iv. translation

The sign the Sun and Moon appear to be in, as well as the ‘personal’, or inner, planets – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – are all indicators of the individual personality and the way in which the ego translates energy. Simplistically, the Sun represents a core sense of self; the Moon - emotional response (ego); Mercury - communication and thought processes; Venus - love and relationships; Mars - motivation to act; Jupiter - philosophical perception; and Saturn – structure, limitations, boundaries and karmic lessons. Where they are placed in the natal chart specifies areas of life that these energies focus on.

The outer, or ‘transpersonal’, planets – Neptune, Uranus and Pluto - represent the collective experience of a generation. As such, they are considered to be great teachers and are translated personally according to their position in the natal chart. The sign they fall under describes trends in collective consciousness, as well as the intent and behavioural patterns of cultures. For instance, at time of writing (2002), Neptune and Uranus both sat in Aquarius, while Pluto was in Sagittarius. This indicates a time of much change, if not revolution, in belief systems and spiritual thought. However, with Saturn on a two-year journey through Gemini (the opposite sign of Sagittarius), a tug of war between cultures based on beliefs and religion does not come as a surprise. The stern teachings of Saturn opposing the cataclysmic energies of Pluto make for an extreme time of karmic lessons and destruction of all that exceeds both personal and cultural boundaries. The political situation during this time between the leaders of the Western world and those of the Middle East, not to mention the demise of the World Trade Centre and subsequent war with Afghanistan (a Muslim Jihad, or holy war), are prime examples. Furthermore, the mass politicisation of the public through information technologies such as the internet, and mass media generally, is indicative of the intelligent and humanitarian influence of Aquarian energy.

Astrology is neither a dogma nor a discourse that proclaims absolute truth – it is an interpretation. When we speak of the effect, or influence, of planetary energies it is just as relevant to consider what these representations reflect of cultures and selves. It is the angle from which you perceive, the accent or intonation you use, that pulls focus to the dialogue in scenes of the play that we like to call life.

bunny star 2004©