Saturn Opposition Eris: Global Evolution through Internal Revolution

As of early April 2012, Saturn retrograded back into 26 Aries, bringing it into the (standard 5-degree) Ptolemaic orb of opposition to Eris, with Eris having been mostly positioned at 21 Aries since February 7, 2010. (Because of Eris’ relative speed against that of Earth, plus the oblong shape of Eris’ orbit around the Sun, Eris has moved forward to dip its cosmic toe into 22 Aries now and again, yet every time it gets into 22 Aries, it retrogrades right back out of it .)

Eris was known as Discordia by the Romans. Eris’ story is an interesting one, which ends up pointing out how important it is to know what motivates us, so we’ll be prepared to deal with the consequences of our choices. When we don’t, Eris manifests as discord.  And yes, we humans do seem to be prone to blaming others for such things. But because Eris seems to be more consistently positive in the charts of those who aim to better things for everybody, this becomes the challenge of Eris.

This sense of “testing us” against ourselves seems to be a common theme with Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud objects. They all seem to have a pronounced thread of “from the whole comes my part of, and place in the whole” sort of thing. Because they do—and considering how recently Eris was discovered (October 2003)—we know that there’s a lot more to be learned about Eris. And we know that this is—apparently—a time when discord is going to arise in and around our lives in order that we learn more about ourselves.

With Eris, we’re talking about a Kuiper Belt Object which seems to be all about our relationship to (and with) our internal Self. When and where we know ourselves and are willing to operate in a global “cause/effect” fashion, we do well. When we don’t—principally when we aim to better ourselves or protect ourselves (and to heck with everybody else), Eris amps up all the discord. Or rather, with our choices (or lack of choosing), we incite it. Thus when Eris is activated, “why did you do this to me?” becomes “why did I do this to myself?’

Eris seems also to question how we go about achieving our goals. And this may well be a critical part of understanding Eris. As a “beyond Neptune” dwarf planet entity, Eris seems to pertain specifically to what we do because of, or as a reaction to, our own instincts and instinctual impulses. You know that old saying “act in haste, repent at leisure”? That’s very Eris.

Eris was discovered by the “planet hunter” team of Craig Trujillo, Mike Brown and David Rabinowitz. It is classed as a dwarf planet, though its finite physical size is still under debate. Still, in terms of What’s Out There, Eris is pretty big—current measurements make it out to be the ninth largest object orbiting our Sun. Symbolically, being “ninth largest” says a lot about the strength of Eris’ effects. Yes, when we get into planetary stuff, size means, not everything…but a lot! So with Eris as ninth largest sun-orbiting body in our solar system, then everything from snafus to conflicts are important factors in our lives. And to our development as humans.

This makes conflict something we shouldn’t shy away from…which, come to think of it, might be why humans keep waging war. After all, if Eris is “discord to learn by” and if everything happens for a reason (yes, that is a metaphysical rule), then discord—right up to and including war, abuse and other terrifying and terrible things—should also be viewed as “potential opportunities to learn.”

Ugly? Yes. But if you’re under the impression this universe is a peaceful or “nice” place—or that niceness and peace are the universal aim, that may be unrealistic. Any woman who has given birth to a child knows it’s not a “genteel” act. Chicks fight to get out of the egg. A lot of savagery goes on out on the veldt and savannah in the name of survival. We struggle to learn, we struggle to do the right thing, we struggle to survive. Struggling seems to be a positive part of the process. You may not like it, but growth takes effort. Lack of effort is the road to stagnation and ultimate decline.

The core of the Eris myth revolves around how Eris (aka “Discordia”) reacts to not getting “invited to the party” (a wedding or joining of interests). This says even more about those who try to keep discord at bay. Or to deny disruption or destruction is out there. Or try to deny that what they are doing, because they are thinking only of themselves, and ignoring “the whole, from which comes my part of, and place in the whole,” causes all the trouble.

No, Eris doesn’t wear rose-colored glasses.

So what has it meant to live in a time where Eris has been moving back and forth between 21 and 22 Aries? Granting that Eris’ recent discovery describes a time of discord in general, since Aries 21 and 22 are both third decan degrees (meaning they’re between 20 and 29 of some sign), we aren’t “just doing.” Third decan degrees are interactive—with people we know and with our world as a whole. So we have to “do” and we have to put whatever we’re doing “out there.” And then everybody votes, tweets, blogs, reports and comments on it.

