The Ram symbolizes potency, the capacity
to generate, illuminate and enlighten from within. Aries must assert
themselves powerfully, often being called upon to do battle with a
father, father-substitute, institution or society who fails to recognize
their creative contribution or philosophy. Aries' battle must be waged
in reverence for the Divine, and not merely as a personal expression
of will.
The Bull symbolizes the raging power of
the senses. Taurus must come to terms with this power neither by identifying
with it completely nor repressing it. They must come to understand
that the power of the senses is actually not theirs, but a manifestation
of Spirit, and needs to be dedicated toward some greater transpersonal
goal. Taurus embodies an inner dance between that which is ugly and
clumsy and that which is beautiful and refined.
The Twins comprise a fundamental conflict
between opposites. Early in life either the "good" or the
"bad" twin is separated off. The bright hero is just a bit
too bright, a little to invulnerable and a little too far away from
ordinary human suffering and longing to perform his appointed task
of redemption. Inevitably, Gemini must learn to embrace their tricksterish
shadow side in order to bring their visions into concrete form.
The Crab has a deep, mystical link with
the very source of life itself. They must battle to free themselves
from the power of their personal Mothers/Fathers to inherit that role
within their own lives. There is both a regressive longing for the
womb and a mystical longing for the Divine. Nothing will goad the
Crab into open confrontation with life save deep emotional loss.
The Lion symbolizes primitive passion. Their
lives are a dramatic quest for the self that can only be accomplished
through their own experience and intuition. Leo's father was either
absent or wounded on some more profound level, and he cannot provide
the sense of creative renewal they need, so the Leo child must go
out on his own to seek this principle in the form of life's adventure.
The Virgin symbolizes the intrinsic orderliness
of nature. They envision a just universe and incessantly struggle
against chaos and disorder. Crisis orients Virgo to take responsibility
for their own nature, often requiring that they spend a period of
life alone. They are often caught between the safe, well-paid and
ultimately barren path of external compliance and the fertile but
often lonely path of inner loyalty.
The Scales symbolizes the path of restoring
ethics to an unethical world. Time and again, they are called upon
to make a choice, which contradicts Libra's innate desire to have
everything in proportion rather than one thing at the expense of another.
They must come to an acceptance of life's inherent injustice. There
is often sexual ambiguity: The males embody the feminine and the females
the cool, detached rationality of the masculine.
The Scorpion symbolizes the collision
with everything dark and terrible in life--coming to terms with our
reptilian, autonomous, unconscious nature. They must learn to contend
with the equally powerful pull both downwards and upwards without
disengaging from either pole by means of deep sexual/spiritual unions
with others. Having confronted the depths, they can rise to the heights
in the form of the Eagle.
The Centaur symbolizes the ceaseless
quest for a spirit that will transcend death. Woundedness is an integral
part of the sign, and forms a kind of despair beneath their bright
optimism. This wound that cannot be healed is life's shadow side.
If Sagittarius can bear to face his wound, it strengthens him immeasurably
because then he doesn't aspire quite so high, and can produce something
in a more practical and relevant way.
The Goat symbolizes initiation into the
bondage of material existence. They are compelled to shoulder a burdensome
and unwelcome responsibility as a rite of passage whereby they gradually
replace their personal fathers-who was a disappointment-with a Divine
Father. However, the god they worship demands good solid coin as payment-often
provoking a crisis of despair and lost faith.
The Water Bearer symbolizes the capacity
to detach and comprehend the original blueprint of reality, accounting
for Aquarius' ceaseless efforts to reform and redeem mankind, as well
as their repression of all that is earthly and bestial. Their deep
fear of the irrational makes them excellent scientists and observers,
but more reluctant participants, especially where feelings are concerned.
The Two Fishes bound together symbolize destructive
instinct devouring innocence. The one who is martyred then rises again
to become the redeemer. Thus, Pisces is born to suffer or to save,
to sin or to sanctify-and usually both. Their self-destructive side
often seduces them into dismembering their bodily prison, via drugs
and alcohol, in search of the spirit within. It is their fate to wrestle
with this extraordinary dilemma.