or individuality, that lack of fairness will make him lean more heavily toward Libra, in an attempt to correct that perceived imbalance. Leaning toward Libra is often triggered by a sense of injustice or unfairness, which is why the symbol of the scales was adopted by the justice system.

While an Aries unbridled need for autonomy can turn into egoism, Libra’s unbridled need for equity can turn into despotism. For example, if the threat of selfishness is perceived to be extreme enough to endanger that entity’s own well-being, the native may either seek out an impartial or outside authority or take authority into his own hands. The Libra month has been traditionally (in Mesopotamia and the Levant) related to the idea of judgment (as in the day of judgement of Rosh Hashanah) and to the idea of peace (as in the Islamic 7^th month Rajab, in which fighting is forbidden). Despite the emphasis on peace – and perhaps because of it – under extreme Libran degrees, attempts to right perceived injustices can turn into overly authoritative control that unwittingly spirals into violence. What both signs can fail to realize, is that they are EACH negotiating the degree to which one must depend on others. Aries’ shadow is a reluctance to embrace interdependence, while Libra’s shadow is a reluctance to embrace independence.

Case study: Adolf Hitler is a  good example of how the Aries-Libra phenomenon can involve the exaltation/fall dignity lords of these two signs: Sun and Saturn respectively. Hitler had late degrees Libra rising, which led many astrologers at the time to mistakenly judge that he was a peaceful man that would not invade Poland. However, in the late 1930s, Hitler was on a path to right the perceived injustices inflicted upon his nation after WWI. Remember that Libra lacks inner peace and feels a sense of injustice. It’s searching to resolve that need.

Saturn controls the exaltation of Libra and the fall of Aries, because its ability to commit to a path ends up restricting or decreasing the unlimited options present in Aries, but compromised in Libra. Aries has unlimited options because it’s the 1^st sign of the timeline and therefore, has not yet committed to any paths on its journey. It’s a paradox of choice that the more choices one makes, the more that our path becomes limited by those very choices. Libra represents the need for compromise and thus, for the need to restrict one’s choices, which Saturn is more than capable of contributing to. Saturn also happens to be the highest planet in Hitler’s chart. He used it to bring down the options and perceived selfishness of his enemies (since Aries is on the 7^th) in an attempt to right the perceived injustices toward his nation and himself (Libra on the 1^st). In contrast, the Sun controls the fall of Libra and the exaltation of Aries, because the soul’s imperative is to perpetuate the Self, and because the cooperation demanded by Libra, requires the temporary surrendering of the Self’s own needs in recognition of those of others. Therefore, in order to meet Libra’s needs, the individual Will (the Sun) must be temporarily lowered (fall) in favor of the relationship with another. Hitler failed to do this without violence, falling into a remorseless Aries-Libra enantiodromia. Thus, his leadership (Sun) brought down his nation and ultimately his own life (Libra on the 1^st).

Taurus vs Scorpio – Acquisition vs Elimination

Common Axis: involves negotiating the degree of sustenance that is stable for life

The Taurus-Scorpio axis involves the soul’s ability to negotiate the degree of sustenance necessary to bring stability to life. How much emotional and material sustenance do we need to ensure our survival and well-being? When the soul perceives a lack of worth – either in the Self or in the material resources that the Self requires – it will lean toward Taurus. Here, the soul will tend to perceive physical or financial insecurity and attempt to remedy this situation with the acquisition of greater income, physical possessions, or the skills that may be traded for either. Often, a lack of material worth reflects an internal lack of self-worth, either in the individual or, sometimes, unconsciously in his lineage, if there is a pattern of familial poverty. Thus, the emphasis will be on the need to acquire that which is physically necessary for sustaining and growing life.

It is for this reason that the Moon has its exaltation in Taurus. As ruler of the material world, the Moon alone can uplift the degree of worth by providing a protective and secure environment that allows resources to be nurtured and to grow. One may envision the Earth itself as the epitome of such a nurturing environment, which is why the Moon represents the Earth itself (the sublunar world) or the physical body, which is itself a vehicle of value and growth.

In contrast, in Scorpio, the soul perceives a situation where there is a degradation of that which can provide physical or emotional sustenance. This can be the degradation of a relationship, a job, a home, or even of the Earth itself, depending upon where the sign is located. In extreme degrees, through entropy, this sign perceives that conditions have degraded to the point where things have become unproductive, toxic, or no longer contributing to one's physical or emotional well-being. The remedy is to purge or let go of that which is no longer emotionally or physically viable and can no longer provide any sustenance.

