The traditional affinities in the zodiac are the "Elements," "Modalities," and "Polarities," as we all know. But the zodiac contains even more affinities! The signs, for example, are constructing six “Pairs” among themselves. Each masculine sign somehow takes in marriage its adjacent feminine sign. Thus, we get these six “Pairs” in the zodiac: Aries - Taurus, Gemini - Cancer, Leo - Virgo, Libra - Scorpio, Sagittarius - Capricorn, Aquarius - Pisces. It seems I am not telling you much at this point, but the concept of “Pairs” is a rather new and fascinating one, as you will see.
We live in a polarized word. Wherever we turn our sight we see polarized situations: things, processes, beings (positive or negative, masculine or feminine). Whatever situation comes in our mind, somewhere exists its opposite one! The polarization process is necessary for the objects to take shape, for the humans to exist and evolve, for life to carry on.
Take cars, for example. What is moving them is the power of their engine. And that power is produced in a rather polarized way (through the mecchanical process of "combustion - exhaustion"). Now, take the human engine, the body. It inhales oxygen and it exhales carbonate dioxide (the exhaust gas). The same mecchanism as in the cars! Without this incessant, "polarized" process of breathing in and out the human body would run out of energy and perish. Somehow, polarization means life!
Let’s go back to our six zodiac “Pairs”. These “Pairs” constitute the six major "breaths" of the zodiac, the six reciprocating processes of integration and evolution.
The zodiacal signs are depicted below in a sine wave, in order to emphasize their “gender” and the way they complement each other. The “mountains” in the figure are the masculine signs, the “gorges” or "ravines" the feminine ones.
Aries and Taurus form the Pair of Individualization, the Pair of Ego. It is imperative for each person and situation to be unique, differentiated, self-sufficient, secure, to impose his interests and dominate, in as much as he can, the others. People without a strong Ego cannot impose their will or sustain the pressures of life. Aries represents the masculine phase of the Ego and Taurus the feminine one. But does a feminine Ego really exist? Yes, it does! Whereas the masculine Ego is manifested “loudly” and aggressively, the feminine Ego is manifested by inertia and non-participation. We should consider egotistical persons not only the ones that behave abruptly and aggressively but also the ones that ingeniously retire into their selves and interests, whenever they have to make a stand and support something or somebody.
So, there are two Ego phases. The masculine phase gives a capacity to openly face situations, to claim whatever one considers his own, to pull things in the desired direction. The feminine (Taurean) phase gives a capacity to sustain external pressures and to define oneself without the need of impressive exterior achievements. This a very important but not very well understood phase of the Ego. Still, it is an equal “half” of the Ego. Aries represents the dynamic Ego, the Ego that is strong as long as it remains in action. Taurus represents the static Ego, the Ego that is strong as long as it abstains from action! In order for a man to be really strong he has to have both the masculine and the feminine phase strong.
Gemini and Cancer are the signs of the logical and of the emotional/psychological development of the individual! Of his/her Interconnection with his/her surroundings, of his/her overall "communication" skills. There is no meaning in an "Ego" that has been created but left in a primitive, unrefined state, isolated from the rest of society. It is vital for this "Ego" to evolve both logically and emotionally, so that it integrates itself to society and fully exploits the many benefits its interaction with it bestows! This is the job of of the Gemini - Cancer duet! These two signs strategically control and ever refine the "interconnection" skills of the individual with the people and the situations around him/her.
We humans are not communicating just verbally but emotionally too! On the one hahnd, the "masculine" reasoning, the intellect, are extremely important in any kind of "communication". Oddly enough though, the emotions we are transferring while we communicate with somebody play a fundamental role too! They influence the quality of our communication (they may enhance it or deteriorate it). So, every time we communicate with some other human beings we have to be aware of our emotional exchange with them as well - and respect that exchange as much as we respect the mere intellectual exchange.
Think of two individuals, a Gemini and a Cancer, traveling side by side in a bus. They don’t know each other and after some time they might even feel uncomfortable for not talking to eah other. The first to engage in a conversation will be the Gemini individual. It is imperative for this sign to interconnect cerebrally with the others, to exchange words with them - without having though any particularly wish to exchange emotions and "soul energy" with the others. That's Cancer’s job!
The sign of Cancer is the feminine phase of Interconnection and Communication. It is the sign of the Soul, so the kind of interconnection it craves for is the warm, soul - centered, emotional interconnection. S/he is shy, so probably s/he won't be the one starting the conversation. But, from the moment the dialogue will begin Cancer will willingly participate in it and will bring in it some much warmer, emotional states (i.e. he might ask his fellow traveler about his family). He will be staring him warmly in the eyes and will be aiming at his own and his fellow travelers “warming” of the soul, in that unique way that the human contact warms our souls. Even if the two do not exchange a single word during the trip and at the moment of getting down from the bus the Cancer individual turns and warmly looks at his fellow traveler, even then an interconnection will have been established, of the Cancerian, feminine type!
