Polarity - True Lies and Open Secrets?

by Carole Bone

When first learning astrology, I remember being utterly bemused by descriptions of signs, aspects and planets that seemed totally contradictory.  For example Aries would sometimes be described as assertive, pioneering and brave; sometimes aggressive, bullying and reckless.  As my studies progressed, I learned polarity was the key to understanding this seemingly contrary information.  One is of course the positive and one the negative expression of the sign and integrating this awareness is intrinsic to understanding astrology and chart interpretation.  

The division of the zodiac by sign, element, mode and polarity are the basic building blocks of astrological principle but polarity is usually skimmed over in comparison to the others.  However it has much to give the new student grappling to comprehend the bewildering wealth of information used in horoscope interpretation.  

If we look in the dictionary we find the following definition

­POLARITY ~ noun

• The state of having two opposite or contradictory tendencies, opinions, or aspects.
• "The polarity between male and female"
• Synonyms: difference, separation, opposition, contradiction, contradictoriness, antithesis, duality, antagonism, conflict, dichotomy
• In astrology: opposite houses or signs

But the division by two can enlighten much more than astrological tenet alone.  I began to see that many things could not be understood, or exist without its opposite.  Simple examples are light/dark, good/evil, love/hate, hot/cold, long/short, far/near and so on.  At a deeper level, human behaviour and even life itself (which cannot be understood without death) is more clearly defined by polarity. 

But let’s start at the very beginning - it’s a very good place to start!

Current scientific consensus is that the phenomenon known as The Big Bang was THE moment of creation.  From that moment planets, stars, solar systems and galaxies began to slowly form as the cosmos expanded.  A process that is still ongoing.  There are also theories that eventually, some thousands of millennia in the future everything will begin to collapse, contracting into dense matter that will once again explode in some future “Big Bang”.  A kind of Cosmic Groundhog Day.

This continual contraction and expansion can be likened to the breath of the universe as it inhales and exhales.  It is the process of life on a scale we cannot imagine.  The tension and rub at the core of this process is polar in nature and is found in every aspect of existence. 

More on this later but keeping this in mind, the following tables have a short description of sign and house polarity.  I have tried to limit this to one or two words that encompass the core meaning whilst underlining the contrasting Polar expression.

 

Here we have an Amusing (Polar) Interlude to underline the point…

But I digress, back to the point!  So what else is polar? 

Opposing Planetary Principles - The Personal and Social Planets

Mars and Venus – Action v Reaction
“When Two Tribes Go To War!” 

Or so Frankie Goes to Hollywood sang in the eighties.  Polarity is two things in opposition to each other and opposites can either attract or repel.  An obvious subject to start with then, is war in which two opposing factions “face off” to each other.  This resonates particularly with the polar signs of Aries/Libra and their ruling planets Mars/Venus.   This gives us our first wee bit of controversy as befits the principle of the two signs.  Aries/Mars is the soldier/defender and Libra/Venus the negotiator/diplomat. 

Most of us, regardless of race, creed or colour would agree on the needless destruction, pain and suffering War brings.  Yet most humans would also agree that there are indeed things worth fighting and even dying for.  Throughout all of history human beings have fought and killed each other over moral standpoints, principles, religion and so on. 

This is partly explained by very basic human instinct.  Going back to Neanderthal times man realised he had a better chance of survival (Mars/Aries) as part of a team, pack or tribe (Venus/Libra).  However, your pack/tribe must also barter with (Venus/Libra)… or… defend against (Mars/Aries), other tribes.

Today we don’t live in caves but we still exhibit “pack” behaviour by identifying with our environment or “tribe” with all its laws and social values etc.  Living in a big city has been aptly described as an urban jungle and doing so still requires “survival skills”.  We like to think of ourselves as being part of a “civilised” society but it is still the Mars/Aries, Venus/Libra drive that is utilised from the playground to the office as we grow up and relate to each other.

NB - I've found it interesting to note how many next door countries or cities etc have a kind of “friendly rivalry” which historically can have its root in violence and hatred, yet they are also very similar culturally.  Examples would be America/Canada, India/Pakistan, Australia/New Zealand, China/Japan.  Closer to home we in the UK have Scotland/England and the divide between Northern Ireland and Eire. 

Reconciling the Two?

Mars is the god of war, we are told that negatively he is a bully, rough, takes what he wants by force, he is belligerent, aggressive, selfish and violent.  Yet where would we be without the Mars function.  Positively he defends those that cannot fight for themselves; he is how our body “fights” infection, and how we stand up for our individuality, our pioneering spirit, our spur to take action. 