The Moon has its fall in Scorpio because it cannot nurture growth in a toxic environment. Both of these signs are fixed (that is, slow to change). But they each address the negotiation of a stable level of sustenance: Taurus does so through a perceived lack of personal resources; and Scorpio, through a perceived degradation of existing resources to provide for our own sustenance, or the sustenance of others.

Hypothetical Case Study:

Let’s take, for example, a Pluto-Mars opposition in Scorpio and Taurus, respectively. In such a case, let’s say that I identify more easily with the Mars in Taurus pole and therefore, encounter the Pluto in Scorpio in someone else, whom I perceive to embody it. And now let’s suppose that in the external world, this opposition expresses itself as an encounter with a bureaucrat, who forcefully enforces the complete elimination (a key need for Scorpio) of combustible fuels, because he perceives them to be intolerable planetary toxins. If, for example, I work in the lumber industry, this position may ultimately collide with my need to provide lumber to my clients (Mars in Taurus) and to make a living. I may then see my ability to secure resources and a livelihood being threatened by the force of that Pluto. Yet both the Taurus AND the Scorpio needs reflect a concern for Sustenance! The bureaucrat is concerned with the larger society’s sustenance, while I’m concerned with my individual sustenance. In point of fact, it is common for an axis to posit the individual against the collective version of the same need. This is because the summer signs are individual, while the winter signs are collective. But it’s the recognition that the need is the same that becomes the key starting point for negotiations that might lead to a solution that’s mutually satisfactory. Internally, the ultimate goal is really to mentally embrace the rejected pole as part of the whole.

Gemini vs Sagittarius – Questioning vs Knowing

Common Axis: involves negotiating the degree of assurance that is stable in life

The Gemini-Sagittarius axis involves how we negotiate our need for assurance and certainty in life. As one proceeds through life’s journey, one needs to have a degree of assurance about the path that is to be embraced. We’re all different and some of us need more assurances than others.

In Gemini, there is a perception that one is ignorant about, or lacks important or relevant information that he/she needs, to make certain decisions. Gemini’s perception is often one of intellectual uncertainty that can be remedied by further study or the acquisition of more knowledge. This is why Mercury, as Gemini’s domicile ruler, represents the student, ever aware of what he does not yet know. Mercury, addresses this perceived lack with questioning, curiosity, and the engagement in discourse with others, fueled by the drive to gain this missing knowledge. The goal is to acquire more information so as to feel greater certainty and assurance.

When Gemini is in late degrees, it can perceive extreme doubt and uncertainty, searching simultaneously around through many avenues for what it lacks. This may be experienced as a form of scattered attention, lack of focus or an insecurity about his own ability to learn. For why else would it take so long to find answers? When Gemini -- for whatever reason -- overpowers its axis, the ability to feel secure in one's knowledge may be impeded and the perpetual student or the devil’s advocate may emerge, questioning everything, especially those who are most certain! Thus, Sagittarius emerges as the shadow of one overly identified with Gemini. 

In Sagittarius, it isn't the perceived lack of information that is the problem. Rather, Sagittarius perceives a lack of assurance in the direction and meaning of the information that will drive it to carve out its path. Sagittarius feels it lacks the ability to see how the totality of information fits together in the larger framework of greater meaning and purpose. Sagittarius does not perceive a lack of information, it perceives a lack of certainty about the wisdom and direction of what it knows. In essence, it lacks faith. As a fire sign, it wants that “aha” moment of deep inspiration and belief. Its ruler, Jupiter, resolves this uncertainty by imparting the knowledge it has to others as a teacher, priest, politician, lawmaker, actor, etc. In so doing, the soul finds assurance and a greater purpose about what he knows by offering some consolidation of knowledge and ultimate direction to others. Paradoxically, assurance is not found, but rather created. Ultimately, Sagittarius’ problem is one of faith, which is why the revelation and guidance that he imparts to others is what ends up assuring his own sense of direction, purpose and meaning.    

When Sagittarius is in late degrees, the soul’s unresolved need for assurance and certainty becomes extreme and it may compensate by becoming overly dogmatic or doctrinaire about its knowledge, or easily deceived by others who claim to hold higher truths or wisdom. The search for truth itself can ultimately become the meaning and direction sought. Late Sagittarian degrees can overpower the axis to the extent that over-confidence or zealotry emerge. Gemini thus becomes the shadow, through the Sagittarian soul’s refusal to accept doubt. However, when this axis is stable, the acquisition of knowledge can turn into great wisdom, deep insight and the ability to inspire others.  

