The polarity of human consciousness in the six astrological axes, part II

A continuation of The polarity of human consciousness in the six astrological axes, part I, where you can read about the opposing pairs Aries – Libra, Taurus – Scorpio and Gemini – Sagittarius.

The axis of Security is built on the opposition between Cancer and Capricorn. The two signs govern the two great spheres of daily life: family and work. Where Cancer symbolises nourishing, maternal, unconditional love, Capricorn answers to paternal, conditional love — the kind that must be earned, once one has learned the laws imposed by the masculine principle and by society as its expression. Cancer, moreover, senses security in the family and in the depths of its inner, unconscious world, from which its feelings and intuition spring, while Capricorn finds it in work, through the use of strong will, logic, the setting and keeping of boundaries, limits and rules, and the skilful ordering of the outer world of matter. These are the two central pillars — mother and father — in which every growing individual finds support and safety. When Cancer manages to accept and integrate its shadow aspects from Capricorn, it begins to take responsibility for its own life and for the way it feels, no longer letting its decisions be dictated by passing moods, and learning to manifest in physical form the ideas it draws from the unconscious. It becomes a creator, able to express its feelings without manufacturing a sense of security by manipulating and controlling others with them. Capricorn, for its part, needs to touch its own emotional world without fearing that this would make it weak and vulnerable, realising that a life without feeling is a hollow form without content. When it manages to connect with this shadow side, it becomes the one earth sign with the gift of bringing spirit and light into impenetrable matter.

The pair of opposites Leo – Aquarius reflects the ego much as Aries – Libra does, but the relationships in question are no longer individual, with the Other; they concern those a person has within a community. The axis of the Ego describes the need for self-expression and attention within a group (Leo) against the capacity to accept differing points of view and to follow shared ideals and goals (Aquarius). Leo is linked with love and the heart; it feels at home in its own skin and knows how to bring joy and warmth, commanding respect through its inner sense of nobility and significance. At the opposite pole, Aquarius is the most cerebral and eccentric sign of the zodiac, which can create an impression of coolness and distance. Within a group, however, unlike Leo, it recognises no hierarchies or limits; it has a rebellious spirit and innovative ideas, at times bordering on genius, behind which lies the wish to contribute to the development of the collective. To become more whole, Leo needs to accept that not everyone has to like it, and that however special and wonderful it may be, this does not make it more significant than others. Its shadow can teach it that following one’s heart means not being afraid of meeting others’ disapproval, and that it is sometimes necessary to stay out of the spotlight in order to observe and reflect on things objectively. In coming to know its shadow, Aquarius realises that its tendency to be strange and different conceals an unconscious wish to stand out, and that behind the wish to help everyone stands the shadow of power. It needs to learn to understand others not merely intellectually but with the heart, since the path towards wholeness inevitably passes through accepting the wounds that every person carries.

If there is a model that describes the axis of Service and the interplay between the two polarities Virgo – Pisces most precisely, it is the two hemispheres of the brain. Just like the left half, Virgo is linked with rational thinking, with differentiating, categorising and examining small elements, while Pisces, like the right side of the brain, answers to intuition and creative thought, ignoring detail and focusing on the object as a Whole. Virgo is bound up with planning, order and routine, with refining the detail and striving towards perfection in work. This in turn makes it exacting and critical of others and above all of itself, since it consciously believes there is only one right way for things to be made perfect. It rules out entirely the possibility of intervention from a higher order, according to which everything happens exactly as it should. Its opposite, Pisces — depicted as two fish circling one another — symbolises the joining of the opposites. For this reason its qualities are considered to come closest to the transcendent, which in turn makes it hard for Pisces to assert itself as a person on Earth. Pisces needs to develop its shadow traits from Virgo and discover what it truly enjoys, so as to devote itself to that and become genuinely good at it. In this way it brings order to its inner creative chaos and builds firmer boundaries with the outer world of matter. Virgo, for its part, needs to trust and connect with the idea of God and its varied expressions on Earth, developing greater compassion towards people and their imperfections. It thus learns to live with the uncertainty of human life, where what seems logically right may later prove wrong, and the reverse. If Virgo’s mission is to serve the refinement of the human being in everyday life, the mission of Pisces is to refine the invisible part — the soul and its place in the spiritual world.

How do the signs of the zodiac affect us?

It should be made clear that when we speak of zodiac signs, this does not refer only to people with the Sun in a given sign, but to the dominant astrological aspects in their birth chart.

Every human being is a unique combination of different archetypal energies

(the planets), which interact according to their placement by sign and house — determining the sphere of life in which they will express themselves and the quality they carry. This is why a person may show strong traits of a given sign whether or not their Sun is in it. It is likewise considered impossible for anyone to display absolutely every aspect of a particular sign, however strongly it features in their chart. Harmonious interactions arise between elements of similar energy, from the earth element for instance. Even so, the greatest potential for growth lies in the inharmonious aspects, like the pairs of opposites described here — a Sun in Leo with a Moon in Aquarius, say. This is because they bring a sense of tension and discomfort and therefore draw the person’s focus, who in turn wants to be rid of an unpleasant feeling they cannot ignore. In the end, a person begins to work hard on the theme set by that inharmonious aspect, and in realising the need to accept two seemingly incompatible attitudes, becomes more whole and finds their own authentic way of expressing both energies without the strain of inner or outer conflict. In short, every person has all six astrological pairs of opposites present in their natal chart, though these are active at different stages and in different spheres of life.

The story of the development of human consciousness through the signs

The path of self-knowledge and individuation begins with Aries, the spark of divinity through which individual human consciousness is born and a separate I is formed. With Taurus it acquires an individual body, sensations and qualities; then comes Gemini and the development of the ability to put thoughts into words, to exchange ideas with those around and, in the end, to learn about the world through trial and error. With the fourth sign, Cancer, it connects with its deep emotional nature, with the transience of feeling and the natural cycles of life. Reaching Leo, individual consciousness begins to express itself freely along with the talents that set it apart from others, refining them to perfection in Virgo and reaching the furthest phase of separation from the Whole. Then, in Libra, the second half of life begins — the return towards Unity, where the I connects for the first time with the idea of the Other, through building partnerships and finding harmony within them. In Scorpio these relationships deepen through emotional exchange and the merging of two individuals, leading to inner transformation and the opening of a new page. The ninth sign, Sagittarius, brings the passage from inner realisation to outward activity, and from the personal to the communal. Individual consciousness now opens to the world and learns how varied it can be, helping it reach universal human truths and its own spiritual nature. Capricorn applies all this knowledge towards developing its calling before society. It begins to give of itself in the name of the collective, in order to establish, in Aquarius, shared goals and ideals to be realised for the good of the group. In the final sign, Pisces, individual consciousness reaches the last phase of the return to the Whole, where it loses its outlines and takes up the task — so difficult for a human being — of being Everything and Nothing at once, seeking to reach beyond the two-poled model of conscious perception.

If you would like to explore your own astrological portrait of opposites, do not hesitate to get in touch.