Interesting how this arrival of Eris on the scene has signaled the blossoming of social networking (among other things), isn’t it? Probably the most famous social platform of them all—Facebook—has an original incorporation date of July 29, 2004. That’s just a few months after Eris’ discovery (October 21, 2003). And if you know business, a surge in public response is what would inspire Zuckerberg & Co. to go “holy friend-mania, Batman—we gotta incorporate!”

From social networking we’ve gone through Googling (originally incorporated as Google Technologies on September 4, 1998) into near-total connectivity. And while one side deals with their urges to track and data mine, the other side wants to protect against loss of privacy. The Eris question here is why, and what we put on the line when we make a choice.

With Eris transiting Aries, everything feels very personal. Though the internet isn’t touching us physically, we say it “touches” us because what it contains holds a power to move us past our personal boundaries into a realm where instincts and feelings exist, but cannot be contained. Not by us, not by anyone else. Again, we want to blame “them” when something goes wrong, but we chose to connect.

And maybe we chose to connect on the outside without properly connecting on the inside. That would be very Eris-provoking.

The years of Eris passing through Aries’ third decanate (2002-2046) are going to be filled with provocation and social disruption. That chaos is of our making. With Eris, we can begin to recognize what we have made, and what that says about where we need to grow and become more conscious. More cognizant. More intelligent about our parameters.

It is not that we don’t count, in other words, but that we do. Every choice we make counts.

21 Aries is  known for wanting recognition. Seeing that Eris entered 21 Aries back in 2005, could this be why we all seem to speak in such hyperbolic terms? Maybe so. But beyond that, Eris at 21 Aries has manifested in situations pleasant, challenging, chaotic and emotionally daunting in order to get us to confront ourselves with why we want what we want, and thus test our relationship to our own ability to try, and try again, despite limitations, responsibilities and burdens. Those who have weathered their Eris challenges have sorted out the necessary from unnecessary and built some priorities into life. Those who haven’t have avoided, evaded or out-and-out tossed away things they found inconvenient to deal with.

Considering all that, is it shocking that we’ve seen so much irresponsibility (and irresponsibility’s emotional twin, immaturity) over these past few years? Probably not! A fair number of us—even those who have eventually gotten the hang of this challenge—have created problems for ourselves, others, and our world along the way. (This is all beginning to sound like the evening news, isn’t it…?)

As opposed to 21 Aries’ drive for recognition, 22 Aries focuses on internal fulfillment, seeming to ask why anything is worth doing. Put simply, this is a recipe for dissatisfaction. Any way you cut it, it’s not a happy space. But it is very Eris-like in that it divides rather sharply the “doing it just for me” folks from those who recognize that doing everything for our own sake is isolating (disruptive of relationships and our ability to relate to others) in and of itself.

Eris is currently bridging 21 and 22 Aries, signaling times which alternate between yearnings to succeed and isolationistic ennui. This back-and-forth will continue until February 2014, which is when, finally done with 21 Aries, Eris moves on (as of June 2014) to create a shifting balance/challenge between 22 and 23 Aries. And considering how 23 Aries poses immaturity which “shows off” by being overly sexual as opposed to being productive and creative (note here: sexuality and creativity are related energetics), Eris moving into this degree may point to a lot of truly bad human behavior and sexual dysfunction.

We do indeed live in discordant times. But at least Eris gives us a clue why “Balkanization” and stratification of societies, whether by income, culture, religion, race, gender (or otherwise) doesn’t work. And in the end, this may be the most interesting part of Eris. Roman Goddess Discordia she may be, but the ultimate aims of such energetics are about us—about our ability to gain personal insight, lest we act out against our own better interests.

And wouldn’t this be the actual road to peace? Again, we always think it’s about “them” coming to terms with “us” (while they’re thinking the same thing about us). Isn’t it everyone’s Eris need to understand our instinctive promptings? We all like to talk about humanity, but are the people we respect the most in life and history those who have not done what they could do, but what they should do?

This June (2012), Eris will be at 22 Aries, testing our patience, perseverance and willingness to see ourselves in perspective—all as Saturn opposes from 22 Libra, inching towards its June 25 station/direct. For many, this will be a time of hapless frustration. Or abandonment. Or feeling put upon. Some will go around blithely acting like nothing is wrong.