Cancer vs Capricorn – Security vs Achievement

Common Axis: involves negotiating the degree of risk that is stable in life

Cancer/Capricorn is the security vs. achievement axis in the chart and involves how one negotiates the degree of risk-taking one needs in order to feel fulfilled and stable in life. With Cancer, there is a perceived lack of emotional or physical security and a need to seek protection and sanctuary. Because of this perceived lack of security, Cancer is risk-averse and focused on creating a safety zone. Its ruler, the sensitive Moon, is highly attuned and aware of its surroundings, which makes it particularly good at providing the information and resources needed to shield oneself from perceived dangers.

The Moon provides an enclosure of safety that allows not only for survival but for growth. If we think of the walls of the earliest human cities as the shell of the Crab, we can see how Cancer’s defensive attitude engenders permanence, safety and stability over time, allowing for lineage and history. For this reason, Cancer is oriented toward the past, rather than the future. In addition, the security provided by the Crab’s shell allows for a sense of trust and faith in a secure future and the expansion of humanity beyond the boundaries of its own enclosures, which is why Jupiter exalts this sign.

However, if Cancer is in extreme degrees and its unfulfilled need for safety becomes imperative, extreme caution, fear or paralysis can result. This can impede public or professional achievement from developing, which always requires some form of risk-taking away from our comfort zone.

Capricorn, on the other hand, is predisposed to perceive the need for accomplishment and success, which become its primary drivers. This sign occurs late in the Zodiacal cycle, which indicates that the achievements sought in Capricorn are of the ambitious type that can only be attained after a lifetime of effort. This sign is often focused on what it can leave as a legacy, whether of a personal or professional nature. It is the culminating sign of the Earth realm and has some larger outer world legacy as its goal.

Saturn, the planet that can endure great effort and personal constraints over long periods of time, is most suited to the task of ambitious endeavors. However, engaging in the fulfillment of its ambitions is a large risk because it entails a life-long gamble on something, which we may or may not achieve in the end. For this reason, Capricorn must see risk as a fact of life and safety as a lesser concern, otherwise it will not create the opportunities to achieve the legacy it wants. The goat, Capricorn’s symbol, is likewise a risk-taker, oriented ever-upward toward the steep heights that it seeks. Its motto is to never look back or down. It is also because of this risk-taking affinity, that courageous Mars has its exaltation in this sign. Those who can negotiate a stable degree of risk management, will not only be able to achieve their goals, but feel secure enough in their ability to manage that trajectory over time.  

Leo vs Aquarius – Identity vs Inclusion

Common Axis: involves negotiating the degree of authenticity that is stable for life

This axis deals with the way we negotiate our sense of Self or identity. In both poles of the axis, we are seeking a degree of authentication that establishes us as respected entities. However, in Leo, this need is more personal. Here, there is a perceived lack of recognition and validation of the individual Self. It is the validation, respect and esteem that we experience from others (parents, teachers, friends, etc.) that allows us to shape our self-confidence and our distinct identity and character. In the Leo imprint, this validation is often perceived as lacking. Thus, the Sun, its lord, will seek its own identity-forming experiences, making decisions that will garner the support and respect of others, so that it may define itself through those experiences. If life fails to provide these validating experiences, or the soul hides from them out of fear of rejection or of making the wrong decisions, one may fail to develop a strong sense of self-confidence and identity, thus, creating a greater Leonine need (i.e. lack). As a result of this perceived unfulfilled external validation, Leo in late degrees may experience an exaggerated need for recognition, becoming overly self-involved, narcissistic, or attention-seeking in an attempt to garner the respect and authentication it desperately seeks.

In Aquarius, the negotiation of authenticity occurs from within a more public framework. Here there is a perceived lack of social inclusion that leads one to seek validation and esteem from within the larger social group. Aquarius is a sign that occurs late in the Zodiac because the need for social inclusion becomes most salient in the experiences of our senior years, as many of our friends and family have moved on or departed, often resulting in feelings of loneliness, neglect or social isolation. For this reason, Saturn is Aquarius’ domicile lord, entrusted to address this need. If, within a particular group, one encounters strong, supportive and validating experiences, the group identity is strengthened and the soul finds authenticity from its inclusion in the larger social structure.

