Balancing excesses and uncovering lost potential with Unity Astrology
Note: If you’re skeptical about astrology or have a hard time understanding it, you might read this article first.
While out shopping for Christmas presents, I contemplated Jupiter moving into Sagittarius in early November, where it remains until early December 2019.
After a year’s stay in Scorpio (the underworld), a part of me felt a sense of relief—a bit of buoyancy. The planet of exploration is no longer going to be under water and is finally surfacing for a breather. I’ve watched too many of my friends deal with health problems while Jupiter was in Scorpio (which crossed my friends’ natal Uranus opposition to Chiron, the planet linked to our deepest wounds). Even though I know that the discovery of the darkest part of ourselves brings us to a higher place—we all need a break sometimes. Enough already.
Yet another part of me knows that very few planet placements are simple or easy in this transitional age. Astrologers traditionally expound on all the benefits of Jupiter in Sagittarius (“Sadge”)—which is connected to quests for knowledge, higher education, travel, expansion and fortune, as well as feelings of optimism and excitement. These astrologers aren’t wrong. But the other part of me knows there’s something else going on, a least for a certain population of us, which probably includes you if you happened upon this article.
As I shopped, I observed the ways Jupiter manifests itself in nature in contrast to how it does in our society.
Outside the store, I noticed the many shades of oranges, yellows and reds appearing on just one tree, and sometimes on one leaf alone. In the warm, sunny days, a ton of sugars are produced in the leaves, spurring the production of pigments that tint reds, purples and crimson. The cool nights cause the veins of the leaves to close, preventing sugars from moving out, just as the chlorophyll, which creates the green, dwindles. Without the chlorophyll, the pigments that create other colors are unmasked.
Inside the store, I saw the rows of toys, a shelf full of products inspired by a single cartoon character, and the exuberance of the kids running through the toy aisles.
Inside of me, I observed a drop of energy in the face of so much excess and stimulation in comparison to the resonance and uplift that I felt among the leaves. That was followed by the judgement (a Sadge tendency) arising about a belief system (also Sadge) that assumes humans are separate from nature—and how that belief may play a role in manifesting what’s outside of me—the big box stores.
When home later, I noticed on my end table the stack of astrology books next to journals filled with scribbles, where I’ve attempted to untangle my insights. When I sat down to revisit my writing, the opinions of other astrologers popped into my head—which may be different than mine—and I try my best not to let their passions impede on my own quest to seek and explain knowledge in my own unique way. I observed my tendency to want to give up when the topics are too complex to explain to a novice reader of astrology, especially in a short, snappy format of a blog.
We all have a choice of how we express our Jupiter energy. How refined it is or how excessive it is partially has to do with what the sky looked like when we were born (i.e. our natal chart), and the location of planets in signs that are complementary opposites. But when it comes down to it, what matters are our day-to-day choices and our decisions to cultivate the parts of ourselves that balance out Jupiter extremities. These excesses might show up as noise, dogmatism, and exaggeration or the tendency to be unfocused, impulsive, overstretched and unrealistic. (If none of them apply to you, keep reading through the end of When squares go wrong section, because I’ve been observing another phenomenon in InnerSynastry participants when their Jupiter is “locked.”)
Traditionally, astrology says Jupiter is at its best in Sagittarius. I don’t disagree. There is something about being able to let loose and be yourself instead of feeling constrained or questioned. That’s how planets feel (and the corresponding parts of ourselves) when they are in their “home.” But my interest in astrology is to examine the over-excesses of each planet—the challenges of each one that are likely to show up in our personalities when they go unchecked. In the end, I just want all the energies, and the different parts of ourselves, to get along.
Balancing excesses
I’m reminded of how, several years ago, I transitioned away from conducting media relations as my main career and started exploring other pursuits. While there were many reasons for the change, one was the direction that this profession could be headed with the invention of social media. On one hand, I loved that everyone has a voice and we don’t have to wait for newspapers or TV outlets to decide what news is. On the other hand, it was painful for me to watch the general public go through what I was forced to learn as a beginner opinion column writer (which was part of my post-undergraduate job as a reporter).
When we suddenly have access to the world’s eyes and ears, we have to learn when it’s most appropriate to keep passions at bay; realize how readers with much different lives than ours might interpret our words; and know when to wait to express an opinion until a diplomatic expression arises, even if we are certain that we are right.
