Who or what are we trying to be?

Sagittarius 2023

Something that is not often emphasised in astrology, is that the zodiac has a sequence. After Aries comes Taurus, and then Gemini and so on. As the zodiac originated in northern climes, some of the meaning is attributed to the seasons. After Leo – full of sun  – comes Virgo and Libra, signs associated with autumnal themes. The sun has just been through Scorpio, heading for darker days and now, as I write, we are nearing the end of Sagittarius, after which the Capricorn ingress will herald the return of the light here in the north.

From Scorpio to Sagittarius

Here in the Netherlands, during Scorpio – a time for deep research and analysis – we weighed up who would get our vote in parliamentary elections. Right at the beginning of Sagittarius, the polls closed. It was clear that Scorpio had produced plenty of polarisation. Now, as we try to form a government, we should be looking for a vision for what kind of country we want to be. Our sign of the month, when acting positively, is one of wise judgment. It is also a sign associated with politics, laws, philosophy and marketing. All of these require a ‘target”. After all, Sagittarius is an archer.

Questions for this Jupiter time of year

What are our norms? What do we believe in? What is our culture? Where should we point our arrows? The discussion at the moment in the Netherlands, is about the constitution and who can work together with whom. The constitution is important for these questions. However, behind the issue of who can work together, is the question of trust. That would have been better handled during Scorpio time! We need to get on with a vision for the Netherlands now, and in Capricorn we need to make concrete steps and agreements to put that into practice.

Netherlands culture – who are we?

The chart many of us use for the Netherlands has a Pisces Sun and a Cancer ascendant. A compassionate country at heart. Jupiter in Libra shows a belief in peace and cooperation. However, Jupiter picking up Uranus and Saturn, also means that we believe in a balance between clear agreements and the freedom to choose our own path. A belief in solid innovation, and going against the grain when there is a practical need.

One way this can be clearly seen, is in the difference between parties who want to leave the EU and those who want to stay. The compromise needs a new, innovative solution that satisfies both sides. Black and white options will never work. To suit our horoscope, the immigration problem needs to be solved by a compassionate but practical strategy, as does the farmers’ issue. Sagittarius is a time for big-picture strategy. Scorpio tends to polarise, Sagittarius should then focus on the ‘whole’. There is an order!

What about you?

Not only do we need to know who we are as a country – we may need to start with ‘who do I want to be?’

This month I reread James Hillman’s ‘The Soul’s Code: in Search of Character and Calling’. In it, he describes the acorn theory. Put very simply, we need to grow down into who we really are. Hillman thinks we place too much emphasis on our parents, which I take to mean we have our own path to find. I don’t agree entirely with what he says but I agree we need to follow signs we receive on our journey, despite our backgrounds. And to listen, when what he calls our ‘daimon’ intervenes, to put us back on our soul path.

To do this we need to discover our calling, by Scorpio ‘research and analysis’ and  we then need to hold to a vision of who we truly are. Who do we want to be? Only then can we take concrete Capricorn steps on our life’s unique path. If we don’t do this we tend to follow someone else’s philosophy or life strategy. The downside of the Jupiter-Sagittarius archetype is following gurus. Or political groups!

We can help a world in chaos

Everywhere we see chaos and destruction. We see war, and the desperately sad slaughter of many people, not to mention animals, trees and plants. Therefore I found it comforting to follow someone else this month, who gives some hope and suggestions for the future. Michael Meade is an American author, mythologist and storyteller. He has worked with James Hillman, and is on the same page in terms of needing to discover ‘a genuine version of our own self.’  He refers to our ‘genius’. We might have similar talents to those of others, but our gifts and style are unique. Your friends know what they are! They can help you identify them. As, of course, can your horoscope!

It is enough, Meade says, to develop our gifts and talents, and to give them to the world. Even though this can be difficult, he maintains that by doing this we can create a better world. And, I would add, a happier one.

Who do you want to be?

You need to awaken to who you are – who do you want to be? Something inside us knows better than we do. This is similar to Hillman’s daimon description. The human challenge has always been to develop into who you truly are. To quote Meade again: “We come in with an aim and a destiny. Awakening to this can heal. Even in chaos, learning how to give your gifts is stabilising. And not only on a personal level. This leads to collective transformation.” This is something desperately needed now. No matter what your age, “The calling keeps calling.” You need to listen.

Creation myths

I have included two of Meade’s videos below which I think are well worth taking the time to watch. He is really good at telling stories and unpicking the meaning – a very Sagittarian pursuit. (Although he is a Capricorn, Meade has a love of (and therefore a talent for) finding meaning, with Venus in Sagittarius. One video explains what he means by genius. The other, needed in these difficult times, explains why creation myths are important to us now.

“All creation myths are recreation myths”

There is always chaos, such as we have now, before times of renewal. Things need to fall apart for new things to emerge. Myths can help us find ways to do this. In a much cited myth, the first to arrive out of chaos is Gaia, and in myths from other cultures, it is a feminine divine figure that is needed for creation and re-creation. Gaia made things as a whole. We need this wisdom now.

After Scorpio – a sign about death and rebirth, comes Sagittarius, we need a vision to recreate the future. After polarisation, and through the tension of opposing forces, the next thing is created.

It’s happened before

The situation in which we find ourselves is not new. We are at the end of a world view and we need a new vision to create a new one. Meade suggests that a new world will always contain conflict. What is needed, is a new view on how to deal with it. In his view, maturity involves the capacity to handle opposing things. With the planetary changes coming up in the next few years we are clearly in a collective rite of passage.

On fear

Many people are afraid in these times, so I also found something else very relevant. Meade pointed out that the origin of the word fear means to ‘go through’ something. Fear connects insight and instinct. It is a guide to stay in your body. We have to go though the upcoming years. By tapping into our inner wisdom and staying grounded, hopefully we can come out the other end as more ‘us’. By resisting being made fearful, or getting side-tracked by others and staying true to ourselves, I think we have a chance of a better world. Although I know that can be difficult, in my practice I have always tried to encourage people to follow their hearts and be the unique individuals they are.

The order of the zodiac

In this blog I have covered mainly the passage from Scorpio to Sagittarius, and touched on Capricorn. Next year Pluto will go from Capricorn to Aquarius, and I will cover more on this in upcoming blogs. It is a major shift. This order then, not only deals with the time of year, but is a way of looking at how life unfolds naturally, from a life, to a year, to longer periods, and also for much shorter periods, such as projects. Knowing the order can help us when we are stuck. Way back in Libra 2011 I wrote on this subject. High time for a re-visit!

Quotes and ideas of the month from Meade

You can see I was quite taken with Michael! The ones in quotes are quotes! The rest are a summary of some of his ideas.

When things are out of whack, go to myths and participate in rituals of renewal.

“When you touch the origins you touch potentials of life again” (I really like this one as I think we do this when looking at a horoscope.)

We need to be born and reborn to become ourselves.

Vision is not just sight – each soul has its own world view.

Your inner eyes will walk up through the world and find a path.

And one with which I whole-heartedly agree: “If you are open to your calling when things are falling apart, things can get through!”

And lastly, this may help. Ask yourself: ‘How did you recover from loss or problems before?’

You might as well be yourself

Indeed, being yourself, is probably the only thing you can do. Let’s all try and create the positive versions of us by doing the necessary inner work.

Faye Blake

Videos of the month