Leo and Virgo form the Pair of the Completion of the individual. Leo represents the masculine phase of completion and Virgo the feminine one. In the phase of Leo the individual has been remarkably developed (he has obtained in previous stages a strong Ego, intelligence and soul). Thus, Leo feels very full of himself, he begins to feel a small God! There is no doubt that Leo has a strong and dominant personality, that he is very self - confident and has a wide range of creative talents. He is self-assured and needs other people to admire him and serve him. Leo is remarkable, under many points of view, but still is not a God! This is exactly what Virgo, the feminine phase of Completion, commits herself to constantly remind him.
In the Virgonian phase of completion the individual is thoroughly probed in order to discover all of his shortcomings and failings. We all tend to deny and forget our weaknesses. But Virgo is always there to remind them to us (and of course, to mirror them to Leo, showing him how far away he is from perfection, from divinity).
If we ever manage to look objectively at our selves we will discover in us many shortcomings and weaknesses (in our appearance, personality, behavior e.t.c.). And it is not only our frailties that distant us from perfection. Our everyday sins distant us even more! How chaste and pure are we, for example, to deserve divinity? Virgo is constantly probing this, measuring the distance that separates us from the ideal.
Libra and Scorpio form the next stage, in which one individual joins another. We have here the Pair of Union. Libra expresses the masculine phase of union. This is an exterior phase. A boy and girl walking together along the beach, a man marrying a woman, two persons interacting in a gentle and polite way. However, this exterior harmony does not imply that the two persons really like each other and that, beside their exterior rapprochement, they are united internally, in their souls. There are so many men and women who do not show it externally but are strongly united in their souls (fated love affairs, extra - marital affairs, liaisons e.t.c.).
All these kinds of strong, hidden unions are typically Scorpionic (feminine). In the phase of Scorpio the individuals do not only unite but also actually merge! They become absolute one, in the body, in the mind, in the soul! They completely transform themselves into new entities and their separates “me, myself” become “us”. In the Scorpionic union, the individual ceases to draw sentimental and psychic support from his parents, relatives, friends e.t.c. and draws it exclusively from his partner.
Obviously, the Scorpionic union is a deep and passionate one. But this does not diminish the importance of the Libraian union. It is very important for two individuals, no matter how incompatible they are and how many differences they have, to coexist gently and politely. The human civilization is largely based upon the masculine Libraian union.
Next comes the stage of Socialization, represented by the signs of Sagittarius and Capricorn. Sagittarius represents the masculine phase of socialization. Remember that this phase comes after the somehow claustrophobic phase of Scorpio (where two individuals strive to become an absolute one). Sagittarius knows that if one gets too hemmed in his relationship or in his private life, he risks to be cut off from the vital stream of energies that society harbors. The energies of an intimate relationship can be powerful and regenerating but can become swampy and poisonous, as well! That’s why Sagittarius prompts the individuals to open themselves, their minds, their relationships, to go out and meet people, to have fun, to travel e.t.c.
What Sagittarius starts Capricorn completes. Capricorn considers the Sagittarian kind of socialization important, but somehow frivolous. To him the true socialization begins when the individual starts to serve society, when he produces a socially useful work (through his profession), when he fully takes his responsibilities, towards himself and society. To Capricornean people the individual is nothing but a gear in the mechanism of society and it should be as useful and functional gear as it can be! It is important for Capricorn to see people socialize for specific, utilitarian reasons, i.e. in order to develop professional plans or improve the conditions of their community.
The sixth and final stage of the zodiac is the stage of Universalization, expressed by the Pair Aquarius - Pisces. Aquarius - which is the masculine phase of universalization, considers it important that a man finds his place in society, but even more important is for him to find his place in the Universe! We have to find the meaning of life, we have to understand, in a broader term, which we are and what our mission is. Aquarius brings a high level of consciousness to the individual, so high that he might even deny doing his duty (i.e. the pilot of a military airplane that goes against the orders that he has and refuses to bomb civilians). Aquarius is a humanist. He loves his fellow humans, regardless of their social, financial, racial position. But he prefers to mingle with people that have a high level of consciousness and are like-minded.
Pisces represent the feminine phase of universalization. It is a sign that brings one an even higher level of consciousness than Aquarius. But at this advanced phase, consciousness and perception become so high that start to mutate into an undifferentiated, overwhelming wisdom that might disorientate the individual.
Pisces do not even segregate people according to their level of consciousness - as Aquarius does. To them all people are the same. They all have to carry their weigh, they all have pain and sorrow in their hearts. That’s why this mysterious sign considers each human being his brother. Pisces is the sign of the universal love, a kind of love that many people do not understand. It is a somehow impersonal love, with mixed elements of brotherhood and compassion. Pisces know that all people were once united (and they still are, in a sense) and that we all are destined to be wholly united again!
These are the six Pairs of the zodiac. The notion of “Pairs” is important because it helps us to deeper understand the structure of the zodiac. We knew a long time that there are six masculine and six feminine signs in the zodiac but apart from the obvious symmetry we had little notion of the need for such polarization. Now, with the theory of zodiacal Pairs we begin to better understand the expediency of the polarization in the zodiac. Zodiacal Pairs act as sources of energy and as agents that promote the evolutionary processes of life.
Thomas Gazis
Copyright: Thomas D. Gazis
(This is an edited version of a Thomas Gazis article that was published in the “American Astrology - Your daily Horoscope” magazine, on the July 2003 issue with the title "The Living Zodiac").
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