That doesn’t mean that there’s not a time and place to be loud (hopefully combined with humor, another Sadge quality). But if our truth is not adequately being digested because of the way we expressed it, then sometimes it’s best to sit on it until that truth has become more refined, spoken from a place of inner balance.
So—how do we achieve this balance? Unity Astrology, as I like to call my method, offers concrete ways. (Note to long-time astrologers: I offer my Unity approach, which is just starting to fully crystallize, as a point of discussion in hope it can co-evolve as we share insights with each other. More on how to do that at the end of the article).
In the zodiac circle, the signs that are opposite (180 degrees apart), square (90 degrees apart), or next door (each 30 degrees) offer differences that create enough friction to soften the qualities of the sign with potential excesses.
For example, Virgo (square to Sagittarius) might offer accuracy and precision; an appreciation for simplicity; concern for another’s health and well-being; an ability to focus on one task for an extended period; and an awareness for the earth’s limited resources. All of that balances out Jupiter’s bigness and explosiveness. A picture of that blended energy might be a Christmas present that serves a useful, practical purpose unique to the recipient but is also fun (so for me, that would be an astrology book). Another example: an uncluttered room simply decorated but with bright drapes and boldly colored furniture. Or a precisely worded insight about someone’s spiritual health delivered at just the right time with an open-minded tone. Virgo and Sadge together might exhibit the conviction, commitment and energy required to maintain an organic farm, producing perfect vegetables to gratify the creativity and refined taste of a chef.
Gemini (opposite to Sadge) might look forward to Christmas because it’s a day when people of all points of view, who are all living different realities, are brought together in the same room. Gemini probably does not criticize a big box store, and, if well balanced with Sadge, Gemini may also realize judgements such as this one are not necessarily wrong. There’s a reason for Sagittarian belief systems—they help us get to a certain point in our evolution. A healthy Sadge-Gemini appreciates that not everyone holds that same opinion—and allows space for people to hold their unique point of view and expression of their internal reality.
Next door to Sagittarius is Capricorn, which contributes its strong connection to the collective reality. Sadge is typically far off into the future, but Capricorn is fully grounded in what is possible today. A well-balanced Sadge-Capricorn knows just the right time to manifest big projects and the steps needed to get there. Meanwhile, Scorpio, the other neighbor of Sadge, appreciates depth—without Scorpio, Sadge would stay on the surface. Together they can make sure that projects address a core need of the community, rather than just infusing playfulness. Meanwhile Sadge keeps a bit of levity in the midst of Scorpio’s darkness.
It took quite a bit of contemplation for me to articulate the balancing effect of Pisces, the other square to Sadge. That’s partly because slowness (or the appearance of it in the limited way we typically perceive time-space) is the nature of Pisces. It’s also partly because the Pisces-Sadge relationship is more complicated than the others. Jupiter, along with Neptune, is closely associated with Pisces, so this “co-rulership” indicates a lot of natural similarities between Pisces and Sadge, although with important differences. For instance, both signs tap into the vastness of the unknown, but Pisces does so by looking inside or empathizing with others, and is okay with not fully coming to one conclusion. On the other hand, Sagittarius captures knowledge by very much being “out”—exploring—then returning home with a fierce view of the world based on what she discovered.
My epiphanies about Pisces-Sadge were further slowed by my own tricky Pisces/Neptune placements, which means I experience both the best and the worst of Neptune energy quite strongly. The best is being able to tap into the peace that's in the divine order of all that is at any given time. The worst is fatigue. I recently went through a spell of it following two weeks of creative energy and continual inspiration. (That happens occasionally when I meet new friends, especially if they’re propelling my growth at a fast pace.) At the end of the two weeks, as much as I wanted to move forward on writing about some of the insights that came to me, my body/mind just wasn’t working.
Finally, lying in bed the morning before I drafted this article, the beginnings of it seeped into my awareness. Under the influence of Pisces/Neptunian energy, inspiration floats in like a sweet dream, and I watch it unfold. It’s not a concern whether I act on the specific words or images that arise when I’m in a Neptunian state. (In fact, Neptune energy is often best represented in ways other than words). It’s more important I’m aware of the feelings in the body while passively visualizing, which I can then infuse into this very Sagittarian (long-winded, for one!) article.