Such folks are probably simply tempting fate.

Yet some folks will be highly productive. Probably extraordinarily so, though not necessarily overtly. They’ll be working towards goals which require them to master their urges, instincts, fears and yearnings. It’s likely that the “best bets” for June are long-term bets which require a consistent application of dedicated responsibility and effort. That’s Saturn—and since the astrological “rule” here is that the faster planet “applies” to the slower planet, Saturn’s “building for the long run” is best applied to Eris’ tests of internal emotional management.

This is thus all about getting hold of ourselves.

But this is merely part of the whole of this aspect. True, it’s our active role in this rather tense dance. Yet there’s another aspect to this pairing which is truly fascinating. Saturn is the planet farthest from Earth which we can see with our unaided eyes. Thus it represents “the limit of personal reach.” Astrologically it’s considered a “generational” planet because it represents what we build during a lifetime—or what an entire generation builds and bequeaths to its children.

Think about it…Saturn is about what we build. And Eris represents the governance (or lack thereof) of the promptings which at some unbidden, primal level fuels what we end up doing. Are they connected?

Saturn orbits our Sun once in 29.45 years. Given decent circumstances, we humans tend to live through several Saturn cycles. Eris on the other hand, takes 557 (Earth) years to complete one orbital cycle. Eris entered Aries back in April 1923 and will enter Taurus in June of 2044. That means that Saturn will complete just over four orbital cycles while Eris is in Aries, sign of Self.

Try thinking of Eris as a unification force—in your life and as something which just might help you create better and more unifying circumstances for others. Even our world. Orbiting waaaaaay out there beyond Neptune, beyond Pluto, beyond much of the Kuiper Belt, Eris “encircles” our solar system. Is that sort of like “keeping it all together” while multiple generations do their Saturn work? While Eris has been in Aries, humans have built/rebuilt) their personal and global world. In every way possible, from medicine to the environment to methods of killing each other, we humans have asked “Who are we as humans? What makes life livable and worth living?” which as a question is purely Eris in Aries.

Prior to that, multiple generations dealt with the very overt separation of classes and castes and all such—all Eris in Pisces questions.

It would indeed seem that generations of lives can be colored by the Eris times in which they live. Generational natures are now read by many through Pluto…the Baby Boomers are Pluto in Leo, Gen X is Pluto in Libra, the Yuppies are Pluto in Virgo—and so on. And if we can see patterns of great movements in world society in Eris, that would suggest that the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud objects not only functional personally, but that the farther out you go, the more they may well represent the really big clockwork gears of our solar system.

(Which yes, does pose some interesting questions about Sedna. I’m with you there!)

But enough of that. This month we have Saturn opposing Eris as Saturn stations and goes direct on June 25, 2012 at 8:02am (UT/+0). This is a classic “separating the wheat from the chaff” sort of time. Will you take your Eris impulses on—or are you the type who will just deal with discord if it arises?

Right up until the last week in June, we’re going to feel haunted or chased…or ever more enveloped by dual themes. One on side we have Saturn retrograde (but barely moving) in the latter part of Libra: the rewards for who we are (or have been) are more than clear. Are we satisfied with the results, or do we need to work on ourselves or what we do in life so that we’ll earn the reaction we not only want—but may in fact need?

On the other side we have Eris in late Aries. We want things to work…and yet as soon as we experience that angst, we don’t care if things work or don’t work.

This is not a frivolous combination. Things may not be “bad” per se at all—life just isn’t languid, calm, relaxing and mentally balmy (unless you’re in complete emotional denial, that is!). This is an intense (and for some, tense) time. Things will begin getting better little by little once Saturn goes direct, but since it will be July 11 before Saturn moves out of 22 Libra, this should give us all a sense that things will begin to move rather slowly. Life, at this point, evidently has inertia we all need to overcome, each in our own individual way!

Plus there’s one more factor to consider here: Venus is still in retrograde. As of May 29 it will have backed into Gemini’s second decan emotional degrees, meaning we can all count on some emotionally evocative thoughts or conversations. As of late on June 15 (UT/+0 time) Venus will then move into Gemini’s first decanate of physical, pro-active degrees—and that is where it will be as our sense of responsibility for our own life (Saturn) faces off against our most impulsive instincts.

Like I say…not a mentally balmy time.