If Aquarius is in late degrees, the need for personal social inclusion may be perceived to be chronically unfulfilled or frustrated and thereby, become imperative. In some cases, when confidence is lacking in the individual Self, the soul may seek membership with those who share the same outrage of that personal exclusion itself. In such cases, if successful in garnering group solidarity, the exclusion itself may metamorphose into the group’s identity and provide the common motive for its cohesion. In the currently perceived “Aquarian Age” – where the Earth’s precession has been judged by some astrologers to have entered the late degrees of Aquarius (since precession occurs in reverse Zodiacal order) – many may be sensing a compelling thrust toward some form of group authentication. This is most obvious in the social media phenomenon, but identity politics and the social justice movement all reflect this imperative Aquarian need (as precession occurs backwards into the late degrees of Aquarius). The irony and shadow side of the late Aquarian degrees is the failure to recognize that a group who defines itself on the basis that it has been socially excluded from the larger society can inadvertently become just as exclusionary of others as a self-absorbed Leonine individual can. Whether individually (via Leo), or as a collective (via Aquarius), the entity needs to be self-authenticating and find self-esteem on the basis of the embrace of its positively defined qualities, not on the basis of its exclusion.

Virgo vs Pisces – Improvement vs Transcendence

Common Axis: involves negotiating the degree of constraints one accepts in the life

Every life includes some degree of constraints and limitations. This axis speaks to the way an entity deals with those constraints, obstacles, deficiencies or limitations. In Virgo, the soul perceives some inefficiency or problem and feels the need to improve upon or repair the issue. Mars is triplicity lord of this sign because it has the courage and proactive skills to see the constraints as a problem to be tackled head-on and resolved. Mars manages the problem by either disassembling and re-articulating the situation, in an attempt to repair, correct or improve upon it. But it’s the domicile and exaltation lord Mercury, who is gifted with the power to fulfill the need. It does so through its capacity for analysis, discernment, and disputation. Mercury’s technical and critical thinking skills are often called upon to negotiate the minimization or mitigation of such constraints. But it's Virgo’s lack of tolerance for constraints that lead it to want to mitigate them in some manner, in the first place. In late degrees, or when its continual attempts at resolving or minimizing a particular problem are thwarted, the soul can become overly habituated to this critical focus and express as excessively critical of self or others.

Extreme Virgo requires an understanding of its shadow sign, Pisces. On the opposite pole, Pisces also sees the limitations and constraints of life, but as a feminine sign, it's less proactive about addressing them. It has a greater tolerance for imperfection and disarray than Virgo, which can often serve its needs. This is because its preferred method of addressing constraints is to either ignore them or attempt to move the soul beyond them, such that they're transcended. Pisces relies on Jupiter as a steward for transcendence, since Jupiter alone can expand and uplift the soul beyond the constraints of a situation. If the situation requires creative inspiration and re-imagining, this planet can reach beyond the problem to accept a compromised solution. More often than not, the limitations of Pisces are physical or material. After all, this sign occurs Zodiacally during the last stages of life when the body has begun to break down and the soul is called upon to reach beyond its physical limitations.

However, when Pisces is in late degrees, the need to transcend physical or material constraints may become imperative due to continual denial and escapism, as a form of dealing with restrictions. Here too, Jupiter can become somewhat responsible, since his optimism and blind faith in life can promote escapism and the inability to face uncomfortable truths. However, it’s Pisces’ exaltation lord, Venus, a planet that rules over the generative qualities of matter, that can best uplift Pisces out of its troubles. Venus represents the gifts that come from others and from the fertility of the earth. Thus, Pisces will find that its earthly limitations are often resolved through the generosity of others or through the bounty of life itself. In the case of the last stages of life, over which Pisces rules, we see that Venus’ rule over human fertility and generation is what allows the cycle of rebirth to elevate and liberate the soul from the restrictions of its failing body. But this faith in the fertility and provision of life is something that barren sign Virgo struggles with, since it has somewhat of an ascetic and self-reliant outlook on matter. For this reason, Venus has its fall in Virgo.

The key to negotiating this axis is to recognize and accept that matter is by its very nature limited and subject to degradation and entropy. In the serenity prayer we find the most relevant instruction for dealing with the Virgo-Pisces axis: “We must accept the things we cannot change, have the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Pisces is more suited to accepting what cannot be changed, while Virgo is better at accessing the courage needed to improve upon those that can. But, as in all oppositions, wisdom lies in recognizing the union.