In contrast, Jupiter-Sadge energy comes pounding in, especially if it’s mixed with Uranian/Aquarius, Pluto/Scorpio or Mars/Aries energy. When I act on Neptune inspiration, it’s sweet and for the betterment of all—Pisces doesn’t want to hurt anyone. But Jupiter-Sadge energy can appear to be self-serving, even if it’s generous and only after the quest of “truth.” Until I re-find my Piscean center, blended just perfectly with my dominant Virgo (Pisces’ opposite), it’s sometimes best for me to just rest and wait it out before speaking. Nevertheless Pisces needs Jupiter-Sadge or otherwise it remains stagnant and internal.
When squares go wrong (and oppositions for that matter)
This personal story leads me to a very important phenomenon for the type of clients who are typically drawn to InnerSynastry.
Astrologers tend to emphasize the challenge of squares and oppositions, rather than their balancing effect. Again, they are not wrong by any stretch of the imagination. Those of us who have a disposition that contains strong expressions of complementary opposites are in a constant state of refinement. Even when it seems like we’ve made loads of progress, we are face-to-face with yet more to learn, just on a subtle level. For instance, I may have learned from my early years as a newspaper reporter not to write bold opinion columns that flowed linguistically well but had little awareness of my audience’s viewpoint. But I’m still figuring out how to sit on large influxes of energy until I find the right wording to be able to properly articulate the information. Holding it in causes havoc on my nervous system, no matter how much I do yoga or breathwork or garden or walk or swim to release the energy.
This situation is not just an issue with my Sagittarian moon conjunct Neptune (plus a complexity to my Jupiter that is linked to other powerful yet appeasing energies—I’ll leave that juicy explanation for another article). The issue is also with my squares, not only to my Virgo sun and Saturn, but also my Leo-Virgo cusp Mercury, which is one of the planets associated with Virgo. Saturn already has a reputation for slowing things down, let alone when it’s in Virgo creating squares with planets in fiery signs.
What are the ramifications of these squares? My Moon (symbolizing the internal self, according to Western astrology), has great access to wide swaths of information and large influxes of energy that may not be relevant to the present time, and my Virgo/Mercury is trying her darndest to make sense of it in her logical way and refine it in a simple manner. Sometimes that’s out of the capacity of a human being. What happens? At a less-than-ideal moment, I regretfully vomit a string of advice onto the person whose energy is triggering the intuitive downloads. That leaves the person feeling flustered, as the information was delivered at a time and in a speed such that they aren’t able to understand, digest or act upon the insights. Perhaps there was truth somewhere in the pile of words, but it’s hard to find it among all the surplus.
Thankfully, the spewfest rarely happens unless I’m extremely over-stimulated, especially now that I understand the sides of myself that are wanting to be expressed and competing for attention. But I still have to monitor the way I word certain insights to make sure that I’m taking into consideration how the person is receiving the information, especially if the language opens up old wounds. (All good practice for developing and fine-tuning my Chiron, i.e. "the wounded healer," an important dwarf planet for Virgos.)
Yes, the release does make the constant intuitive downloads stop, almost immediately. Sometimes vomiting is a survival mechanism. But that doesn’t satisfy my Piscean side (nor the Librian egalitarian or tad bit of Cancer-ish caretaker in me) that wants everyone to be happy. I’m left with a sense of guilt that has the potential to further stifle my communication, unless I’m aware of the situation and take steps to relieve it. Because my Jupiter is linked to Pluto (darkness and depth) and Uranus (quick divine inspiration), it can be so intense that I might be scared to invite in Jupiter, and then I would miss out on Jupiter’s many gifts.
That’s how Unity Astrology and InnerSynastry come into play.
It is common for InnerSynastry participants to have blocked certain energies—not just because of natal squares or oppositions, but also as a result of traumas. For each new client, I always research dates of traumas so that I can see the planetary transits that were occurring then, and hence what energies they potentially associate with hard times. It’s not the actual energy that’s to blame, but the excesses and the imbalances that caused the trauma. Nevertheless, the client may associate all experiences of that energy with the horrible event, and are therefore not able to receive the full benefits of the energy.
We can unlock these energies, not only with sound, but with actions in our daily lives.
Becoming reacquainted with Jupiter
Have you ever been led to believe that your opinions didn’t matter?
Has anyone ever criticized the tone of your writing or your artwork?
Has anyone reacted unfavorably to your passions?
Have you ever been told you are too messy?
Have you ever been prescribed a pill that suppresses your internal fire?