All the normal rules for stations apply here: any celestial object gets a two-day before-and/or-after “station window.” Things which occur during this station but prior to Saturn going direct have yet to play out. Things which occur during this station but after Saturn goes direct pertain to things already in the works. Also—if your chart was soundly hit by May’s 0 Gemini solar eclipse, count on this calling out those dynamics, if perhaps from a new and different angle.

For anyone with planets/dwarf planets, axis positions (Ascendant, Descendant, IC or MC) or nodes positioned between…

• 17-27 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn: Something has to change or is changing so as to get you to confront what you’re doing, how you’re going about doing it, or the rationales you are using to support your priorities. For those with Aries or Libra positions, situations are very personal. You, and who you are to others, in the world and in your own life, is the focus. For those with Cancer and Capricorn positions the challenge is all about some ego issue which is getting in your way. Either way, thinking productively, functionally and universally is useful.
• 17-27 degrees of Aquarius, Gemini, Sagittarius or Leo: There’s a quality about 22 Aries which challenges us to utilize our abilities and talents even when we don’t need to, and that’s what is at stake now. Those on the Aquarius/Gemini side of this have the opportunity to get out there and “do” in some interestingly new way. Those on the Sagittarius/Leo side of this can open new doors. But will you? Thinking long-term may give you the best perspective: do you think your status quo will last? Do you have options if it doesn’t last?
• 20-24 degrees of Scorpio, Virgo, Pisces or Taurus: Being on the receiving end of critiques, rebuffs, rejections or disputes is a test your internal and personal resiliency. The real question is this: can you learn and adapt while under difficult pressures or trying circumstances? Learning to do that without a whole lot of fuss is the golden opportunity presented here, one which can magically turn situational negatives into respect and support for you and your efforts to move forward.

Another thought on that two-day station window. The first two days (June 23-24) may be of import. But because Venus is going direct on June 27, that means its two-day-prior station window allowance begins on June 25—the day Saturn goes direct.

There’s nothing to say here but the obvious: June 25, 26 and 27 are very important days. If your chart answers to 22 Libra (Saturn’s station degree) or 7 Gemini (Venus’ station degree) you may be at a true turning point in life. If your chart answers to both positions (favorably, we hope!) you get to Get Out Of Jail Free and go past “Go,” collecting the proverbial $200.

Bearing all this in mind, all gets even more interesting as we add in “zodiac modifiers.”

Diagram #1 is a rather “global” survey on Saturn’s station. The points in green are yang, meaning they will present “pro-actively” (maybe even assertively?) in a more or less dynamic form. Points in yellow are responsive and reflective, drawing first on what you’ve been taught (or learned through experience), from which you decide what to do (and how to do it).

The gray boxes are the wild cards here. Especially the box labeled 19-25 Leo. Any of these gray boxes ask if your chart has an object, node or cusp within these parameters. If so, you’ll feel added emphasis during this time. (Note: for those who actively use astrology, the plus/minus three-degree orbs used (19-25) are tighter than the standard 5-degree conjunction orb for more universal online use.)

In (very) brief, let’s go once around the circle, starting with Eris in Aries:

