Libra's Scales: Questioning How We Relate
Libra
is the only sign of the zodiac that is symbolized by an inanimate object--a Scale. And yet this sign is concerned with
partnerships, unions, relationships, lovers, marriages, and social affairs, all
very human preoccupations. Libra is also
concerned with divorce, litigation, justice, diplomacy, compromise and
contracts--human tools for relating to each other. There's something about the Scales of Libra
that demand fairness and balance in the human sphere, something that comes
naturally to the rest of creation, which lives within the cosmic laws of
birth/death/rebirth. Our patriarchal
fear of death and change, and its deep disrespect for the Feminine, doesn't
help balance the Scales. Perhaps that's
why our understanding of relationships needs an upgrade.
We humans have been given free will. And we so often don't use it. Instead we get caught in unconscious beliefs and triggers that keep us from making the right choices for our lives. These beliefs and rules make us think that we're being fair and balanced, but as we evolve in self-awareness, those very rules which once gave us discipline and focus might now be misguiding us about our real needs and purpose in life. We see this happening in all aspects of our modern society--many things we used to believe in are no longer helpful or even valid. We need new rules that reflect our more conscious society.
Relationships are suffering from old beliefs about men and women, about marriage, about partnership. Whether we speak of gay rights or women's reproductive rights, the old relationship rules of patriarchy are no longer valid--if they ever were. I'm not only talking about our legal views of relationship, but also our inner beliefs about relationships and love. Since the early part of the 20th Century, relationships--and therefore Libra--have been changing.
The three outer planets which represent collective change--Uranus, Neptune and Pluto--have traveled through Libra in our lifetime, changing our beliefs about relationships on the most basic levels. From October 1942-August 1957, Neptune moved through the sign of Libra. The Baby Boomers have this aspect in our charts. Neptune in Libra sets up a longing in us, a yearning for a soul mate, our perfect lover and match. We long for men of honor and courage, who will love us and protect us forever. Men long for their perfect match, women who will understand and support them.
What we got was disappointment and disillusionment, two traits of a misunderstood Neptune. We had a hard time with each other's reality, and therefore there was quite of bit of the other side of Libra's Scales: divorce, litigation and contracts. Our ideas about relationship changed, often for the worse. But we needed to be disillusioned about patriarchal relationships--especially about romantic love--because these types of relationships were anything but fair and balanced. Women and men were left with roles to play out which no longer served our souls needs.
Then Uranus went into Libra in October 1968-September 1975, surprising us with openly gay couples, as well as mixed racial couples. After the 60s', it seems like anything goes regarding partnerships and relationships. The more unique and surprising the better! And when Pluto went into Libra from October 1971-August 1984, the kids decided to renovate the whole concept of relationships. They wanted relationships to be deep and meaningful to survive divorce, and they had to be between equals. Then every 12 years Jupiter went through Libra and every 28 years Saturn went into Libra, bringing the new emerging archetypal energies of partnership into our collective consciousness.
With all the changes in our self-awareness, of course relationships are evolving. And yet, when we look at the culture at large, we're still fighting over marriage and children, divorce and fair sharing of family resources. Our rules are patriarchal and while divorce courts overtly have to be fair, most divorces end up badly, with neither side happy with the results.
And then there's the whole question of infidelity. Why would a partner turn to someone else? In a patriarchal marriage, where there's only one relationship allowed for an entire lifetime, infidelity becomes a problem which leads to divorce. I think it's because patriarchal marriages are based on ownership and possession. When we marry, we unconsciously believe we own our partner. So when one partner "strays' we feel betrayed and abandoned. A big part of this feeling comes from the secrecy of an affair. Patriarchal marriage sets us up to maintain the secrecy of an illicit affair.
What if we've been programed to feel betrayed? What if seeking other partners on a short term basis is part of our human nature--a part that's been vilified by church and state? What if we could have it both ways--a loving marriage and a legal lover?
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's Keltiad Series
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison created an amazing Celtic-based world in all her Keltiad novels. Ms. Kennealy-Morrison was the editor of Jazz & Pop Magazine back in the 60s and married the Doors' Jim Morrison in a pagan handfasting ceremony. She has an amazing understanding of the Celts and their culture and has created a world that mixes the best elements of Celtic mythology, science fiction and fantasy.
The
foundation of her stories is this: She
takes the story of St. Brendan the Navigator who supposedly took ship from
Ireland in 453 AD and discovered the Americas and changes one essential element
of history. In Ms. Kennealy-Morrison's
world, Brendan and the ships leaving Ireland with emigrants seeking a new home
were fleeing the persecution of St. Patrick (they were the snakes he drove
out!) because they wanted to worship their old gods and keep their own
civilization--not become Roman.
Brendan was the son of one of the Tuatha De Danaan, themselves descendants and heirs to the secrets of Atlantis. Together with the Celts, the surviving Danaans (the Sidhe or Faerie Folk) set sail in starships seeking an ancient legend about a new world in outer space. After two years' wandering among the stars, they found their safe haven. They named this new world Keltia.
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