Most of us can relate to at least one of these scenarios. Perhaps the lesson served you well at the time. Perhaps you worked for years to refine those passions. Perhaps your morality is so strong now that you are quite certain you won’t act impulsively against your higher will. Perhaps you’ve regained trust in your insights, and they now need to be heard.
Or perhaps your fire is so suppressed, that you don’t even know what makes you passionate any longer. In any case, we can re-open the box with sound.
While in an InnerSynastry session, I can discern why or how Jupiter may be blocked by looking at the clients’ natal chart along with key dates in their lives, and then I play sounds of complementary opposites to balance the energies causing the trouble. Most of the time, the astrology charts alone are not enough information—I also rely on my intuition and sense of inner accord, which I’ve cultivated very carefully over many years, to know which sounds and at what volumes to play them.
Meanwhile, I can offer suggestions on how to further balance out or bring in Jupiter energy throughout their daily lives.
If an overabundance of passion is the client’s concern, I suggest dovetailing energetic pursuits with calming activities. For instance, when I’m speedily writing about astrology (the fast pace means I’m likely channeling the information), I’m also taking breaks to fold laundry or wash dishes. When I’m done writing for the day, I walk in nature and observe how nature perfectly orders the complexity of Jupiter. And then I might return home and try to create order in my own chaotic garden. All these activities help me release energy, and prompt edits to come to mind before publishing. It’s best to end the day with a minimum of 10 minutes of meditation and a calming yoga practice such as yin style or restorative. In the morning, I have fresh eyes to re-read before posting. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone waited a full day between drafting remarks and posting to social media! I don’t want to impede spontaneity—but just encourage thoughtfulness.
For those who are striving to make friends with Jupiter and all of its abundance, I suggest remembering times in which Jupiter played a happy role in your life. What comes to mind: Pre-teen girls with a case of the giggles, cracking up about something sweet and innocent, something that only they would find silly. A road trip, exploring unknown territory in a car packed full of friends. A podcast in which the listener is so enthralled that he misses the exit he is supposed to take. Energetic dancing to favorite songs. Chocolate liquid truffles sipped while chatting with long-time buddies.
Then when you feel yourself becoming overstimulated—whether from your own ideas or from a big box store—you can recognize the feeling of overwhelm, set it apart from you rather than believing it or letting it overtake you, and then recall one of these special memories when stimulation was sweet and innocent and enlivening.
Ignoring a part of ourselves so that we can develop another trait is not always bad. In the years that I turned my Sagittarius on simmer, I was able to get to know Virgo, the healer of Mother Earth, in her fullest beauty and groundedness. But returning to where we originated is always key in the final integration.
For years I swore at the Jupiter-like energy (probably mixed with other intense planetary energies) that would wake me up at 2 a.m. with excitement for projects or articles that seemed far in the future or out of my capabilities at the current time. She’s like my lost four-year-old self jumping on my bed ready to start the day after five hours of sleep while the adult in me grumbles about needing more rest. It’s like she knows I’m not typically paying attention to her, so yells really loud when I finally do.
I don’t want to curse Jupiter. I love Jupiter. To understand the awe of Jupiter, it may be helpful to associate it (along with the other two fire signs, Leo and Aries) with the unconditional love and benevolence that we receive from the Father in the Holy Trinity, even if you only regard “God” as a metaphor.
It’s my love for Jupiter that keeps me fervently trying to balance all sides of myself, so that I’m able to be with it in all its grandiosity—without freaking out. I think InnerSynastry wouldn’t have come to be without this internal struggle. The universe (during a Jupiter-Uranus-Chiron transit) handed me a form of healing so that I could tap into the unknown without feeling pressure to articulate it (Virgo/Mercury) or merge with it (Pisces/Neptune).
We all need Jupiter—and not just from outside of us, but from the inside. As long as over-optimism isn’t alienating those who struggle with accessing it, there is certainly no harm in injecting hope, joy and a little exuberance into the world.
Note: Underlined words with no link denote articles that are not yet posted. Check back in the near future!
I invite readers, especially long-time astrologers, to offer their own insights into how we can use astrology to cultivate inner union. While I draw on established philosophies such as evolutionary and transpersonal astrology, I’m still unraveling the Unity method. I’m hoping that by sharing our insights, we can further form this method, together. With your permission, I may reference you in future articles. Contact me (Megan) at info@innersynastry.com to discuss.