• Eris at 22 Aries: Eris concerns our ability to create or experience discord, versus our ability to deal with discordant situations and energies in a way which benefits everyone. At 22 Aries, Eris is one of those energies which is causing everyone to appear and/or act very selfish and self-serving. Who is being what? That’s the question! Eris in Aries’ 3rd decan generates so much criticism from others it’s easy to say “it’s them,” but often it’s not. None of us is blameless—the real question is whether we tackle our own most ghoulishly difficult qualities.
• Scheherazade at 22 Taurus: An interesting asteroid, Scheherazade is at its simplest “telling tales.” In Taurus, those tales may be of value, about values or tales meant to evade some “terrible fate” which in Taurus would tend to be costly either to our self-worth or costly to us in terms of having to deal with our self-worth issues.
• Sedna at 23 Taurus: Sedna is about maturation and our ability and/or willingness to “own” ourselves and provide for others instead of just expecting (demanding?) to be catered to, humored, or otherwise spoiled. At 23 Taurus, Sedna can bolster our faith. But it can also make us self-righteous and entitled. Critiques from others which provoke the most fervent or protracted rejections generally indicate responsibilities and personal energetics assigned to others and not fully owned, producing connectivity which may feel positive (“popularity”) but which in fact is merely shielding for an immature ego not yet willing to face life’s realities.
• (Calculated) Black Moon Lilith at 21 Taurus: The calculated form of Lilith (also known as the “Black Moon”) refers to a social dynamic which you are in denial of—or which will come to you in the form of society (or some facet thereof) denying you something you want. There is a tendency with this point to wonder “why” without being willing to recognize the rejection isn’t arbitrary. At 21 Taurus, problems arise where deficiencies in emotional morality become apparent to others, if not to us.
• Phact at 22 Gemini: Phact is a fixed star which sits in consistent opposition to Ras Alhague at 22 Sagittarius. Phact is the energy of consideration and conciliatory contemplation. Those who use it well will be able to see “the other side of the coin” and own their flaws or deficiencies in learning more or better, while those who don’t use it so well will either habitually give in, have a hard time learning to think for themselves, or attract bullies who will use the balancing Ras Alhague energy to their detriment.
• Bellatrix at 21 Gemini: Another fixed star (though not linked to the ongoing Phact/Ras Alhague opposition), Bellatrix refers to “difficulty in getting your point across.” In Gemini, this can either be expressed, or an internal failure to think things through—the latter being likely where Phact/Ras Alhague difficulties are operative.
• Dionysus at 22 Cancer: Referred to as “sacred celebration” (or ritual) by some, Dionysus refers to whatever we think of as sacred, not necessarily anything defined by religion. With Saturn’s ascending node (yes, planets have nodes) at 21 Cancer there is a natural feeling of “need” to protect yourself without any realistic ability to point to any definite threat, and to define this as “my job” or “my premier priority.”
• Saturn at 22 Libra: We’ve discussed this!
• Juno at 22 Scorpio: Externally, Juno tends to be our “domestic leadership”—our ability to lead people or “direct traffic” (as some call it) on a personal level. Beyond that, Juno is also our ability—and our willingness—to direct and master our own nature. Juno’s being positioned at 22 Scorpio greatly enhances the difficulties involved in the Saturn/Juno opposition, as 22 Scorpio is impulsive and yet cowardly. Considering how 22 Scorpio is indeed an exact semi-sextile to Saturn’s station and inconjunct to Eris, those who will not be/have not been responsible for their Self are highly likely to be will be confronted with the repercussions of same.
• Ras Alhague at 22 Sagittarius: Known for thousands of years as a difficult astrological precept, Ras Alhague has two extremes: healing and harm. In late Sagittarius, these become our stumbling blocks on the way to success. Whether it’s the repercussions of something we put out there (say, a product) or of what we say or do, Ras Alhague cautions us to watch what we do and how we do it. Currently in a long-term trine to Eris (and short-term sextile to Saturn), this is a definite and fortuitous underscoring which tells us that Saturn’s station affords us the opportunity to right wrongs and fix things, and also how this must be done responsibly, with full ownership of our limitations and awareness of the difference between right and wrong.
• Damocles at 22 Aquarius: Damocles presents a classic human issue—namely, how much easier it is to criticize others than to do the job yourself. As a comet (not an asteroid), Damocles’ cycle from an outer (perihelion) point beyond transpersonal Uranus to an inner (aphelion) point just inside Mars is very much behind the idea of things “hitting home”—sometimes with a shock, and sometimes to our inordinate benefit. Positioned at 22 Aquarius, Damocles speaks to a great deal of energy available and being exerted at this time with the question being whether we will use it or be affected by it.

Some of these descriptions echo facets of Saturn-Eris as a theme. Others, because they’re at 21 or 22 degrees of a sign give us insight on how degrees of the zodiac are intrinsically individual—and yet as a whole they exist as a giant pattern.

It’s all a matter of choices, choices, choices, some of which seem to hold more potential for good. Or at least easier to access potential for good. Take the Magic Rectangle, which is a subset of our around-the-zodiac imagery:

Typically, magic rectangles denote energetics which lead to accomplishments…or a lack of needing to accomplish anything. You’ve heard the old ad slogan “things go better with Coke?” well, things are easier where there’s a magic rectangle involved.

Here the questions are: will you do the right thing (Saturn in Libra), are you willing to change yourself (Uranus in Aries) , are you willing to be conscious of (responsible for) how what you do and what say affects others (Ras Alhague) and are you willing to (Phact) reconsider, learn better-or-differently while owning what you’ve said/done up until now?