If it were not for the Mars function life would stagnate.   

Venus has also been depicted as a Goddess of War but, negatively, her usual offensive tactics are to be self serving, easily swayed, indecisive, devious, glib and often charm someone else into doing all the dirty work.  Positively Venus has persuasive ability, good judgement and refines everything she touches.  A skilled negotiator she restores harmony and dispenses justice fairly via the ability to see both sides of a situation, she is the diplomat capable of resolving issues with tact and fairness.

As the polar principle of Mars, Venus can temper the god of war from hoodlum to hero.  To be the warrior who uses his physical strength only when necessary, winning others to his cause with impassioned speeches for justice.  Mars needs the raw energy of force to be refined by Venus’s fairness and judgement but Venus must also invoke Mars assertion to realise her potential, to make one’s mind up, levy judgements and not vacillate endless pros and cons.

Sun and Moon – Ego v Emotional Attachment

The two biggest things in the sky, the Sun (male) and the Moon (female) are perhaps the most obvious opposites.  The star we know as the Sun is the life giver but the small satellite we know as the Moon is equally important to us.  It is a remarkable coincidence that the Moon is four hundred times nearer the Earth but the Sun is four hundred times further away and so they appear to be the same size in the sky.  Even more remarkable is when the Moon lines up directly between the Sun and the Earth blocking our view of the Sun perfectly, creating what we call a solar eclipse. 
Without the Moon we would no longer be in the “goldilocks zone” in our solar system so her effect on us is a primary one.  Should we wake up to find no Moon our oceans and seas would have no life giving tides causing the seas to flood the land.  Our orbit around the Sun would be far less stable which, in turn would affect our weather systems dramatically thus detrimental to life as we know it.  In this respect the Moon is physically every bit as important to us as the Sun and illustrates astrology’s geocentric view point. 

Astrologically the Sun is our ego or core being and illuminates who we were born to be.  Considered masculine it is dynamic and describes our ability to individuate our creative potential.  It takes most of our lives to “grow” into our Sun sign.  The Moon is our inner emotional nature.  The carrier of our memories, she is considered feminine, intuitive and describes our image of mother (or mother figure).  She shows how we were nurtured and also how we nurture ourselves and others.  The fastest thing in the sky she travels through the zodiac in roughly 29 days.  As she does so she touches everything in the horoscope.  This dialogue is digested and fed back to the Sun.  In this sense she is the container of experience and memory that “feeds” our solar development.  She shows the kind of nourishment our solar hero receives as we grow and develop our potential.

Saturn and Jupiter – contraction v expansion

Narrow minded, lacking vision, confidence and optimism, Saturn can become incapacitated by “what ifs”.  Paralysed by fear and negativity he can be his own worse saboteur. 

Jupiter’s optimism can lead to foolhardiness and failure due to blind faith that nothing bad could ever go wrong with his grand ideas.  He can lose interest when bogged down by realities, failing because he did not foresee problems or do enough groundwork.   

Ideally Jupiter has the broad minded vision Saturn lacks, he sees the Big Picture but Saturn has the focus, drive and stamina to achieve the goal.  Jupiter needs Saturn’s sense of boundaries and realistic expectations so that he does not overextend his energy or his luck.

Saturn seems to “polarise” more than one principle.

Saturn Uranus – convention v innovation

Saturn can stubbornly deny any form of restructuring as it works best at holding fast to the old order and preserving tradition. 

Uranus is unconventional and identifies that which is outworn and in need of renovation.  All good as long as it does not become “perverse”, throwing the baby out with the bathwater and revolting for revolution’s sake. 

Ideally Uranus helps Saturn to restructure new and innovative improvements whilst Saturn helps Uranus to keep what is good and of worth, crystallising and building on Uranian change and improvement.

Saturn Neptune – tangible v intangible

Saturn lives in the realm of reality and that which is solid and tangible.  Ever practical, he seeks proof and the tried and tested, struggling with the nebulous world of Neptune’s dreamy expression and unrealistic visions of perfection. 

Neptune’s realm is that of compassion, spirituality, dreams, idealism, intuition, music, art and the intangible.  Negatively Neptune can be overwhelmed by “real life”, deluding itself and others with ill conceived notions that have no solid grounding. 

Neptune can give Saturn a dream to work for and Saturn can give Neptune the tools to make that dream come true.

Saturn Pluto - maintains the status quo v powerful transmutation

Once again Saturn finds his gift for keeping the old order, fear of change and maintaining the status quo, challenged. 

Pluto knows change is inevitable and indeed necessary for life to exist and continue.   