Put simply, those who aren’t willing to work towards the “up” (positive) side of this are likely to be really difficult at this time. And to those who live in denial about responsibilities (theirs) or who refuse to own their part in ongoing malfunction, there’s the always-nifty if ever-iffy universal law voiced so well by astrologer Robert Hand: the energy you don’t use wisely, uses you unwisely. (As always, thanks Rob!)

And while we’re in this rectangle…please note that the two planets involved (Uranus and Saturn) speak to attributes we actively utilize where the two stars (Ras Alhague and Phact) refer to the “broader canvas”—those “others” on this planet. Stars are like that—they are part of our sky and our sky is not private.

Then let’s toss in Damocles (she says gleefully). The purple lines in Diagram 2 tie Damocles into a grand trine—three 120-degree aspects tied together—connecting Damocles, Saturn and Phact. Considering how Damocles is (1) a comet and (2) imaged by the tale of the courtier who thought the king was a worry-wart and stick-in-the-mud until he was made King for a Day, at which point he saw all the “dangerous details” (the sword of Damocles hanging over the King’s throne) which aren’t visible until you get handed the power and commit to the job.

The fact that Damocles is a comet refers to information, opportunities and challenges which show up unbidden and as saying goes, which are “news to you.”

With all this happening in 3rd decanate degrees, situations we face involve others. And to the extent that we don’t deal with them (or refuse to think about them), life will provoke us. (Like with Eris-Saturn we need more provocation?) Damocles being in late Aquarius means there’s an element to all which is public, social and “collective.” It may also have to do with income and certainly has to do with wanting, finding and preserving our place in the world.

All grand trines describe a form of “ongoing closed circuit” which here, being presented in air signs, suggests a way of thinking—something akin to “my mind is made up, I don’t want to hear any facts!” But there are two things which indicate how those happy little head games (yours or those being played on you) may get interrupted about now.

The first involves a hardy little triad sitting in square to Damocles in Taurus: Scheherazade (telling tales), Sedna (immaturity, self-entitlement) and Black Moon Lilith (that which you deny about society or which society denies to you). Applying that “bigger object wins” theory, Sedna wins. Sedna is also one of the few objects known to orbit outside of Eris but still inside our solar system. Currently as 23 Taurus, Sedna is in a semi-sextile to Eris and inconjunct to Saturn. That’s an ego bruise which says we need to “make things better” through finding solutions which don’t just suit us, but which work for our life by working all the way around our life in such a manner as to earn us respect—and most of all, mature self-respect.

Those who aren’t available for living up to the charge of their humanity are likely to simply act grandiose about everything. You know, the “I did nothing—they have a problem” (shrug, shrug) routine. For them, repercussions are just a matter of time. On the other hand, maybe you’ve taken a brave new (Uranus) stand recently? Maybe you’ve stood up and done the (Ras Alhague) “unpopular thing” by telling the (Ras Alhague) proverbial “emperor” in your life that they aren’t chic, they’re (Damocles) naked?

In general, and personal infighting aside, this combination favors new enterprises and committing to new phases of being enterprising within the bounds of all just stated.

Oh, and about that second thing which suggests people playing head games (with themselves or others) may get a rude awakening? That would be where the little gray box labeled “19-25 Leo” comes in. If you have a natal chart position which falls into this space OR if who you’re messing with does, that opposes Damocles and turns the grand trine into a different figure—one known as a “Kite.”

With all else still remaining true, those with such Leo placements, OR who are dealing with someone/some corporate entity (or nation) with Leo placements in this zone now need to take on their Damocles challenges. Why? Because with a Kite, we “hold onto” and “steer” the dynamic—which can be a very profitable one—by the “tail” of the kite. And in this case, that tail is Damocles—being willing to risk our own discomfort(s), most of which are (Eris) emotional challenges connected to the difference between (Sedna) comforts and true (Saturn) individuality and maturity.

Since we already have the Facebook chart posted as part of this discussion, let’s use that. Facebook’s Mars at 22 Leo and conjunct the 23 Leo 11th house of corporate income plainly points to the drive for profit. But with Damocles positioned in the 4th house of Facebook’s chart conjunct the 5th house cusp, the corporation is going to be experiencing changes which come from the “we can do what we want” privately held corporation going public. Probably the most important of all will be family/child protection issues.

Whether or not anyone has known it, that’s always been and always will be a Facebook vulnerability.

For most of us, this is just a good time to examine and question our status quo, recognizing that being factual and realistic is not being negative. It’s okay to be surprising, even shocking (lest you be surprised or shocked!), but you need to know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Remember: Eris-Saturn…we need to own our urges and not be simply driven by them. Those who risk a little discomfort in “stepping forward,” in taking on the task and doing the job (maybe deferring gratification along the way?) stand to benefit here. But along the way, don’t be surprised if you have to outlast a few outrageous slings, arrows and the jeers of those who don’t want to tackle their own stuff.

June 2012 brings challenges, maybe most of all to our way of thinking. Those who do “step out of the box” (i.e., who don’t resist the idea of change) can expect resistance from others—it does seem to be a “them or me?” sort of dynamic here. But if we take on the work, we also take on doing that which will in time earn us respect in the eyes of others specifically because we’ve taken on our challenges.

A last diagram to think about:

The red lines describe a T-square which starts with Juno in Scorpio and ends with Sedna, Scheherazade and calculated Black Moon Lilith. The “hurdle” here is (yes,) Damocles. The “end game” or goal in this t-square is self-worth and satisfaction. Considering that this oh-so mortal carrot (if you will) is pictured by Sedna, Scheherazade and Black Moon Lilith, we may be a little pie-in-the-sky about what we think our “goal” will provide us, but it’s our goal and we’re…uh, entitled (that’s a Sedna word!) to it.

T-squares get a bad rap. And well they might—they’re tough. But when you look at the charts of “greats” you often find T-squares. The stories which go with them which are basically about that person learning to get past their ego at some level. That’s the t-square lesson: get over yourself! Or if you prefer the curious deftness of fairy tales, we can put it more genteelly: to achieve self-worth, we have to get past the self-centered aims of our ego.

Also: if you do have some planet, axis or node in the 19-25 Leo arena, then this t-square becomes a Grand Cross—a notoriously difficult insignia which means you’re going to be juggling all sorts of factors which don’t seem to quite fit the way you think they ought to. Grand Crosses are like trying to fold  fitted sheets—they describe situations which are hard to keep neatly stored away.

For those dealing with the t-square, Juno (self-discipline, mastery of personal ability) is the starting point. If you haven’t done your Juno work, you won’t get past the Damocles ego difficulties, feelings of threat and exposure…and back you’ll go to your Juno point to work out your internal (self-mastery) issues.

Yes, this does echo everything we’ve said about Saturn-Eris. And remember, this is all happening as Saturn opposes Eris. Saturn being the symbol of our life goals and what we hope to achieve and build, this is all about real life and real accomplishments. It’s just that, as signaled by Eris and many of the other factors we’ve described here, we have to be willing to take ourselves on in the process of getting ahead now.

Even in not getting ahead.

This is not a time for projection—this is a time for realizing how our own instincts may or may not be real. The Eris instinct is not about “the thing”—it’s about why the thing matters to us. Bottom line, that one idea will end up measuring what you do or don’t do at this time—and the steps towards self-actualization you do or don’t succeed in making now.

Whatever June 2012 asks of us, it asks with urgency, with a prick and a prickle. Who are we? What are we going to do about our life? How will we do that? Who will we keep company with—and why?

Those are but some of the questions. And the answers? Those are legion!

Which brings us around to one last interesting point…because Eris is so far away, its slow movement symbolizes how, even when we try to get it right and get something “wrong,” through the discord which erupts, we get a chance to learn better.

The real Eris question is about how to handle our instinctual impulses.

The real Saturn question is about what we will make of ourselves during the course of our lifetime.

What happens to us is not always our choice. How we react to it? That evidently can be. We just have to be willing to put out the effort to make ourselves into the person we’d respect being.

Boots Hart, CAP

Boots Hart is an ISAR-certified astrologer of 30 years’ experience, with some 20 years as a magazine and online columnist.

Writer by habit and philosopher by bent (some say very bent…), Boots is a metaphysical science geek spiritualist—a person as inspired by the workings of time/space as touched by the often painful adventures of mankind. Through writings public and private, her aim is to use astrology as cipher, helping us understand. Can we learn how to live a happier life? What does that take? Why are the times as they are? These are the questions. And that answers can be gleaned from cosmic cycles and the reflections of those in our lives? That would seem to be part of our journey—the one path we all take and walk together.

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