Pluto’s power to transform through healing can lead to realising the gifts inherent in the wisdom born of experience.  Pluto must learn to use life changing experiences wisely and not continually create drama for the sake of it.

AND THERE’S MORE!!
The Outer Planets with the Higher Octaves

Mercury and Uranus - Information v Invention - the mental body

Both planets are concerned with the intellect but Mercury is restless and curious, always gathering data.  Uranus breaks the boundaries of our perceived understanding and reasoning with out of the blue concepts.  Ultimately with a view to reform.

Venus and Neptune - Personal love v universal love - the emotional body

Venus is the physical realm of sensuality, indulgence, romance and the appreciation of physical beauty.  Neptune is idealistic, seeking perfection in an elevated, impersonal love that is spiritual and universal.  Venus love is that of barter, “I will love you if you love me back”.  Neptune’s love can be selfless but also be the victim or martyr in a repeating cycle of sacrifice and loss.  Finding our own worth and value whilst observing healthy boundaries in all relationships, personal or collectively is the “ideal”. 

Mars and Pluto - Birth and rebirth – the physical body

If Mars represents the raw, primal drive to fight and the spur to defend ourselves then Pluto is the power to be reborn either physically or psychologically, to survive.  Everything lives dies and is reborn (or recycled) and so Pluto's higher expression elevates Mars' attachment to physical desire.  Pluto seeks metamorphosis, transforming human suffering by understanding the process of life, death and reincarnation.

Further Polarisations

We divide the horoscope into hemispheres using the Ascendant/Descendant which relates to day and night – Below the horizon lies the personal sphere of life and above the horizon is the collective. 

We also divide into Eastern and Western hemispheres.

Each hemisphere is further divided into quarters – each diametrical quadrant has its opposite principles. 

The Angles themselves are specific, highly sensitive points that anchor the horoscope (the MC/IC and ASC/DES) which we refer to as the Cross of Matter that are also opposing/balancing influences.

In Conclusion?

Comparing things that are opposite to each other seems to give a deeper understanding of both.  Many branches of science are embracing new theories on how the universe works, such as cosmology and quantum physics.  The most recent thoughts are that the universe is composed of 4% matter, 23% dark matter and 73% dark energy but there is much we still don’t understand such as black holes and a host of other cosmic phenomena. 

The very basis of understanding these enormously complex subjects is often examining how energy and molecules behave.  One can often see the polar principle in the interplay between powerful forces such as positive and negative charges on protons and neutrons which, seems to be intrinsic to how life first started.  Ergo… perhaps equilibrium equates to stagnation, which at best may result in lack of growth or evolution.  Or, perhaps equilibrium is a necessary homoeostasis from which the cycle of life can begin and evolve.

Everything is born, procreates and dies, has a beginning, a middle and an end.
This is true whether it is the soul development of a human being or the birth of a universe.  The whole numbers 1, 2 and 3 are synonymous with creation at many levels and are reflected in the aspects used in astrology. 

If the potential contained in one (the conjunction) cannot be released without the mitigating force of the other (the opposition) then the polar “rub” generated is like flint to steel, giving forth the spark of creation and life (the trine).  In every culture we see this reconciliation of opposites.  In it we see the Trinity at all levels such as father/mother/child, maiden/mother/crone, past/present/ future, Father/Son/Holy Ghost and even the cycle of the Moon as it waxes, becomes full and wanes.  Each thread of astrological principle intricately weaves to create a beautiful tapestry illustrating the whole but I find polarity is certainly one of the most illuminating ones. 

I think the following quote from Carl Jung encapsulates how we might best utilise the gifts to be gleaned from understanding how to reconcile the opposites.

On the level of the Son there is no answer to the question of good and evil; there is only an incurable separation of the opposites. . . . It seems to me to be the Holy Spirit's task and charge to reconcile and reunite the opposites in the human individual through a special development of the human soul.
~ Carl Jung

Image sources:
Diagram quadrants: © Nick Anthony Firoenza
All other images: CC0 Creative Commons, via pixabay.com

First published in: www.infinityastrologicalmagazine.com, Jan/Feb 2019.

Author:
Carole Bone has studied astrology for twenty years and gained her Certificate from the FAS in 2001 and then with Anne Whitaker who founded Aquarius Rising, the West of Scotland Astrological Association.  Carole was invited on to the committee as Librarian and is now secretary.  She also enjoys writing a little poetry and photography. Contact Carol at: carolebone@hotmail.co.uk

© 2019 - Carole Bone - Infinity Astrological Magazine

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